Building the State

After the joyful arrival in Madinah and the warm welcome by the Ansar, the Prophet ﷺ faced an immense challenge: building an entirely new society from scratch.

From the moment the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah, he began constructing the Islamic state. Everything he did was in service of building the new Islamic political entity. The birth of a new state brings many problems and challenges, and the new state in Madinah was no exception. There was an immediate acute economic problem because of the Muhajiroon, and a political problem because the polytheists in Makkah would not leave the Muslims in peace in Madinah. The Prophet ﷺ took immediate steps to address these problems.

He ﷺ ensured that a strong brotherly bond was developed between the Muhajiroon and the Ansar, in order to achieve harmony between the two groups. The needs of the Muhajiroon were also taken care of by the generous Ansar. The Prophet ﷺ also drafted a treaty, which would later become known as the Constitution of Madinah. The purpose of this document was to regulate all relationships between the inhabitants of Madinah: Muslims, Jews, and polytheists. They were one society under the governance of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. To adequately protect this new society, he ﷺ established an army. Regarding worship and other activities, his ﷺ mosque was built. As for revelation, verses continued to be revealed about the glory of Allah ﷻ, the purpose of life, striving for Paradise, and so on. But one specific theme became increasingly prominent: fiqh, matters related to establishing and governing a new state, carrying out the da’wah, and jihad toward other nations.

The Construction of the Mosque

The first task the Prophet ﷺ occupied himself with was the construction of his mosque, in other words, making public the religious expressions that had been suppressed for all those years. The mosque of the Prophet ﷺ formed a central point in Madinah and strengthened the connection between the Muslims and Allah ﷻ. Bukhari narrated that the Prophet ﷺ entered Madinah on his mount and that at a certain point it knelt at a specific place. This became the location of his ﷺ mosque. It was already being used by the men to perform prayer, and the land was owned by two orphans: Sahl ﵁ and Suhail ﵁, who at that time lived in the household of As’ad ibn Zuraarah ﵁. When the mount of the Prophet ﷺ knelt, he said:

This, insha Allah, is the place where my masjid will be.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ called the two boys to agree on a price for the land, but they refused. They wanted to give the land to him, but the Prophet ﷺ insisted on purchasing it from them, which is ultimately what happened. At that time, the land consisted of date palms, graves of polytheists, and rubble from previously built structures. By order of the Prophet ﷺ, the date palms were cut down, the bodies of the polytheists were removed, and the rubble was cleared away. During the construction, the Prophet ﷺ said:

O Allah, there is nothing good except the good of the Hereafter, so help the Ansar and the Muhajiroon.

The Prophet ﷺ worked alongside his Companions ﵃ and began the construction by striking the ground with his pickaxe. Then they began building the foundation from stones. The walls of the mosque were just slightly higher than the height of a person and were made of bricks mixed with earth. On the north side of the mosque, a roof was made from palm branches supported by the trunks of date palms. That section was called As-Suffah. The rest of the mosque remained open, without a roof.

The mosque had three doors: a door at the back, on the east side (which the Prophet ﷺ used), and a door on the west side of the mosque (also known as the door of Atikah).

The Apartments of the Prophet ﷺ

Apartments were built for the Prophet ﷺ and his wives ﵅ next to the mosque. These were not dwellings or palaces in which the kings and rulers of that era lived. On the contrary, they were the apartments of people who had no interest in worldly matters and only had eyes for the Hereafter. The apartments were made of clay, mud, and stones, and the roofs were made of date branches. The courtyard, adjacent to the apartments, was small, and the roof of the apartments was low, so low that a young man could touch it by stretching out his hand. Likewise, the interior of the apartments was simple and modest. Not because there were no resources available in Madinah or because tall buildings were unknown there. On the contrary, Madinah was known for its tall buildings and fortresses. The prominent people of Madinah lived in fortresses to display their wealth in peacetime and to use as protection in wartime. The wealthy competed with one another to build the tallest, most extravagant structure. They even gave their buildings names, such as the fortress of Abdullah ibn Ubai ibn Salool, who called his fortress Muzahim. The fortress of Hassan ibn Thabit ﵁ was called Fari’.

The Prophet ﷺ could have had an extravagant and beautiful fortress built for himself. He ﷺ only needed to suggest the idea to his Companions ﵃ and they would have immediately built a fortress for him. He ﷺ could even have used the funds from the treasury, but he naturally did not do this, in order to be an example for the Muslims.

