House of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)

This is the approximate place where the house of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was located in Makkah and from where Hijrah to Madinah commenced. It is in the Makkah Towers Hotel block, where a masjid (Masjid Abu Bakr) has been built on the 4th floor.

• When the decision to assassinate the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had been made by the Quraysh, Jibraeel (upon him be peace) was sent down to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to reveal to him the plot and to give him his Lord’s permission to leave Makkah.

• Having been given the command for migration, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) called at the house of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) at noon when the burning sun had forced the people indoors. Since it was an unusual time to visit, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) speculated that migration must have been ordered. First of all he (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) inquired if there was any strange person in the house. When he was informed that there was no one in the house except Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and his daughters, Asma and Aisha (may Allah be pleased with them), he disclosed that migration to Madinah had indeed been ordered. “Who will accompany you on the journey?” Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said, “You will accompany me.” Having heard this, tears of joy trickled down from the eyes of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and he said, “O Prophet of Allah! I have already bought two she-camels for this purpose and have made them strong and stout, and I offer you one.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said, “I will purchase it.” Thus he paid for it and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had to accept it. And from that moment, preparations for migration started. Asma (may Allah be pleased with her) made them provisions of parched barley and some other food, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was at that time still of a very tender age. After telling Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) of the plan, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) went back to his home.

• That night, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) slipped past the assassins surrounding his house and made his way to the house of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). The two of them left Makkah hastily before the beginning of Fajr salah. Abdullah, the son of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) also accompanied them as they first journeyed to Jabal Thawr.

• When the Quraysh disbelievers realized they had been deceived and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had escaped, they called at the house of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and knocked at the door. Asma (may Allah be pleased with her) came out. Abu Jahal angrily asked, “O girl! Where is your father?”. She flatly replied, “I know nothing about him.”Hearing this Abu Jahal slapped her so violently that her earrings fell down on the ground.

• When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) emigrated to Madinah in the company of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), he took with him all his money, thinking that the Prophet might need it. It was approximately 6,000 dirhams. After the departure, his father Abu Qahafah (who was blind and who had not till then accepted Islam) came to express his sympathy to his grandaughters.

• Asma (may Allah be pleased with her) says: “Our grandfather came to us and said, ‘Your father has shocked you with his migration to Madinah, and seems to have put you to further hardship by taking all his money with him.’ I said, ‘No grandfather, do not worry. He has left a lot of money for us.’ I collected some pebbles and deposited them in the recess where my father used to keep his money and covered it with a cloth. I then took my grandfather to the place and placed his hand over the cloth. He thought that the recess was really full of dirhams. He remarked: ‘It is good that he has left something for you to live on.’ By Allah, my father had not left a single dirham for us, I played this trick simply to pacify my grandfather.” This was the spirit of self-sacrifice imbued in the Muslims of that time.

• The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) once said, “Nobody’s wealth has benefited me so much as that of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). I have compensated everybody for the good done to me, except Abu Bakr. He shall be compensated by Allah Himself.”

References:  Local Makkan guide, Fazail-e-Aamal – Sheik Zakariyya Kandhalvi, The History of Islam – Akbar Shah Najeebabadi