مدینہ منورہ کی آباد کاری میں قوم عمالقہ اور بنی اسرائیل کے کردار کا تاریخی و تحقیقی جائزہ

A Historical and Analytical Study of the Role of the Amalekites and the Israelites in the Settlement of Madinah

Abstract

Madinah al-Munawwarah—known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib—occupies a unique position in Islamic, Arabian, and Semitic history. Long before it became the center of the Islamic state and the destination of the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ migration (Hijrah), Yathrib had already undergone a complex process of settlement involving multiple ethnic, tribal, and religious communities. Understanding the pre-Islamic history of Madinah is therefore indispensable for a deeper comprehension of its later political, social, and religious transformation under Islam.

Classical Muslim historians, genealogists, and early sīrah writers consistently indicate that the settlement of Yathrib did not occur in a single phase. Rather, it evolved gradually through successive waves of migration and habitation. Among the earliest groups associated with the region were the Amalekites (ʿAmālīqah), an ancient Semitic people whose presence extended across Hijaz, Tihāmah, and parts of the Arabian interior. In later centuries, the Children of Israel (Banū Isrā’īl) migrated to Yathrib under varying historical circumstances, particularly following political upheavals and foreign invasions in Palestine.

This study aims to present a historical and critical analysis of the roles played by the Amalekites and the Children of Israel (Banū Isrā’īl) in the settlement and development of Madinah. By drawing upon classical Islamic sources and modern historical scholarship, the paper seeks to trace the chronological sequence of settlement, examine the nature of each community’s contribution, and assess their lasting impact on the social and political structure of Madinah prior to Islam.