History of 24th September – The beginning of Islam
Explore the fascinating history of 24th September where we share two historic journeys—Christopher Columbus’ muddled voyages to the New World and Prophet Muhammad’s transformative Hegira from Mecca to Medina.
I begin this episode on the history of 24th September I am confused. It is because I share the ever-perplexing tale of Christopher Columbus! You’ve got to hand it to the chap, haven’t you? A man so intent on reaching India that he ended up in America. Classic case of “one sandwich short of a picnic,” if you ask me. And just when you think you’ve got the story straight, it all goes pear-shaped again.
Now, here I am, quill in hand, attempting to unravel the confusion of his second voyage. Did he set sail on the 24th of September or the 25th? Well, even the historians can’t make up their minds, so what chance do I have? It’s a bit like trying to nail jelly to a wall. Still, I soldier on, confident that my dear readers will understand my predicament.
So, in the spirit of muddle-headed Columbus, let’s dive into the murky waters of 1493. On this day—or perhaps the next, depending on which way the wind’s blowing—our befuddled explorer set sail on his second expedition to the New World. With 17 ships in tow, no less! And where did he finally end up? Well, that’s a story for another day, assuming I can figure it out myself. Stay tuned!
I’m far too muddled to delve into any more history today – perhaps I’ll give it another go next year. So, for now, let’s skip ahead and dive straight into the feature story from the history of 24th September.
The Hegira: A Turning Point in History
On a fateful day in September 622, the Prophet Muhammad completed his remarkable Hegira—known as the “flight”—from Mecca to Medina, a journey that would go down in history as the beginning of the Islamic calendar and mark the dawn of a new era. This event wasn’t merely an escape from persecution; it was the catalyst for the birth of a religion and a transformation of Arabian society, shaping the course of world history in ways unimaginable at the time.
Born in Mecca around 570, Muhammad’s early life was far from a bed of roses. His father died before he was born, leaving him under the care of his grandfather, the revered head of the Hashim clan. Sadly, this was not to last, as his mother passed away when he was six, followed by his grandfather just two years later. Like a hot potato passed from hand to hand, young Muhammad was eventually looked after by his uncle Abu Talib, the new head of the clan. At the age of 25, he married Khadijah, a wealthy widow 15 years his senior, and became a merchant. Life seemed to be on an even keel, though tragedy struck when two of his sons died in childhood. However, he did have four daughters who would survive.
But Muhammad was not one to sit on his laurels. He was a thinker, and his mind was often troubled by the social ills and the moral decay he witnessed in Mecca. To clear his head, he would spend time in a cave at Mount Hira, pondering the state of affairs. Then, in 610, during one of these solitary nights, he had a vision that changed everything. The angel Gabriel appeared to him, declaring, “You are the Messenger of God.” From that moment, Muhammad’s life was never the same. He began receiving revelations, which would later form the foundation of the Qur’an, and saw himself as the final prophet in the long line of Judaic-Christian tradition.
As Muhammad began preaching his monotheistic message, “There is no god but God,” he didn’t mince his words when it came to the greed of Mecca’s wealthy merchants or the worship of idols. Unsurprisingly, the city’s elites didn’t take kindly to this outspoken prophet. His following grew, but so did the opposition. By 615, he had garnered around 100 converts, but by 619, his uncle and protector, Abu Talib, passed away. The new head of the clan, Abu Lahib, offered him no protection, and the hostility towards Muhammad reached fever pitch.
Salvation came from an unlikely quarter. In 621, a group of men from Medina, an oasis town 200 miles north of Mecca, quietly visited Muhammad, professing themselves as Muslims. A year later, a larger group from Medina took an oath of loyalty to him, vowing to protect him as one of their own. As the situation in Mecca became untenable, Muhammad advised his followers to slip out of the city in small groups and make their way to Medina. City authorities were not best pleased, and plotted to have him killed. But Muhammad, ever sharp as a tack, slipped away unnoticed with a close disciple, using lesser-known paths to evade his pursuers. By September 24, 622, he had arrived safely in Medina, completing what would later be known as the celebrated Hegira.
In Medina, Muhammad wasted no time. He built a strong, theocratic state, and led raids on Meccan caravans. Attempts by the Meccans to quash him were unsuccessful, and many of them eventually embraced Islam themselves. In 629, Muhammad brokered a peace treaty that allowed him to return to Mecca as a pilgrim. But when the treaty was broken, Muhammad returned with 10,000 followers and conquered the city. By 630, Mecca was under his control, and over the next few years, most of Arabia’s tribes flocked to him for alliance and conversion. By the time of his death in 632, Muhammad was not only the spiritual leader of a burgeoning faith, but also the ruler of nearly all of Arabia.
What followed was nothing short of astonishing. Within 20 years, early Islamic conquests had swept across vast swathes of the Middle East, toppling the mighty Persian Empire and challenging the Byzantine Empire. Over the next centuries, the Islamic empire expanded like wildfire, eventually stretching from India to Spain. Even after the Arab empire splintered, Islam continued to spread, reaching the far corners of Africa and Asia, where many societies voluntarily embraced the new faith.
Today, Islam stands as the world’s second-largest religion, a testament to the profound impact of the Prophet Muhammad’s life and the Hegira that marked the beginning of a global civilisation. His legacy endures in every corner of the globe, shaping not only religious belief but also the cultural and political landscape of the modern world. It’s fair to say that when Muhammad embarked on that momentous journey in 622, the world as we know it was never going to be the same again.
That is all from the history of 24th September.
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