PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S LIFE IN MEDINA
PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S LIFE IN MEDINA
Medina was a
multi-tribal society each with its head, constitution and system of governance.
But Muhammad was able to bring about a common and acceptable constitution at
the beginning of his stay there. During, the first month that he spent in Medina
he was busy with his work of reconciling and establishing peace between the
Medinan factions and outlining the rights and duties of all, including the Jews.
He arranged for support of emigrants by pairing each with a Medinan host. He
also organized times for prayer, adding the midday prayer (Q2:238)[1] .
His main achievement was
the promulgation of the constitution of Medina which provided the basic for the
building of the community (Umma) where state and religion (din-wa-dawla) are
connected in the Islamic ideal. The document reads in points:
In the name of God, the merciful the compassionate!
This is a writing of Muhammad the prophet between the believers and the Muslims
of Quaraysh and Yathrib (Medina) and those who follow them and are attached to
them and who crusade along with them. They are a single community distinct from
other people.
This claims show how the
position of the prophet was growing ever stronger, especially because of the
help of an increasing number of supporters among whom we can enumerate
different groups. Such as the newly
converted Muslims, the hypocrites (munafiqun, Q63), the Immigrants (Muhajirun)
and some of the clan that followed him. In the constitution of Medina as well
as the attitude of the prophet during this period, we notice that the stress is
given to the main human and religious values (leaving aside particular opinion)
THE
CONFLICTS BETWEEN MUHAMMAD AND THE JEWS
Prophet Muhammad
openness towards people of other faiths, and his refraining from making the
religious obligation too burdensome. This attitude seems to have changed when
he realized that the Jews were not ready to accept him as a prophet. In Mecca
period, up to the emigration Muhammad seemed to think of himself only as a
reformer of the previous monotheistic religions, not as a founder of a new one.
The fact that he used to pray facing Jerusalem indicates this. In Medina, he
made contact with well established Jewish tribes and began to exchange views in
religion, argument arose and he immediately realized that their concept of
election prevented them from accepting a new prophet, especially one coming
from another people. (Q2:1040 113).
Prophet Muhammad having
settled in Medina did his best to be-friend the Jews and gives them as convert
to his course. He had interest in them, because they were people of the book.
God had revealed Himself to them. They had a scripture for Him. Thus Muhammad was
eagerly looking forward to their support. The Jews were three tribes and great
influence in Medina. All efforts Muhammad put forth to gain the interest of the
Jews failed. The Jews ridicule him for what Muhammad gave as revelation, did
not agree with their revelation. Muhammad’s revelation included accounts of
event related in the Old Testament and his account often departed markedly from
the Old Testaments history.
The criticism of the
Jews hurt Muhammad and placed in a very difficult position. He had claimed that
his revelations were from God and therefore could not be in errors. He could
not admit that he had made mistakes. Instead, he accused the Jews of rejecting
and concealing the truth of what their scripture said for about him. He even
asserted that, by not recognizing him the Jews were breaking their covenant
with God (Q2:40). Also, he attacked the Jews and Christians who claimed to have
Moses or Jesus by claiming Abraham for themselves who antedated Moses and
Jesus. “Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christians, but a hanif” (A traditional monotheist Q3:67, Romans 4 to compare). Since
Muhammad’s best arguments did not convince the Jews, he threatened them with
eternal hell-fire. Neither Muhammad nor his followers could read Hebrew; it was
difficult for the Jews to prove anything to the. Muhammad bided his time and waited
for an opportunity to punish the Jews for rejecting and resisting him.
The criticisms of the
Jews made Muhammad to see himself as the greatest prophet. He acclaimed that
Jesus had pointed to him as the apostle who shall come after me. (Q16:6).
Within ten years of Muhammad in Medina he was able to create and solidify an
Islamic State. Two years before his death, he went from Medina to conquer Mecca.
At Medina he received many revelations which were for his own benefit and
advantage. Finally, he had a short-lived but a successful ministry at Medina.
He died in AD632.
ECONOMIC CHALLENGES
On their arrival in
Medina, Muhammad and his followers faced a lot of economic challenges
.Unfortunately, at this time the Jewish Clans were in charge of trading activities.
The only ways to take full control of Medina despite the presence of the Jews
were to open up new trade with Syria. Unfortunately trade with Syria is not
possible except through the Meccan Caravan trade routes. To use the routes, the
Meccan Caravans that used to travel along those paths must first be
discouraged. The only way to discourage these Caravans from using those ways
and to get some money was to attack them with frequent raids. And that was what
the Muslims did particularly during the holy month of AD623.
SOLVING SOCIAL CHALLENGES
Muhammad increased his
power in the Muslim community through his marriage to Aisha, around April 623.
Whom he had married a few years before. The difference was great between a man
of 53 and a girl of 9. But such a marriage was not shocking in the Arabian
society of his time. Aisha never bore children. Yet she was the leading woman
in Muslim political life for years after Muhammad’s death.
Around August 623 Muhammad
gave his daughter Fatima in marriage to his cousin Ali. Fatima had two
children, Al-Husayn and Al-Hasan, and only through them did Muhammad have a
lasting line of descendants.
In defense of his
religion and community, Prophet Muhammad fought series of wars with the Meccans
in Medina in order to secure livelihood for the new community. These wars known
as jihad (means striving for the sake of God normally by force of arms).
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