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{{Short description|Journey of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina}}
{{Short description|Journey of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Expand language|topic=|langcode=ar|otherarticle=الهجرة النبوية|date=August 2024}}
{{Muhammad|expanded=life}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}{{about|the Arabic word|other uses}}{{Redirect|Hejira|the British jazz band|Hejira (band)|the Joni Michell album|Hejira (album)}}[[File:New York Public Library, Spencer Collection Turk. MS. 3 Siyar-i Nabî fol. 286r Jibril delivers to Muhammad a message from God telling him to leave Makka for Madina.jpg|thumb|Islamic miniature depicting [[Gabriel|Jibril]] delivering to [[Muhammad]] a message from God telling him to undertake the Hijrah]]
The '''Hijrah'''{{efn|{{Langx|ar|الهجرة|hijra|lit=Migration}}, originally 'a severing of ties of kinship or association'<ref name="Schacht" /><ref name="Holt" />}}, ({{Langx|Ar|الهجرة|al-Hijrah|migration|label=|rtl=}}) also '''Hegira''' (from [[Medieval Latin]]), was the journey the [[prophets and messengers in Islam|Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]] and his followers took from [[Mecca]] to [[Medina]].<ref name=FazlurRehman51>{{cite book |last= Shaikh |first= Fazlur Rehman |title= Chronology of Prophetic Events |year= 2001 |publisher= Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd. |location= London |pages= 51–52}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Marom |first=Roy |date=Fall 2017 |title=Approaches to the Research of Early Islam: The Hijrah in Western Historiography |url=https://www.academia.edu/35523840 |journal=Jamma'a |volume=23 |page=vii}}</ref> The year in which the Hijrah took place is also identified as the [[epoch]] of the [[Islamic calendar|Lunar Hijri]]{{efn|commonly known in the West as 'the' [[Islamic calendar]], though both calendars are used by [[Muslims]].}} and [[Solar Hijri calendar|Solar Hijri]] calendars; its date equates to 16 July 622 in the [[Julian calendar]].<!-- Please do not change to Gregorian calendar since that took another 900 years approx to arrive on the scene --><ref>{{cite book |first=Sherrard Beaumont |last=Burnaby |url=https://archive.org/details/elementsofjewish00burnuoft |title=Elements of the Jewish and Muhammadan calendars |date=1901 |pages=373–5, 382–4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |chapter=Table 1.2 Epochs for various calendars |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cK1XDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA17 |page=17 |title=Calendrical Calculations |edition=Third |oclc=1137352777 |publisher=O'Reilly |first1=Nachum |last1=Dershowitz |first2=Edward |last2=Reingold  |date=2018| isbn=9781108546935 }}</ref>{{efn|1 Muharram of the new fixed calendar corresponded to Friday, 16 July 622 CE, the equivalent civil tabular date (same daylight period) in the [[Julian calendar]]. The Islamic day began at the preceding sunset on the evening of 15 July. This Julian date (16 July) was determined by [[Astronomy in medieval Islam|medieval Muslim astronomers]] by projecting back in time their own [[tabular Islamic calendar]], which had alternating 30- and 29-day months in each lunar year plus eleven leap days every 30 years. For example, al-Biruni mentioned this Julian date in the year 1000 CE.<ref>al-Biruni, ''The chronology of ancient nations'', tr. [[C. Edward Sachau]] (1000/1879) 327.</ref> Although not used by either medieval Muslim astronomers or modern scholars to determine the Islamic epoch, the thin [[Lunar phase|crescent moon]] would have also first become visible (assuming clouds did not obscure it) shortly after the preceding sunset on the evening of 15 July, 1.5 days after the associated [[dark moon]] (astronomical [[new moon]]) on the morning of 14 July.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/phase/phases0601.html|title=NASA phases of the moon 601–700|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008214455/http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/phase/phases0601.html|archive-date=8 October 2010}}</ref>}}
 
Early in Muhammad's preaching of [[Islam]], his followers only included his close friends and relatives. Following the spread of his religion. Muhammad and his small faction of Muslims then faced several challenges including a boycott of [[Banu Hashim|Muhammad's clan]], torture, killing, and other forms of [[Persecution of Muslims by Meccans|religious persecution by the Meccans]]. Toward the end of the decade, [[Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib|Abu Talib]], Muhammad's uncle, who supported him amidst the leaders of Mecca, died. Finally, the leaders of Mecca ordered the assassination of Muhammad, which was to be executed by 11 men with swords.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mubarakpuri |first=Safiur Rahman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q5Y2zgEACAAJ |title=The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-makhtum): Biography of the Noble Prophet Muhammad -Peace Be Upon Him- |date=2020-10-06 |publisher=Independently Published |isbn=979-8-6941-4592-3 |language=en}}</ref>


{{about|the Arabic word|other uses}}
In May 622, after having convened twice with members of the Medinan tribes of [[Banu Aws|Aws]] and [[Khazraj]] at al-'Aqabah near [[Mina, Saudi Arabia|Mina]], Muhammad secretly left his home in Mecca to emigrate to their city, along with his friend, father-in-law and [[sahabah|companion]] [[Abu Bakr]].<ref>[[Moojan Momen]] (1985), ''An Introduction to Shi'i Islam: History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi'ism'', Yale University Press, New edition 1987, p. 5.</ref>


