Hijrah

Hijrah
Name	Hijrah
Date	622 CE
Location	From Mecca to Medina
Participants	Muhammad, Abu Bakr, early Sahaba
Outcome	Foundation of the first Muslim community, establishment of the Islamic calendar

Hijrah. The Hijrah marks the pivotal migration of the early Muslim community, led by the Prophet Muhammad, from the city of Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. This event established the first self-governing Muslim polity and serves as the foundational epoch for the Islamic calendar. It represents a decisive turning point from persecution to the establishment of a socio-political and religious community under Islam.

Etymology and meaning

The term originates from the Arabic root *h-j-r*, conveying meanings of abandonment, severance, and migration. Within the Quran, derivatives of the word appear in contexts of leaving one's homeland for the sake of Allah, as seen in suras like Al-Anfal and An-Nahl. In classical Islamic jurisprudence, the concept is closely associated with relocating from a land of persecution (*dar al-harb*) to a land of Islam (*dar al-Islam*). The event is also specifically referred to as the Hijrah of Muhammad and his companions from Mecca.

Historical context

In the years preceding 622 CE, Muhammad and his followers in Mecca faced increasing persecution from the ruling Quraysh tribe, which controlled the Kaaba and the city's religious and economic life. Key incidents, such as the Year of Sorrow which saw the deaths of his protector Abu Talib and his wife Khadija, and the failed Pledges at al-‘Aqabah with delegates from Medina, intensified the community's vulnerability. The Quraysh leadership, including figures like Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab, escalated their opposition, culminating in a plot to assassinate Muhammad and prompting the urgent need for relocation.

The migration to Medina

The migration was executed covertly in stages to avoid Quraysh patrols. Muhammad departed Mecca with Abu Bakr, taking refuge in the Cave of Thawr south of the city for three days. Their journey northward to Medina, then known as Yathrib, was guided by a tribesman named Abdullah ibn Uraiqit. Concurrently, other early Muslims, including Umar ibn al-Khattab and Uthman ibn Affan, made their own journeys. Upon arrival in the suburb of Quba', Muhammad oversaw the construction of the Quba Mosque, the first in Islam. His formal entry into Medina was marked by the establishment of the Masjid an-Nabawi and the drafting of the Constitution of Medina, a charter governing relations between the Muhajirun (migrants) and the Ansar (local helpers), as well as with the city's Jewish tribes.

Significance in Islam

The Hijrah is considered the moment Islam transitioned from a purely religious movement to a complete civilization with its own political and legal systems. The subsequent Battle of Badr, Battle of Uhud, and Battle of the Trench were direct consequences of the new community's conflict with Mecca. Theologically, it underscored the virtues of sacrifice and steadfastness, with many Hadith collections, such as Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, emphasizing its importance. The event also finalized the concept of Ummah, a transnational community of believers bound by faith rather than tribal lineage.

Observance and commemoration

While not marked by a specific liturgical festival, the Hijrah is commemorated culturally in many Muslim-majority nations, sometimes coinciding with the Islamic New Year (*Ras as-Sanah al-Hijriyah*). In countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Indonesia, the occasion may involve religious lectures, reflections on the life of Muhammad (*Seerah*), and official holidays. The event is a central theme in Islamic historiography, extensively detailed in works like Ibn Ishaq's *Sirat Rasul Allah* and Ibn Kathir's *Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah*.

Impact on the Islamic calendar

In 638 CE, during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, the Hijrah was established as the epoch for the official Islamic calendar on the advice of Ali ibn Abi Talib. This lunar calendar, known as the *Hijri calendar*, begins its count from 1 Muharram of the year the migration occurred. The adoption formalized a distinct Islamic temporal identity, separating it from earlier systems like the Roman calendar or the Sasanian calendar. Key months, including Ramadan and Dhu al-Hijjah, are fixed according to this Hijri chronology, which governs the timing of rituals like the Hajj and Eid al-Fitr.

Category:Islam Category:History of Islam Category:Islamic terminology