PART 3 · THE HIJRAH · الْهِجْرَةُ النَّبَوِيَّةُ
الطَّرِيقُ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ
Chapter 17: The Road to Madinah
Surāqah’s chase, a city waiting every morning — and the camel that chose the place
Sheikh Mohamed Fawzyالشيخ محمد فوزي
© 2026 Sheikh Mohamed Fawzy. All rights reserved. Version 1.7
The journey طَرِيقُ الْهِجْرَةِ
A long road through the desert
An unusual road
Instead of the usual road north, they went south to the cave of Thawr, then towards the coast, then north — a road few travellers used, and longer than the usual one.
Dates (Ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm): they left on the night of 27 Ṣafar, in the 14th year of prophethood (September 622 CE), and reached Qubā’ on Monday 8 Rabī‘ al-Awwal (23 September 622). Some historians say 12 Rabī‘ al-Awwal; al-Bukhari 3906 confirms it was a Monday.
The chase سُرَاقَةُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ
A horseman wants the reward
قَالَ سُرَاقَةُ بْنُ جُعْشُمٍ: جَاءَنَا رُسُلُ كُفَّارِ قُرَيْشٍ يَجْعَلُونَ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ دِيَةَ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا، مَنْ قَتَلَهُ أَوْ أَسَرَهُ، فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا جَالِسٌ فِي مَجْلِسٍ مِنْ مَجَالِسِ قَوْمِي بَنِي مُدْلِجٍ أَقْبَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ حَتَّى قَامَ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ جُلُوسٌ، فَقَالَ يَا سُرَاقَةُ، إِنِّي قَدْ رَأَيْتُ آنِفًا أَسْوِدَةً بِالسَّاحِلِ أُرَاهَا مُحَمَّدًا وَأَصْحَابَهُ. قَالَ سُرَاقَةُ فَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُمْ هُمْ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّهُمْ لَيْسُوا بِهِمْ، وَلَكِنَّكَ رَأَيْتَ فُلَانًا وَفُلَانًا انْطَلَقُوا بِأَعْيُنِنَا. ثُمَّ لَبِثْتُ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ سَاعَةً، ثُمَّ قُمْتُ فَدَخَلْتُ فَأَمَرْتُ جَارِيَتِي أَنْ تَخْرُجَ بِفَرَسِي وَهْيَ مِنْ وَرَاءِ أَكَمَةٍ فَتَحْبِسَهَا عَلَيَّ، وَأَخَذْتُ رُمْحِي، فَخَرَجْتُ بِهِ مِنْ ظَهْرِ الْبَيْتِ، فَحَطَطْتُ بِزُجِّهِ الْأَرْضَ، وَخَفَضْتُ عَالِيَهُ حَتَّى أَتَيْتُ فَرَسِي فَرَكِبْتُهَا، فَرَفَعْتُهَا تُقَرِّبُ بِي حَتَّى دَنَوْتُ مِنْهُمْ، فَعَثَرَتْ بِي فَرَسِي، فَخَرَرْتُ عَنْهَا فَقُمْتُ، فَأَهْوَيْتُ يَدِي إِلَى كِنَانَتِي فَاسْتَخْرَجْتُ مِنْهَا الْأَزْلَامَ، فَاسْتَقْسَمْتُ بِهَا أَضُرُّهُمْ أَمْ لَا فَخَرَجَ الَّذِي أَكْرَهُ ...