The '''Hijrah''' or '''Hijra''' ({{Lang-ar|الهجرة}}) was the journey of the [[prophets and messengers in Islam|Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]] and his followers from [[Mecca]] to [[Medina]].<ref name=FazlurRehman51>{{cite book |last= Shaikh |first= Fazlur Rehman |title= Chronology of Prophetic Events |year= 2001 |publisher= Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd. |location= London |pages= 51–52}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Marom |first=Roy |date=Fall 2017 |title=Approaches to the Research of Early Islam: The Hijrah in Western Historiography |url=https://www.academia.edu/35523840 |journal=Jamma'a |volume=23 |page=vii}}</ref> The year in which the Hijrah took place is also identified as the [[epoch]] of the [[Islamic calendar|Lunar Hijri]]{{efn|commonly known in the West as 'the' [[Islamic calendar]], though both calendars are used by [[Muslims]].}} and [[Solar Hijri calendar|Solar Hijri]] calendars; its date equates to 16 July 622 in the [[Julian calendar]].<!-- Please do not change to Gregorian calendar since that took another 900 years approx to arrive on the scene --><ref>{{cite book |first=Sherrard Beaumont |last=Burnaby |url=https://archive.org/details/elementsofjewish00burnuoft |title=Elements of the Jewish and Muhammadan calendars |date=1901 |pages=373–5, 382–4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |chapter=Table 1.2 Epochs for various calendars |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cK1XDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA17 |page=17 |title=Calendrical Calculations |edition=Third |oclc=1137352777 |publisher=O'Reilly |first1=Nachum |last1=Dershowitz |first2=Edward |last2=Reingold  |date=2018| isbn=9781108546935 }}</ref>{{efn|1 Muharram of the new fixed calendar corresponded to Friday, 16 July 622 CE, the equivalent civil tabular date (same daylight period) in the [[Julian calendar]]. The Islamic day began at the preceding sunset on the evening of 15 July. This Julian date (16 July) was determined by [[Astronomy in medieval Islam|medieval Muslim astronomers]] by projecting back in time their own [[tabular Islamic calendar]], which had alternating 30- and 29-day months in each lunar year plus eleven leap days every 30 years. For example, al-Biruni mentioned this Julian date in the year 1000 CE.<ref>al-Biruni, ''The chronology of ancient nations'', tr. [[C. Edward Sachau]] (1000/1879) 327.</ref> Although not used by either medieval Muslim astronomers or modern scholars to determine the Islamic epoch, the thin [[Lunar phase|crescent moon]] would have also first become visible (assuming clouds did not obscure it) shortly after the preceding sunset on the evening of 15 July, 1.5 days after the associated [[dark moon]] (astronomical [[new moon]]) on the morning of 14 July.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/phase/phases0601.html|title=NASA phases of the moon 601–700|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008214455/http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/phase/phases0601.html|archive-date=8 October 2010}}</ref>}} The Arabic word ''hijra'' means primarily "a severing of ties of kinship or association."<ref name="Schacht" /><ref name="Holt" /> It has been also transliterated as '''Hegira''' in medieval Latin, a term still in occasional use in English.
== Etymology ==
{{transliteration|ar|Hijrah}} is a [[Romanization of Arabic|romanization]] of the [[Arabic]] word {{lang|ar|هجرة}} 'to depart to', 'to migrate to' or 'to move away from'.<ref name="Schacht">{{harv|Schacht et al.|1998|p=366}}</ref><ref name="Holt">{{harv|Holt et al.|1978|p=40}}</ref> The first stem of the verbal root ''H-J-R'', {{transliteration|ar|hajara}}, means 'to cut off someone from friendly association; to avoid association with'; the third stem, {{transliteration|ar|hājara}}, means 'a mutual termination of friendly relations by leaving or departing'. The word has been mistranslated, without proper context, as 'a severing of ties of kinship or association'.<ref>{{harv|Schacht et al.|1998|p=366}}</ref> Since 1753, the word has also been used to refer to an exodus in [[English language|English]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of HEGIRA |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hegira |access-date=2020-10-16 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref>


Early in Muhammad's preaching of [[Islam]], his followers only included his close friends and relatives. Most of his tribesmen, the [[Quraysh]], however, were indifferent to his activities, as they did not appear to be particularly interested in devotional meetings, and accordingly, Muhammad did not encounter any serious opposition from them; that was the case until he began to attack their beliefs, which caused tensions to arise.{{Sfn|Buhl|Welch|1993|p=364}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-24 |title=Muhammad {{!}} Biography, History, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Muhammad |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Lewis|2002|p=35–36}} Muhammad and his small faction of Muslims then reportedly faced several challenges including a boycott of [[Banu Hashim|Muhammad's clan]], torture, killing, and other forms of [[Persecution of Muslims by Meccans|religious persecution by the Meccans]]. Toward the end of the decade, [[Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib|Abu Talib]], Muhammad's uncle, who supported him amidst the leaders of Mecca, died. Finally, the leaders of Mecca ordered the assassination of Muhammad, which was to be executed by 11 men with swords.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mubarakpuri |first=Safiur Rahman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q5Y2zgEACAAJ |title=The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-makhtum): Biography of the Noble Prophet Muhammad -Peace Be Upon Him- |date=2020-10-06 |publisher=Independently Published |isbn=979-8-6941-4592-3 |language=en}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=May 2023}}
== Background ==
{{Muhammad|expanded=life}}


In May 622, after having convened twice with members of the Medinan tribes of [[Banu Aws|Aws]] and [[Khazraj]] at al-'Aqabah near [[Mina, Saudi Arabia|Mina]], Muhammad secretly left his home in Mecca to emigrate to their city, along with his friend, father-in-law and [[sahabah|companion]] [[Abu Bakr]].<ref>[[Moojan Momen]] (1985), ''An Introduction to Shi'i Islam: History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi'ism'', Yale University Press, New edition 1987, p. 5.</ref> Prophet Muhammad's arrival at Medina was warmly welcomed, resulting in the renaming of the city from Yathrib to Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (Arabic: المدينة المنورة‎, romanized: al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah, lit. 'The Enlightened City', Hejazi pronunciation: [almadiːna almʊnawːara]), commonly simplified as Madīnah or Medina (Arabic: المدينة‎, romanized: al-Madina, Hejazi pronunciation: [almadiːna]; {{Lit.|the City}}).<ref name="Shamsi">{{cite journal |jstor=20847270 |title=The Date of Hijrah |last1=Shamsi |first1=F. A. |journal=Islamic Studies |year=1984 |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=189–224}}<br/>
=== Situation in Medina ===
{{cite journal |jstor=20847277 |title=The Date of Hijrah |last1=Shamsi |first1=F. A. |journal=Islamic Studies |year=1984 |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=289–323}}</ref>
Located more than {{convert|260|mi|km}} north of [[Mecca]], [[Medina]] is a verdant oasis.{{sfnp|Holt et al.|1978|p=39}} According to Muslim sources, the city was founded by Jews who had survived the revolt against the Romans.{{sfnp|Gil|1997|p=11}} While agriculture was far from the domain of the Arab tribes, the Jews were excellent farmers who cultivated the land in the oases.{{sfnp|Gil|1997|p=11}} In addition to several smaller Jewish clans, there were three major Jewish tribes in the city: [[Banu Qaynuqa]], [[Banu Nadir]] and [[Banu Qurayza]].{{sfnp|Rodgers|2012|p=54}} Over time, Arab tribes from southern Arabia migrated to the city and settled alongside the Jewish community.{{sfnp|Gil|1997|p=11}} The Arab tribes comprised [[Banu Aws]] and [[Banu Khazraj]], both known collectively as Banu Qayla.{{sfnp|Gibb et al.|1986|p=514}} Prior to 620, these two Arab tribes had been fighting for nearly a hundred years.{{sfnp|Holt et al.|1978|p=39}} Each of them had tried to court the support of the Jewish tribes, which occasionally led to infighting among the latter.{{sfnp|Holt et al.|1978|p=39}}


