Chapter on those who greeted the Messenger of Allah and his Companions, then the Ansar's reception of him, his entry, descent, the joy of the Muslims at his arrival, and the signs that appeared when he descended

It was narrated to us by Abu Al-Husayn ibn Al-Fadl Al-Qattan in Baghdad, that Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Attab informed us, saying: Al-Qasim ibn Abdullah ibn Al-Mughira narrated to us, saying: Ismail ibn Abi Uwais told us, saying: Ismail ibn Ibrahim ibn Ukba narrated from his uncle Musa ibn Ukba, who said: "When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, drew near and Abu Bakr from Al-Madinah, Talhah ibn Ubaydullah arrived from Ash-Sham. Talhah departed heading for Makkah as the Messenger of Allah had instructed him and Abu Bakr. He set out, ready to receive them, carrying with him garments from Ash-Sham, which he presented to Abu Bakr. When he met him, he gave him the garments, and the Messenger of Allah and Abu Bakr both wore them."

Musa ibn Ukba said: "Ibn Shihab claimed that Urwah ibn Az-Zubayr said: 'Indeed, Az-Zubayr met the Messenger of Allah in a caravan of Muslims who were traders from Ash-Sham heading to Makkah. They confronted the Messenger of Allah, so Az-Zubayr clothed the Messenger of Allah and Abu Bakr in white garments.' The Muslims in Al-Madinah heard about the exit of the Messenger of Allah from Makkah and were

Story of the Meeting Between the Muslims and a Jewish Man

Every morning, they would go to the open area, waiting until the heat of noon would bother them. One day, after returning to their homes, a man from the Jews came with a matter he wanted to discuss. The Jewish man gazed at the Messenger of Allah and his companions, and their mirage disappeared from him. Overawed, he raised his voice to the Arabs, saying: "This is your awaited companion!" The Muslims geared up and met the Messenger of Allah near the houses of Bani Amr ibn Awf, on a Monday in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal.

Abu Bakr stood up and reminded the people, while the Prophet remained silent. When some Ansar who had never seen the Prophet thought Abu Bakr was him, the Prophet faced the sun. Abu Bakr approached, shading the Prophet with his garment, revealing to the people that he was indeed the Messenger of Allah.

Once, the Prophet passed by Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul on the road, who was in a house. The Prophet stood there, waiting for him to invite him in. Abdullah was considered the leader of hypocrisy within himself. Abdullah told the Prophet to observe those who invited him and then go down to them. The Prophet remembered a group of Ansar who stood with Abdullah on a high place, overlooking them, possibly a fort made of stones resembling a palace. The mirage disappeared for the Jews because of their interactions with the Prophet. Ibn Hajar mentioned that their clothes were whiter as if worn by Zubair or Talha. This event is recounted by various narrators as a significant moment in the history of Islam.

The Prophet's Stay in Banu Amr Ibn Awf

Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah said to the Prophet (peace be upon him), "O Messenger of Allah, we were indeed wishing to crown on the head of Abdullah ibn Abi at-Taj and make him our ruler before the special status that Allah has bestowed upon you, and the favor upon us by your arrival. The Prophet then proceeded, along with Abu Bakr As-Siddiq and 'Amir ibn Fuhayrah, to Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf, where they visited Kulthum ibn al-Hidm, a member of Banu Zaid ibn Malik. The Prophet stayed for three nights at the home of Ibn Abi Ahmad.

The Prophet erected a mosque and laid its foundation in Banu Amr ibn 'Awf, a mosque that was mentioned in the Quran as being established upon righteousness. The Prophet then rode to Banu Salim on a Friday and led the congregational prayer there - the first Friday prayer that he performed in Madinah after his arrival and his reception at Bayt al-Maqdis. When the Jews saw him, they recognized him as the Prophet mentioned in their scriptures, the Torah and the Gospel.

