Why did the Jews emigrate from their country in the north of the Arabian Peninsula to settle in Al-Madeenah?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

The Jews emigrated to Al-Madeenah so as to escape persecution at the hands of the Christians that they suffered in Ash-Shaam (The Levant). Some biographers mentioned that the Jews emigrated to Al-Madeenah to flee the evacuation, insult, and persecution from which they had suffered at the hands of the Christians due to the Jewish beliefs regarding ‘Eesa (Jesus) and his mother (Mary), may Allaah exalt their mention. Muhammad Al-Ghazaali mentioned in his book Fiqh As-Seerah: “The Jews came to Al-Madeenah to flee the Christians’ persecution who insulted them due to their beliefs regarding ‘Eesa (Jesus) and his mother (Mary), may Allaah exalt their mention.”

Ibn ‘Aashoor, the author of At-Tahreer wa At-Tanweer, shed light on the story of the Jewish settlement in Arab countries in his interpretation of the chapter of Al-Hashr: “Prophet Moosaa (Moses) sent a group of the sons of Israel (the ancestors of the Jews) to fight Al-‘Amaaleeq (The Giants) who lived in a land near Ash-Shaam i.e. The Levant and the Arab lands but they were rather lax in carrying out this command. Then, Musaa died shortly after that incident and when they knew of his death, they withdrew and returned to the city of Jericho in Ash-Shaam. Their people refused to allow them to live in Jericho any more for they had disobeyed the command of Musaa . Thereupon, they emigrated to the Arabian Peninsula and settled around Yathrib (Al-Madeenah).”

Allaah Knows best.