Bahman Zeinali
Abstract
Having tried to disseminate the monotheism (Tūḥīd) in Mecca for thirteen years, the Prophet (PBUH) sought to locate a new center for Islam in response to the pressures imposed by ...
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Having tried to disseminate the monotheism (Tūḥīd) in Mecca for thirteen years, the Prophet (PBUH) sought to locate a new center for Islam in response to the pressures imposed by the Quraysh aristocracy upon Muslims and their uncompromising attitude towards the spread of Islam. After introducing Islam to a group of Yathrib residents during a three-year period that paved the way for the introduction and spread of Islam in Yathrib, the Prophet decided to immigrate to this town. The necessary condition for the Prophet and many Muslims who resided in Mecca for immigrating to Yathrib was provided after signing two oral pledges (known as the first and second Pledge of Al-ʿaqabah). After this migration, the young and upstart Islamic society in Medina faced problems such as the housing shortage, poverty, and unemployment that affected the town's Muslims, especially Muhājirs. Having acquired a precise knowledge of the roots of the problems and investigated the town's conditions and possibilities, the Prophet (PBUH) performed fundamental actions to resolve them during stages. In the present study, by employing a qualitative method design (descriptive-analytical), the author investigates the Prophet's methods to face and resolve the immigrants' problems in Medina. This study's main question is designated to identify the most critical challenges faced by the immigrants and the strategies employed by the Prophet for resolving them. According to this study's findings, during the first years of the immigrants' presence in Medina, the significant challenges they were faced included the housing shortage, poverty, and unemployment. The Prophet performed practical actions to resolve them during two main stages: a short-term stage (mitigating) and a long-term stage (resolving).
