Medina

Medina (al-Madinah) is the second holiest city in Islam, where the Prophet Muhammad established the first Muslim community after the Hijra (migration) from Mecca in 622 CE. [1][2]

The Hijra to Medina marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Muhammad lived in Medina until his death in 632 CE, and the city served as the capital of the early Islamic state under the first caliphs. [1][2]

The Prophet's Mosque (Al-Masjid an-Nabawi) contains the tomb of Muhammad and is one of the largest mosques in the world. Many Hajj pilgrims also visit Medina before or after their pilgrimage to Mecca. [1][2]

Unlike Mecca, Medina is accessible to non-Muslims in most areas, though the Prophet's Mosque interior is reserved for Muslim worshippers. [1][2]

Many Hajj pilgrims travel to Medina before or after the pilgrimage to Mecca to pray at the Prophet's Mosque, though the visit is not a required part of the Hajj. Unlike Mecca, much of Medina is open to non-Muslims, while the mosque interior is reserved for Muslim worshippers. [1][2]

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, the Prophet's Mosque, is one of the largest mosques in the world and contains the tomb of Muhammad beneath its Green Dome. Repeated expansions have transformed the modest original structure into a vast prayer complex. [1][2]

Medina is the city to which Muhammad migrated from Mecca in 622 CE, an event, the Hijra, that marks the start of the Islamic calendar and the founding of the first Muslim community. It served as the capital of the early Islamic state and is the second holiest city in Islam. [1][2][3]