When the Muslims were permitted to migrate, they left homes and possessions for safety and freedom to worship. The Prophet ﷺ remained until Allah permitted him to depart. With Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, he took shelter in the Cave of Thawr while Quraysh searched for them.
The Hijrah combined precise preparation with reliance on Allah: routes, guides, provisions and secrecy all mattered. On reaching Quba and then Madinah, the community welcomed him with joy. The migration became the starting point of the Muslim calendar because it marks the movement from persecution to the building of a principled society.