Traveling with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Staying at Abu Ayyub's House

After riding from the Banu Salim tribe, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was met by the people who expressed concerns about the number of companions, provisions, and provisions. The Prophet stayed with them for twenty-two nights. The Ansar had gathered to welcome him even before he mounted his ride from Banu Amr ibn Awf. As they walked around his camel, each one tried to hold the reins out of reverence for the Prophet and respect for him. Upon passing a house belonging to the Ansar, they invited him in, but the Prophet declined, saying he was commanded to stop where Allah had placed him. The camel finally stopped at the door of Banu Ayyub, and he entered the house of Abu Ayyub. The Prophet stayed in the lower part of the house, while Abu Ayyub went to the upper part. Not wanting to be above the Prophet during the night, Abu Ayyub was vigilant until morning, fearing he might have wronged himself. The Prophet assured him that the lower part of the house was gentler for them both. Abu Ayyub continued to insist until the Prophet finally resided in the upper part of the house. It was in this house that the Prophet stayed, where he recited the Quran and where Gabriel visited him until he built his mosque and residence.

(Narrated by Ibn Ishaq and Muslim that Abu Ayyub said: When the Prophet stayed at my house, he stayed in the lower part while my wife and I were in the upper part. I said to him: O Prophet of Allah! By my parents, I dislike being above you and you being below me. So, he moved to the upper part, and we descended to the lower part. He said: The gentler for us and those who cover us is to be in the lower part of the house.)

Story of Hospitality and Generosity in Islam

It was narrated by Abu 'Abdullah al-Hafiz and Abu Sa'id ibn Abi 'Amro, who said: Abu al-'Abbas informed us, "Muhammad ibn Ya'qub said that Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar narrated to us, who said that Yunus ibn Bukayr narrated from Ibn Ishaq, who said: Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn al-Zubayr narrated to me, who heard it from 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Uwaim ibn Sa'idah, from men of his people who said: 'When we received the news of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) departure from Mecca, we used to go out every morning to a specific place to sit in his shade under a tree until the sun overpowered us. Then we would return to our encampments. On the day the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived, we sat there as usual.'

Abu Ayyub continued: 'We used to prepare dinner for the Prophet and send it to him. When he returned what was left, both I and my wife would seek the spot where his blessed hand had touched, and we would eat from it seeking blessings. One night, we sent him his dinner with barley soup or garlic. The Prophet returned it, and we did not find any traces of his hand. I went to him with fear, saying, "O Messenger of Allah! By my parents, I returned your dinner, and I found no spot where your hand touched. Whenever you returned it to us, both my wife and I sought the place where your hand had touched for blessings." He replied, "I found the aroma of this tree, and I am someone who fasts. But you should eat it." So we ate it without any hesitation.'

Another Account of Generosity

In another narration found in the book "Akhbar al-Madinah" by Yahya ibn al-Hasan, it is reported that Zaid ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'When the Prophet (peace be upon him) stayed at Abu Ayyub's house, no gift had ever entered the house except for a plate filled with barley bread, ghee, and milk. I placed it before the Prophet, and he asked, "Did my mother send this plate?" I replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "May Allah bless her." He then called his companions, and they all ate from it.'

It is also narrated, 'We were from the Banu Malik tribe, serving food at the Prophet's door every night, taking turns, until the Prophet moved from Abu Ayyub's house, where he had stayed for seven months. Sa'd ibn 'Ubada and As'ad ibn Zurarah never missed a night. It was once asked which dish the Prophet preferred the most, to which it was said that whenever they presented him with a specific dish, he ate it without objection. Abu Ayyub mentioned that on a particular night, they sent a pot of soup prepared by Sa'd ibn 'Ubada, and the Prophet ate from it, acclaiming it more than other dishes. His dinner usually attracted five to sixteen people, depending on the quantity of food available.'

