Concept
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Hijra

Also known as: Hegira, Migration, The Emigration, Hijrah

The migration of Prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, marking the turning point in Islamic history and the beginning of the Islamic calendar. The Hijra transformed Islam from a persecuted religious movement into an established political community, fundamentally reshaping Muhammad’s mission and Islamic civilization.

Historical Context

Persecution in Mecca

622 CE situation in Mecca:

  • 12-13 years of Muhammad’s prophetic mission
  • Quraysh tribe increasingly hostile
  • Economic boycott against Muhammad’s clan (Banu Hashim)
  • Torture and killing of early Muslims
  • “Year of Sorrow” (619 CE): Deaths of Muhammad’s wife Khadijah and uncle Abu Talib (protectors)
  • Assassination plots against Muhammad

Escalating Opposition:

  • Meccans feared Muhammad threatened their:
    • Economic interests
    • Social order
    • Religious traditions
  • Muslims faced:
    • Torture
    • Economic sanctions
    • Social ostracism
    • Death threats

First Migration to Abyssinia

615 CE:

  • Muhammad sent some followers to Christian kingdom of Abyssinia (Ethiopia)
  • Negus (Christian king) gave asylum
  • Precedent for Hijra
  • Showed Muslims would seek sanctuary if needed

The Pledge of Aqaba

Yathrib’s Invitation

Background:

  • Yathrib (later Medina) had Arab and Jewish tribes
  • Tribal conflict and instability
  • Needed neutral arbiter

First Pledge (621 CE):

  • 12 men from Yathrib met Muhammad during Hajj season
  • Pledged allegiance to Islam
  • Promised to worship Allah alone

Second Pledge (622 CE):

  • 73 men and 2 women from Yathrib
  • Pledged to:
    • Protect Muhammad as they’d protect their own families
    • Fight alongside him if necessary
  • Invited Muhammad to come to Yathrib
  • Muhammad accepted

The Migration

Planning

Muhammad’s Strategy:

  • Sent followers in small groups to avoid detection
  • Over several months, most Muslims secretly left Mecca
  • Left Ali (his cousin) to return belongings held in trust
  • Prepared for his own departure last

Assassination Plot

Quraysh Response:

  • Realized Muslims were leaving
  • Plotted to kill Muhammad
  • Each tribe sent one man—collective responsibility, avoiding blood feud
  • Surrounded Muhammad’s house

Quranic Reference (8:30):

“And [remember, O Muhammad], when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you [from Mecca]. But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.”

The Escape (September 622 CE)

The Night of Hijra:

  • Muhammad asked Ali to sleep in his bed (wearing Muhammad’s cloak)
  • Deceived assassins outside
  • Muhammad slipped out while they watched Ali
  • Met Abu Bakr (closest companion and future first Caliph)

Journey:

  • Traveled south (opposite direction from Medina) to confuse pursuers
  • Hid in Cave of Thawr for three nights
  • Abu Bakr’s daughter Asma brought food
  • Quraysh searched intensely
  • Bounty placed on Muhammad’s head

Miracle Tradition:

  • Spider spun web over cave entrance
  • Dove nested there
  • Pursuers reasoned: “No one has entered; look at the undisturbed web and nest”
  • Muhammad and Abu Bakr safe

Quran 9:40:

“If you do not aid the Prophet - Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Mecca] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, ‘Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.’ And Allah sent down his tranquility upon him and supported him with angels you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah - that is the highest. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.”

Journey Resumed:

  • After three days, proceeded north to Yathrib
  • ~450 km (280 miles) journey
  • Traveled carefully, avoiding main routes
  • Bedouin guide led them

Arrival in Medina

Welcome:

  • Arrived at Quba (outskirts) on September 24, 622 CE
  • Built Quba Mosque (first mosque in Islam)
  • Entered Yathrib amid jubilation
  • Every household wanted Muhammad to stay with them
  • Muhammad let his camel choose—stopped at land owned by two orphans
  • Bought land, built his mosque and home

Name Change:

  • Yathrib renamed Medina (المدينة)
  • Full name: Madinat an-Nabi (City of the Prophet)
  • Or: Madinat al-Munawwarah (The Enlightened City)

Immediate Consequences

The Constitution of Medina

Muhammad established governance framework:

Political Unity:

  • First written constitution in Islamic history
  • Defined rights and duties of Muslims
  • Included Jewish tribes
  • Established Umma (community) beyond tribal loyalties
  • Muhammad as final arbiter of disputes

Key Principles:

  • Religious freedom for Jews
  • Collective defense of Medina
  • Ban on aiding Quraysh
  • Justice for all citizens
  • United community despite religious differences

Brotherhood (Mu’akhat)

Pairing System:

  • Muhammad paired each Muhajir (migrant from Mecca) with an Ansar (helper from Medina)
  • Ansar shared:
    • Homes
    • Wealth
    • Property
    • Income
  • Created social cohesion
  • Addressed economic needs of refugees
  • Revolutionary concept—brotherhood in faith trumping tribal ties

Economic Challenges

Muhajiriin’s Situation:

  • Left everything in Mecca
  • No livelihood in Medina
  • Depended on Ansar generosity

Solutions:

  • Market established in Medina
  • Trade caravans
  • Later: War booty from defensive battles
  • Eventually: Thriving economy

