All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
The Prophet's Hijrah is one of the most significant events in Islamic history, marking a crucial turning point for Muslims. It is important to shed light on the role of women in this great migration, as they played a prominent and effective role in its success and achievement of its goals. Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, was the first to excel and hold distinction in the Prophet's migration. She was the first to support the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, taking his hand, believing in him, confirming him, and supporting him with her wealth. She provided refuge for the Prophet, peace be upon him, and spared no effort or expense to support him in establishing his call and message. However, she did not live to witness the pivotal moments of the Prophet's statehood, having passed away three years before his migration. The role of women did not cease with the death of Lady Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her); rather, she was the beginning and the launching point for subsequent roles, efforts, and sacrifices that history has recorded. The following paragraphs highlight some of the roles of the Sahabiyat (The exalted ladies associated with the Prophet Mohammad and propagated Islam with him) who participated in supporting the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during the completion of the Hijrah. At the outset, only Abu Bakr, his daughters Asma and Aisha, and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) were aware of the Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) migration. This highlights Abu Bakr's trust in Asma and Aisha, as they were entrusted with the secret of the migration, which is one of the greatest events in Islamic history. The fact that the Prophet did not discuss the matter of migration with Abu Bakr until he knew that they were the only ones present underscores the importance and trust placed in women's roles in protecting and participating in the success of the Prophet's migration. In one of the accounts of the migration, Asmaa bint Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: "When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr set out, a group from the Quraysh, including Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, came to us and stood at the door of Abu Bakr's house. I went out to them, and they asked, 'Where is your father, O daughter of Abu Bakr?' I said, 'By Allah, I do not know where my father is.' Abu Jahl then raised his hand, a vile and evil man, and struck me with a blow that knocked off my earrings." [The Prophetic Biography by Ibn Hisham]. Since the journey was long, it required preparation and organization. Who better than a woman to excel in this role? Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, entrusted the two mounts he had prepared for the migration to his daughters, Asma and Aisha, may Allah be pleased with them, and they equipped them in the best possible manner. Asma, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated what she did, saying: "I prepared the provisions for the journey of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in the house of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, when he intended to migrate to Madinah. She said: 'We did not find anything to tie the provisions or the water skin with, so I said to Abu Bakr, 'By Allah, I do not find anything to tie them with except my waist belt.' He said, 'Split it into two; use one part to tie the water skin and the other to tie the provisions.' So I did so, and for that reason, I was named 'the one with the two waist belts.'" [Sahih Bukhari]. Since the journey was to last three nights at the outskirts of Mecca, provisions could run out. Here, the role of women should not be confined to any particular stage of the mission, regardless of the magnitude of this role or the nature of the phase. In this situation, women were more capable of securing provisions, a role suited to them as women, just as her brother Abdullah was naturally more suited to conveying news and updates. Hence, we cannot help but highlight the remarkable character of Asma bint Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her). She was a woman in the last months of her pregnancy, climbing a mountain that an average Muslim might struggle to ascend. Asma was a woman whose concerns were not about worldly matters and adornments, but rather a believer deeply engaged in the cause of the faith. It is no wonder that she kept secrets with courage, faced Abu Jahl and his companions with strength, tore her waist belt willingly, endured a slap on her cheek with patience, and was happy with what she did for the sake of her religion and mission. Among the significant events involving women during the migration is the story of Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her), which she narrated about herself and her husband. She said: "When Abu Salama decided to migrate to Medina, he prepared a camel for me, placed me on it, and put my son Salama with me. Then he set out, leading the camel. When some men from Banu Mughira saw him, they approached and said, 'You may have overpowered us regarding yourself, but concerning our companion (Umm Salama), how can we let you take her across the land?' They then seized the camel's reins from him and took me away from him. At that moment, Banu Abdul Asad, the clan of Abu Salama, got angry and said, 'By Allah, we will not leave the child with her when you have taken her from our man.' They then began pulling my son Salama between them until they dislocated his arm. Banu Abdul Asad then took him and kept me with Banu Mughira. Abu Salama went to Medina alone. Thus, the small family was separated: the wife with her people, the child with his father's people, and the husband migrated to Medina. She said, 'I used to go out every day and sit in the valley, crying until evening, for about a year or close to it. One day, a man from my relatives passed by and saw my condition and felt pity for me. He said, 'Will you not let this poor woman go? You have separated her from her husband and her child.' They then told me, 'Join your husband if you wish.' Banu Abdul Asad then returned my son to me. I prepared my camel and set out. When I reached Al-Tan'eem, I met Uthman ibn Abi Talha, who said, 'Where are you going, daughter of Abu Umayya?' I said, 'I want to join my husband in Medina.' He asked, 'Is there no one with you?' I replied, 'No one is with me except Allah and my son.' He said, 'By Allah, I will not leave you alone.' He took the camel's reins and led me. By Allah, I have never accompanied a more honorable Arab. Whenever we reached a resting place, he would make the camel kneel, move away from me, and wait until I dismounted. Then he would take the camel, unload it, tie it to a tree, and rest under another tree. When it was time to continue, he would prepare the camel, move away, and say, 'Ride.' When I was settled, he would come and lead the camel. He continued this way until he brought me to Medina. When he saw the village of Banu Amr ibn Awf in Quba, he said, 'Your husband is in this village.' Abu Salama was staying there." [The Prophetic Biography by Ibn Hisham, Vol.1/P.469]. The number of women who migrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in the first migration was four women. Then, in the second migration, according to the historians, eighteen or nineteen women joined them. This is the Muslim woman in one of the major and most critical events in the history and stages of Islam. A fair and rational observer cannot overlook the role of women and their contributions to the spread of Islam. They participated in all stages of the propagation of the message, making them an integral part of the Muslim community built by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
