The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 6
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 6 Prophet sa - due to a reason which history has not recorded - did not enter the city directly. Instead, the Holy Prophet sa travelled out of his way to the right, and went to an elevated habitation named Qubā’, which was situated at a distance of 2 to 2. 5 miles from the city. Various families of the Anṣār resided here; among them, the family of ‘Amr bin Al-‘Auf ra is distinct. In that era, Kulthūm bin Al-Hadam ra was the chief of this family. The Anṣār of Qubā’ gave the Holy Prophet sa a very warm welcome. The Holy Prophet sa stayed in the home of Kulthūm bin Al-Hadam ra. Those Muhājirīn 1 who had already reached Qubā’ prior to the arrival of the Holy Prophet sa , were residing in the home of Kulthūm bin Al-Hadam ra and other nobles from among the Anṣār. Perhaps this is the reason behind the Holy Prophet sa deciding to first stop in Qubā’. In an instance, news of the arrival of the Holy Prophet sa spread throughout Madīnah. All of the Muslims began to gather in troops at the residence of the Holy Prophet sa restlessly, in the fervour of their love. At that time, a strange occurrence took place, which alludes to the simplicity of the assembly of the Holy Prophet sa. Among those people of Madīnah who had not previously seen the Holy Prophet sa , some mistakenly thought that Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr ra , was the Messenger of Allāh. However, it was only when the sun came out, and Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr ra shaded the Holy Prophet sa with his mantle, that this misunderstanding was resolved. 2 The cause of this misunderstanding was that despite being younger in age, Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr ra apparently seemed older than the Holy Prophet sa. Moreover, in comparison to the Holy Prophet sa , much of his hair had become white; and since there was no formal seating arrangement in the assembly - nor was there any distinct seat for the Holy Prophet sa - those who were unaware, were temporarily misled. There is a slight variance in the narrations which relate to the arrival of the Holy Prophet sa in Qubā’, and the completion of the journey of migration. Historians generally believe that it was a Monday on the 12 th of Rabī‘ul-Awwal 3 14 Nabawī. However, some scholars have written that it was the 8 th. Other mathematicians are of the belief that, according to the Christian calendar system, it was the 20 th of September 622. 4 The Islāmic calendar begins from 1 The Muslims of Makkah who immigrated to Madīnah [Publishers] 2 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābu Manāqibil-Anṣār, Bābu Hijratin-Nabiyyi sa Wa Aṣḥābihī Ilal-Madīnah, Ḥadīth No. 3906 3 The third month of the Islāmic Calendar [Publishers] 4 At-Taufīqātul-Ilhāmiyyatu Fī Muqāranatit-Tawārīkhil-Hijriyyah, By Muḥammad Mukhtār Pāshā, p. 33, Sanatu 1 Hijriyyah, Mu’assasatul-‘Arabiyyah, First Edition (1980)