Long-term Significance

Islamic Calendar

Year 1 AH:

  • Islamic calendar begins with Hijra
  • AH = Anno Hegirae (Latin) or After Hijra
  • Lunar calendar (354-355 days per year)
  • Instituted by Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (634-644 CE)
  • Recognizes Hijra’s pivotal importance
  • Not Muhammad’s birth or first revelation, but migration—emphasizes community and action

Transformation of Islam

Before Hijra (Meccan Period):

  • Focus on belief in One God
  • Spiritual and moral teachings
  • Endurance of persecution
  • No political power
  • Emphasis on afterlife, social justice

After Hijra (Medinan Period):

  • Established political community
  • Detailed legislation (family law, criminal law, governance)
  • Military campaigns (defensive, then offensive)
  • Diplomatic relations with tribes
  • Islam as complete system (religion + state)

Quranic Revelation Changed

Meccan Surahs (earlier):

  • Shorter verses
  • Emphasis on monotheism, Day of Judgment
  • Stories of previous prophets
  • Spiritual exhortation
  • Poetic, powerful language

Medinan Surahs (after Hijra):

  • Longer verses
  • Legal rulings (marriage, divorce, inheritance, war, peace)
  • Community organization
  • Relations with Jews and Christians
  • Practical governance

Power Dynamics Shift

From Weakness to Strength:

  • Mecca: Muhammad persecuted
  • Medina: Muhammad ruler
  • From preaching to legislating
  • From enduring to acting

Military Engagements:

  • Battle of Badr (624 CE): First victory
  • Battle of Uhud (625 CE): Setback
  • Battle of the Trench (627 CE): Defense
  • Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (628 CE): Diplomatic triumph
  • Conquest of Mecca (630 CE): Peaceful victory, full circle

Theological Significance

Separation for the Sake of Faith

Hijra as Model:

  • Leaving behind comfort for truth
  • Prioritizing faith over homeland
  • Trusting Allah despite uncertainty
  • Muslims worldwide honor this sacrifice

Concept of Hijra Generalized:

  • Leaving sinful lifestyle for righteous one
  • Fleeing oppression for freedom
  • Spiritual migration from ignorance to knowledge
  • Refugees fleeing persecution honored

Divine Assistance

Quran emphasizes:

  • Allah’s protection during migration
  • Angels assisting
  • Miraculous preservation
  • “Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us”

Lesson:

  • Trust in Allah when facing danger
  • Strategic planning + reliance on Allah
  • Allah aids those who strive in His cause

Contemporary Parallels

Refugee Crisis

Muslims see parallels:

  • Syrian refugees fleeing war
  • Rohingya fleeing persecution
  • Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban
  • Islamic teaching: Welcome refugees (as Ansar welcomed Muhajiriin)

Migration for Faith

Modern Hijra:

  • Muslims moving from oppressive regimes to religious freedom
  • Seeking environments conducive to Islamic practice
  • Building Muslim communities in new lands

The Ansar’s Legacy

“Helpers” praised in Quran:

  • Quran 59:9: “They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in their breasts of what [the emigrants] were given but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in privation”
  • Selflessness model
  • True brotherhood
  • Putting others before self

Eternal Example:

  • Muslims remember Ansar’s generosity
  • Hospitality toward Muslims in need
  • Brotherhood transcending blood ties

Lessons from Hijra

Faith Over Comfort

  • Leaving homes, wealth, families
  • Trusting Allah’s promise over visible security
  • Temporary sacrifice for eternal gain

Strategic Action

  • Not passive waiting
  • Planning and preparation
  • Taking available means while trusting Allah

Community Building

  • Brotherhood system
  • Constitution establishing governance
  • Unity across tribal lines

Patience and Perseverance

  • 13 years in Mecca before relief came
  • Enduring persecution before migration
  • Not giving up despite hardship

Significance

The Hijra was:

  • Historical turning point: Islam transformed from sect to state
  • Spiritual journey: Leaving falsehood for truth
  • Social revolution: Tribal loyalty replaced by religious brotherhood
  • Political statement: Establishing Islamic governance
  • Eternal example: Model for believers facing oppression

The Hijra demonstrates that sometimes faith requires movement—leaving behind the familiar, the comfortable, even the beloved. The willingness of early Muslims to abandon homes, property, and families for the sake of worshiping Allah freely testifies to the strength of their conviction.

For Muslims today, the Hijra means:

  • Honoring refugees and migrants
  • Building community across ethnic lines
  • Prioritizing faith over worldly attachments
  • Trusting Allah in times of difficulty
  • Recognizing that struggle precedes triumph

The Islamic calendar beginning with Hijra—not Muhammad’s birth or first revelation—signals Islam’s core values: community, action, sacrifice, trust in Allah. The journey from Mecca to Medina wasn’t just geographical; it was theological, political, and spiritual—transforming a persecuted prophet into a state leader, scattered believers into a unified community, and a message into a civilization.

That 450-kilometer journey became the hinge on which Islamic history turned. Without Hijra, no Medinan state. Without the Medinan state, no return to Mecca. Without return to Mecca, no Islamic expansion. Without expansion, no global civilization. The footsteps from Mecca to Medina—taken in fear, sustained by faith—echo still in the Islamic calendar’s yearly rhythm, reminding believers that sometimes the greatest victories begin with the hardest departures.