One of the most interesting challenges that faced Muslims in Madinah under the leadership of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was the big wave of migration.
The immigrants from Makkah left everything behind. They came to this new land with almost nothing but their Islam and their commitment to it. They were passionate about the move and they were sure they made the right decision.
However, the reality of life his them soon; a new city, no one knew them and they knew no one. Immigrants would soon face life and its responsibilities, they would need to make money and build life for their families.
They would soon miss Makkah, possibly thinking of going back when it was almost impossible. They would soon be under physical and psychological pressure that might even touch their faith and commitment to this faith.
The hosts too, the people of Madinah, were also very passionate about receiving the Prophet and the other immigrants. They were ready to host more and more. They were truthful to their commitment and were ready to sacrifice for it.
However, they would soon realize that those immigrants were strangers with whom they would soon compete on some worldly issues. Maybe their love for the Prophet and the benefit they got from him would allow them to keep hosting him; but how about the other immigrants? The people of Madinah, too, would soon be under psychological and financial pressure.
If you add to this the challenge that this mix of people was from different tribes and held different backgrounds and experienced different culture, the problem becomes more difficult to deal with.
The outcome, the final product
Before discussing how the Prophet dealt with these challenges, let’s see the following outcome:
1- The immigrant group lived in Madinah as natural citizens. The majority of them did not leave even after Makkah had become a Muslim city and they had got back the right to their houses. They loved living in Madinah. That included the Prophet (PBUH) despite the huge love they had for their home town and the most sacred place on earth, Makkah.
2- The immigrants were given huge rights to live and be part of decision-making body in the new society. They were part of the highest level leadership and they were the top leadership after the Prophet died.
3- None of the attempts to create tribal or financial problems between the immigrants and the hosts were successful.
4- The economy of Madinah boomed. The military became stronger. The political leadership of Madinah gained much recognition from other tribes and Arab peninsular cities.
5- Love between the two groups grew massively and the stories of support were unbelievable.
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