Chapter 20: Welcome
Welcome to Madinah
The Ansar (residents of Medina who supported Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) were eagerly awaiting the Prophet's arrival for several days.
The Ansar would come out to the outskirts of Medina every morning, looking for signs of the Prophet's caravan approaching from Mecca.
They would wait until the harsh midday heat forced them to take shelter, and they did this for several days.
On the day of his arrival, they had returned to their homes because of the midday heat. A Jewish man, who was on the lookout from a fort nearby, spotted the Prophet and his companion Abu Bakr.
The ansar came out to greet the Prophet and sang a song called Tala Al Badru Alayna - which we still sing till today.
This area was home to the Aws tribe of Madinah and the prophet stayed for about a week there in the house of a companion called....
The first mosque of Islam, Masjid Quba was built here and once the last of the companions from Makkah arrived, like Ali (RA) they headed towards Madinah city.
The Prophet used to come and pray 2 rakas at Masjid Quba every Saturday. He also said praying two rakah at that masjid got the same reward as an Umrah.
Sunnah Evidence
The Reception in Quba (before reaching Medina):
Narrated Anas bin Malik: "The Prophet arrived at Medina and dismounted at the place known as Dhul-Hulaifa and offered the prayer, and then mounted again and came riding till he dismounted at the mosque of Banu Quba and offered the prayer there."
— Sahih al-Bukhari 3904
The Welcome by the People of Medina:
Anas bin Malik said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when he entered Al-Madinah, and the people came out to meet him, and they began to say: 'The full moon has risen upon us.'"
— Sunan Ibn Majah 1836 (graded Hasan)