Meeting of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr under a tree

Once as we were sitting, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, came and a Jew shouted loudly, "O Banu Qayla, your grandfather has come!" Then we went out, and the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, had sought shade under a tree with Abu Bakr. They were in the same shade, and we couldn't tell which of them was more well-mannered until we saw Abu Bakr stepping aside to shade the Prophet with his garment, and we recognized the Prophet with that action. A man among them said, "Indeed, Abu Bakr stood up and shaded the Messenger of Allah with his garment, and that's how we recognized him."

Story of the Prophet's Arrival at Medina

It was narrated by Anas ibn Malik that when the Prophet arrived in Medina, none of his companions except Abu Bakr had a saddle. Abu Bakr covered it with henna and katam leaves. This hadith is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari.

Reported by Abu al-Husayn ibn Bishran through a chain of narrators, the Prophet arrived in Medina on a Monday, and some said it was the 12th night of Rabi' al-Awwal, which is a well-known opinion; however, it is more commonly known that he arrived on the twelfth night after the start of the month.

Translation of the Classical Arabic Text

Monday [22]:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his family, stayed at the place of Banu Amr ibn Awf as some people claimed on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Then, he moved on Friday and reached Banu Salim ibn Awf where he led the prayer with those who were with him in a valley known as Mahzur. Some people claimed that he stayed longer, but Ibn Malik al-'Ithban objected concerning the men of Banu Salim and Banu Hubla, saying, "O Messenger of Allah! Stay with us for we have honor, wealth, numbers, and strength." They were indeed in that state, and the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, upon his camel, said, "Let her path be cleared; she is commanded." He then passed by Banu Sa'idah, where Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah, al-Mundhir ibn 'Amr, and Abu Dujanah obstructed him, inviting him to stay at their place. However, the Prophet said, "Let her path be cleared; she is commanded." He then passed by Banu Bayadah, where Farwah ibn 'Amr and Ziyad ibn Labid invited him to their house, but he repeated, "Let her path be cleared; she is commanded." Upon reaching the location of his mosque in Medina, he came across the two orphan boys, Suhayl and Sahl, sons of Rafi' ibn Abi 'Amr ibn 'Abbad ibn Tha'labah ibn Ghannam ibn Malik ibn an-Najjar, and they were being looked after by Mu'adh ibn 'Afra'. The camel turned right and left, then stood still; it walked a little and the Prophet laid down its reins without moving them. She stopped and looked around, then turned towards her first watering place and moved until she reached it. She drank from her troughs and felt at ease. The Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, realized that she was commanded, dismounted, and Abu Ayyub carried his luggage. It is relied upon that the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, entered Quba on Monday, as mentioned in the authentic narration.

Footnotes

[23] In (H) and (J): "So she turned."

[24] In (H) and (J): "Placed."

The Arrival of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina

When the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived in Medina, he sought information about a plot of land and was informed that Mu'adh ibn Afra said, "O Messenger of Allah, I will please both of them for you." So he turned it into a mosque and some said, "He bought it."

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) stayed in the dwelling of Abu Ayyub until the mosque was built and houses were constructed for him there. Then he moved. This narration is from Jarir ibn Hazim.

Early Companions in Medina

The first companions who arrived in Medina were Mus'ab ibn 'Umair and Ibn Umm Maktum, who were both reciters of the Quran. According to another narration from 'Affan, they used to teach the people the Quran.

Following them were 'Ammar ibn Yasir, Sa'd, and Bilal. Then 'Umar ibn al-Khattab came in the twentieth year. Finally, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived, and the joy of the people of Medina was unparalleled. Even children were seen running in the streets, declaring the Prophet's arrival. It was at this time that Surah Al-A'la was revealed.

Translation of a Classical Arabic Text

Hadith Narration about the Arrival of the Prophet Muhammad in Al-Madinah

In the narration of 'Affan, it is mentioned: "Until I recited a portion of Surah Al-Mufassal and he did not say 'they raced each other in the path'. This was reported by Al-Bukhari in his authentic collection from Abu Al-Walid. The chain of narration includes Abu Al-Husayn ibn Al-Fadl Al-Qatdan, Abu Abdullah ibn Ja'far, Yaqub ibn Safwan, Ubaidullah ibn Musa, Abdullah ibn Raja, Israel, and Abu Ishaq, who narrated that Al-Bara' said: 'Abu Bakr bought a riding animal from Azib.'"