Surāqah ibn Ju‘shum said: “Messengers of the disbelievers of Quraysh came to us, offering the blood-price [a hundred camels] for each of the two — the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abū Bakr — to anyone who killed or captured him. While I was sitting in one of the gatherings of my people, Banū Mudlij, a man from them came and stood over us while we sat, and said: ‘Surāqah, I have just seen some figures on the coast; I think they are Muḥammad and his companions.’ I knew that it was them, but I said to him: ‘It is not them. You saw so-and-so and so-and-so, who set off while we watched.’ Then I stayed in the gathering for a while, got up, went home, and told my slave-girl to take my horse out behind a small hill and hold it for me. I took my spear and went out with it from the back of the house, its lower end trailing on the ground and its top held low, until I reached my horse and mounted it. I drove it at a gallop until I came near them — then my horse stumbled and I fell off it. I got up, reached into my quiver and took out the divining arrows, and asked them: should I harm them or not? Out came the answer I disliked.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3906Sahih
The chase سُرَاقَةُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ
“Keep our news hidden”
قَالَ سُرَاقَةُ: ... فَرَكِبْتُ فَرَسِي، وَعَصَيْتُ الْأَزْلَامَ، تُقَرِّبُ بِي حَتَّى إِذَا سَمِعْتُ قِرَاءَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهْوَ لَا يَلْتَفِتُ، وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ يُكْثِرُ الِالْتِفَاتَ سَاخَتْ يَدَا فَرَسِي فِي الْأَرْضِ حَتَّى بَلَغَتَا الرُّكْبَتَيْنِ، فَخَرَرْتُ عَنْهَا ثُمَّ زَجَرْتُهَا فَنَهَضَتْ، فَلَمْ تَكَدْ تُخْرِجُ يَدَيْهَا، فَلَمَّا اسْتَوَتْ قَائِمَةً، إِذَا لِأَثَرِ يَدَيْهَا عُثَانٌ سَاطِعٌ فِي السَّمَاءِ مِثْلُ الدُّخَانِ، فَاسْتَقْسَمْتُ بِالْأَزْلَامِ، فَخَرَجَ الَّذِي أَكْرَهُ، فَنَادَيْتُهُمْ بِالْأَمَانِ فَوَقَفُوا، فَرَكِبْتُ فَرَسِي حَتَّى جِئْتُهُمْ، وَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي حِينَ لَقِيتُ مَا لَقِيتُ مِنَ الْحَبْسِ عَنْهُمْ أَنْ سَيَظْهَرُ أَمْرُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ قَوْمَكَ قَدْ جَعَلُوا فِيكَ الدِّيَةَ. وَأَخْبَرْتُهُمْ أَخْبَارَ مَا يُرِيدُ النَّاسُ بِهِمْ، وَعَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِمِ الزَّادَ وَالْمَتَاعَ، فَلَمْ يَرْزَآنِي وَلَمْ يَسْأَلَانِي إِلَّا أَنْ قَالَ «أَخْفِ عَنَّا». فَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ لِي كِتَابَ أَمْنٍ، فَأَمَرَ عَامِرَ بْنَ فُهَيْرَةَ، فَكَتَبَ فِي رُقْعَةٍ مِنْ أَدِيمٍ، ثُمَّ مَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ...
Surāqah said: “…But I mounted my horse and disobeyed the arrows. It galloped with me until, when I could hear the recitation of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — he did not look around, while Abū Bakr kept looking around — my horse’s front legs sank into the ground up to the knees, and I fell off it. I urged it on and it got up, but it could hardly pull its legs out. When it stood up straight, a trail of dust rose from the marks of its legs into the sky like smoke. I asked the arrows again, and out came what I disliked. So I called out to them, offering them safety, and they stopped. I rode my horse until I reached them. After being held back from them like that, I felt sure that the cause of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would prevail. I said to him: ‘Your people have set the blood-price as a reward for you,’ and I told them what people wanted to do to them. I offered them provisions and goods, but they took nothing from me and asked me for nothing, except that he said: ‘Keep our news hidden.’ I asked him to write me a letter of safety, so he told ‘Āmir ibn Fuhayrah, who wrote it on a piece of tanned leather. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went on his way.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3906Sahih
Notice: the Prophet ﷺ kept reciting and did not look around, while Abū Bakr kept looking out for him. Surāqah accepted Islam years later.
Think تَأَمَّلْ
He came to capture — he left to protect
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: ... فَالْتَفَتَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، فَإِذَا هُوَ بِفَارِسٍ قَدْ لَحِقَهُمْ، فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، هَذَا فَارِسٌ قَدْ لَحِقَ بِنَا. فَالْتَفَتَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ «اللَّهُمَّ اصْرَعْهُ». فَصَرَعَهُ الْفَرَسُ، ثُمَّ قَامَتْ تُحَمْحِمُ فَقَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ مُرْنِي بِمَا شِئْتَ. قَالَ «فَقِفْ مَكَانَكَ، لَا تَتْرُكَنَّ أَحَدًا يَلْحَقُ بِنَا». قَالَ فَكَانَ أَوَّلَ النَّهَارِ جَاهِدًا عَلَى نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَكَانَ آخِرَ النَّهَارِ مَسْلَحَةً لَهُ ...
