Medina

Medina (Arabic: مدينه, al-Madinah; alternatively transliterated into English as Madinah) iscity inHejaz regionwestern Saudi Arabia. It currently haspopulationsome 600,000.

Medina issecond holy cityIslam, after Makkah (Mecca). Its importance asreligious site derives frompresence there ofMasjid al Nabawi,Mosque ofProphet, which was built onsiteMuhammad's homeis where heburied. The first mosqueIslamalso locatedMedinahis known as Masjid al Quba.

In 622, Medina becameseatMuhammad's growing movement afterHegira. In 622 Muhammad was invitedcomeliveYathrib (the old nameMedina)act assortgovernor. Medinathose times wasdivided city. Different clansreligions were eternally quarrellingbickeringMuhammad brought unity tocity. All parties agreed topact drawn up by Muhammadhis followers. He invited all people incityfollownew religionIslam. He had trouble howeverconvinceJewish population (which was actually quite large) that Islam wastrue versionJudaism.

WhenJews refusedconvert,qibla was changed from JerusalemMakkah. A small groupconverted Jews, however, stuck tooriginal qibla. They were known assect ofQibla al-Qudsiyya.

Inten years followingHegira, Medina formedbasis form where Muhammad attackedfinnaly conquered Makkah. Even when islamic rule was established Medina remainedsome yearsmost important cityIslam andde facto capital ofCaliphate.

Underfirst four Caliphs, known asRighteous Caliphs,Islamic empire expanded rapidlycameinclude centreslearning such as Jerusalem, Ctesiphon,Damascus. AfterdeathAli,fourth caliph, Mu'awiyya transferredcapitalDamascus andimportanceMedina dwindledbecame ofreligious more thanpolitical nature.

In 1924city, which had beenOttoman handscenturies, fellIbn Saud, whose empire later became Saudi Arabia.

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ThisaboutSaudi cityMedina. For other uses, see Medina (disambiguation).