Over the course of thirteen years since the inception of Islam, Hadhrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq had spent a substantial part of his immense wealth, which was around forty thousand dirhams, in the cause of Islam. Now, he had only around five thousand dirhams left. Turning to our Master, he said, “What do you command, O Rasulullah?”

“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,” our Master began. With these words, Rasulullah rose to his feet and walked towards the camels. In the face of this single phrase, all the hardships of the great journey seemed to diminish and melt away.

Our Master mounted his camel, Kaswa, with Hadhrat Siddiq riding behind him. Hadhrat Siddiq’s camel was taken by the guide, Abdullah, and his freed slave, Amir.

The swift departure of the camels marked the beginning of a historic journey, heading towards Medina via the coastal road.