After the hijrah, Muhammad began attacking the caravans of the Meccans and plundering their goods,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Peters |first=Francis E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0OrCo4VyvGkC |title=Muhammad and the Origins of Islam |date=1994-01-01 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-7914-1875-8 |pages=211–214 |language=en}}</ref>{{Sfn|Buhl|Welch|1993|p=269}} which prompted armed conflicts between the Muslims and the Quraysh, including the battles of [[Battle of Badr|Badr]], [[Battle of Uhud|Uhud]], and the [[Battle of the Trench|Trench]].{{Sfn|Buhl|Welch|1993|p=369-370}} Sometime after the latter battle and after Muhammad had successfully eliminated the three major [[Jews|Jewish]] tribes from Medina, he reportedly stopped making raids on the Quraysh,{{Sfn|Buhl|Welch|1993|p=370}} at which point he mostly focused his attention on the north, where he raided [[Banu Lahyan|Banu Lihyan]] and [[Banu Mustaliq]], to name a few.{{Sfn|Buhl|Welch|1993|p=370}}
=== Muhammad's encounters with Banu Aws and Banu Khazraj ===
In 620, having lost all hope of winning converts among his fellow townspeople, Muhammad limited his efforts to non-Meccans who attended fairs or made pilgrimages.{{sfnp|Fontaine|2022|p=244}} During these efforts, Muhammad met six members of the [[Banu Khazraj]] tribe who were visiting [[Mecca]], on a pilgrimage to the holy sites around the city. These six individuals had a history of raiding Jews in their locality, who in turn had warned them that a prophet would come, and with his help, the Jews would obliterate them. Upon hearing Muhammad's religious message, the six individuals said to each other, "This is the very prophet of whom the Jews warned us; don't let them get to him before us!" After embracing Islam, they returned to [[Medina]] and shared their encounter, hoping that by having their people—the Khazraj and the [[Banu Aws|Aws]], who had been at odds for so long—accept Islam and adopt Muhammad as their leader, unity could be achieved between them.{{sfnp|Rodinson|2021|p=142–3}}{{sfnp|Peters|2021|p=211}}


== Etymology ==
In February 621, five earlier converts met with Muhammad again.{{sfnp|Rodgers|2012}}{{pn|date=September 2024}} They were accompanied by seven new converts, including two people from the Banu Aws tribe. This gathering took place at the al-'Aqaba mountain pass, located just north of Mecca near the trade route. At the meeting, they took a pledge to Muhammad, known as the "pledge of women."<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE FIRST AQABAH PLEDGE |url=https://islambasics.com/chapter/the-first-aqabah-pledge/ |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=IslamBasics.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gabriel |first=Richard A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0HQCBQAAQBAJ&dq=muhammad+621,+pledge+of+women&pg=PA61 |title=Muhammad: Islam's First Great General |date=2014-10-22 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |isbn=978-0-8061-8250-6 |language=en}}</ref> It was so called because it contained no obligation to fight for Islam. One of the main tenets of this pledge was to renounce idols and affirm Allah as the only deity, with Muhammad as their leader. Muhammad then entrusted [[Mus'ab ibn Umayr]] to accompany them on their return to Medina to promote Islam.{{sfnp|Rodgers|2012|p=47}}{{sfnp|Rodinson|2021|p=143–4}}
Hijrah is a contemporary transliteration of the [[Arabic]] word هجرة which means primarily "a severing of ties of kinship or association."<ref name="Schacht">{{harv|Schacht et al.|1998|p=366}}</ref><ref name="Holt">{{harv|Holt et al.|1978|p=40}}</ref> Hajara, the verb's first stem, is defined as "to cut off someone from friendly association" or "to avoid association with." And the third stem, hājara, denotes "a mutual termination of friendly relations." The word has been mistranslated as "flight."<ref>{{harv|Schacht et al.|1998|p=366}}</ref> Since 1753, the word has also been used to refer to an exodus in [[English language|English]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of HEGIRA |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hegira |access-date=2020-10-16 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref>


== Background ==
In the pilgrimage season of 622, Muhammad had another meeting in [[Aqaba]] with the Medinan converts;{{sfnp|Rodgers|2012|p=47}} this time, there were 75 of them, including 2 women.{{sfnp|Rodinson|2021|p=144}} Muhammad's uncle [[Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib|al-Abbas]], who accompanied him, made a speech at the beginning, declaring that Muhammad was "the most respected person among his kinsmen." This is quite in contrast with the fact that Muhammad had received strong opposition from his other uncle, [[Abu Lahab]], as well as [[Amr ibn Hisham|Abu Jahl]] and other Quraysh leaders. Al-Abbas also falsely stated that Muhammad had rejected offers from all but the men of Medina in an apparent attempt to create a sense of exclusivity and importance among them. Historical records, however, show that they were among the last groups Muhammad had tried to approach and that he had no other offers available.{{sfnp|Rodgers|2012|p=48}}
Medina was inhabited by both [[Arabs]] and [[Jews]]. The Arabs consisted of two tribes–the Banu Aws and Banu Khazraj. The Aws and Khazraj were constantly at war with each other, and this made traditional rules for maintaining law and order dysfunctional, and, without a neutral man with considerable authority over things, stability seemed unlikely.<ref>Holt, et al (2000), pp. 39–40.</ref> It is also accepted by modern historians of Arabia that the Arabs of Medina had heard from their Jewish fellow citizens of the coming of a prophet.<ref name="Shibli1" /><ref name="Holt, et al 2000, p. 40" />


