The Hijrah — the migration of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ from Makkah to Madīnah in the thirteenth year of Prophethood — was not merely a change of geography. It was a turning point in the history of Islam, a divine plan that transformed a persecuted community into a flourishing civilisation. So momentous was this event that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ؓ established it as the starting point of the Islamic calendar.
The Context: Thirteen Years of Persecution
For thirteen years in Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions endured mockery, torture, economic boycotts, and the killing of beloved members of the community. The Quraysh plotted to assassinate the Prophet ﷺ on the night of the Hijrah — each tribe sending a man so that responsibility would be distributed and the Banū Hāshim could not take revenge. Allah ﷻ informed His Prophet ﷺ of the plot and commanded him to leave.
“And remember when the disbelievers plotted against you to imprison you, kill you, or expel you. They planned, and Allah planned. But Allah is the best of planners.”
Sūrah al-Anfāl (8:30)
The Night of Departure
The Prophet ﷺ asked Sayyidunā ʿAlī ؓ to sleep in his bed to create the impression he was still at home, and departed with his closest companion Sayyidunā Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq ؓ. As he left, he recited the opening of Sūrah Yā-Sīn over the Quraysh who lay in wait, and threw dust upon their heads — not one of them saw him leave. (Ibn Hishām, al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah)
The two sought refuge in the Cave of Thawr for three days. When the Quraysh search party reached the cave entrance, Abū Bakr ؓ said in fear: “O Messenger of Allah, if one of them looks at his feet he will see us.” The Prophet ﷺ replied with complete certainty:
“O Abū Bakr, what do you think of two, the third of whom is Allah?”
Sūrah al-Tawbah (9:40)
The Arrival in Madīnah
The Prophet ﷺ arrived in Qubāʾ on Monday, 8 Rabī al-Awwal, and built the first mosque in Islam — Masjid Qubāʾ. He then entered Madīnah al-Munawwarah to scenes of extraordinary jubilation. The people of Madīnah came out singing Tālaʿa al-Badru ʿAlaynā — “The full moon has risen over us” — one of the most moving scenes in all of human history.
Lessons from the Hijrah
- Tawakkul — complete reliance on Allah. The Prophet ﷺ took every precaution while placing his trust entirely in Allah ﷻ. True tawakkul is not passivity — it is action combined with trust.
- Sacrifice for faith. The Muhājirūn left their homes, wealth, and families for the sake of Allah ﷻ. They are praised eternally in the Qurʾān.
- Brotherhood in Islam. In Madīnah, the Prophet ﷺ paired each Muhājir with an Anṣārī in a bond of brotherhood so strong that the Anṣār offered to share their wealth equally. This is the model of Islamic community.
- A new beginning is always possible. The Hijrah teaches us that hardship is never the end — it can be the doorway to something far greater.
May Allah ﷻ grant us the spirit of the Hijrah in our own lives — the courage to leave what displeases Him and migrate towards what pleases Him. Āmīn.
