Table of Contents
The Meaning and Centrality of the Hijrah
The Hijrah is the migration of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions from Mecca to Medina. It marks a turning point in Islamic history, when Islam moved from being a small persecuted community to a fully formed society. Although there were several migrations, such as the earlier migration to Abyssinia, when Muslims say “the Hijrah” in an absolute way they mean the migration to Medina in the thirteenth year of prophethood.
Hijrah is not just a historical event. It is a dividing line in the life of the Prophet ﷺ, a divider between weakness and strength, between isolation and community, and between persecution and the establishment of justice. The Companions understood its importance so much that later, in the time of ʿUmar ibn al Khattab رضي الله عنه, the Muslim calendar was set to begin from the year of the Hijrah, not from the birth of the Prophet ﷺ and not from the beginning of revelation.
The Qur’an itself refers to those who made Hijrah, and Allah praises them and promises them a great reward.
“And those who believed and emigrated and strove in the cause of Allah, and those who gave shelter and aided, it is they who are the believers in truth. For them is forgiveness and noble provision.”
(Qur’an 8:74)
In this verse Allah combines belief, migration, and striving with the support of the people of Medina, and calls such people “the believers in truth.” This shows how central the Hijrah was to the identity of the first Muslims.
The calendar of Muslims begins with the Hijrah because it marks the practical beginning of the organized Muslim community and state, not merely the beginning of revelation.
The Context of the Hijrah
To understand why the Hijrah occurred, one must look at the growing hostility in Mecca after the Prophet ﷺ openly called to Tawḥīd and rejected idol worship. His message threatened the religious, social, and economic structure of Quraysh, who profited from the idols surrounding the Kaʿbah. As more people accepted Islam, the opposition intensified.
The Qur’an describes the persecution and the response of the believers.
“Then indeed, your Lord to those who emigrated after they had been put to trial and then strove hard and were patient, indeed, your Lord after that is surely Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
(Qur’an 16:110)
The early Muslims were tortured, boycotted, and socially isolated. Some were killed. Others had their property seized. When the Prophet ﷺ allowed some companions to migrate to Abyssinia, it was a temporary refuge, not yet the full transfer of the center of Islam. The Hijrah to Medina came later when Allah opened a new door for His Messenger and the believers.
At this stage, a group from the city of Yathrib, later called al Madinah al Munawwarah, had already met the Prophet ﷺ in the pilgrimage season and embraced Islam. They promised to support him and protect him as they would protect their own families. This pledge, known as the second pledge of ʿAqabah, laid the groundwork for the Hijrah.
Allah refers to those who migrated and those who welcomed them.
“And those who believed and emigrated and strove in the cause of Allah, and those who gave shelter and aided, they are allies of one another.”
(Qur’an 8:72)
Thus, the Hijrah was not only a movement away from persecution. It was also a movement towards a community that was ready to support and protect Islam.
Permission and Command to Migrate
Migration from Mecca to Medina did not happen suddenly without guidance. For years the Prophet ﷺ was patient in Mecca despite persecution. Only when Allah opened the path and prepared Medina as a safe harbor did the command to migrate become clear. The Qur’an addresses the believers who were able to migrate but remained among those who wronged them.
“Indeed, those whom the angels take in death while wronging themselves, they [the angels] will say, ‘In what condition were you?’ They will say, ‘We were oppressed in the land.’ They [the angels] will say, ‘Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?’ For such people, their refuge is Hell, and evil it is as a destination.”
(Qur’an 4:97)
This verse was understood by the early Muslims as a strong warning to those who could leave a place where they could not practice Islam openly but chose not to. It shows that Hijrah, when possible and necessary for the preservation of faith, is not merely a historical story but an act of obedience.
On the other hand, Allah excused those who truly had no ability to migrate.
“Except for the oppressed among men, women, and children who cannot devise a plan nor are they directed to a way.”
(Qur’an 4:98)
These verses show that the Hijrah was an act of worship linked to capacity and situation, not a duty disconnected from reality. It was a command tied to preserving the fundamental right to worship Allah alone.
