At a glance
- Era
- The Prophetic Era
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it
Walk this pathway
12steps · 45min · student · newcomer
The Descent of the Revelation
The starting point: the cave of Hira.
The Call to the Kinsfolk
The move to open preaching as the page explains, and who protected it.
Harm and Torture
What befell the weak among the believers, and the names of those who held firm.
The First Emigration to Abyssinia
The first departure from Mecca in search of safety.
Hamza's Conversion
How Hamza entered Islam, and what that changed.
Umar's Conversion
Days after Hamza's conversion, and how the Muslims' standing changed.
The Boycott of Banu Hashim
The document and the siege in the ravine.
The Year of Sorrow
The Prophet lost his protector and his wife in a single year.
The Journey to al-Ta'if
Seeking support outside Mecca.
The Two Pledges of al-Aqaba
The two that paved the way to the house of emigration in Medina.
Dar al-Nadwa
What Quraysh plotted in the Prophet's last days in Mecca.
The Hijra
The end of the Meccan period and the beginning of the Medinan phase.
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Do first:: Islam in Thirty Minutes
Then:: The Two Emigrations to Abyssinia · From Opposition to Islam: Those Who Changed Sides · The Women Around the Prophet: Twelve Lives
The aim of this trail
To know how the call moved from secrecy into the open, what it faced in Mecca, and how that ended with the Hijra.
What you will know at the end
- Order the main events of the Meccan period, from the revelation to the Hijra.
- Name who protected the Prophet ﷺ, who harmed him, and who joined him at each stage.
- Explain how the two pledges of al-Aqaba prepared the way for the Hijra.
How to read this trail
This is a chronological trail: each step is an event on which the next one rests. Read the summary of each page and then move on. Where the accounts differ, you will see them presented on the pages, attributed to their narrators. Approximate duration: 45 minutes; 12 steps. This is an experimental trail within "Tour and Learn".
Before you begin
It is best to begin with Islam in Thirty Minutes.
The steps
1. The descent of the revelation
The beginning of the revelation in the cave of Hira: the starting point, the cave of Hira. 1
2. The call to the clan
The call to the nearest kin: the move to preach openly, as the page explains, and who protected it. 1
3. Harm and torture
The persecution of the vulnerable: what befell the weaker believers, and the names of those who held firm. 1
4. The first migration to Abyssinia
The first migration to Abyssinia: the first departure from Mecca in search of safety. 1
5. The conversion of Hamza
The conversion of Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib: how Hamza entered Islam, and the effect of that. 1
6. The conversion of Umar
The conversion of Umar ibn al-Khattab: days after Hamza's conversion, and how the standing of the Muslims changed. 2
7. The boycott of Banu Hashim
The boycott of Banu Hashim in the valley of Abu Talib: the document and the siege in the valley. 1
8. The Year of Sorrow
The Year of Sorrow: the Prophet lost his protector and his wife in a single year. 1
9. The journey to al-Ta'if
The Prophet's journey to al-Ta'if: seeking support outside Mecca. 1
10. The two pledges of al-Aqaba
The two pledges of al-Aqaba: the two pledges that prepared the way to the house of emigration in Medina. 3
11. Dar al-Nadwa
The meeting at Dar al-Nadwa and the decision to assassinate the Prophet: what Quraysh plotted in the last days of the Prophet in Mecca. 1
12. The Hijra
The Prophet's Hijra: the end of the Meccan period and the beginning of the Medinan phase. 4
When you finish
Sources
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri
- Jami' al-Tirmidhi
- Sahih al-Bukhari
- Ibn Ishaq / Guillaume, The Life of Muhammad (1955)
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The Meccan Period: From the Cave to the Hijra”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/exhibits/path-meccan-period/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-21.