The Hijrah — Night of the Cave
Thirteen years of persecution peak in a plot to kill the Prophet in one night — Ali sleeps in his bed, two companions hide in a cave, and “grieve not, Allah is with us” echoes through history.
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لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا
La tahzan, innallaha ma’ana.
📜 The full story
For thirteen years in Makkah the Prophet ﷺ and his few followers endured boycott, beatings, filth thrown on praying backs, and the deaths of Khadijah and Abu Talib in the Year of Sorrow. When Madinah’s Aws and Khazraj pledged allegiance at Aqabah, Allah opened the door — and commanded migration.
Quraysh, panicking at the exodus, plotted in Dar an-Nadwah: imprison him, exile him — or kill him as one man so his blood scatters among tribes (8:30). Revelation warned the Prophet, who asked Ali to sleep in his bed that night — a cousin trading his life for time. The assassins found Ali at dawn; the Prophet had slipped through their siege, unseen.
With Abu Bakr he hid three nights in the cave of Thawr while trackers combed the hills — once standing at the very mouth. Abu Bakr whispered in fear; the Prophet answered with the sentence of the cave: grieve not — indeed Allah is with us. Then tranquillity descended, unseen hosts guarded, and the searchers turned away (9:40).
Guided by Abdullah ibn Urayqit along hidden coastal paths, trailed once by Suraqah whose horse sank until he begged quarter, they reached Quba — building Islam’s first mosque — then Madinah, where girls sang from rooftops and every household begged to host him.
The Hijrah redrew history so completely that Umar dated the Islamic calendar from it: persecution answered not with revenge but with brotherhood between migrants and helpers, a mosque, and a city built on faith.
📚 Narrated strictly from the Quran (Quran 9:40) without invented details.
🗂️ The story in order
- 1The plot: Quraysh resolve to strike as one man; revelation warns.
- 2Ali’s night: the cousin sleeps in the Prophet’s bed, risking death.
- 3The cave: three nights in Thawr while trackers pass the very mouth.
- 4“Grieve not”: Abu Bakr fears; the Prophet answers with certainty.
- 5The welcome: Quba’s mosque, then Madinah’s songs — a new era opens.
💡 Lessons
- ✦Plan meticulously, then trust completely — means plus tawakkul.
- ✦Loyalty like Abu Bakr’s and courage like Ali’s built the ummah.
- ✦Persecution ends; the calendar of Islam begins at migration.
📚 References: Quran 9:40
Narrated from the Quran without invented details; consult scholars for rulings.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What happened in the story of Muhammad ﷺ?
Thirteen years of persecution peak in a plot to kill the Prophet in one night — Ali sleeps in his bed, two companions hide in a cave, and “grieve not, Allah is with us” echoes through history.
What are the lessons from Muhammad ﷺ’s story?
1. Plan meticulously, then trust completely — means plus tawakkul. 2. Loyalty like Abu Bakr’s and courage like Ali’s built the ummah. 3. Persecution ends; the calendar of Islam begins at migration.
Where is this story in the Quran?
References: Quran 9:40. Read the verses with translation; consult scholars for deeper rulings.