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ASSIGNMENT 2

Islamic Studies

Submitted by:
MALIK ALI IRFAN

BS A&F (B)

Submitted to:
MR. ASAD MEHMOOD
SYNOPSIS

Al-Hijrah was the Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) migration (622 CE) from Makkah to Medina in
order to escape persecution. The date represents the starting point of the Muslim era. Muhammad
(SAW) himself dated his correspondence, treaties, and proclamations after other events of his
life. It was Umar I, the second caliph, who in the year 639 CE introduced the Hijrah era. Umar
started the first year AH with the first day of the lunar month of Moharram, which corresponds to
July 16, 622, on the Julian calendar.

It was one of the, if not the most, significant defining moment over the span of Muslim history. It
was simply after the Hijrah that Muhammad (SAW) genuinely began his course, which would
bring about influencing the entire world in the years to come. Muhammad (SAW) confronted
different issues before relocation, and that a lot increasingly considerably after movement, yet
He didn't give that a chance to prevent it from His objective, the foundation of God's One True
Religion. What's more, Hijrah was the impetus for everything. He would take on numerous
conflicts after it, both inside and outer, however He developed as the victor in every one of them.
The foundation of the primary Mosque at Quba, the foundation of Masjid-e-Nabvi, skirmish of
Badr, Conquest of Makkah thus a lot more occasions, all came after Hijrah. Also, that is the
reason it is broadly accepted that the Muslim time really began after the Hijrah.

We have to comprehend why the Prophet (SAW) needed to leave Makkah. We have to
comprehend the purpose for him explicitly going to Medina. We have to comprehend what
challenges He looked in Medina. Lastly, we have to see how precisely he overcame those
challenges that were before him. So, we will partition this article into four sections, vis-a-vis, the
following:

 WHY DID THE HOLY PROPHET LEFT MAKKAH?


 WHY DID THE HOLY PROPHET MIGRATED TO MEDINA?
 WHAT CHALLENGES DID THE HOLY PROPHET FACE IN MEDINA?
 HOW DID THE HOLY PROPHET OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES?

Thus, right away, let us see what were the causes, occasions and results of the Hijrah!
WHY THE HOLY PROPHET LEFT MAKKAH?

Muhammad (SAW), one of the most influential religious and political leaders in history, was
born in Makkah around 570. His father died before He was born, and Muhammad (SAW) was
put under the care of His grandfather, head of the prestigious Hashim clan. His mother died when
He was six, and His grandfather when He was eight, leaving Him under the care of His uncle
Abu Talib, the new head of the clan. When he was 25, Muhammad (SAW) married a wealthy
widow 15 years his senior, Khadija. He lived the next 15 years as a merchant, and His wife gave
birth to six children: two sons, who died in childhood, and four daughters.

From time to time, Muhammad (SAW) spent nights in a cave in Mount Hira north of Makkah,
ruminating on the social ills of the city. Around 610, He had a vision in the cave in which He
heard the voice of a majestic being, later identified as the angel Gabriel, say to Him, “You are
the Messenger of God.” Thus began a lifetime of religious revelations, which He and others
collected as the Qur’an, or Koran. Muhammad regarded Himself as the last prophet of the
Judaic-Christian tradition, and He adopted aspects of these older religions’ theologies while
introducing new doctrines. This monotheistic religion came to be called Islam, meaning
“surrender [to God],” and its followers were Muslims, meaning “those who have surrendered.”
His inspired teachings would bring unity to the Arabian Peninsula, an event that had sweeping
consequences for the rest of the world.

But His life was not a bed of roses. In the beginning of His journey, He had next to zero support.
His wife, cousin and a few friends were the only ones who had accepted His invitation to Islam.
For the first 3 years, He only preached Islam behind closed doors. It was not until 613, after
receiving a revelation from God, did He start to preach Islam openly. But as expected, people
who are set in their ways, find it hard to change. And same was the case with the people of
Makkah. He did not receive much affirmation. He was ridiculed and harassed. But since Abu
Talib was the head of the Hashim clan, no one was able to lay a hand on him physically. But that
was the not case for the ones who decided to follow him. They were tortured, victimized, and
brutalized. Sumayyah bint Khabbab, a slave of the prominent Makkan leader Abu Jahl, is
famous as the first martyr of Islam; her master killed her with a spear when she refused to give
up her faith. Bilal, another Muslim slave, was tortured by Umayyah ibn Khalaf, who placed more
and more rocks on his chest to force his conversion, until he died.

