Islamic Values

Allowing for others’ self-respect When the Prophet neared Madinah, at the end of his journey of emigration from Makkah, people hurried out of their houses to welcome him. Crowds of men, women and children could be seen on the roads and rooftops of Madinah, praising God for his arrival. The helpers, for their part, vied with each other as to who should have the honour of accommodating him, but because the Prophet had some relatives of his maternal grandmother staying in Madinah, he chose to spend his first few days with them, thus publicly honouring them. He said, “At present, I am going to stay with the Banu Najjar, the family of Abd al Muttalib’s maternal uncle, so that they should be shown due respect.” The first few months were spent with a member of the same family, Abu Ayub Ansari, whose full name was Khalid ibn Zayd Najjari Khazraji. When rooms were built around the Prophet’s mosque, the Prophet moved into them.” (AL-BIDAYAH WA AL-NIHAYAH)