Muhammad’s Year of Sadness: 619

Muhammad had been pushed beyond his original preconceptions and had come to the end of his own natural resources. He had the greatest mystical experience in the year 620, very close to the experience of mysticism in the Jewish tradition, which flourished from the second to the tenth century CE. They would fast, read special hymns that induced receptivity, and use special physical techniques. They had discovered a new path to God and risked personal danger while doing so. The Night Journey showed that Muhammad was more than just a humble Warner of the Quraysh. This religious experience has been immensely important in the evolution of Islamic spirituality. It is celebrated each year and over the centuries, mystics, philosophers and poets have speculated its significance.   

Mohammed Appeals to the Medina Bedouins

Muhammad began to preach to the Bedouin pilgrims who came for the annual hajj, hoping to find a more permanent protector among them. When Muhammad presented himself to the pilgrims from Medina during the hajj of 620, they immediately saw he would be a much more impartial leader. They were not shocked by his monotheistic message. They had lived for so long beside the Jews that they were used to the idea that there was only one God. For a very long time they had felt inferior to the Jews because they had no scriptures of their own and were ‘a people without knowledge’. They were thrilled to Muhammad’s claim that he was a prophet for the Arabs

Emigration to Medina – Pledge of War – The Helpers

During July and August 622, about seventy Muslims set off with their families for Medina.  The emigration was not just a geographical change. The Muslims of Mecca were about to abandon the Quraysh and accept the permanent protection of a tribe to whom they were not related by blood.

The Muslims of Medina promised that they would give protection and help on a permanent basis to people who were not kin to them. Henceforth they would be known as the Ansar, the people who gave help to the Prophet and his Companions. ‘Ansar’ is usually translated ‘the Helpers’, which meant that you had to be ready to back up your ‘help’ and support with force if necessary.

Muhammad was aware that people were plotting against his life. The Muslims of Medina made a pledge known as the Pledge of War: ‘We pledge ourselves to war in complete obedience to the apostle, in weal or woe, in ease and hardship and evil circumstances; that we will not wrong anyone; that we will speak the truth at all times; and that in God’s service we will fear the censure of none.’ The Pledge of War did not mean that Islam had suddenly become an aggressive and martial religion; it was simply required by the step Muhammad was about to take. The Koran teaches that war is always abominable. Muslims must never open hostilities, for the only just war is a war of self-defense, but, once they have undertaken a war, Muslims must fight with absolute commitment in order to bring the fighting to an end as soon as possible.

Relations with the Jews

He reached out eagerly to the Jews in the oasis. The Koran adopted the Aramaic name that the Jews gave to Medina. Muslims now turned toward Jerusalem three times a day in prayer, they had the same aims as the People of the Book.

At first the Jews had been prepared to give Muhammad the benefit of the doubt, especially since he seemed so clearly inclined towards Judaism. Muhammad never asked them to accept his religion of Allah unless they particularly wished to convert.

They vociferously refused to accept Muhammad as a genuine prophet and jeeringly exclaimed how odd it was that a man who was supposed to have revelations from God could not even find his camel when it went missing. These snide criticisms upset the Muslims so much that fighting often broke out and there were disreputable scenes in which the Jews were forcibly ejected from the mosque after some particularly vicious jibe.

PrayTowards Mecca

Muhammad found a way of rebutting the Jews. In late January 624, Muhammad was leading the Friday prayers in the mosque. Muhammad made the whole congregation turn around and pray facing Mecca instead of Jerusalem. The change of direction was a sign of a proud new Muslim identity. Now, wherever they were, they would all prostrate themselves three times a day in the direction of Mecca. This new independence was made at a time when the Muslims were in an embattled position, surrounded by enemies on all sides.

The Jews of Medina interpreted the change of direction as an act of defiance. They became determined to get rid of Muhammad; Medina was expecting an attack from the powerful city of Mecca.

No radical social and political change has ever been achieved without bloodshed, and, because Muhammad was living in a period of confusion and disintegration, peace could be achieved only by the sword. The Koran began to urge the Muslims of Medina to participate in a jihad.

The Koran was beginning to evolve a theology of the just war: it might sometimes be necessary to fight to preserve decent values. But the revelation should not be taken to imply that Muhammad was envisaging a full-scale war with Mecca at this early stage. That would have been pure madness.