Such were the hardships faced by Muslims in their early days. But things were about to get even
worse. In the year 620, known as the ‘Year of Sorrow’, both Khadija and Abu Talib would die.
The 2 strongest supporters of Muhammad (SAW) had departed from this world. He was
emotionally broken down, but did not give up. But these deaths had longstanding consequences,
as both of them held considerable power in Makkah, and were the reason Muhammad (SAW)
could preach Islam openly. After Abu Talib’s death, the mantle of head of the Hashim clan came
to Abu Lahb, a guy who openly opposed and hated Muhammad (SAW). The Quran itself has
dedicated a whole Surah to Abu Lahb because of this, which states that:

Perished be the two hands of Aby-Lahab and he is already perished. His wealth and what
he earned availed him not. Now he enters into a blazing fire. And his wife too, carrier of
firewood. There is a rope of palm fiber in her neck.

(Quran 111:1-5 ; Surah Al-Masad)

So, in conclusion, Muhammad (SAW) and His companions/followers were forced to migrate
from Makkah because of the growing hostilities towards them. Because the Holy Prophet knew,
that if anything were to happen to Him, that would be the end of Islam. And that is exactly what
the Makkans had planned. But that would not come to pass, as Allah ordered Muhammad (SAW)
to migrate to Medina:

Remember how the unbelievers plotted against you. They sought to take you captive or kill
you or banish you. They devised plans-but Allah too made a plan and Allah is the best
planner.

(Surah al-Anfal, 8:30)

All this, and so much more, led to Him and His companions/followers leaving Makkah and
performing the Hijrah.
WHY DID THE HOLY PROPHET MIGRATED TO MEDINA?

It is a very valid question if one thinks about it; that why did Muhammad (SAW) go to Medina
specifically? Why not someplace else? There must have been many reasons behind His decision,
and we of course cannot understand all of them, as we cannot think on his level of intellect. But
we can make some deductions, which seem clear through observing history, as to why He
specifically went to Medina. Let us try and examine them.

Medina, then known as Yathrib, was not like Makkah. It housed Pagans, Jews, some Christians
and even Muslims. It was the business hub of Arabia, and Muhammad (SAW) also knew that.
So, from a political point of view, He must have understood that if He could make Medina His
stronghold, one day He could conquer the whole of Arabia. But that was not all. Something
happened before the Hijrah which reinforced His decision to migrate to Medina.

In 621, a few people came from Medina to Makkah. They were ostensibly making a pilgrimage
to Makkah’s pagan shrines, and to the Khana Kabbah. In Makkah, they heard of Muhammad
(SAW) and His teachings and were interested in meeting, and so went to Him. Once they met
Him, and heard what He had to say, they could not resist converting to Islam. And so, went back
to Medina as Muslims. But that was not all. Some of the companions of Muhammad (SAW) had
already started spreading His message in Medina, and in the following year (622), a larger
delegation came and professed their conversion to Islam. But that was not all that they said. They
offered Muhammad (SAW) their protection as if He was one of their own. Also, in 622, a
delegation from Medina arrived to Makkah and requested Muhammad (SAW) to come to
Medina as the Chief Arbitrator as the clans of Medina were involved in more than 100 years of
in-fighting and bloodshed. And they believed that Muhammad (SAW) was the best possible
person who would be able to solve their problems.

And so, it followed that, when the time to migrate from Makkah came upon Him, Muhammad
(SAW) decided that there could be no better place than Medina. And that is why He, alongside
Abu Bakr, travelled 320 km north to Medina (622), where He received a very warm welcome.
This would mark the start of the Muslim era, and the Muslim calendar, known as the Hijri
calendar. The time of Muslims was on the horizon, and none could stop it.
WHAT CHALLENGES DID THE HOLY PROPHET FACE IN
MADINA?

When the Holy Prophet finally arrived in Medina, He knew that He had a hard time ahead of
Him. There were many issues He needed to rectify, such as:

 Rehabilitation of the emigrants


 Establishing political stability in the war-torn tribes of Medina
 Imparting Islamic education to all the residents of Medina
 Military defense of the people of Medina
 Establishment of a Muslim Judiciary system
 Handling the misused finances

He had arrived to Medina with only Abu Bakr alongside Him, but before His arrival, many
Muslims had already migrated to Medina. And their rehabilitation was His responsibility.
Providing them adequate housing, food and all the other basic necessities of life.

