Events in the first year following the Prophet's arrival in Medina

• On arrival from Quba, the Prophet was greeted joyfully by the people of Yathrib, with children singing as he arrived.
• Ali (RA) arrived a few days later, after he had returned the Quraysh belongings.
• The Prophet (SAW) constructed the Quba masjid.
• As the Prophet passed through the city many people requested that he stay with them, but he told them his she-camel would make the decision.
• The camel stopped on a land, where the Prophet’s mosque would be built, owned by a poor orphan who wanted to donate the land to the Prophet but the Prophet refused and he purchased the land himself.
• The Prophet stayed with Ayyub al-Ansari while the mosque and his house were being built.
  • He himself took part in the construction.
• The constitution of Medina was made with the Jews
• The Ansar and Muhajirun were made brothers.
• The adhan was introduced.
• Yathrib was renamed Madina tun-Nabi.

Why was it significant that one of the Prophet’s first task was to construct mosques at Quba and Madina?

• Despite travelling from Makka to Madina, the Prophet (pbuh) took the time to establish a mosque at Quba, and then in Madina.
• This was to show the Muslims that communal worship of God was to be the focal point of primary importance, and they should learn about their faith.
• Praying together as a community was important and beneficial, so much so that building a mosque was done before building houses.
• At Quba and Madina, they were free to establish prayers so it was done as a symbol of freedom – they were now free to worship together and in the open, unlike in Makka.

Relationship with the non-Muslims

• The Prophet (pbuh) made a constitution for the citizens of Madina (Charter of Madina), including non-Muslims, about their rights and responsibilities as part of the community.
• Non-Muslims had the following rights: equal political and cultural rights, autonomy and freedom of religion; they would fight with the Muslims against the enemy of the community and have the same responsibilities in war as others. The Prophet (pbuh) engaged in commercial dealings with them and gave and received help from them.
• He sometimes borrowed money from Jews and also arranged for loans from them for some of his companions: one day a Jew caught hold of the cloth the Prophet (pbuh) was wearing and demanded that he repay the loan he had taken from him. ‘Umar, got angry with the Jew and scolded him. The Prophet (pbuh) then ordered that the loan be repaid to the Jew, and because ‘Umar had scolded him the Prophet (pbuh) insisted that he be given more money than what he had actually been owed.