During [[Dhu al-Hijjah]] of the year 620 CE, Muhammad convened with some members of the [[Banu Khazraj]] tribe from [[Medina]] near the al-'Aqabah Hill in [[Mina, Saudi Arabia|Mina]] just outside of [[Mecca]], propounded to them the doctrines of [[Islam]], and recited portions of the [[Quran]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Sell |first=Edward |author-link=Edward Sell (priest) |title=The Life of Muhammad |url=http://www.muhammadanism.org/Canon_Sell/muhammad/life_muhammad.pdf |access-date=19 January 2013 |year=1913 |publisher=The Christian Literary Society for India |location=[[Madras]] |page=70}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last1=Holt | first1=P. M. | author1-link=P. M. Holt | last2=Lambton | first2=Ann K. S. | last3=Lewis | first3=Bernard | author3-link=Bernard Lewis | title=The Cambridge History of Islam | url=https://archive.org/details/cambridgehistory00holt_798 | url-access=limited | year=2000 | publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] | isbn=978-0521219464 | page=[https://archive.org/details/cambridgehistory00holt_798/page/n57 39]}}</ref> Impressed by this, they embraced Islam,<ref name="Shibli1">[[Shibli Nomani]]. [[Sirat-un-Nabi]]. Vol 1. [[Lahore]].</ref> and during the pilgrimage of 621, five of them brought seven others with them. These twelve informed Muhammad of the beginning of gradual development of Islam in Medina, and took a formal pledge of allegiance at Muhammad's hand, promising to accept him as a prophet, to [[tawhid|worship none but one God]], and to renounce sins including [[theft]], [[adultery]], and [[murder]], in what is now known as the First Pledge of al-'Aqabah.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zl3KelLEwtYC&pg=PT107|last=Khan|first=Muhammad Zafra|title=Muhammad, seal of the prophets|date=1980|location=London|page=70|isbn=978-0-85525-992-1}}</ref><ref>Peter Malcolm Holt, Ann K S Lambton, and Bernard Lewis, ''The Cambridge History of Islam'', Volume 1, ''The Central Islamic Lands'', Cambridge, 2000, p. 40. {{ISBN|978-0-85525-992-1}}</ref><ref>Sell (1913), p. 71.</ref> At their request, Muhammad sent with them [[Mus‘ab ibn 'Umair]] to teach them the instructions of [[Islam]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Murad, Khurram.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/41621132|title=Who is Muhammad, peace be upon him|date=1998|publisher=Islamic Foundation|others=Islamic Foundation (Great Britain)|isbn=978-0-86037-290-5|location=Leicester|oclc=41621132}}</ref> The following year, in 622, a delegation of around 75 Muslims consisting of members of both the [[Banu Aws|Aws]] and [[Khazraj]] from Medina restated the terms of the First Pledge and also assured Muhammad of their full support and protection if the latter would migrate to Medina as an arbitrator to reconcile among the Aws and Khazraj.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hitti |first=Philip Khuri |author-link=Philip Khuri Hitti |title=[[History of the Arabs (book)|History of the Arabs]] |year=1946 |publisher=Macmillan and Co. |location=[[London]] |page=116}}</ref> This is known as the [[second pledge at al-Aqabah|Second Pledge at al-Aqabah]],<ref name="Holt, et al 2000, p. 40">Holt, et al (2000), p. 40.</ref><ref>Khan (1980), p. 73.</ref> and was a religiopolitical success that paved the way for the Medinan Hegira.<ref>Sell (1913), p. 76.</ref> Following the pledges, Muhammad encouraged his followers to migrate to Medina, and in a span of two months, nearly all the Muslims of Mecca migrated to the city.
Muhammad himself then spoke and invited their allegiance, asking them to protect him as they would their women and children.{{sfnp|Fontaine|2022|p=245}}{{sfnp|Peters|2021|p=211}} One of them, al-Bara, readily agreed, emphasizing the military prowess of his people. The other however, Abu al-Haytham, expressed concern that if they took the pledge and severed their ties with the Jews, Muhammad would return to his people after they gave him victories. Muhammad assured them that he was now one with them and would share their fate in war and peace.{{sfnp|Rodgers|2012|p=48}}{{sfnp|Peters|1994|p=212}} Twelve delegates, three from the Aws and nine from the Khazraj, were then selected to oversee the implementation of this pact.{{sfnp|Rodinson|2021|p=144}} When the group inquired about the reward for their loyalty, Muhammad simply replied, "Paradise." They then took the oath, also known as the pledge of war.{{sfnp|Glubb|2001|p=144}}{{sfnp|Gabriel|2007|p=61}}{{sfnp|Rodgers|2012|p=48}}


==Migration==
== Migration ==
Muslims believe Muhammad waited until he received divine direction to depart from [[Mecca]]. In anticipation of receiving this direction, Muhammad began making preparations and informed [[Abu Bakr]]. On the night of his departure, Muhammad's house was besieged by men of the Quraysh, who had seen large numbers of the Muslims leave the city and had planned to kill him as soon as he left. Muhammad, who was renowned for his trustworthiness, owned various properties of members the [[Quraysh]] entrusted to him and he asked [[Ali]] to stay behind to return them and to fulfill his obligations on his behalf. Muhammad asked Ali to wear his cloak and to lie down on his bed assuring him of God's protection. Ali wore Muhammad's cloak, leading the assassins to think Muhammad had not yet departed. Ali risked his life by staying in Mecca but ultimately survived the plot. He would later leave for Medina with his mother, [[Fatima bint Asad]], Muhammed's daughters [[Fatimah bint Muhammad|Fatimah]] and [[Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad|Umm Kulthum]], and two other women, Muhammad's wife [[Sawda bint Zamʿa|Sawda]] and wetnurse [[Umm Ayman]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PJxMAAAAcAAJ|last=Muir|first=William|title=The life of Mahomet Volume 2|date=1861|pages=258–59}}</ref><ref name="Al Mubarakpuri" />
[[File:Quba_Mosque.JPG|thumb|250px|[[Quba Mosque]], the first mosque in the history of Islam, at the outskirts of Medina. It was founded by Islamic prophet Muhammad when he immigrated to Medina]]
Not long after receiving the pledges, Muhammad instructed his [[Mecca|Meccan]] followers to relocate to [[Medina]]. The whole departure spanned about three months. To ensure that he did not arrive in Medina alone while his followers remained in Mecca, Muhammad chose not to go ahead and instead stayed behind to watch over them and persuade those who were reluctant.{{sfnp|Rodinson|2021|p=144}} Some of the [[Quraysh]] tried to dissuade their family members from leaving,{{sfnp|Fontaine|2022|p=246}}{{sfnp|Rodgers|2012|p=49}} but in the end, there were no Muslims left in Mecca.{{sfnp|Fontaine|2022|p=246}} Muhammad regarded this migration as an expulsion by the Quraysh.{{sfnp|Rodgers|2012|p=49}}


Muhammad and Abu Bakr left the city and took shelter in a cave atop the [[Jabal Thawr|Thawr mountain]] south of Mecca before continuing their journey to elude the Quraysh party pursuing them led by [[Suraqa bin Malik]]. They stayed in the cave for three days before resuming their journey. During the journey, whenever Suraqa neared Muhammad and Abu Bakr, Suraqa's horse stumbled until he finally gave up on the desire of capturing Muhammad.<ref name="Al Mubarakpuri">{{cite book |last= Al Mubarakpuri |first= Safi ur Rahman |chapter= On the Road to Madina |title= Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum – The Sealed Nectar: Biography of the Noble Prophet |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r_80rJHIaOMC |access-date= 2011-11-11 |year= 2002 |publisher= Darussalam |isbn= 9960899551 }}</ref> Muhammad and Abu Bakr turned to the [[Red Sea]], following the coastline up to Medina, arriving at [[Quba Mosque|Quba']]. He stopped at Quba' and established a [[mosque]] there. He waited there for fourteen days for Ali and his family to join him. Thereafter he continued to Medina, participated in their first Friday prayer on the way. Upon reaching the city, they were greeted cordially by its people.
Islamic tradition relates that, in light of the unfolding events, one of the Quraysh chiefs, [[Amr ibn Hisham|Abu Jahl]], Muhammad's childhood friend-turned-enemy,{{sfnp|Gabriel|2007|p=101}} proposed a joint assassination of Muhammad by representatives of each Quraysh clan. Having been informed of this by the angel Gabriel, Muhammad asked his cousin [[Ali]] to lie on his bed covered with his green hadrami cloak, assuring him that it would keep him safe.{{sfnp|Peters|1994|p=186–7}} Muhammad then went with [[Abu Bakr]] to a cave in [[Jabal Thawr|Mount Thawr]], about an hour's walk south of Mecca, and hid there.{{sfnp|Rodinson|2021|p=145}} Abu Bakr's children and servants, who were still in Mecca, regularly brought them food.{{sfnp|Rodgers|2012|p=51}} After three days in hiding, they set out for Medina on camels that Abu Bakr had bought in advance, and accompanied by a guide, Abdallah ibn Arqat, who was a pagan.{{sfnp|Rodinson|2021|p=145}}