There were many tribes in Medina which were in a cold war like state against each other. Awz
and Khazraj were the major tribes. Acting as the arbitrator between was one of the major reasons
why the residents of Medina had requested Muhammad (SAW) to come and become their chief.

Muhammad (SAW) was illiterate technically, but not uneducated and so He understood the
importance of education more than anyone else. He knew that He had to not only impart
education to the Muslims residing in Medina, but also to the Non-Muslims. Because all of them
were now under His care, and He was not someone who discriminated. He would teach Muslims
and Non-Muslims alike, because only an educated society is a prosperous society.

When Muhammad (SAW) arrived to Medina in 622, He had made many enemies back in
Makkah. And He knew that they would come knocking at His door one day or another. So, the
protection of the people of Medina was solely His responsibility. But since the cause that He was
fighting for was Islam, He could not ask the Non-Muslims of Medina to participate in the war.
So, the protection of Medina rested on the small number of able-bodied Muslims. And it was
these Muslims which handled the protection of Medina in years to come. The battles of Badr,
Hunain, Khandaq, Yarmuk and so many more would come to pass, but at the end, whether the
Muslims won or lost a particular, it would be the Muslims who would stand tall.

The judiciary system of Medina was in shambles. There was no equality. The rich were judged
based on a separate scale as compared to the poor. This weak system of Courts was one of the
major reasons behind the instability in Medina before the arrival of Muhammad (SAW). He had
to establish a rule of law in which all the citizens were equal, irrespective of their color, race,
creed, family, wealth or power. Because only when there is equality in ruling can a society be at
peace.

The gap in wealth between the rich and poor was too great before the arrival of Muhammad
(SAW). There was no proper system of taxes, and so there was no regulation of wealth.
Similarly, there was no system of check and balance. So the rich kept on getting richer through
unfair means, whereas the poor kept getting poorer. Muhammad (SAW) knew that if He wanted
to establish an egalitarian society, there needed to be a proper system of regulation of wealth.

All these issues would soon be dealt with, as Muhammad (SAW) had arrived. His arrival marked
the beginning of the golden age for Medina. Now there would be peace and stability, something
which had been amiss for many past centuries. But it would not all happen so easily. Muhammad
(SAW) was not a magician. He had to deal with these problems through sheer hard work and
strength of will; through years of struggle. And that is what He did. He persevered till He was
not successful. There is a reason why Michael Hart has ranked him number 1 in his book ‘The
100 Ranking of Most Influential People in History’.

Anyway, let us move onto the final part of our essay. The methods He employed to overcome the
aforementioned problems.
HOW DID THE HOLY PROPHET OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES?

Although the Prophet faced lots of problem in Medina but comparing to the situation that he had
previously in Mecca, the Medina time was much easier than before. During the Mecca time
Muslims were under direct oppression from non-believers and for years they suffered starvation
and sanctions but after they migrated to Medina, they could form a local government. Of course,
they had some very difficult issues to solve from outside threats to inside Seductions, but they all
had been taking care of the leadership of the prophet. It is worth to mention that the Prophet in
many cases, asked for the consult of Muslims and he never said that while I am infallible, I don’t
need others advice. However, the Prophet overcame these difficulties in a perfectly wise manner.
As regards the differences between his followers he removed them with perfect wisdom and
ingenuity. He was ordered by Allah to establish brotherhood between the Muhajirs and the
Ansar. One day he turned to his followers in a general meeting and said: "Now you should
become brothers in faith in pairs. Hence, by this method the Prophet ensured the political and
spiritual unity of the Muslims and this unity enabled him to think about ways and means of
solving the other two difficulties as well. The Prophet established brotherhood between a pair of
two among three hundred persons out of the Muhajirs and Ansar and told every one of them that
he was the brother of such and such person. The Ansar tried to outdo each other in making the
Muhajireen comfortable in Madinah and put themselves and their possessions at the service of
the newcomers. Their generosity is mentioned in the following Verse of the Qur’an:

“The Ansar love the Muhajireen who sought refuge with them, and there is no jealousy in
their hearts for what the Muhajireen have been given. The Ansar give the Muhajireen
preference over themselves, although they were in need of what the Muhajireen received.”
(59: 9)

