Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
12. Emigration—From Makkah to Madinah
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12. EMIGRATION—FROM MAKKAH
TO MADINAH
The Prophet’s emigration from Makkah to Madinah
was the most important event of Islamic history.
That is why the companions marked the beginning
of the Islamic calendar with this event. But in order
to understand the real significance of the
emigration, it is necessary to remove the dust of
legends and fairy tales that have, over the years,
accumulated over the glass case of history.
One of these myths has grown up over the
Prophet’s stay in the Cave of Thawr, on his way
from Makkah to Madinah. The Quraysh were hot
on his heels, and to hide from them, he took
refuge in the cave. The story goes that, after the
Prophet entered, God commanded a spider to
weave a web at the door of the cave. Then He
commanded a dove to come and lay an egg on top
of the web, thus providentially—giving the
impression that the cave was uninhabited. But as
is usual with such events, the facts of the
Prophet’s emigration to Madinah have been
exaggerated and distorted beyond recognition.