When a Muslim cannot practice the basics of Islam openly in a place, and has the ability to move to a safer place, Hijrah becomes an obligation for that person, as indicated by Qur’an 4:97.
The Secret Plan and Divine Protection
Once permission to migrate was granted, the Prophet ﷺ began to instruct his companions to leave Mecca gradually. They did not all leave at once, which would have drawn too much attention. The Qur’an mentions believers who left their homes seeking the pleasure of Allah.
“And those who emigrated for the cause of Allah after they had been wronged, We will surely settle them in this world in a good place, but the reward of the Hereafter is greater, if only they could know.”
(Qur’an 16:41)
The enemy, Quraysh, understood that if the Prophet ﷺ reached Medina safely, he would have a base of support. So they planned to stop him. They agreed to choose men from each tribe to attack him all at once, so that his blood would be shared among the tribes, making it harder for anyone to seek revenge. The Qur’an hints at such plotting.
“And [remember, O Muhammad] when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or expel you. They were planning and Allah was planning, and Allah is the best of planners.”
(Qur’an 8:30)
This verse captures the atmosphere at the very moment of Hijrah. The enemies planned to imprison, kill, or expel the Prophet ﷺ. They had their strategy. Yet Allah calls His own plan superior. The Hijrah is a living example of this divine statement: human plotting cannot overcome Allah’s will.
According to authentic narrations, the Prophet ﷺ was informed of the plot and was commanded to leave. He left at night, placing ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه in his bed to return the trusts that people had left with him, even though many of those people were his enemies. This shows that even in the moment of danger, the Prophet ﷺ remained completely faithful to the rights of others.
The Role of Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه
Abū Bakr aṣ Siddīq رضي الله عنه was chosen by Allah to be the companion of the Prophet ﷺ in the Hijrah. His role is directly mentioned in the Qur’an.
“If you do not aid him, Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved drove him out as one of two, when they were in the cave, when he said to his companion, ‘Do not grieve, indeed Allah is with us.’ So Allah sent down His tranquility upon him and supported him with soldiers 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, Wise.”
(Qur’an 9:40)
In this verse, Allah calls Abū Bakr “his companion” and describes their time in the cave. This is a unique honor. The Prophet ﷺ said to Abū Bakr, “Do not grieve, indeed Allah is with us.” This statement reveals the deep trust in Allah’s presence and support during the dangerous journey.
The hadith literature records how Abū Bakr had long desired to be the companion in this migration. When permission finally came, he wept from joy. The famous incident in the cave of Thawr, when the pursuers came so close that Abū Bakr feared they would see them if they only looked down, is reported in authentic narrations. The Prophet ﷺ calmed him and recited the meaning which the Qur’an later preserved: “Do not grieve, indeed Allah is with us.”
The Prophetic emphasis on Abū Bakr’s companionship at this moment shows the importance of sincere, loyal allies in times of hardship and transition.
The Journey to Medina
The Hijrah journey itself was carefully planned and also supported by divine protection. The Prophet ﷺ and Abū Bakr stayed three nights in the cave of Thawr to let the search efforts cool down. They took an unusual route to confuse the trackers. A non Muslim guide who knew the desert paths well was hired, showing that Muslims may benefit from the skills of non Muslims in lawful matters.
The Qur’an describes Allah’s support for those who endured hardship in migration.
“And whoever emigrates for the cause of Allah will find on the earth many locations and abundance. And whoever leaves his home as an emigrant to Allah and His Messenger, then death overtakes him, his reward has already become incumbent upon Allah. And Allah is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
(Qur’an 4:100)
This verse gives a general rule taken from the example of the Hijrah. A person who leaves his home intending Allah and His Messenger, even if he dies before he arrives, is promised his reward with Allah. It is the intention and the effort that count.
During the journey, the Prophet ﷺ and Abū Bakr faced attempts to capture them, including the well known chase by Suraqah ibn Mālik. As some narrations mention, his horse stumbled again and again, and he realized he was facing divine protection and asked for safety. This event points to the unseen help that accompanies those protected by Allah.
