The Prophet ﷺ was forced out of Makkah despite it being the most beloved of lands to him. Likewise, the most beloved of people to him – Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq – was also forced to leave, may Allah be pleased with him.
The Prophet’s tribe – the Quraysh – showed probably the greatest enmity to him possible despite the much love he showed to them. They gathered their likes together one night to kill him, in a manner that would allow his blood to be shared between the various tribes.
Once they realised that the Prophet ﷺ had fled, they dispatched all forms of search teams and hunting units around Makkah to try and find him, promising huge bounties to the one who brought him back dead or alive.
The Mushrikīn reached the opening of the cave that the Prophet ﷺ and his companion were hiding in. Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq said, “I looked at the feet of the Mushrikīn whilst we were in that cave, and they were literally on top of us. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, if any one of them just looks down they will see us!” The Prophet ﷺ said, “What do you think O Abu Bakr of two people, whose third is Allah?” (Agreed upon)
The Prophet and his companion left everything behind: their wives, their children, their wealth, their friends, their land, everything. But Allah was with them, as He always is with all the righteous believers.
Whoever loses something but instead gains the companionship or ma‘īyyah of Allah (Allah is “with him”), then he has gained absolutely everything. And whoever gains the Dunya with all its comforts but loses the companionship of Allah and the believers, then he has lost absolutely everything.
I think this concept occurs four times in the Qur’ān, i.e. that Allah is with the patient. Patience is usually associated with losing something valuable, such as wealth or family or a child etc, and so Allah reminds them that to be patient and to gain the ma‘īyyah of Allah will leave them with something better that they will eventually see.
Something similar happened to Mūsa (‘alayhis-salām) when he fled with his people from Fir‘awn and his army. They ended up being trapped between Fir‘awn and the sea and his people cried out “We shall definitely be caught!” (26:61) to which Mūsa replied “No, my Lord is with me: He will guide me.” (26:62) and the rest of course is history.
Look at what Mūsa (‘alayhis-salām) said, my Lord is “with me”, and look at what the Prophet ﷺ said, our Lord is “with us” i.e. with him and his companion Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, just so that you can realise what kind of status Abu Bakr achieved for Allah to be with him and for him to accompany the Prophet ﷺ alone in his most important and dangerous journey ever.
It is from the signs of goodness that a person finds himself in the companionship of the believers, because Allah is with the believers as He has said Himself in His Book. Whoever remains with the righteous will find himself sharing in their blessings.
“Companionship” is not a meeting, or a meal together or being friendly towards other people. Companionship is a long-term, close and cherished relationship.
And so if such companionship of the people of patience and the Ākihrah is a blessing, then it is also from the signs of misery that a person finds himself in such close and cherished companionship of the people of disbelief, hypocrisy and sin or thoes who curse the best of people after the Prophets, especially Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq which the Qur’ān has explicitly stated that Allah is with him. Let this be a reflection for those who would choose to make enmity with Abu Bakr because they have also declared enmity for the One who is with Abu Bakr as well.
Let this verse…
إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا
“When he (Muhammad) said to his companion,
‘Do not worry, Allah is with us.’”
(9:40)
…be a reminder to us all to never lose trust in Allah jalla wa ‘alā, to be patient in the trials that He gives us, to realise that if we make Allah’s pleasure our main objective then we will get far much more than anything we may lose along the journey, and that in order to achieve this objective, we must try and keep company with the righteous believers who will always and continuously remind us of exactly all the above every time.
And Allah knows best.
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