== Aftermath and legacy ==
== Aftermath and legacy ==
Muhammad's followers suffered from poverty after fleeing persecution in Mecca and migrating with Muhammad to Medina. Their Meccan persecutors seized their wealth and belongings left behind in Mecca.<ref name="Esposito4">John Esposito, ''Islam'', Expanded edition, Oxford University Press, pp. 4–5.</ref> Beginning in January 623, Muhammad led several raids against Meccan caravans travelling along the eastern coast of the [[Red Sea]]. Members of different [[Tribes of Arabia|tribes]] were thus unified by the urgency of the moment. This unity was primarily based on the bonds of kinship.<ref name="Esposito4" /><ref>William Montgomery Watt, ''Muhammad at Mecca'', Oxford, 1953, pp. 16–18.</ref><ref name="Rue">{{cite book|last=Rue|first=Loyal D.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yy0Z_8ha8ggC|title=Religion is Not about God: How Spiritual Traditions Nurture Our Biological Nature and what to Expect when They Fail|publisher=Rutgers University Press|year=2005|isbn=978-0813535111|author-link=Loyal Rue}} p. 224.</ref>
Muhammad's followers suffered from poverty after fleeing persecution in Mecca and migrating with Muhammad to Medina. Their Meccan persecutors seized their wealth and belongings left behind in Mecca.<ref name="Esposito4" /> Beginning in January 623, Muhammad led several raids against Meccan caravans travelling along the eastern coast of the [[Red Sea]]. Members of different [[Tribes of Arabia|tribes]] were thus unified by the urgency of the moment. This unity was primarily based on the bonds of kinship.<ref name="Esposito4">John Esposito, ''Islam'', Expanded edition, Oxford University Press, pp. 4–5.</ref><ref>William Montgomery Watt, ''Muhammad at Mecca'', Oxford, 1953, pp. 16–18.</ref><ref name="Rue">{{cite book|last=Rue|first=Loyal D.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yy0Z_8ha8ggC|title=Religion is Not about God: How Spiritual Traditions Nurture Our Biological Nature and what to Expect when They Fail|publisher=Rutgers University Press|year=2005|isbn=978-0813535111|author-link=Loyal Rue}} p. 224.</ref>
 
The [[Constitution of Medina]] formalised Prophet Muhammad as the [[Chief Justice]],<ref>Sallābi, A. (2001) Ar‑Rahmatul‑lil‑‘Alameen. Cairo: Dar al-Tawheed.</ref><ref>Ibn Hishām, A. (1955) As‑Sīrah an‑Nabawiyyah, Vol. 1–2. Cairo: Dar al‑Kutub.</ref> making him as the foremost judicial authority responsible for resolving conflicts and overseeing judicial welfare of Medina. This later unified the diverse tribal groups, including the Jewish tribes, and ended long‑standing internecine tensions. Prophet Muhammad exercised ultimate decision making in [[dispute resolution]], explaining the law, and maintenance of [[public order]].<ref>Mubārakfūrī, S. (1996) Ar‑Raheeq al‑Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar). Riyadh: Darussalam.</ref><ref>Al‑Bukhārī, M. (n.d.) Ṣaḥīḥ al‑Bukhārī, Kitāb al‑Sulḥ and Kitāb al‑Aḥkām (reports of people seeking the Prophet’s arbitration).</ref>


The second [[Rashidun]] [[Rashidun Caliphate|Caliph]], [[Omar|Umar ibn Al-Khattab]], designated the Muslim year during which the Hegira occurred the first year of the [[Islamic calendar]] in 638 or the 17th year of the Hegira. This was later [[Linguistic Latinisation|Latinized]] to ''Anno hegirae,'' the abbreviation of which is still used to denote Hijri dates today.<ref name="Shamsi" /> Burnaby states that: "Historians in general assert that Muhammad fled from Mecca at the commencement of the third month of the Arabian year, Rabi 'u-l-awwal. They do not agree as to the precise day. According to Ibn-Ishak, it was on the first or second day of the month;"<ref>Sherrard Beaumont Burnaby, [[iarchive:elementsofjewish00burnuoft|''Elements of the Jewish and Muhammadan calendars'']] (1901).</ref>
The second [[Rashidun]] [[Rashidun Caliphate|Caliph]], [[Omar|Umar ibn Al-Khattab]], designated the Muslim year during which the Hegira occurred the first year of the [[Islamic calendar]] in 638 or the 17th year of the Hegira. This was later [[Linguistic Latinisation|Latinized]] to {{lang|la|Anno Hegirae}}, the abbreviation of which is still used to denote Hijri dates today.<ref name="Shamsi">{{cite journal |last1=Shamsi |first1=F. A. |year=1984 |title=The Date of Hijrah |journal=Islamic Studies |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=189–224 |doi=10.52541/isiri.v23i04.5909 |jstor=20847270}}<br />
{{cite journal |last1=Shamsi |first1=F. A. |year=1984 |title=The Date of Hijrah |journal=Islamic Studies |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=289–323 |doi=10.52541/isiri.v23i04.5909 |jstor=20847277}}</ref> Burnaby states that: "Historians in general assert that Muhammad fled from Mecca at the commencement of the third month of the Arabian year, {{transliteration|ar|Rabi 'u-l-awwal}}. They do not agree as to the precise day. According to Ibn-Ishak, it was on the first or second day of the month".<ref>Sherrard Beaumont Burnaby, [[iarchive:elementsofjewish00burnuoft|''Elements of the Jewish and Muhammadan calendars'']] (1901).</ref>


Several Islamic historians and scholars, including [[Al-Biruni|Al Biruni]], [[Ibn Sa'd]], and [[Ibn Hisham]], have discussed these dates in depth.<ref>[[Armand-Pierre Caussin de Perceval|Caussin de Perceval]] writing in 1847 as reported in 1901 by Sherrard Beaumont Burnaby, [[iarchive:elementsofjewish00burnuoft|''Elements of the Jewish and Muhammadan calendars'']] (London: 1901) 374–75.</ref> The hypothetical dates of the major milestones of the Hegira are calculated by retrocalculating the dates in the current Islamic calendar. When the [[tabular Islamic calendar]] was invented by Muslim astronomers, it changed all the known dates by about 118 days or four lunar months. The Muslim dates of the Hijrah are those recorded in an original [[lunisolar]] [[pre-Islamic Arabian calendar]] that was never converted into the purely lunar calendar to account for the four [[Intercalation (timekeeping)|intercalary months]] inserted during the next nine years until [[Intercalary month|intercalary months]] (''[[Nasīʾ|nasī]]''<nowiki/>') were prohibited during the year of the [[Farewell Pilgrimage]] (10 AH).
Several Islamic historians and scholars, including [[Al-Biruni|Al Biruni]], [[Ibn Sa'd]], and [[Ibn Hisham]], have discussed these dates in depth.<ref>[[Armand-Pierre Caussin de Perceval|Caussin de Perceval]] writing in 1847 as reported in 1901 by Sherrard Beaumont Burnaby, [[iarchive:elementsofjewish00burnuoft|''Elements of the Jewish and Muhammadan calendars'']] (London: 1901) 374–75.</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
* [[Laylat al-Mabit]] (Muhammad's escape from Mecca)
* {{anl|Battle of Badr}}
* [[Battle of Badr]]
* {{anl|Early Muslim conquests}}
* [[Glossary of Islam|List of Islamic terms in Arabic]]
* [[Glossary of Islam]]{{snd}}Romanised words from Arabic or Persian
* [[Hajj]]
* {{anl|Hajj}}
* [[Prophetic biography]]
* {{anl|Laylat al-Mabit}}
* [[List of expeditions of Muhammad]]
* [[List of expeditions of Muhammad]]
* {{anl|Rakuba}}
* {{anl|Sīrah}}