The Call to Prayer in Madinah

The mosque was built and the prayer times had already been established, but not everyone was on time for prayer in the mosque. Some were busy at the market and did not realize that the prayer had begun. It was obvious that something was needed to notify the people when a prayer had started. The only question was: how? The Prophet ﷺ asked his Companions ﵃ for advice on this matter. Some suggested raising a flag when it was time for prayer. Others suggested lighting a fire, but that would not work either. It was proposed to blow a horn, but since the Jews did this, the idea was also rejected. The Prophet ﷺ did not want to imitate the non-Muslims in this matter. A bell was also proposed but was rejected for the same reason. Then came the idea of calling the people to perform the prayer, and this idea was accepted. Abdullah ibn Zaid ﵁, one of the callers to prayer, saw in a dream that a person came to him and said:

Abdullah ibn Zaid ﵁ woke up, went to the Prophet ﷺ, and told him ﷺ about his dream. He said:

Thus Bilal ibn Rabah ﵁ became one of the first callers to prayer in Madinah. The other was Abdullah ibn Umm Makhtum ﵁. During the morning prayer, Bilal ﵁ added the words:

Prayer is better than sleep

He said this twice, after he said: come to success. Initially, the call to prayer was made from an elevated spot, but later a minaret was built for this purpose.

The First Sermon of the Prophet ﷺ in Madinah

The first sermon of the Prophet ﷺ in Madinah was a historic moment. For the first time, he ﷺ spoke as the leader of a community that openly supported him, no longer in secret or under threat. The Companions ﵃ gathered in the still-unfinished mosque, tense and full of anticipation. The words he ﷺ spoke that day would set the tone for the governance of the new Islamic state.

During this first sermon, the Prophet ﷺ stood before the people, praised Allah ﷻ, and said:

“Amma ba’d, O people! Provide (something) for yourselves (good deeds). Know this: by Allah, each one of you will surely be struck down (by death), then he will leave his flock without a shepherd. Then his Lord will certainly say to him while there is no interpreter between him and his Lord and no screen shielding him from his Lord: ‘Did My messenger not come to you and convey (the message) to you? Did I not give you wealth and favor you? So what have you sent forth for yourself?’ Then he will look to his right and see nothing; then he will look to his left and see nothing; then he will look before him and see nothing except the Hellfire. So whoever is able to protect his face from the Fire, even with half a date, let him do so. And whoever finds nothing, then (let him do so) with a good word. For thereby a good deed is rewarded with ten of its like, up to seven hundredfold. Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.”

Then the Prophet ﷺ gave another sermon:

“Truly, all praise belongs to Allah. I praise Him, seek His help, and ask His forgiveness. I seek refuge with Allah from the evil of our souls and from the wickedness of our deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can lead astray; and whomever He leads astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, without partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger. Truly, the best speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ. The worst affairs are innovations (in religion); and every innovation is misguidance. Hold fast to the fear of Allah, and be obedient to Allah, and be steadfast upon Islam after the good (i.e., after receiving guidance). Know that the best narratives are the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ, and the worst of all things are innovations. So whoever obeys Allah and His messenger is guided; and whoever disobeys has brought nothing but harm upon himself. Know that the true believer is the one who guards his tongue and keeps his heart pure, and who produces nothing but truth. And do not be someone who abandons the word of Allah and neglects His remembrance. For the worst speech is that which Allah and His messenger reject.” And Allah has chosen the good for His servants. He has chosen them from (all) deeds, and the righteous from the speakers. And among everything the people have acquired of halal and haram… so fear Allah and obey Him, and take nothing except what is halal, and leave what is haram. And be united, and be obedient, and hold fast to obedience and the right word. And Allah will strengthen your insight and open your minds further. Truly, Allah does not break His promise. Wa al-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh."