Abu Bakr continued his journey alongside the Prophet Muhammad until they arrived in Al-Madinah at night. People in the city debated over who would host the Prophet, to which he responded that he would stay with the Banu Najjar. As they entered the city, the residents exclaimed: "Muhammad has arrived! Allah is the Greatest! Muhammad has arrived!" The next morning, the Prophet set out to his designated place as instructed.

This hadith was reported by Al-Bukhari through Abdullah ibn Raja and also by Muslim from another perspective through Israel.

Further Narrations and Sources

Other narrations and related sources are highlighted in various books such as:

• Hadith 3924 in Al-Bukhari's collection under the chapter of the virtues of the Ansar, Book 63, Bab Maqdam al-Nabi wa Ashabihi ila al-Madinah, Fath al-Bari (7:259).
• Hadith about Abu Bakr buying a riding animal from Azib is found in Book 66, Bab Tawleef al-Qur'an in Fath al-Bari (9:39).

Additionally, Imam Al-Nasai has documented similar narrations in his Sunan from Isma'il ibn Mas'ud through Khalid.

City of Medina: Arrival of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)

In the city, women and children would sing:

The full moon rose over us,
From Thaniyat Al-Wada'
We owe thanks to Almighty, as an obligation for His call

It was narrated that Anas said, "I was among the boys who used to say, 'Muhammad has arrived!' Then I would run to see, but couldn't find anything. They would repeat, 'Muhammad has arrived!' Until the Prophet and Abu Bakr arrived. We hid behind a part of the city wall. Then a man was sent from the Bedouins to announce their arrival to the Ansar. Around 500 Ansar came to welcome them until they reached them. The Ansar said, 'Proceed safely, obediently.' The Messenger of Allah and his companion went through them amidst the people. The people of Medina came out so much so that even the young girls were climbing on top of the houses, asking, 'Which one is he?' I have never seen a similar sight since that day," said Anas.

He further added, "I witnessed the day the Prophet entered upon us and the day he passed away; never did I see anyone like him."

Source: Al-Bidayah wa An-Nihayah by Ibn Kathir, Hadith from Al-Hakim.

Hadith on the Prophet's Love for His Companions

"I have never seen a day better or brighter than that." (36)

Abu Abdullah narrated that Abu al-Hassan informed him, saying, "Ali ibn Umar al-Hafiz reported to us that Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Makhlad ad-Duri told us, saying: Muhammad ibn Sulaiman ibn Ismail ibn Abi al-Ward reported to us, saying that Ibrahim ibn Sirmah narrated to us on the authority of Yahya ibn Sa'id, from Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha, from Anas who said: 'The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, arrived in Medina. When he entered Medina, the Ansar with their men and women came, saying, "Stay with us, O Messenger of Allah!" He said, "Leave the camel for it is commanded," and it stopped at the door of Abu Ayub. Then women from the Banu Najjar started singing praises with their tambourines, saying "We are the women of Banu Najjar, Muhammad is our neighbor!" The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came out to them and asked, "Do you love me?" They replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah, by Allah." He said, "By Allah, I love you, by Allah I love you, by Allah I love you." (37)

Abu Abdur-Rahman as-Sulami reported to us, saying: Abu al-Qasim Abdullah ibn Sulaiman an-Nahhas al-Muqri' in Baghdad reported to us on the authority of Umar ibn al-Hasan al-Halabi, who reported from Abu Khaythamah al-Missisi, who reported from Isa ibn Yunus, from Awf al-Arabi, from Thumamah, from Anas who said, 'The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, passed by the neighborhood of Banu Najjar and saw women singing with their tambourines, saying:..." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'Allah knows that my heart loves you.'" (38)