==Notes==
==Notes==
Line 50: Line 60:
==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Holt |first1=Peter Malcolm |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4AuJvd2Tyt8C |title=The Cambridge History of Islam |last2=Lambton |first2=Ann K. S. |last3=Lewis |first3=Bernard |date=1978 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-29135-4 |language=en|ref={{harvid|Holt et al.|1978}}}}
* {{Cite book |last=Gil |first=Moshe |title=A History of Palestine, 634–1099 |date=27 February 1997 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-59984-9 |oclc=779476694}}
* {{Citation |title=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume III (H-Iram): [Fasc. 41-60, 60a] |date=1998-06-26 |url=https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/1482 |editor-last=Schacht |access-date=2023-06-21 |publisher=Brill |language=en |isbn=978-90-04-08118-5 |editor2-last=Lewis |editor3-last=Pellat |editor4-last=Ménage|ref = {{harvid|Schacht et al.|1998}}}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Gibb |first1=Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen |title=The Encyclopaedia of Islam: Vol. 1- |last2=Lewis |first2=Brian |last3=Donzel |first3=Emeri J. van |last4=Bosworth |first4=Clifford Edmund |date=1986 |publisher=E.J. Brill |oclc=872092039 |ref = {{harvid|Gibb et al.|1986}}}}
* {{Cite book |last=Lewis |first=Bernard |date=2002 |url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-arabs-in-history-9780192803108?cc=us&lang=en& |title=The Arabs in History |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-280310-8 |location=Oxford, New York}}
*{{Cite book |last=Rodgers |first=Russ  |title=The Generalship of Muhammad: Battles and Campaigns of the Prophet of Allah |date=2012 |publisher=University Press of Florida |isbn=978-0-8130-3766-0 |oclc=797916550}}
*{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Buhl |first1=F. |last2=Welch |first2=A.T. |date=1993 |entry=Muḥammad |entry-url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/muhammad-COM_0780 |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia of Islam]] |edition=2nd |publisher=Brill |volume=7 |isbn=978-90-04-09419-2 }}
*{{Cite book |last=Gabriel |first=Richard A. |author-link=Richard A. Gabriel  |title=Muhammad: Islam's First Great General |date=2007 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |isbn=978-0-8061-3860-2 |oclc=78788501}}
*{{Cite book |last=Peters |first=F. E. |oclc=1132222513 |title=Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: The Classical Texts and Their Interpretation, Volume I: From Covenant to Community |date=2021-03-09 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-22682-8 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Glubb |first=Sir John Bagot |oclc=50273853 |title=The Life and Times of Muhammad |date=2001 |publisher=Cooper Square Press |isbn=978-0-8154-1176-5 }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Holt |first1=Peter Malcolm |oclc=828737664 |title=The Cambridge History of Islam |last2=Lambton |first2=Ann K. S. |last3=Lewis |first3=Bernard |date=1978 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-29135-4 |ref={{harvid|Holt et al.|1978}}}}
*{{Cite book |last=Muranyi |first=Miklos |oclc=1338681712 |title=The Life of Muhammad |date=1998 |publisher=Ashgate |isbn=978-0-86078-703-7}}
* {{Cite book |last=Gordon |first=Matthew |oclc=57613641 |title=The Rise of Islam |date=30 May 2005 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-32522-9 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Rodinson |first=Maxime |oclc=1150849724 |title=Muhammad |date=2 March 2021 |publisher=New York Review of Books |isbn=978-1-68137-493-2}}
* {{Cite book |last=Fontaine |first=P. F. M. |oclc=1348484291 |title=Imperialism in Medieval History I: Dualism in Byzantine History 476–638 and Dualism in Islam 572–732 |date=4 October 2022 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-50234-5 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Peters |first=F. E. |oclc=42636559 |title=Muhammad and the Origins of Islam |date=6 April 1994 |publisher=State University of New York Press |isbn=978-1-4384-1597-0 }}
*{{cite book |title=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume III (H-Iram): [Fasc. 41-60, 60a] |date=1998-06-26 |url=https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/1482 |editor-last=Schacht |access-date=2023-06-21 |publisher=Brill |oclc=223374133 |isbn=978-90-04-08118-5 |editor2-last=Lewis |editor3-last=Pellat |editor4-last=Ménage|ref = {{harvid|Schacht et al.|1998}}}}
* {{Cite book |last=Lewis |first=Bernard |date=2002 |url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-arabs-in-history-9780192803108?cc=us&lang=en& |title=The Arabs in History |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-280310-8 |location=Oxford, New York |oclc=784886690}}
*{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Buhl |first1=F. |last2=Welch |first2=A.T. |date=1993 |entry=Muḥammad |entry-url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/muhammad-COM_0780 |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia of Islam]] |edition=2nd |publisher=Brill |volume=7 |isbn=978-90-04-09419-2 |oclc=872092039}}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
{{NIE Poster|year=1905|Hejira}}
{{sister project links||d=Q131482|c=Category:Hijra|n=no|q=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|s=Hejira|wikt=no|species=no}}
*[http://www.seratonline.com/23486/is-there-any-virtue-for-abu-bakr-in-the-incident-of-the-cave/ Incident of the cave]
*[http://www.seratonline.com/23486/is-there-any-virtue-for-abu-bakr-in-the-incident-of-the-cave/ Incident of the cave]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040210040119/http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/ihame/Sec2.htm IslamiCity.com article on the Hijrah]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040210040119/http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/ihame/Sec2.htm IslamiCity.com article on the Hijrah]
* [http://abdurrahman.org/jihad/ Articles, audios on the Hijrah]


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

Latest revision as of 16:47, 11 March 2026


This article is about the Arabic word. For other uses, see Hijrah (disambiguation).
"Hejira" redirects here. For the British jazz band, see Hejira (band). For the Joni Michell album, see Hejira (album).
Islamic miniature depicting Jibril delivering to Muhammad a message from God telling him to undertake the Hijrah

