Blindspot!
From Issue: 710 [Read full issue]
The Cornerstone
Hijrah stands unshakably as the cornerstone of Islam in history, for it was only after the Prophet made his historic migration to Medina that Islam, as a complete religion and way of life, came into full realization. For this reason, Muslims have regarded the year of hijrah as the first year of the Islamic calendar.
Unable to transform Meccan society from within, Muhammad, peace be upon him, found himself forced out by increasingly threatening and hostile opposition. Escaping the pursuit of his hostile relatives and other Meccan enemies, he and Abu Bakr eventually arrived in the oasis town and so began what was to be the most formative period of Muhammad's prophetic career. Now for the very first time, the community was free to assemble and establish the complete and comprehensive way of life. For the very first time, the Prophet was able to lay foundations for a more organized and systematic expression of monotheism, foundations that - for many - are believed to manifest the ultimate synthesis of politics and religions in Islam. Every argument and line of reasoning within contemporary Muslim discussions and debates across the globe traces back to Medina, to the Prophet's legacy and to its relevance for the contemporary world. Medina, then, is not so much a historical reality as it is a living archetype for Muslims of every place and time.
Compiled From:
"In the Light of a Blessed Tree" - Timothy J. Gianotti, pp. 101-113