Emigration—From Makkah to Madinah

EMIGRATION—FROM MAKKAH TO MADINAH to solve this problem. There were three Jewish tribes in and around Madinah—the Banu Nadir, Banu Qaynuqah and Banu Qurayzah. Immediately after the Battle of the Trench, they were besieged and exiled, applying their Judaic law. The threat that they had posed to the Muslims in Madinah was thus permanently eliminated. Then there was the problem of Khaybar. Six years after the Prophet’s emigration, Madinah was an island of Islam between the Quraysh in Makkah, 400 kilometres to the south, and the Jews in Khaybar, 200 kilometres to the north. The Quraysh and the Jews were united in their enmity towards Islam, but neither being strong enough to take the Muslims on alone, they had negotiated to set out a joint action plan against the Muslims. The latter, for their part, were not in a position to take on both enemies simultaneously. Against this background, the Prophet, acting under divine inspiration, set out for Makkah in the year A.H. 6, along with 1400 companions. He clarified that the Muslims had no intention of fighting anybody and were going for Umrah. The sacrificial camels, which the Muslims took with them, further proved their peaceful intentions. The camels were even given the sacrificial emblem, known as qaladah, so the people of Makkah could be sure they were meant for sacrifice. This journey was also aimed at allaying the fears of the Quraysh that the Muslims intended to destroy the Ka’bah’s religious and commercial status.