7 Muhammad 7of receiving messages were mainly auditory, with no vision
to accompany them. Muhammad rendered these with his
voice into a “recitation” (qur’ān) of God’s word.
Muhammad began preaching publicly in about 613.
Although his preaching was basically religious, it con-
tained an obvious critique of the beliefs, conduct, and
attitudes of the rich merchants of Mecca. Attempts were
made to get him to soften his criticism, and pressure was
placed upon his supporters by the Quraysh rulers of the
city. About 619, with the deaths of Khadīja and Abū T·ālib,
Muhammad lost the protection of his clan. This meant
that he could be attacked and thus could no longer spread
his religion in Mecca.
In looking for a safe place to practice their beliefs,
Muhammad began negotiations in about 620 with clans in
Yathrib (later called Medina, “The City of the Prophet”).
He and some of his followers emigrated there, arriving on
September 24, 622. This is the celebrated Hijra, which may
be interpreted as “emigration,” although the basic mean-
ing is the severing of kinship ties. It is the traditional
starting point of Islamic history. The Islamic Era (ah or
Anno Hegirae) begins on the first day of the Arabic year in
which the Hijra took place—July 16, 622, in the Western
calendar.
In Medina, Muhammad set out to solidify his status.
In a series of agreements, known collectively as the
Constitution of Medina, he formalized his role as an
arbitrator of disputes and as a prophet. It was during
Muhammad’s years at Medina that most of the Qur’an’s
rules concerning worship, family relations, and society
were revealed.
Although Muhammad first sought to align himself and
his followers with Jewish tribes of Medina and with their
religion, relations between the two groups soon became