Muhammad Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==== Migration to Medina (''Hijrah'') ==== {{Main|Hijrah}} <!------------ PLEASE NOTE: The consensus to include images of Muhammad emerged after extensive months-long discussions and efforts on both sides to balance multiple competing interests. Please do not remove or reposition these images because you feel they are against your religion. Please do not add more images or reposition the current ones to prove a point. To avoid pointless revert-warring, blocking and page protection, please discuss any prospective changes on the talk page. Thank you for contributing to Wikipedia. -------------> [[Medina]], located over {{convert|200|mi|km}} to the north of [[Mecca]], is a lush oasis.<ref name="Holt">{{harv|Holt et al.|1977|p=39}}</ref> According to Muslim sources, the city was established by Jews who had survived the revolt against the Romans.{{sfn|Gil|1997|p=11}} While agriculture was far from being the domain of the Arab tribes, the Jews were outstanding farmers, cultivating the land in the oases.{{sfn|Gil|1997|p=11}} There were reportedly around 20 Jewish tribes residing in the city, with the three most prominent being [[Banu Nadir]], [[Banu Qaynuqa]] and [[Banu Qurayza]].{{Sfn|Zeitlin|2007|p=82}} In time, Arab tribes from southern Arabia migrated to the city and settled down alongside the Jewish community.{{sfn|Gil|1997|p=11}} The Arab tribes consisted of [[Banu Aws]] and [[Banu Khazraj]], both collectively known as Banu Qayla.<ref>{{harv|Gibb et al.|1986|p=514}}</ref> Before 620, there had been fighting among the two Arab tribes for almost a hundred years,<ref name="Holt" /> with each of them attempting to court the assistance of the Jewish tribes,{{Sfn|Peters|1994|p=194}} which occasionally led to infighting between the latter.<ref name="Holt" /> Having lost all hope of winning converts among his fellow townspeople, Muhammad limited his efforts to non-Meccans who attended fairs or made pilgrimages.{{Sfn|Fontaine|2022|p=244}} During these endeavors, Muhammad had an encounter with six individuals from the Banu Khazraj. These men had a history of raiding Jews in their locality, who in turn would warn them that a prophet would be sent to punish them. On hearing Muhammad's religious message, they said to each other, "This is the very prophet of whom the Jews warned us. Don't let them get to him before us!" Upon embracing Islam, they returned to Medina and shared their encounter, hoping that by having their people—the Khazraj and the Aws, who had been at odds for so long—accept Islam and adopt Muhammad as their leader, unity could be achieved between them.{{sfn|Rodinson|2021|p=143}}{{sfn|Peters|2021|p=211}} The next year, five of the earlier converts revisited Muhammad, bringing with them seven newcomers, three of whom were from the Banu Aws. At Aqaba, near Mecca, they pledged their loyalty to him.{{sfn|Rodinson|2021|p=143}} Muhammad then entrusted [[Mus'ab ibn Umayr]] to join them on their return to Medina to promote Islam. Come June 622, a significant clandestine meeting was convened, again at Aqaba. In this gathering, seventy-five individuals from Medina attended, including two women, representing all the converts of the oases.{{sfn|Rodinson|2021|p=144}} Muhammad asked them to protect him as they would protect their wives and children. They concurred and gave him their oath,{{Sfn|Fontaine|2022|p=245}} commonly referred to as the second pledge of Aqaba or the pledge of war. Paradise was Muhammad's promise to them in exchange for their loyalty.{{sfn|Glubb|2001|p=144}}{{sfn|Gabriel|2007|p=61}} Subsequently, Muhammad called upon the Meccan Muslims to relocate to Medina.{{sfn|Rodinson|2021|p=144}}{{Sfn|Fontaine|2022|p=245–7}} This event is known as the [[Hijrah]], which basically means "severing of kinship ties."<ref>{{harv|Schacht et al.|1998|p=366}}</ref>{{Sfn|Nigosian|2004|p=10}} The departures spanned approximately three months. To avoid arriving in Medina by himself with his followers remaining in Mecca, Muhammad chose not to go ahead and instead stayed back to watch over them and persuade those who were reluctant.{{sfn|Rodinson|2021|p=144}} Some were held back by their families from leaving, but in the end, there were no Muslims left in Mecca.{{Sfn|Fontaine|2022|p=246}}{{sfn|Rodgers|2012|p=49}} Muhammad regarded this migration as an expulsion by the Quraysh.{{sfn|Rodgers|2012|p=49}} Islamic tradition recounts that in light of the unfolding events, [[Amr ibn Hisham|Abu Jahl]] proposed a joint assassination of Muhammad by representatives of each clan. Having been informed about this by the angel [[Gabriel]], Muhammad asked his cousin [[Ali]] to lie in his bed covered with his green hadrami mantle, assuring that it would safeguard him. After staying hidden for three days, Muhammad subsequently departed with [[Abu Bakr]] for Medina,{{sfn|Peters|1994|p=186–7}} which at the time was still named Yathrib. The Meccan Muslims who undertook the migration were then called the [[Muhajirun]], while the Medinan Muslims were dubbed the [[Ansar (Islam)|Ansar]].{{sfn|Buhl|Welch|1993|p=367}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page