Mecca and Madinah

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the roles that the cities of Mecca and Madinah play in Islamic history. It argues that the migration (hijra) from Mecca to Madinah is, after the revelation of the Qur'an itself, the critical event in early Islamic history. The paper suggests that the establishment of the Islamic community in Madinah proved critical to Muhammad's campaign for the acceptance of God's message in Arabia and was to be the foundation for the subsequent expansion of the Islamic community throughout the region in later years.

From the Paper:

"Of course, under the economic system of Muhammad's Madinah such tolerance came with an important price. The nonbelievers under this system were required to pay tribute to the state in the form of a poll tax (jizya) in exchange for their being protected by Muslims from external aggression and in lieu of their serving in the military service of the Islamic state. These non-believers in the state - termed "protected ones" (dhimmi) - thus played an important economic role although, it must be said, the poll tax was often lower than that which they paid to their previous rulers (Esposito 34)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Esposito, John. Islam: The Straight Path Third Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
• The Qur'an. Translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. Elmshurst, NY: Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an, 2005.

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• Book Review # 143331 : "Road To Mecca" - A Book Review By Muhammad Asad"
• Essay # 142434 : "Internal And External Design Validity Clinical Significance"
• Analytical Essay # 25096 : "And the Earth Did Not Devour Him"

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