Muslim migration to safe havens
* revised version of original article targeted for non-Muslim publications* When the prophet Muhammad and his early followers were faced with immense persecution in the city of Mecca, Muhammad directed his followers to escape from this abuse rather than continue to suffer from it. Under the prophet’s instruction, the Muslims migrated from Mecca to Medina in AD 622, thus abandoning their holy city. After this migration the two cities of Mecca and Medina remained hostile and fought multiple wars but ultimately signed a treaty called Hudaybiyya. This treaty’s main focus was to establish peace between the two cities but constituted a lot of unpopular comprises by the Muslims. The key compromises made by the Muslims included unequal treatment of defectors and denial of Muhammad to use his title as a Prophet. Thus, these beliefs in migration as a resolution to persecution, the re-establishment of communities, and unequal compromise for peace and strategic objectives were all central to Mu...