Medina is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia . The long form of the Arabic name means "the enlightened city", while the short form just means "the City". Medina is the second holy city of, after Makkah (Mecca) .Its importance as a religious site derives from the presence there the Shrine of the Prophet Mohammad by Masjid al-Nabawi or the Mosque of the Prophet, famously know as Gumbad-e-Khizra, Prophet's Dome or Green Dome, which was built on a site adjacent to Prophet Muhammad 's home. His home later became part of the mosque when it was expanded by the caliph al-Waleed ibn Abdel Malek. The first mosque of Islam is also located in Medina and is known as
Masjid Quba, the Quba Mosque . In 622 , Medina became the seat of Messenger Muhammad peace be upon him growing movement after the Hijra. In 622 Muhammad was invited to come and live in Yathrib (the old name of Medina ) and act as a sort of governor. Medina in those times was a divided city. Different clans and religions were eternally quarrelling and bickering and he brought unity to the city. All parties agreed to a pact drawn up by Muhammad peace be upon him and his comrades. He invited all people in the city to follow the new religion (system) of Islam. However, he had trouble convincing the majority of the Jewish population (which was actually quite large) and the
Christian population that Islam was the true version of
Judaism or the true religion of Jesus .
In the ten years following the Hijra, Medina formed the base from which Muhammad peace be upon him attacked and was attacked and it was from here that he marched on Mecca, becoming its ruler without battle. Even when Islamic rule was established Medina remained for some years the most important city of Islam . Under the first four Caliphs, known as the Righteous Caliphs, the Islamic empire expanded rapidly and came to include centres of learning such as Jerusalem , Ctesiphon , and Damascus .
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