The Mosque as Pillar of Islamic Society

Islamic society depended on the clear implementation and preservation of Islamic values and legislation. The mosque played an essential role in this. Allah ﷻ says:

In another ayah, He ﷻ says:

The mosque symbolized the all-encompassing nature of Islam. The mosque is a house of worship in which people remember and glorify Allah ﷻ. The mosque is a refuge for every Muslim. As long as the Muslims honor its sanctity and its rights, no one shall harm a Muslim who comes to it. In summary, the mosque was in essence:

1. A meeting place where, in the time of the Prophet ﷺ, delegations from foreign tribes came to learn about Islam.
2. It was a school where students of knowledge gathered to be taught the Quran and all other Islamic Sciences. The mosque of the Prophet ﷺ was a place where foreigners could acquire knowledge about Islam so they could return to their homeland with that knowledge to invite their people to Islam (da’wah).
3. The mosque was a refuge for those who had no place to stay or those who were traveling and needed shelter. These people were thereby not at the mercy of other people and were not prevented from acquiring knowledge and receiving guidance.
4. During the life of the Prophet ﷺ, the mosque also served as the military headquarters of the Muslims. From the mosque, the banners of the armies were distributed and from here the orders were given for the armies to march. During battle, the mosque even served as a hospital where the wounded were treated and where the Prophet ﷺ could easily visit them.
5. The mosque was a political center where delegations from abroad made their messages known and from which messages from the Prophet ﷺ were sent to them.

The Leadership of the Prophet ﷺ

The Prophet ﷺ did not merely give the order to build his ﷺ mosque; he ﷺ actively and especially physically took part in the construction of the mosque. He did this just like everyone else; he ﷺ hauled stones, carried bricks on his ﷺ chest and shoulders, and dug into the ground with his own hands. He ﷺ was the ideal example of a just leader who makes no distinction between rich and poor, between ruler and subject. All were equal before Allah ﷻ; the only thing that distinguished them was taqwa. In Islam, when someone performs a good deed with a good intention, he receives reward from Allah ﷻ. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, just like every other Muslim, was seeking the reward of Allah ﷻ. His ﷺ participation in building his ﷺ mosque was like the participation of every other Muslim and not like the participation of a mayor or president who is simply present to cut the ribbon at the opening or lay the first stone.

The Muslims were astonished when they saw the Prophet ﷺ covered in dust as a result of hard work. Usaid ibn Hudair ﵁ who saw the Prophet ﷺ in that state went to him ﷺ and offered to take over the load he ﷺ was carrying at that moment.

When the Companions ﵃ heard this, they were even more motivated to work harder. The leadership of the Prophet ﷺ was thus characterized by leading by example.

Another example from the leadership of the Prophet ﷺ is that he ﷺ, when a job was completed, ensured that the right task was assigned to the right person. He ﷺ sought the best person for every specific task, and this is a sign of strong leadership. A weak leader distributes tasks among his family members and friends without considering how suitable they are. As for the construction of his mosque, he did not choose his family members or friends to do the skilled work. On the contrary, many of the prominent Companions ﵃ performed the physical work by hauling bricks and stones. Meanwhile, for example, a new Muslim who had just arrived in Madinah was assigned much more delicate work. In a narration from Talq ibn Al-Yamaami al-Hanafi ﵁, he reported:

I built the mosque alongside the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he ﷺ said (during the construction): Bring the Yamaami (the man from Yamama, Talq ﵁) closer to the clay, for he is most skilled with it (regarding mixing the clay).

In another narration:

When I went to the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions ﵃, they were building the mosque and it was as though he was not satisfied with their work. I took a shovel and mixed the clay and he seemed pleased with my work. He ﷺ then said: Let the Hanafi (the man of the Hanafi tribe) work with the clay, for he is more precise and skilled than you regarding the clay.

There is yet another narration, reported by Ibn Hibban, in which Talq ﵁ said:

I said: O Messenger of Allah, shall I carry bricks and stones as they carry bricks and stones? He ﷺ said: No, instead, mix the clay for them, for you have more knowledge than them regarding this task.

Building a Bond of Brotherhood Between the Muhajiroon and the Ansar

Soon after the arrival of the Prophet ﷺ in Madinah, he strove to establish a strong and united society. The construction of his mosque played an important role in this, but establishing a strong bond of brotherhood between the Muhajiroon and the Ansar was equally important. Creating a strong bond of brotherhood was not entirely new, since the Prophet ﷺ had already applied this principle broadly in Makkah. He ﷺ taught the Companions ﵃ that Muslims must love one another for the sake of Allah ﷻ. It is not permitted for a Muslim to sever ties with his brother for more than three days. He ﷺ also said:

A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim, so he may not oppress him, nor may he hand him over to an oppressor. Whoever fulfills the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his needs; whoever relieves his (Muslim) brother of a difficulty, Allah will relieve him of the difficulties of the Day of Resurrection, and whoever covers a Muslim, Allah will cover him on the Day of Resurrection.