The Hijrah[lower-alpha 1], (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.) also Hegira (from Medieval Latin), was the journey the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers took from Mecca to Medina.[3][4] The year in which the Hijrah took place is also identified as the epoch of the Lunar Hijri[lower-alpha 2] and Solar Hijri calendars; its date equates to 16 July 622 in the Julian calendar.[5][6][lower-alpha 3]

Early in Muhammad's preaching of Islam, his followers only included his close friends and relatives. Following the spread of his religion. Muhammad and his small faction of Muslims then faced several challenges including a boycott of Muhammad's clan, torture, killing, and other forms of religious persecution by the Meccans. Toward the end of the decade, Abu Talib, Muhammad's uncle, who supported him amidst the leaders of Mecca, died. Finally, the leaders of Mecca ordered the assassination of Muhammad, which was to be executed by 11 men with swords.[9]

In May 622, after having convened twice with members of the Medinan tribes of Aws and Khazraj at al-'Aqabah near Mina, Muhammad secretly left his home in Mecca to emigrate to their city, along with his friend, father-in-law and companion Abu Bakr.[10]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Hijrah is a romanization of the Arabic word هجرة 'to depart to', 'to migrate to' or 'to move away from'.[1][2] The first stem of the verbal root H-J-R, hajara, means 'to cut off someone from friendly association; to avoid association with'; the third stem, hājara, means 'a mutual termination of friendly relations by leaving or departing'. The word has been mistranslated, without proper context, as 'a severing of ties of kinship or association'.[11] Since 1753, the word has also been used to refer to an exodus in English.[12]

Background[edit | edit source]

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Situation in Medina[edit | edit source]

Located more than 260 miles (420 km) north of Mecca, Medina is a verdant oasis.[13] According to Muslim sources, the city was founded by Jews who had survived the revolt against the Romans.[14] While agriculture was far from the domain of the Arab tribes, the Jews were excellent farmers who cultivated the land in the oases.[14] In addition to several smaller Jewish clans, there were three major Jewish tribes in the city: Banu Qaynuqa, Banu Nadir and Banu Qurayza.[15] Over time, Arab tribes from southern Arabia migrated to the city and settled alongside the Jewish community.[14] The Arab tribes comprised Banu Aws and Banu Khazraj, both known collectively as Banu Qayla.[16] Prior to 620, these two Arab tribes had been fighting for nearly a hundred years.[13] Each of them had tried to court the support of the Jewish tribes, which occasionally led to infighting among the latter.[13]

Muhammad's encounters with Banu Aws and Banu Khazraj[edit | edit source]

In 620, having lost all hope of winning converts among his fellow townspeople, Muhammad limited his efforts to non-Meccans who attended fairs or made pilgrimages.[17] During these efforts, Muhammad met six members of the Banu Khazraj tribe who were visiting Mecca, on a pilgrimage to the holy sites around the city. These six individuals had a history of raiding Jews in their locality, who in turn had warned them that a prophet would come, and with his help, the Jews would obliterate them. Upon hearing Muhammad's religious message, the six individuals said to each other, "This is the very prophet of whom the Jews warned us; don't let them get to him before us!" After embracing Islam, they returned to Medina and shared their encounter, hoping that by having their people—the Khazraj and the Aws, who had been at odds for so long—accept Islam and adopt Muhammad as their leader, unity could be achieved between them.[18][19]

In February 621, five earlier converts met with Muhammad again.[20][page needed] They were accompanied by seven new converts, including two people from the Banu Aws tribe. This gathering took place at the al-'Aqaba mountain pass, located just north of Mecca near the trade route. At the meeting, they took a pledge to Muhammad, known as the "pledge of women."[21][22] It was so called because it contained no obligation to fight for Islam. One of the main tenets of this pledge was to renounce idols and affirm Allah as the only deity, with Muhammad as their leader. Muhammad then entrusted Mus'ab ibn Umayr to accompany them on their return to Medina to promote Islam.[23][24]

In the pilgrimage season of 622, Muhammad had another meeting in Aqaba with the Medinan converts;[23] this time, there were 75 of them, including 2 women.[25] Muhammad's uncle al-Abbas, who accompanied him, made a speech at the beginning, declaring that Muhammad was "the most respected person among his kinsmen." This is quite in contrast with the fact that Muhammad had received strong opposition from his other uncle, Abu Lahab, as well as Abu Jahl and other Quraysh leaders. Al-Abbas also falsely stated that Muhammad had rejected offers from all but the men of Medina in an apparent attempt to create a sense of exclusivity and importance among them. Historical records, however, show that they were among the last groups Muhammad had tried to approach and that he had no other offers available.[26]

Muhammad himself then spoke and invited their allegiance, asking them to protect him as they would their women and children.[27][19] One of them, al-Bara, readily agreed, emphasizing the military prowess of his people. The other however, Abu al-Haytham, expressed concern that if they took the pledge and severed their ties with the Jews, Muhammad would return to his people after they gave him victories. Muhammad assured them that he was now one with them and would share their fate in war and peace.[26][28] Twelve delegates, three from the Aws and nine from the Khazraj, were then selected to oversee the implementation of this pact.[25] When the group inquired about the reward for their loyalty, Muhammad simply replied, "Paradise." They then took the oath, also known as the pledge of war.[29][30][26]

Migration[edit | edit source]

File:Quba Mosque.JPG
Quba Mosque, the first mosque in the history of Islam, at the outskirts of Medina. It was founded by Islamic prophet Muhammad when he immigrated to Medina

Not long after receiving the pledges, Muhammad instructed his Meccan followers to relocate to Medina. The whole departure spanned about three months. To ensure that he did not arrive in Medina alone while his followers remained in Mecca, Muhammad chose not to go ahead and instead stayed behind to watch over them and persuade those who were reluctant.[25] Some of the Quraysh tried to dissuade their family members from leaving,[31][32] but in the end, there were no Muslims left in Mecca.[31] Muhammad regarded this migration as an expulsion by the Quraysh.[32]

Islamic tradition relates that, in light of the unfolding events, one of the Quraysh chiefs, Abu Jahl, Muhammad's childhood friend-turned-enemy,[33] proposed a joint assassination of Muhammad by representatives of each Quraysh clan. Having been informed of this by the angel Gabriel, Muhammad asked his cousin Ali to lie on his bed covered with his green hadrami cloak, assuring him that it would keep him safe.[34] Muhammad then went with Abu Bakr to a cave in Mount Thawr, about an hour's walk south of Mecca, and hid there.[35] Abu Bakr's children and servants, who were still in Mecca, regularly brought them food.[36] After three days in hiding, they set out for Medina on camels that Abu Bakr had bought in advance, and accompanied by a guide, Abdallah ibn Arqat, who was a pagan.[35]

Aftermath and legacy[edit | edit source]

