In Arabic, hijra literally means “to leave” or “to migrate” — but not just any departure. It describes leaving with a purpose: escaping hardship or persecution to reach somewhere safer, or to pursue something greater.
The word’s root
Hijra comes from the three-letter Arabic root h-j-r, which at its core means “to distance oneself” or “to abandon.” In the Quran and in classical Arabic more broadly, this root covers both leaving a place and leaving behind a behavior or state — for instance, hajr al-dhunub, “abandoning sin.” What sets hijra apart from an ordinary trip is exactly this weight of meaning: a deliberate break from home, safety, or the status quo, for the sake of something that matters more.
Not just another journey
When we say the Prophet of Islam made the hijra, we don’t just mean he traveled from Mecca to Yathrib. He and his companions had spent years under economic and social pressure from the Quraysh; the hijra was a decision to leave that situation behind and build a new community where they could live freely. That’s why, in Islamic tradition, muhajir — “one who migrates” — is a title carrying real weight, not simply a word for a traveler.
Why does the Islamic calendar begin with the hijra?
The Islamic lunar calendar used across much of the Muslim world today starts counting from the year of the Prophet’s hijra (622 CE) — not from his birth or death. This choice was formalized under the second caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab. The reasoning: the hijra marked the moment the fledgling Muslim community first took shape freely and with stability — not a birth or a death, but the starting point of a community itself.
Curious about the full story behind the hijra — the pressures, the decision, and the journey itself? Read Why Did the Prophet of Islam Migrate to Medina? on the Noorjoo magazine. For his complete life story, visit his page on Noorjoo.
Sources
- Ibn Hisham (based on the narration of Ibn Ishaq), Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya
- W. Montgomery Watt, Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman
- Encyclopaedia of Islam, Brill