Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) builds Islamic community in al-Medina al-Munawara

Edited and Translated by Mohamed Salami

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) builds Islamic community in al-Medina al-Munawara

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) started after arriving n al-Medina contriving a number of basic feats to build the Islamic society as large number of Muslims moved to the city before Him.

First Feat: Building a Mosque:

The first institution which the Prophet care for building it was the mosque. He even participated in constructing it. The mosque at that time was not only a worshipping position but also a center to educate people as well as to rule and administrate the whole society. The most preserved this great function for a long time after the death of the Prophet (PBUH).

The prophet's government did not have a particular palace, yet it used to have the mosque as its only  headquarters. The sources of the Prophet's Biography do not mention that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) used to carry out any of his leading missions, to receive public delegations or to take any decision outside the mosque.

The first mosque in Islam was that of "Qabaa" in Qabaa village which is near to al-Medina. That village was the last stop in the Messenger's immigration trip before entering al-Medina. The Prophet (PBUH) kept in it four days in wait for Imam Ali who was sill at that time in Mecca in order to give the deposits to their owners on behalf of the Prophet who commissioned him to carry out that task.

So, when the Prophet was in Qabaa, he built the first mosque, and Holy Quran noted that in Surat At-Tawbah (The Repentance):

A mosque founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in. Within it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves.

Al-Medina's Community: Supporters (Al-Ansar) and Immigrants

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) set building a mosque as a priority because it is needed to prepare the Muslims and to educate them religiously, psychologically and politically in order to establish a coherent Islamic community that can hold the responsibilities and face the challenges.

The Muslims in al-Medina who expressed allegiance to the Prophet were called the Supporters. They belonged to two main groups- al-Aws and al-Khazraj that had been involved in a long infighting before they embraced Islam.

Whereas, the Muslims who accompanied the Prophet from Mecca to al-Medina were called the "Immigrants". Also, they descended from different tribes and had distinct social, psychological, educational and financial levels, yet they all left their homeland besides their fortune and became homeless.
 
Consequently, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) had to integrate all the Muslims in al-Medina in spite of their differences in order to establish a coherent and powerful Islamic community.

The Mosque Unifies the Muslims

The mosque has always been the best means of unifying the culture, intellect, creed and the religion as the only goal is supposed to be the spiritual connection with Holy God.

The mosque further is the place where the Muslims can fortify their friendly relations and can inspire the spirit of love and affection between them since they meet several times everyday regardless of educational, social and financial levels. This helps every Muslim to feel that he belongs to a society that loves him and is ready to support him in case of adversity.

Islam has given the priority to the mosque and the first feat of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in al-Medina was constructing that religious institution, what indicates that it must also have cultural, intellectual and Jihadi functions and that it is the institution which graduate the believers and the Mujahideen.