Book & Author
Idries Trevathan et al.: Hijrah — In the Footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ
By Dr Ahmed S. Khan
Chicago, IL
Hijrah — In the Footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ edited by Idries Trevathan explores Hijrah — the foundational event of Islam — through Geography in which the migration from Makkah to Medina unfolded. The book and its associated exhibition document the details of the prophet’s ﷺ migration route using landscape cinematography, Islamic art, and archeology.
The prophet’s ﷺ migration transformed the story of Islam to a new historical context with two distinct parts: Makkan and Medinan; two features: foundational and diffusive; and two central characters: immigrants and supporters.
The Book has four forewords by: 1.Abdullah Al Rashid, Director of Ithra; 2. Farah Abushullaih, Head of Ithra’s Museum; 3. Anas Saleh Serafi, General Secretary of Dar Al Funoon Al Islamiyya; and 4. Lailla Al Faddagh, Director of the National Museum of Saudi Arabia, followed by two introductions by: 1. Remembering in the Landscape by Idries Trevathan, and 2. Sources and Storytellers by Ashraf Ehsan Fagih. The book has seven chapters: 1. In Search of the Prophet: My Life's Work Retracing the Hijrah Route by Abdullah H. Alkadi; 2. Hijrah and the Straight Path: A Retelling through Literature and Geography by Kumail Alrnusaly; 3. Hijrah as History and Metaphor: A Survey of Qur'anic and Hadith Sources by Daoud Stephen Casewit; 4. The Multivalent Meanings of the Prophet's Migration by Hamza Yusuf; 5. Hijrah-Nameh: Deep Mapping the Hijrah Through Film by Ovidio Salazar; 6. The Tents of Umm Ma'bad: The Literature and Culture of Remembrance by Idries Trevathan; and 7. Honoring the Prophet: Heritage, Craftsmanship and Community by Thalia Kennedy. The chapters are followed by contributors’ biographies and bibliographies.
In the first Foreword, Abdullah Al Rashid, reflecting on the significance and reality of Hijrah, observes: “The Hijrah has literally defined time and the ages. For over a billion people the Hijrah marks the calendar and the sequence of the centuries. This was the time when the new faith community expanded significantly outside its home in Makkah. It marks a pivotal moment in history when the perception of Islam and the nature of the Muslim community changed forever. The community would no longer be regarded as simply a small group of persecuted believers focused on one particular city. It was firmly on the way to becoming an Islamic nation and a recognizable way of life. The Hijrah also signaled a transformation of society, moving away from being centered on clan and tribe to becoming more open and focused on equality, merit, and justice. This carried the message that the Islamic faith was something for all, regardless of race or status. Any reflection on the Hijrah takes us into the topic of migration and displacement. In addition to its significance in faith and world history, the Hijrah is also a human story about what people did when faced with challenges. It addresses universal human themes including courage, duty, loss, companionship, fear, migration, belonging, and freedom. In this world where tens of millions are being displaced by war and political instability, the Hijrah reminds us that the migrant is not some faceless statistic but rather a human being with the potential to affect the human story and change history forever. It also encourages each of us to confront the reality of what is home for each of us and how much we should associate with any one location.”
In the second Foreword, Farah Abushullaih, highlighting the development of a better understanding of the history of Islam and the importance of the Hijrah, notes: “From the many lessons we can learn from the Prophet ﷺ, perhaps some of the most important are the sense of bonding, unity, and community in all his accomplishments and excursions. Following in the footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ, we should strive to always incorporate better social, cultural, and religious equality and inclusion in our own lives.”
Anas Saleh Seafri, in the third Foreword recognizing the special role of Dr AlKadi’s research on Hijrah, notes: “…One man who deserves our greatest respect and gratitude is Dr Abdullah bin Hussain Alkadi; he has singularly dedicated his life to researching the routes of Prophet Muhammad and we are glad to recognize his great achievement here in form of this exhibition, which is largely based on his research of the Hijrah route.”
In the last foreword, Laila Al Faddagh, commenting on the significance of Hijrah observes: “The exhibition Hijrah: In the Footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ represents an important time in the history that very few people know about. Most Muslims know about the Prophet’s migration (Hijrah) from Makkah to Medina in a religious context, but few know about the journey of eight days that marked the beginning of the Islamic calendar and reshaped the Arabian Peninsula socially and politically.”
