As Islam faced more political and religious opposition in Mecca,
Muhammad and his followers migrated to Medina in the Hijra in 622
CE.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Explain the basis for opposition to Muhammad
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
As Islam spread in Mecca, the ruling tribes began to oppose Muhammad's preaching and his
condemnation of idolatry.
The Quarayash tribe controlled the Kaaba and drew their religious and political power from its
polytheistic shrines, so they began to persecute the Muslims and many of Muhammad's followers
became martyrs.
When Muhammad's wife Khadijah and uncle Abu Talib both died in 619 CE, Abu Lahab assumed
leadership of the Banu Hashim clan and withdrew the clan's protection from Muhammad.
In 622 CE, Muhammad and his followers migrated to Yathrib to escape persecution in the Hijra,
renaming the city Medinain honor of the prophet.
TERMS [ edit ]
Hijra
The migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to
Medina in June 622 CE
Mecca
the birthplace of Muhammad and a site of Muhammad's first revelation of the Quran, Mecca is
regarded as the holiest city in the religion of Islam
hijira
The migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to
Medina in June 622 CE
Banu Hashim clan
one of Mecca's prominent families and part of the Quraysh tribe
Medina
Muhammad's destination after the Hijra, which became the power base of Islam in its first
century (renamed from Yathrib)
Abu Lahab
the leader of the Banu Hashim clan after the death of Muhammad's uncle Abu Talib
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Opposition in Mecca
According to Ibn Sad, one of Muhammad's companions, the opposition in Mecca started
when Muhammad delivered verses that condemned idol worship and polytheism. However,
the Qu'ran maintains that it began as Muhammad started public preaching. As Islam spread,
Muhammad threatened the local tribes and Meccan rulers because their wealth depended on
the Kaaba. Muhammad's preaching was particularly offensive to his own Quaraysh tribe
because they guarded the Kaaba and drew their political and religious power from its
polytheistic shrines.
The ruling tribes of Mecca perceived Muhammad as a danger that might cause similar
tensions to the rivalry of Judaism and Bedouin Polytheism in Yathrib. The powerful
merchants in Mecca attempted to convince Muhammad to abandon his preaching by offering
him admission into the inner circle of merchants and by establishing his position with an
advantageous marriage. However, Muhammad turned down both offers.
The last ayah from the sura An­Najm in the Quran
Muhammad's message of monotheism challenged the traditional order in Mecca. The Quarayash tribe
controlled the Kaaba and drew their religious and political power from its polytheistic shrines, so they
began to persecute the Muslims and many of Muhammad's followers became martyrs.
Muhammad's early teachings invited vehement opposition from the wealthy and leading
clans of Mecca who feared the loss of both their ancestral paganism and their lucrative
pilgrimage business. At first, the opposition was confined to ridicule and sarcasm but later
morphed into active persecution that forced a section of newly­converts to migrate to
neighboring Abyssinia (present day Ethiopia). Upset by the rate at which Muhammad was
gaining new followers, the Quraysh proposed to adopt a common form of worship, which was
denounced by the Quran.
Muhammad himself was protected from physical harm as long as he belonged to the Banu
Hashim clan, but his followers were not so lucky. Sumayyah bint Khabbab, a slave of a
prominent Meccan 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.
Death of Khadijah and Abu Talib in 619 CE
Muhammad's wife Khadijah and uncle Abu Talib both died in 619 CE, the year which became
known as the "year of sorrow. " With the death of Abu Talib, Abu Lahab assumed leadership
of the Banu Hashim clan. Soon after, Abu Lahab withdrew the clan's protection from
Muhammad, endangering him and his followers. Muhammad approached some pilgrims
from Yathrib (later called Medina) about his circumstances. The Arab population of Yathrib
was mostly Jewish and was prepared for the appearance of a prophet. They also hoped to
gain political supremacy over Mecca with Muhammad and the new faith.
The Hijra in 622 CE
The Hijra is the migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE.
In June 622, warned of a plot to assassinate him, Muhammad secretly slipped out of Mecca
and moved his followers to Medina, 320 kilometers (200 miles) north of Mecca. With the
help of Ali, Muhammad fooled the Meccans watching him, and secretly slipped away from
the town with Abu Bakr.
The Hijra and other earlier Muslim migrations.
On the night of his departure, Muhammad's house was besieged by the appointed men of
Quraysh. It is said that when Muhammad emerged from his house, he recited the a verse
from the Qu'ran and threw a handful of dust at the direction of the besiegers, which
prevented the besiegers from seeing him. When the Quraysh learned of Muhammad's escape,
they announced a heavy reward for bringing Muhammad back to them, alive or dead, and
pursuers scattered in all directions. After eight days' journey, Muhammad entered the
outskirts of Medina around June 622 CE, but did not enter the city directly. He stopped at a
place called Quba, a place some miles from the main city, and established a mosque there.
After fourteen days' stay at Quba, Muhammad started for Medina, participated in his first
Friday prayer on the way, and upon reaching the city, was greeted cordially by its people.
Reception in Medina
Before the arrival of Muhammad, the clans of Medina had suffered a lot from internal feuds
and had planned to nominate Abd­Allah ibn Ubaiy as their common leader to restore peace.
Muhammad's arrival disrupted this plan, and Abd­Allah ibn Ubaiy began acting hostile
towards Muhammad. Soon after Muhammad's settlement in Medina, Abd­Allah ibn Ubaiy
received an ultimatum from the Quraysh directing him to fight or expel the Muslims from
Medina. Muhammad convinced him otherwise, but a persistent enmity remained between
the Muslims and theQuraysh tribe. Although now safe in Medina, the Muslims still lacked
resources and were fearful of attacks. The remaining Muslims fled Mecca to avoid
persecution and the Meccas seized all of the abandoned property. A period of battles between
the inhabitants of Mecca and Medina lasted for the next three years.
Reconciliation and Consolidation of the Islamic State
Around 6 AH (628 CE), the nascent Islamic state was somewhat consolidated when
Muhammad left Medina to perform pilgrimage at Mecca. The Quraysh intercepted him en
route, who made a treaty with the Muslims. Though the terms of the Hudaybiyyah treaty
may have been unfavorable to the Muslims of Medina, the Qu'ran declared it as a clear
victory. Muslim historians suggest that the treaty mobilized the contact between the Meccan
pagans and the Muslims of Medina. The treaty demonstrated that the Quaryash recognized
Muhammad as their equal and Islam as a rising power.
The flight from Mecca to Medina became known as the Hijra, and those who migrated from
Mecca along with Muhammad became known as muhajirun (emigrants). The Hijra is
celebrated annually on the first day of the Muslim year. Muhammad was jubilantly welcomed
in Yathrib, which was soon renamed Madinat un­Nabi, or "the City of the Prophet. " Un­Nabi
was dropped, so the English name is Medina, meaning "the city. " Islam spread rapidly in
Medina, and the city became a center of the new faith.