The Companions of the Prophet

THE COMPANIONS OF THE PROPHET Madinah to choose him as their king. They considered him the right person to end the civil strife and conflict which had raged among them for so long. A ceremony was planned at which ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy was to be crowned king of Madinah. Arrangements for ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy’s coronation had been completed when Islam first came to Madinah. The people of Madinah took naturally to the new religion, and Islam won followers in every home. A delegation travelled to Makkah, where they met the Prophet and heard the teachings of Islam from his lips. The impression that they received was that the person they needed to reign over their society was—not ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy—but the Prophet Muhammad. On behalf of the people of Madinah, they asked the Prophet to come to their town and take over as their leader. They swore allegiance to the Prophet at ‘Aqabah, an event that proved a watershed in Islamic history. Apart from its far-reaching historical implications, this act of allegiance was an extraordinary feat. It was as if the people of Madinah were taking the crown off their head and placing it on that of a stranger. People have always been highly reluctant to take someone from outside their nation or tribe as a leader. Such a move was unheard of in ancient Arabia. It was even more difficult in this case because the “Muhammad” they were taking in was not the great historical personality we know today. He was a