Muhammad's Journey To Medina

Like any religion, the formation of Islam is a highly disputed topic in regards to when and how long it took Islam to form. Along with that, what characteristics fall under the early formation of Islam is also contested among experts. Though Muhammad introduced a vague basis of the forming religion to the people of Mecca around 610, that does not necessarily mean that is when the religion of Islam took shape. Though there is evidence suggesting that Islam as a religion developed over a period of time, the question of exactly when that time period was remains. The basic characteristics of Islam such as oneness of god and piety began to form during Muhammad’s stay in Media; however, the religion became more definitive during the days prior to …show more content…
Muhammad’s journey, or hijra, to Medina is seen as an important event in Islamic history, and also one of the first major events that has to do with the formation of Islam. Based on the fact that the year of his trip to Medina “was adopted within a few years of Muhammad’s death as making the beginning of the Islamic calendar,” obviously his journey and actions here resonate with the history of the religion (Donner, 43). While discussing the formation of Islam, it must be kept in mind that society in the Arabian Peninsula was extremely intermixed in regards to religion and culture. Through evidence like the umma document and his style of leadership, Muhammad established in Medina “an independent community, including many notices about how he established ritual practices and laid down social guidelines and legal principles for the new community” (Donner 43). He was using his teachings from God to form a community that he believed followed the outline of what a righteous community should …show more content…
People began to split off into groups such as the Sunni, Shi’i, and even the Kharijites, which ended the unity that Muhammad had created within the community. Though these splits caused major problems with the people in Mecca and other conquered areas, these splits indicate the need for a more specific, structured belief system other than the vagueness left behind by Muhammad and Qu’ranic teachings. During this time period, beliefs about who should lead the followers (some said they needed the be from the Quraysh tribe, others did not), how many times a day prayer should be carried out and in what fashion, and the details of how to carry out conquests in a pious way were addressed. These details, though fracturing the unity, are the structure of what Islam is