Al Madina was a city located 200 kilometers from Mecca.  Its name was Yathrib.  Muhammad migrated with many of his followers to Al-Madina.  This migration, called in Arabic "Hijra,"is regarded by Muslims as the key date in the history of Islam, and the Muslim calendar begins with that year.  Today, in Muslim lands, documents, letters, and newspapers are dated from the Hijra.

The Meccans Rejected Muhammad [TOP]

When Muhammad began calling people to Islam in Mecca, the majority of Meccans did not respond to his call.  They criticized him, and called him mad (Surat Al-Hijr 15:6, Surat Al-Qalam 68:51), a possessed poet (Surat Al-Saffat 37:36, a forger (Surat Al-Nahal 16:101) and bewitched (Surat Al-Furqan 25:7,8).  They persecuted his followers.

In the beginning of his call to Islam, Muhammad spoke highly concerning the Jews and declared that Allah assigned the Holy Land to them.  The Quran says:

And verily we gave the children of Israel the Scripture and the command and the Prophethood, and provided them with good things and favored them above (all) peoples (Surat Al-Jathiya 45:16 MPT).

And (remember) when Moses said unto his people: O my people!  Remember Allah's favour unto you, how he placed among you prophets, and he made you kings, and
gave you that (which) He gave not to any (other) of (His) creatures. O my people! Go into the holy land which Allah hath ordained for you (Surat Al-Maidah 5:20, 21 MPT).

These verses in the Quran clearly show that prophethood is exclusively for Israel, not for the Arabs.  Moreover, it declares that the holy land was ordained for Israel.  The holy land was given to Israel by God's decree.  The Muslims have no right to object to Jerusalem being the capital of Israel if they believe the Quran.

Muhammad tried to win the Jews to his side.  He also tried to win the people of other religions.  He declared in the Quran:

Lo!  Those who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee Muhammad), and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans - whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right - surely their reward is with their   Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve (Surat Al-Baqarah 2:62 MPT).

In spite of all that Muhammad siad to win the people in Mecca, the Meccans rejected his call to Islam.

Muhammad's Migration To Al-Madina [TOP]

In the year 622 A.D. Muhammad asked his followers to make their way in small numbers to Al-Madina, a journey of several weeks by camel.  Learning that the Quraysh were planning to prevent him from leaving Mecca, he and Abu-Bakr escaped from the city, hid for several days in a cave, and then took a safe route to Al-Madina.

In Al-Madina, Muhammad established a kingdom for himself.  He tried to win the Jews of Al-Madina to his side so he commanded the Muslims to pray toward the destroyed Jewish temple in Jerusalem.  But the Jewish clans rejected his claim that he was a true prophet; first, because he was an Arab, not a Jew, and also, because they saw that he lacked all the qualifications of a true prophet.  A true prophet must perform miracles, utter prophecies, and be consistent with that which was revealed in the Torah (The Old Testament).

They realized that Muhammad performed no miracles.  He uttered no prophecies.  He contradicted by his revelations the clear teachings of the Torah.  And He used the revelations which he claimed that he received from Allah to satisfy his desires and achieve his purposes.

They rejected him and rightly so.  The Quran did not convince the Meccans, the true Christians, and the Jews, so Muhammad decided to use the sword.