Anas ibn Mālik said: “…Abū Bakr turned round and saw a horseman who had caught up with them. He said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, this horseman has caught up with us.’ The Prophet of Allah ﷺ turned and said: ‘O Allah, throw him down.’ So the horse threw him, then stood up neighing. The man said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, order me to do whatever you wish.’ He said: ‘Then stay where you are, and do not let anyone catch up with us.’ So at the start of the day he was striving against the Prophet of Allah ﷺ, and at the end of the day he was his armed guard.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3911Sahih
The one Allah protects, no one can harm. And Allah can turn an enemy into a protector between morning and evening.
A city waits انْتِظَارُ الْأَنْصَارِ
“Here is the one you have been waiting for!”
عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ: ... وَسَمِعَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ مَخْرَجَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ مَكَّةَ، فَكَانُوا يَغْدُونَ كُلَّ غَدَاةٍ إِلَى الْحَرَّةِ فَيَنْتَظِرُونَهُ، حَتَّى يَرُدَّهُمْ حَرُّ الظَّهِيرَةِ، فَانْقَلَبُوا يَوْمًا بَعْدَ مَا أَطَالُوا انْتِظَارَهُمْ، فَلَمَّا أَوَوْا إِلَى بُيُوتِهِمْ، أَوْفَى رَجُلٌ مِنْ يَهُودَ عَلَى أُطُمٍ مِنْ آطَامِهِمْ لِأَمْرٍ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ، فَبَصُرَ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَصْحَابِهِ مُبَيَّضِينَ يَزُولُ بِهِمُ السَّرَابُ، فَلَمْ يَمْلِكِ الْيَهُودِيُّ أَنْ قَالَ بِأَعْلَى صَوْتِهِ يَا مَعَاشِرَ الْعَرَبِ هَذَا جَدُّكُمُ الَّذِي تَنْتَظِرُونَ. فَثَارَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ إِلَى السِّلَاحِ، فَتَلَقَّوْا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِظَهْرِ الْحَرَّةِ ...
‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said: “…The Muslims in Madinah heard that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had left Makkah, so every morning they went out to the Ḥarrah (the lava field) and waited for him, until the heat of noon drove them back. One day, after waiting a long time, they went back. When they had reached their homes, a Jewish man climbed one of their forts to look at something, and he saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his companions dressed in white, appearing and disappearing in the mirage. The Jewish man could not stop himself from shouting at the top of his voice: ‘O people of the Arabs! Here is your fortune that you have been waiting for!’ The Muslims rushed to their weapons and met the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the top of the Ḥarrah.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3906Mursal
Arrival at Qubā’ الْوُصُولُ إِلَى قُبَاءٍ
Abū Bakr shades him with his cloak
عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ: ... فَعَدَلَ بِهِمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ حَتَّى نَزَلَ بِهِمْ فِي بَنِي عَمْرِو بْنِ عَوْفٍ، وَذَلِكَ يَوْمَ الِاثْنَيْنِ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَبِيعٍ الْأَوَّلِ، فَقَامَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ لِلنَّاسِ، وَجَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَامِتًا، فَطَفِقَ مَنْ جَاءَ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ مِمَّنْ لَمْ يَرَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُحَيِّي أَبَا بَكْرٍ، حَتَّى أَصَابَتِ الشَّمْسُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَقْبَلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ حَتَّى ظَلَّلَ عَلَيْهِ بِرِدَائِهِ، فَعَرَفَ النَّاسُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ ...
‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said: “…He turned with them to the right until he stopped with them among Banū ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf (in Qubā’) — that was on a Monday in the month of Rabī‘ al-Awwal. Abū Bakr stood up to receive the people, while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat in silence. Those of the Anṣār who came and had never seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ began greeting Abū Bakr — until the sun fell on the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and Abū Bakr came forward and shaded him with his cloak. At that moment the people knew who the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3906Mursal
A humble detail: nothing in his dress or manner set him apart, so many of the people of Madinah could not tell him apart until Abū Bakr shaded him.