Muhammad's followers suffered from poverty after fleeing persecution in Mecca and migrating with Muhammad to Medina. Their Meccan persecutors seized their wealth and belongings left behind in Mecca.[37] Beginning in January 623, Muhammad led several raids against Meccan caravans travelling along the eastern coast of the Red Sea. Members of different tribes were thus unified by the urgency of the moment. This unity was primarily based on the bonds of kinship.[37][38][39]

The Constitution of Medina formalised Prophet Muhammad as the Chief Justice,[40][41] making him as the foremost judicial authority responsible for resolving conflicts and overseeing judicial welfare of Medina. This later unified the diverse tribal groups, including the Jewish tribes, and ended long‑standing internecine tensions. Prophet Muhammad exercised ultimate decision making in dispute resolution, explaining the law, and maintenance of public order.[42][43]

The second Rashidun Caliph, Umar ibn Al-Khattab, designated the Muslim year during which the Hegira occurred the first year of the Islamic calendar in 638 or the 17th year of the Hegira. This was later Latinized to Anno Hegirae, the abbreviation of which is still used to denote Hijri dates today.[44] Burnaby states that: "Historians in general assert that Muhammad fled from Mecca at the commencement of the third month of the Arabian year, Rabi 'u-l-awwal. They do not agree as to the precise day. According to Ibn-Ishak, it was on the first or second day of the month".[45]

Several Islamic historians and scholars, including Al Biruni, Ibn Sa'd, and Ibn Hisham, have discussed these dates in depth.[46]

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Script error: The function "langx" does not exist., originally 'a severing of ties of kinship or association'[1][2]
  2. ↑ commonly known in the West as 'the' Islamic calendar, though both calendars are used by Muslims.
  3. ↑ 1 Muharram of the new fixed calendar corresponded to Friday, 16 July 622 CE, the equivalent civil tabular date (same daylight period) in the Julian calendar. The Islamic day began at the preceding sunset on the evening of 15 July. This Julian date (16 July) was determined by medieval Muslim astronomers by projecting back in time their own tabular Islamic calendar, which had alternating 30- and 29-day months in each lunar year plus eleven leap days every 30 years. For example, al-Biruni mentioned this Julian date in the year 1000 CE.[7] Although not used by either medieval Muslim astronomers or modern scholars to determine the Islamic epoch, the thin crescent moon would have also first become visible (assuming clouds did not obscure it) shortly after the preceding sunset on the evening of 15 July, 1.5 days after the associated dark moon (astronomical new moon) on the morning of 14 July.[8]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 (Schacht et al. 1998, p. 366)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 (Holt et al. 1978, p. 40)
  3. ↑ Shaikh, Fazlur Rehman (2001). Chronology of Prophetic Events. London: Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd. pp. 51–52.
  4. ↑ Marom, Roy (Fall 2017). "Approaches to the Research of Early Islam: The Hijrah in Western Historiography". Jamma'a. 23: vii.
  5. ↑ Burnaby, Sherrard Beaumont (1901). Elements of the Jewish and Muhammadan calendars. pp. 373–5, 382–4.
  6. ↑ Dershowitz, Nachum; Reingold, Edward (2018). "Table 1.2 Epochs for various calendars". Calendrical Calculations (Third ed.). O'Reilly. p. 17. ISBN 9781108546935. OCLC 1137352777.
  7. ↑ al-Biruni, The chronology of ancient nations, tr. C. Edward Sachau (1000/1879) 327.
  8. ↑ "NASA phases of the moon 601–700". Archived from the original on 8 October 2010.
  9. ↑ Mubarakpuri, Safiur Rahman (6 October 2020). The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-makhtum): Biography of the Noble Prophet Muhammad -Peace Be Upon Him-. Independently Published. ISBN 979-8-6941-4592-3.
  10. ↑ Moojan Momen (1985), An Introduction to Shi'i Islam: History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi'ism, Yale University Press, New edition 1987, p. 5.
  11. ↑ (Schacht et al. 1998, p. 366)
  12. ↑ "Definition of HEGIRA". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Holt et al. (1978), p. 39.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Gil (1997), p. 11.
  15. ↑ Rodgers (2012), p. 54.
  16. ↑ Gibb et al. (1986), p. 514.
  17. ↑ Fontaine (2022), p. 244.
  18. ↑ Rodinson (2021), p. 142–3.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Peters (2021), p. 211.
  20. ↑ Rodgers (2012).
  21. ↑ "THE FIRST AQABAH PLEDGE". IslamBasics.com. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  22. ↑ Gabriel, Richard A. (22 October 2014). Muhammad: Islam's First Great General. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-8250-6.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Rodgers (2012), p. 47.
  24. ↑ Rodinson (2021), p. 143–4.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Rodinson (2021), p. 144.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Rodgers (2012), p. 48.
  27. ↑ Fontaine (2022), p. 245.
  28. ↑ Peters (1994), p. 212.
  29. ↑ Glubb (2001), p. 144.
  30. ↑ Gabriel (2007), p. 61.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Fontaine (2022), p. 246.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Rodgers (2012), p. 49.
  33. ↑ Gabriel (2007), p. 101.
  34. ↑ Peters (1994), p. 186–7.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Rodinson (2021), p. 145.
  36. ↑ Rodgers (2012), p. 51.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 John Esposito, Islam, Expanded edition, Oxford University Press, pp. 4–5.
  38. ↑ William Montgomery Watt, Muhammad at Mecca, Oxford, 1953, pp. 16–18.
  39. ↑ Rue, Loyal D. (2005). Religion is Not about God: How Spiritual Traditions Nurture Our Biological Nature and what to Expect when They Fail. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0813535111. p. 224.
  40. ↑ Sallābi, A. (2001) Ar‑Rahmatul‑lil‑‘Alameen. Cairo: Dar al-Tawheed.
  41. ↑ Ibn Hishām, A. (1955) As‑Sīrah an‑Nabawiyyah, Vol. 1–2. Cairo: Dar al‑Kutub.
  42. ↑ Mubārakfūrī, S. (1996) Ar‑Raheeq al‑Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar). Riyadh: Darussalam.
  43. ↑ Al‑Bukhārī, M. (n.d.) Ṣaḥīḥ al‑Bukhārī, Kitāb al‑Sulḥ and Kitāb al‑Aḥkām (reports of people seeking the Prophet’s arbitration).
  44. ↑ Shamsi, F. A. (1984). "The Date of Hijrah". Islamic Studies. 23 (3): 189–224. doi:10.52541/isiri.v23i04.5909. JSTOR 20847270.
    Shamsi, F. A. (1984). "The Date of Hijrah". Islamic Studies. 23 (4): 289–323. doi:10.52541/isiri.v23i04.5909. JSTOR 20847277.
  45. ↑ Sherrard Beaumont Burnaby, Elements of the Jewish and Muhammadan calendars (1901).
  46. ↑ Caussin de Perceval writing in 1847 as reported in 1901 by Sherrard Beaumont Burnaby, Elements of the Jewish and Muhammadan calendars (London: 1901) 374–75.

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