Medina

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Coordinates: 24°28′N 38°36′E
Holy City of Al Madina Al Monawara</br>المدينة المنورة
Image:Masjid Nabawi. Medina, Saudi Arabia.jpg
Image:Medina, Saudi Arabia locator map.png Location in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Province	Al Madinah Province
Prince	Abdul Aziz bin Majed
Area
- City	? km²
- Land	? km²
- Water	? km²
Population
- City (2004)	918,889

This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. For other uses, see Medina (disambiguation).

Medina /mɛˈdiːnə/ (Arabic: المدينة المنورة‎ IPA: [ælmæˈdiːnæl muˈnɑwːɑrɑ] or المدينة IPA: [ælmæˈdiːnæ]; also transliterated into English as Madinah) is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia.

1 Overview
2 History
- 2.1 Pre-Islamic era
- 2.2 Migration to Medina — 622
3 Skirmish in Rabigh — 623
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

[edit] Overview

It currently has a population of 918,889 (2004 census). Medina is located at 24.28° N 39.36° E. Medina was originally known as Yathrib, but later the city's name was changed to Madīna al-Nabī (ﻣﺩﯾﻨﺔ ﺍﻟﻨﺒﻲ IPA: [mæˈdiːnæt æˈnːæbiː] "city of the prophet") or Al Madīnah al Munawwarah ("the enlightened city" or "the radiant city"), while the short form Medina simply means "city". Medina is the second holiest city of Islam, after Mecca (Makkah). <ref>However, an article in Aramco World by John Anthony states: "To the perhaps parochial Muslims of North Africa in fact the sanctity of Kairouan is second only to Mecca among all cities of the world." Saudi Aramco’s bimonthly magazine's goal is to broaden knowledge of the cultures, history and geography of the Arab and Muslim worlds and their connections with the West; pages 30-36 of the January/February 1967 print edition [1]</ref>

Its importance as a religious site derives from the presence there of the shrine of Muhammad by Masjid al-Nabawi (or the Mosque of the Prophet) containing Muhammad's tomb, famously known as Qubbat al-Nabi, Prophet's Dome or Green Dome, which was built on a site adjacent to Muhammad's home. His home later became part of the mosque when it was expanded by the Umayyad caliph al-Waleed ibn AbdelMalek. The first mosque of Islam is also located in Medinah and is known as Masjid Quba, (the Quba Mosque).

Like Mecca, the city of Medina only permits Muslims to enter. Both cities' numerous mosques are the destination for large numbers of Muslims on their annual pilgrimage. Hundreds of Muslims come to Medina annually to worship at these mosques in a unified celebration.

[edit] History

Image:Mapmadinah.jpg

[edit] Pre-Islamic era

In pre-Islamic times the city was known as Yathrib. It was an important trading town and its pagan inhabitants would make yearly pilgrimages to the shrines in Mecca, being that the chief god of both cities was Manat. It was also notable as a center of Arab Jews, who were only distinguished from their fellow citizens by their religion.

Islamic sources such as the hadith state that Medina had a population of two pagan tribes (the Banu Aus and Banu Khazraj) as well as many Jewish tribes: Banu Qainuka'a, Banu Nadhir, Banu Sa'ida, Banu Harith, Banu Jusham, Banu Najjar and Banu Qurayza. The two powerful tribes of Banu Aus and Banu Khazraj were in a 120 year old conflict with each other that had escalated to full war in the 610s: The battle of Bu'ath

[edit] Migration to Medina — 622

In 622, Medina became the seat of Muhammad's growing movement after the Hijra. In the same year Muhammad was invited to live in Yathrib, and act as a sort of mediator.

According to Islamic tradition, the two tribes got word of Muhammad in Mecca and decided to allow him to resolve their conflict. Muhammad and his followers thus agreed to move (known as the Hijra migration) to Yathrib, which eventually became known as al-Madinah al-Nabi, the city of the Messenger. Upon entry Muhammad drafted the Constitution of Medina [2] making him the leader of the city. The charter drew up an alliance between the Muslim, pagan and Jewish communities. The communities were to remain economically and socially separate, but militarily and politically one unit. Treachery and breach in trust was strictly forbidden.

[edit] Skirmish in Rabigh — 623

In January of 623 Muhammad dispatched Obeida, son of Harith to lead another raiding party against a caravan passing along the Syria-to-Mecca trade route. As the caravan (led by Abu Sufyan) was watering in the valley of Rabigh Muhammad's men fired volleys of arrows from a distance but did not inflict any damage. Obeida was given the honor of "he who shot the first arrow for Islam" as Abu Sufyan altered course to flee the highwaymen. In retaliation for this attack Abu Sufyan requested an armed force from Mecca who came and engaged in the Battle of Badr.

Throughout the winter and spring of 623 other raiding parties were sent by Muhammad from Medina but, while troublesome, were not particularly effective or destructive.

[edit] Battles — 624-625

The treaty, however, soon broke down. After the Battles of Badr and Uhud, Muhammad expelled the Jewish tribes of Banu Nadir and Banu Qaynuqa for their treachery in the battles.

[edit] Battle of the trench — 627

In 627, the army of Mecca once again attacked Medina under the command of Abu Sufyan. Unable to defeat Muslim on the front lines, Abu Sufyan asked the Jewish Banu Qurayza tribe to attack the Muslims from behind the lines. The Jewish tribe agreed, in a clear breach of the Medina charter, and hostilities between them and Muslims broke out. After the defeat of Meccans, the tribe unconditionally surrendered, and agreed to the appointment of Sa'ad ibn Mua'dh as judge. However he judged them by their own laws and judged that all male members of the tribe were executed. The women and children were sold into slavery. That was the end of the Jews of Medina.

[edit] Capital city — 627 - 630

In the ten years following the Hijra, Medina formed the base from which Muhammad attacked and was attacked and it was from here that he marched on Mecca, becoming its ruler without battle. Even when Islamic rule was established, Medina remained for some years the most important city of Islam and the de facto capital of the Caliphate.

[edit] First four Caliphs — 630 - 661

Under the first four Sunni Caliphs, known as the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the Islamic empire expanded rapidly and came to include historical centres of learning such as Jerusalem and Damascus, and Baghdad. After the death of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph, Mu'awiyya transferred the capital to Damascus and the importance of Medina dwindled and became more of a religious site than a political site.