Meanwhile the tribes and families of Madinah, the new name for Yathrib and a short form of `The Messenger’s Madinah (City)’, came streaming forth, and vied with one another in inviting the noble visitor to their homes. The Madinese girls chanted beautiful verses that spoke of welcome, obedience and dutifulness to the new Messenger.
Though not wealthy, every Ansar (Helper) was eager and anxious to receive the Messenger in his house. It was indeed a triumphal procession. Around the camel of Muhammad and his immediate followers, rode the chiefs of the city in their best garments and in glittering armor, everyone saying: “Alight here, O Messenger of Allah, and stay with us.’’ Muhammad answered everyone courteously and kindly:
“Leave it (camel) on its way, for it is commanded (by Allah).’’
The camel moved onward with loosed rein, until it reached the site of the Prophet’s Masjid and knelt down. He did not dismount until it rose up again, went on forward, turned back and then returned to kneel down in the very same spot. Here, he alighted in an area inhabited by Banu An-Najjar, a tribe related to the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) from the maternal side.
In fact, it was his wish to honor his maternal uncles and live among them. The fortunate host, Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari, stepped forward to his mount, brought the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) into his home and As`ad bin Zurarah took the reigns of the mount while he was still on it.
In the narration of Anas that Al-Bukhari recorded, the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Which is the nearest of our houses of our kith and kin?’’
Abu Ayyub said, “Mine, O Allah’s Messenger! This is my house and this is my gate.’’ The Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Go and prepare a place for our midday rest.’’
Abu Ayyub said, “Get up (both of you) with Allah’s blessings.’’
A few days later, there arrived the Prophet’s spouse Sawdah, his two daughters Fatimah and Umm Kulthum, Usamah bin Zaid, Umm Aiman,
`Abdullah (May Allah be Pleased with all of them), son of Abu Bakr (May Allah be Pleased with him) with Abu Bakr’s household including `Aishah. Zainab was not able to emigrate and stayed with her husband Abul-’As until the Battle of Badr.
`Aishah said: “When Allah’s Messenger arrived in Madinah, both Abu Bakr (May Allah be Pleased with him) and Bilal (May Allah be Pleased with him) fell ill. I went to both of them and said, ‘O my father, how do you feel? O Bilal (May Allah be Pleased with him), how do you feel?’ Whenever Abu Bakr’s fever got worse, he would say, `Everybody is staying alive among his people yet death is nearer to him than his shoe-laces.’ And whenever fever deserted Bilal (May Allah be Pleased with him), he would say aloud, `Would that I could stay overnight in a valley, wherein I would be surrounded by Idhkhir and Jalil (two good-smelling grasses); would that I could drink one day the water of Majannah; and would that Shamah and Tafil (two mountains at Makkah) would appear to me.’ Then I went to Allah’s Messenger and told him about that. He said:
‘O Allah, make it healthy, and bless its Sa’ and Mudd (i.e., two measurements) and take away its fever to Al-Juhfah.’’’
Here ends this phase of his life, completing the phase of the Islamic call, that is, the Makkan phase.
Life in Madinah
The Madinese phase can be divided into three stages:
The first stage was characterized by a great deal of trouble and conflict, and many obstacles within. This was coupled with a hostile wave from outside, aimed at completely exterminating the rising Faith. It ended with the peace Treaty of Al-Hudaibiyah in Dhul-Qa`dah 6 A.H.
The second stage featured a truce with the pagan leadership and ended in the conquest of Makkah in Ramadan 8 A.H. It also witnessed the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) inviting kings beyond Arabia to enter the fold of Islam.
In the third stage, people came to embrace Islam in hosts. Tribes and individuals from around Arabia arrived in Madinah to pay homage to the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It ended with the death of the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in Rabi`ul-Awwal 11 A.H.