Islam - Its Meaning for Modern Man — Page 45
45 parts of the country who visited Mecca on the occasion of the annual pilgrimage, and to make an effort to interest them in his mission and message. On one such occasion he met a party of six or seven pilgrims from Medina, then known as Yathrib, who were encamped in a valley outside Mecca. At that time Medina was inhabited by two Arab and three Jewish tribes. The Arab tribes ⎯ Aus and Khazraj ⎯ were pagan idol worshipers, but had to some degree become familiar with Jewish traditions. They had heard from their Jewish fellow townsmen that the latter were expecting the advent of a Prophet which had been foretold in their Scriptures (Deut. 18:18). The men whom the Prophet encountered on this occasion belonged to the Khazraj tribe. When he told them that God had appointed him as Messenger and had charged him with a message for mankind, they gave him a ready and eager hearing. In the end they declared their faith in him and his message, agreeing to convey it to their fellow townsmen on their return to Medina. The following year twelve men of Medina, representing both the Khazraj and Aus tribe, came to the pilgrimage and met the Prophet in secret. It was necessary to take precautions lest the Meccans should learn of their adherence to Islam and try to create difficulties for the people of Medina performing the