Medina

Medina (also Madinah) is a city of more than 1 million inhabitants in the Hijaz (western) region of Saudi Arabia. For Muslims, it is considered the second holiest city after Mecca. It was an important haven and base for the prophet Muhammad during the early formation of Islam, and its significance as a religious and pilgrimage site continues today. The term medina itself simply means “city” in Arabic, and the full name al-Medina al-Munawwara (“Radiant City”) is often used in the Arab world. The city is also sometimes known as Medinat an-Naby (“City of the Prophet”) or Medinat ar-Rasul (“City of the Messenger”) by Muslims.

Before Muhammad's arrival, the oasis town was inhabited by a number of rival Arab and Jewish tribes. At that time, it was called Yathrib. Conflicts between the tribes led a delegation in Yathrib to invite Muhammad to serve as an arbitrator there. Muhammad's new religious claims based on his revelations (inscribed in the Qur'an) had threatened the status quo of the ruling Meccan Quraysh tribe and brought persecution from them, so the move to Yathrib in 622 (the first year of the Muslim calendar) was advantageous for Muhammad as well as for the battling tribes. Muhammad's presence indeed proved to alleviate conflict in Yathrib, as many people of the main rivaling tribes converted to Islam and unified under their identity as Muslims. Eventually, the city came to be known by its current names, reflecting Muhammad's role there and the large-scale conversion to Islam. Although the Jews of Medina did not convert, they signed a peace agreement with the new Muslim community that allowed for coexistence within the city.

Muhammad and his followers in Medina successfully defeated Meccan attacks in a series of battles, until his opponents finally surrendered. From then on, the Muslims of Medina focused more on political and religious expansion outside the city, although it remained a crucial base and Muhammad's home. There he continued to receive revelations until his death in 632 CE.

Medina served as the capital of the Islamic caliphate until the reign of the fourth caliph, when the capital moved to Damascus under the Umayyad caliphate, only later to move to Baghdad under ‘Abbásid's rule. Although Medina was not Islam's political capital for long, it endured as a vital religious center, and it produced the Medinan (Mālikī) school of Islamic law.

One of the city's most important sites is the Mosque of the Prophet, al-Masjid an-Nabawy, the large mosque where Muhammad is buried. Prayers are said to have special weight there, and the mosque attracts thousands of pilgrims each year. Many visit Medina on their way to Mecca during the hajj pilgrimage. To accommodate these travels, the city is home to the Prince Muhammad bin Abdul Aziz Airport, which was opened in 1974.

Medina also houses the tombs of the caliphs Abu Bakr and ‘Omar, as well as that of Muhammad's daughter Fatima. The Quba Mosque (Masjid Quba’), the first mosque that was built after the establishment of Islam, is another revered site. Universities in Medina include the Islamic University of Medina and Taibah University.

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