Qubā’ مَسْجِدُ قُبَاءٍ
The mosque founded on piety
عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ: ... فَلَبِثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي بَنِي عَمْرِو بْنِ عَوْفٍ بِضْعَ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً وَأُسِّسَ الْمَسْجِدُ الَّذِي أُسِّسَ عَلَى التَّقْوَى، وَصَلَّى فِيهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، ثُمَّ رَكِبَ رَاحِلَتَهُ فَسَارَ يَمْشِي مَعَهُ النَّاسُ حَتَّى بَرَكَتْ عِنْدَ مَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ، وَهْوَ يُصَلِّي فِيهِ يَوْمَئِذٍ رِجَالٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَكَانَ مِرْبَدًا لِلتَّمْرِ لِسُهَيْلٍ وَسَهْلٍ غُلَامَيْنِ يَتِيمَيْنِ فِي حَجْرِ أَسْعَدَ بْنِ زُرَارَةَ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ بَرَكَتْ بِهِ رَاحِلَتُهُ «هَذَا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ الْمَنْزِلُ» ...
‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said: “…The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stayed among Banū ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf more than ten nights, and the mosque founded on piety was built, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed in it. Then he mounted his camel and rode on, with the people walking with him, until she knelt down at the place of the Messenger’s Mosque in Madinah — where some Muslim men were already praying in those days. It was a place for drying dates that belonged to Suhayl and Sahl, two orphan boys in the care of As‘ad ibn Zurārah. When his camel knelt with him, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘This, if Allah wills, is the place to stay.’”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3906Mursal
لَا تَقُمۡ فِيهِ أَبَدٗاۚ لَّمَسۡجِدٌ أُسِّسَ عَلَى ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ مِنۡ أَوَّلِ يَوۡمٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقُومَ فِيهِۚ فِيهِ رِجَالٞ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُواْۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُطَّهِّرِينَ ١٠٨
Do not stand [for prayer] within it - ever. A mosque founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in. Within it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves.
Surat al-Tawbah 9:108سورة التوبة: ١٠٨
Masjid Qubā’ was the first mosque the Prophet ﷺ built (Ar-Raḥīq: the first mosque founded on piety after prophethood). In Sahih Muslim (1398) the Prophet ﷺ also described his own Mosque in Madinah as “the mosque founded on piety”; scholars such as Ibn Ḥajar explain that both were founded on piety. The verse came about a harmful “mosque” the hypocrites built later, and praises the mosque founded on piety from the first day.
Arrival فَرْحَةُ الْمَدِينَةِ
“The Messenger of Allah has come!”
قَالَ الْبَرَاءُ بْنُ عَازِبٍ: ... فَمَا رَأَيْتُ أَهْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ فَرِحُوا بِشَيْءٍ فَرَحَهُمْ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، حَتَّى جَعَلَ الْإِمَاءُ يَقُلْنَ قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ...
al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib said: “…I never saw the people of Madinah so happy about anything as they were about the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — even the servant girls were saying: ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has come!’”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3925Sahih
Yathrib becomes al-Madīnah
The city became known as al-Madīnah — the City of the Prophet ﷺ. He said: “Allah has named al-Madīnah Ṭābah” (Muslim 1385).
A new calendar
Later the Companions counted the years from his arrival in Madinah (al-Bukhari 3934): 1 AH — the year of the Hijrah.
The famous song “Ṭala‘a al-badru ‘alaynā” is not authentically reported about this day: al-Albānī graded the report weak (al-Silsilah al-Ḍa‘īfah 598), and Ibn Ḥajar and al-‘Irāqī called its chain broken (mu‘ḍal). So it is not taught as part of the event here.
Lessons دُرُوسٌ وَعِبَرٌ
What we learn
1
Allah protects
Surāqah’s horse stumbled, then sank into the ground: no one can harm the one Allah protects.
2
Love for the Prophet ﷺ
The Anṣār waited every morning in the heat — and rejoiced like never before.
3
Begin with a mosque
The first thing he built in his new home was a house of Allah.
Review مُرَاجَعَةٌ
Quick quiz
Score: 0 / 4
1.Why did Surāqah chase them?
Correct (al-Bukhari 3906).
For the reward Quraysh offered.
2.What happened to Surāqah’s horse when he came close?
Right.
Its front legs sank into the ground up to the knees.
3.On which day did he arrive at Qubā’?
Correct (al-Bukhari 3906).
On a Monday in Rabī‘ al-Awwal.
4.What did he say when his camel knelt in Madinah?
Yes.
“This, if Allah wills, is the place to stay.”
The Hijrah is complete — a new chapter begins
ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam ﷺ
END OF PART 3 · نِهَايَةُ الْبَابِ الثَّالِثِ