. The brotherhood that was born between the Ansar and Muhajireen was no superficial bond
based on sufferance of the Prophet’s instructions, but a deep sense of kinship that is difficult to
imagine today. The Ansar felt such a great responsibility for their Makkan protégés that once
they even went to the Prophet and offered to give half of their precious date groves to the
Muhajirreen.
Prophet (PBUH) also prompted the construction of, before doing anything else, a public Centre
for the Muslims with the name of so that matters relating to instruction, development, politics
and justice might be accomplished there. At times the Mosque of Medina assumed the shape of a
literary Centre also. Great poets of Arabia, whose compositions conformed with the moral and
educational spirit of Islam recited their verses before the Prophet. Kab bin Zuhayr read out his
famous laudatory poem in praise of the Prophet before him in the mosque and received a large
prize and robe of honor from him. Hassan bin Thabit, who defended the honor of Islam by means
of his verses, used to read out his poems in the Mosque of the Prophet. Educational meetings in
the Mosque of Medina, during the time of the Prophet, were so impressive that the
representatives of the tribe of & Saqif were very much impressed by the scene; they wondered at
the interest taken by the Muslims in acquiring knowledge. Judicial matters and law-suits were
settled, and punishments were awarded to the offenders in the mosque, and it was, for all intents
and purposes, a court of law where the complaints of the people were settled. Furthermore, the
Prophet used to deliver his stirring speeches there to make the people perform jihad and
campaign against infidelity. Possibly one of the secrets of combination of religious and
educational matters in the mosque was that the great leader of Islam desired to show it practically
that knowledge and faith are complementary to each other, and if a place is a Centre of faith, it
must also be a Centre of knowledge and wisdom. And if the judicial and other affairs including
matters relating to jihad were decided in the mosque it was for the reason that he wanted to make
it clear that his religion is not only spiritual which should have nothing to do with material
matters, it is a religion which, while inviting people to piety and faith, does not also ignore the
worldly matters and social welfare.
Furthermore, dealing with the Jews and other tribes, as well as laying the laws and rules of
Medina, the Prophet (PBUH) wrote the Charter of Medina. It established the collective
responsibility of nine constituent tribes for their members actions, specifically
emphasizing blood money and ransom payment. The first constituent groups mentioned are
the Qurayshi migrants, followed by eight other tribes. Eight Jewish groups were recognized as
part of the Yathrib community, and their religious separation from Muslims was established. The
Jewish Banu Al-Shutbah tribe was also inserted as one of the Jewish groups, rather than with the
nine tribes mentioned earlier in the document. The constitution also established Muhammad
(PBUH) as the mediating authority between groups and forbids the waging of war without his
authorization. The constitution formed the basis of a multi-religious Islamic state in Medina.
Since this agreement is a living historical document and clearly shows how the Prophet respected
the principles of freedom, order, and justice in life, and created by means of this agreement a
united front against external attacks, we mention here some of its essential points as an evidence
of the political victory in that age of the newly-formed Government of Islam. Afterwards, when
Banu Qinaqa betrayed the agreement The Prophet banished them, allowing them to take all their
movable possessions to Syria. Similar action was taken against Banu Nadir after their betrayal.
Finally, strict action was taken against Banu Qurayza.
In the case of battles, Muslims fought head on in every battle despite favorable or unfavorable
conditions. Holy Prophet (PBUH) managed to inspire his followers to face these challenges like
the battle of Badr was remarkable in more ways than one. It demonstrated the great devotion of
the disciples to the cause and their complete faith in the Prophet and his mission. Ranged before
them in the Meccan ranks were many of their close relatives, their own sons, fathers, or uncles.
The battle of Badr had far-reaching consequences. Till then, the Muslims were a harassed band
avoiding any major conflict. This victory gave them confidence in their physical power. They
could now meet force with force. They were soon recognized as a power to be reckoned with and
smaller tribes were cautioned against joining forces against them. In Uhad, the Muslims had
suffered a heavy blow. They were shaken in body and in spirit. But the Prophet preached to them
fortitude and endurance. For those who laid their lives in the way of Allah, the following glad
tiding had been revealed:

And reckon not those who are killed in Allah’s way as dead; nay, they are alive (and) are
sustained by their Lord.
(Quran, 3:169)

Word Count: 3415

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