In the first Introduction titled “Remembering In The Landscape,” Idries Trevathan, reflecting on the broader significance of Hijra, states: “In physical terms, the Hijrah journey only spanned 8 days (plus 3 days in Thawr cave), between two cities about 450 km apart. Its broader significance marks the beginning of a new era, a civilization, a culture, and a history. Marking a transitional line between the two major eras regarding the message of Islam, the era of Makkah and the era of Medina, the Hijrah ushered in a new era in which the practice of Islam not only entailed acts of worship but became a way of life. This encompassed politics, economy, social interactions, and every other aspect of life. It was from this time that Islam was looked upon as a comprehensive religion. The Muslim community went from being a small group of believers, surrounded by enemies who threatened their very existence, to that of an Islamic nation. The term Hijrah in its various forms and inflections occurs 31 times in the Holy Qur'an, with 16 citations directly connected to the Prophet's migration to Medina…In some accounts, a spider miraculously spun a web from a bush across the entrance of the cave and two wild pigeons flew down between the spider and the tree, making a nest and laying eggs. When the pursuers reached the cave's entrance, they turned back down the mountain, thinking it impossible that someone could have entered the cave without disturbing the spider's web and the doves.”
Abdullah H. Alkadi, in the chapter titled “In search of the prophet: My life's work retracing the Hijrah route” reflecting on the origins of Hijrah, states: “As the origin of all journeys there is inspiration and choice, and along each journey the traveler faces yet more choices. Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ emigration from Makkah came after rejection, opposition, and persecution in his birthplace, followed by a dream and the subsequent divine message of permission to migrate. The dream he experienced was of a journey that led him to sanctuary in a place with abundant palm groves which he thought to be the town of Yathrib. The subsequent divine revelation was narrated as ‘Verily Allah has given you other friends, and He has given you permission to migrate to another land; now you will go there and experience safety! ‘(Ibn Hisham).”
Ashraf Ehsan Fagih in the chapter titled “Sources And Storytellers” reflecting on the Makkan and Medinan phases, observes: “The prophetic story can be thought of as divided between two main phases: Makkah, where Muhammad ﷺ was born, raised and received the prophecy, and Medina, the city that embraced him and where he established an effective society that would become a global community. The Hijrah event represents a transition between the Makkan and Medinan phases, one that transcends its relative temporal shortness with an extraordinary and rich narrative. Indeed, the eight-day migration (Hijrah) of the Messenger ﷺ and his companions between these two cities should be understood as more than just a change of location. Rather, the journey represents an isthmus separating two historical worlds that are distinct and different in character, discourse, and the language of obligation. For these reasons, the Hijrah event has rightfully cemented itself as a pivotal moment within the great story of Islam. However, the Hijrah is also remembered for its incredible narrative; it is a story with an abundance of detail about the natural environment through which they traveled, the interesting personalities they encountered, and the many miracles that unfolded.”
Kumail Almusaly, in the chapter titled “Hijrah and the Straight Path: A Retelling Through Literature and Geography,” reflecting on the Eight-Day Journey to Medina, cites Ibn Kathir: “The following account by biographer Ibn Kathir sums up the route which they traveled. When combined with other earlier narrations, one is able to approximately trace their route between Makkah and Medina. ‘When their guide, Abd Alla bin Arayqet, led them off, he took them down to the lower part of Makkah and from there along the coast, crossing over the route below Usfan. He then took them along the lower parts of Amj, then crossed the route after passing Qudayd, then from there across al-Khar-rar and Thaniyyat al-Marra to Liqf. He guided them past the Liqf well, then down to the Mijah well and so to Marjah Mijah, then down again to Marjah Dhu AlAdwayn and to the Dhu Kashr valley and so to AI-Jadajid and al-Ajrad. Then he took them along Dhu Salam of the A'da valley, to the well at Ti'hin, then past Al-Ababid, across Al-Qaha, down to Al-Arj. One of their mounts was falling behind, so a man of Aslam called Aws bin Hajr mounted the Messenger of God ﷺ on a camel called Ibn al-Rada' and led him into Medina; he sent with him a youth named Masud bin Hunayda. Then their guide from Al-Arj took them to Thaniyaa AlArj on the right side of Rakubah, according to Ibn Hisham this place is known as Thaniyya Al-Ghair. Then he took them down the Rim valley and so to Quba, to the Banu Amr b. Awf. It was Monday, the 12th of Rabi' Alawal and the heat was extreme, the sun almost having reached its zenith. (Ibn Kathir, trans: Gassick 1998: 168-9) ‘”