The Reception in Medina and the Birth of a Community
When the Prophet ﷺ approached Medina, the atmosphere was completely different from Mecca. The people of Medina, who had believed in advance, were longing for his arrival. The Hijrah turned the scattered believers into two honored groups, a distinction the Qur’an itself uses: the Emigrants (Muhājirūn) who left Mecca, and the Helpers (Anṣār) who lived in Medina and supported them.
“And the first forerunners among the Emigrants and the Helpers, and those who followed them with good conduct, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.”
(Qur’an 9:100)
The arrival of the Prophet ﷺ unified these two groups. Their relationship is praised repeatedly in the Qur’an. The Anṣār shared their homes and wealth, and some even offered to divide their property with their refugee brothers who had left everything behind.
“And those who, before them, had homes [in Medina] and had adopted the faith, love those who emigrated to them and find not in their hearts any need for what they [the emigrants] were given, but give them preference over themselves, even though they are in privation.”
(Qur’an 59:9)
Hijrah was, therefore, not merely changing place. It was building a new type of brotherhood that was deeper than blood ties. Faith became the main bond. Soon after arrival, the Prophet ﷺ established a mosque and a social charter for Medina. These details belong to other chapters, but it is enough here to note that such community building was only possible because Hijrah allowed the believers to gather under one safe and organized environment.
Hijrah as a Spiritual Concept
Although the historical Hijrah to Medina happened once, the idea of Hijrah continues as a spiritual and moral principle until the Day of Judgment. The Prophet ﷺ explained that Hijrah is not only moving from one land to another, but also leaving sin and disobedience.
In an authentic hadith he said:
“The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe, and the emigrant (al muhājir) is the one who leaves what Allah has forbidden.”
(Bukhārī and Muslim)
This statement links physical migration with inner migration. The first generations made physical Hijrah for the sake of faith. Every believer is then invited to make an ongoing Hijrah away from sinful habits and towards obedience.
In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ spoke about the virtue of Hijrah and how it continues while there is struggle for the cause of Allah.
“Hijrah will not cease until repentance ceases, and repentance will not cease until the sun rises from the west.”
(Abū Dāwūd)
This shows that the door of migration in its broader sense, leaving what displeases Allah and moving towards what pleases Him, remains open as long as repentance is available.
True Hijrah today means leaving anything that harms faith, whether it is a place, an environment, or a habit, and moving towards what helps obedience to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
Lessons and Principles from the Hijrah
The Hijrah contains several enduring lessons that remain relevant for every generation. It teaches complete trust in Allah while also using every lawful means. The Prophet ﷺ tied his camel, planned routes, chose a guide, and hid in the cave, yet his heart relied only on Allah. This is captured in the words preserved in the Qur’an.
“Do not grieve, indeed Allah is with us.”
(Qur’an 9:40)
It also shows that sacrifice is an essential part of faith. The emigrants left their homes, family ties, and businesses to preserve their religion. Allah recognizes this sacrifice and repeatedly connects faith with migration and striving.
“Those who believed and emigrated and strove in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives are greater in rank in the sight of Allah. And it is those who are the attainers [of success]. Their Lord gives them good tidings of mercy from Him and approval and of gardens for them wherein is enduring pleasure.”
(Qur’an 9:20–21)
The Hijrah clarifies that sometimes protecting faith requires moving physically. At other times, it requires inner movement, such as changing friends, jobs, or habits that lead to disobedience. The principle is the same: movement for the sake of Allah.
Finally, the Hijrah marks the beginning of Islam as a complete way of life in society. Only after the Hijrah were many laws revealed in detail. Prayer in its full form, fasting, charity, and other rulings were established in the Medinan period. For this reason, the Hijrah is not just a story of escape. It is the step that allowed the full development of an Islamic community built upon Tawḥīd, justice, and mercy.
The journey from Mecca to Medina shows that hardship can be the path to greater good, that divine support comes when believers combine patience with action, and that the true home of the believer is wherever Allah is obeyed and His Messenger ﷺ is followed.