Allah ﷻ says:

And He ﷻ says:

The Prophet ﷺ forged close bonds of brotherhood between the Companions ﵃ of the Muhajiroon and the Companions ﵃ of the Ansar. The forging of these bonds was intended to remove all forms of prejudice and tribal pride. A new covenant had to be established between the Muslims, and this was none other than Islam itself. Origin, color, cultural background no longer mattered; the only distinction between people was piety. Let us reflect on what this was like for the Ansar and how selflessly and generously they treated the Muhajiroon. Allah ﷻ praised them for this:

Anas ibn Malik ﵁ narrated that:

Of all the Ansar, Abu Talhah ﵁ had the most date palms, and the most beloved of his wealth was Bairuha (one of his gardens) directly opposite the mosque. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to enter it and drink from its water in which teeb (the finest perfume) was present.

Anas ﵁ then recited the following verse:

He ﵁ then said that when the verse was revealed, Abu Talhah ﵁ stood up and said:

After this, Abu Talhah ﵁ began dividing his garden among his relatives and his cousins.

Another example is the sacrifice of Sa’d ibn Rabi’ ﵁. Abdurrahman ibn Awf ﵁ said:

Qainuqa was the name of a Jewish tribe, and this market was attributed to them. Abdurrahman ﵁ went there and returned with cheese and cooking fat. He ﵁ went there regularly, and after not too long, traces of colored perfume were visible on him. The Prophet ﷺ asked him if he ﵁ was married.

Here we see the enormous generosity of Sa’d, who was willing to give him half of his wealth and give his brother the choice of which of his two wives he wished to marry! Who among us could do this? But also, from the other side, the perspective of Abdurrahman ﵁, who arrived in a strange place and had every comfort offered to him, yet did not want to burden his brother, trusted in Allah ﷻ, and with the limited means he had, went in search of his rizq and was blessed with wealth and a wife.

He was not unique in this. Many of the Muhajiroon preferred to stand on their own two feet and stayed only a short time with the Ansar. As soon as they had the means, they bought their own houses and worked to pay for their own livelihood.

The love between the Ansar and the Muhajiroon formed the foundation of a strong and united society in Madinah. At the same time as building his mosque, the Prophet ﷺ began establishing the bonds of brotherhood between the Muhajiroon and the Ansar. The Prophet ﷺ paired every Muhajir with an Ansari based on character, skills, and circumstances. These pairings were not random; they were carefully chosen to forge the strongest possible bonds. Among them were:

• Abu Bakr ﵁ - Kharijah ibn Zuhair ﵁
• Umar ibn Al-Khattab ﵁ - Itban ibn Malik ﵁
• Abu Ubaidah ibn Al-Jarrah ﵁ - Sa’d ibn Mu’adh ﵁
• Abdurrahman ibn Awf ﵁ - Sa’d ibn Ar-Rabi’ ﵁
• Az-Zubair ibn Al-Awwam ﵁ - Salama ibn Salama ibn Waqsh ﵁
• Talhah ibn Ubaidullah ﵁ - Ka’b ibn Ka’b ﵁
• Sa’id ibn Zaid ﵁ - Ubai ibn Ka’b ﵁
• Mus’ab ibn Zaid ﵁ - Abu Ayyub Khalid ibn Zaid ﵁
• Abu Hudayfah ibn Utbah ibn Rabi’ah ﵁ and Abbad ibn Bishr ibn Waqsh ﵁
• Ammar ibn Yasir ﵁ and Hudayfah ibn al-Yaman ﵁
• Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari ﵁ - Al-Mundhir ibn Amr ﵁
• Hatib ibn Abi Balta’ah ﵁ - Uwain ibn Sa’ida ﵁
• Salman al-Farisi ﵁ - Abu Ad-Darda ﵁
• Bilal ﵁ the Mu’adhin of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ - Abu Ruwaiha Abdullah ibn Abdurrahman Al-Khat’ami ﵁

Among these pairings, several stand out. Abu Bakr ﵁, the most loyal companion of the Prophet ﷺ, was paired with Kharijah ibn Zuhair ﵁, a prominent member of the Khazraj. Salman al-Farisi ﵁, a Persian convert without a tribe in Madinah, was paired with Abu Ad-Darda ﵁, a wise and pious man. And Bilal ﵁, the Abyssinian mu’adhin who had been tortured in Makkah for his faith, was paired with Abu Ruwaiha ﵁. These pairings broke through all boundaries of tribe, origin, and color, exactly as Islam intended.