Almusay, describing the arrival of the Prophet ﷺ in Medina, observes: “As the travelers made their way from Quba to Yathrib (Medina), the people thronged out into the streets in order to see the Prophet's blessed face. The women on the roofs and the men in the streets were calling out to him, "Welcome!" "Muhammad has come! O Muhammad, O Messenger of God!" According to some versions of the story, accompanying this emotional cheering, the people sang the famous song Tala,' al-Badru Alayna (‘The full moon rose over us’) as the Prophet ﷺ continued to proceed on his camel al-Qaswa' through the crowds with great dignity and poise. According to Ibn Kathir, so important was their entry into Medina that Arias bin Malik Al Ansari said: ‘I witnessed the day he entered among us and the day he died, and I never saw two such days as those.’ (Ibn Kathir, trans. Gassick 1998: 177). The people of Medina were eager to host the Prophet ﷺ in their houses and they tried to lead his camel. However, not wanting to offend or show preferential treatment to anyone, the Prophet ﷺ asked them to let al-Qaswa' choose where to stop. Ibn Kathir stated that al-Qaswa' was left to wander until she knelt at a place used for drying dates which was owned by two orphaned youths named Sahil and Suhayl. The Prophet ﷺ enquired and bought the land from them and built his house and mosque in this location: it is the present location of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. After the hardships of this journey, a new era of Islam began. This was the result of the effort and sacrifices of the previous 13 years in Makkah. This required people who would carry and support the message of God. It needed people who would not shake with the winds and would be aware of their hardships as being pure service to God. The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Actions are by intentions, and every person will have what he intended.’”
Daoud Stephen Casewit in the chapter titled “Hijrah as History and Metaphor: A Survey Of Quranic And Hadith Sources,” exploring the significance of the Hijrah in the Holy Qu’ran and in Hadith literature, observes: “There are diverse precedents for the emigration to Medina in the Qur'an, from the deliverance of Noah (AS) to the exodus of Moses (AS). In each case, flight is ennobled, first, by keeping alive the flame of monotheistic faith and upright conduct, then, by the acceptance of the sacrifices entailed, and, finally, by the sublime confidence in God shown by those who undertook it. In brief, Hijrah is portrayed in Qur'anic accounts as a choice of ‘the higher over the lower’ and as a steadfast refusal to compromise with evil.”
ldries Trevathan in the chapter titled “The Tents Of Umm Ma'bad: The Literature and Culture of Remembrance,” describing prophet’s ﷺ Hijrah journey mentions the hospitality of an old Bedouin woman known as Umm Ma'bad al-Khuzaiyyah: “After hiding in the cave of Thawr for three days, early on Monday morning, September 12, 622 CE (the first of Rabi' Alawal), the travelers set out for Yathrib before sunrise. Knowing they were being tracked by the Quraysh, they moved swiftly along little-used tracks that ran parallel to the seacoast. ‘Only a few people, mostly desert Bedouin, saw them as they passed, but it seems they had realized that the two travelers were making a momentous journey for they observed them keenly and left descriptions of them for posterity.’ (Erin 1963: 91). After traveling through the course of a day and night, they arrived in the Valley of Qudayd (Wadi Qudayd) and the tents of an old Bedouin woman known as Umm Ma'bad al-Khuzaiyyah. There, before noon, the weary travelers were offered hospitality. Since there had been a drought, Umm Ma'bad had little milk to offer the travelers. Noticing her distress at not being able to offer them this refreshment, the Prophet ﷺ gently touched one of the emaciated goats and recited the name of God and miraculously there was plenty of milk, providing nourishment both for them and Umm Ma'bad's family. After their departure, Umm Ma'bad's husband returned from herding sheep, whereupon she related the story of her encounter with the ‘blessed man.’ This remarkable visit left such a deep and vivid impression that her description of the Prophet's ﷺ physical attributes and manners is one of the most beautiful and detailed accounts that exist.”
Hijrah — In the Footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ edited by Idries Trevathan is an exquisite book that explores Hijrah — the Prophet’s ﷺ migration route from Makkah to Medina — through the domains of history, geography, landscape cinematography, Islamic art and archeology. The book is a valuable resource and essential reading for all interested in Islamic history.
(Dr Ahmed S. Khan — dr.a.s.khan@ieee.org — is a Fulbright Specialist Scholar.)
