Hijra
/ˈhɪdʒ.rə/noun
The migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, or Muslim migration undertaken for religious reasons.
Did you know?The Hijra of 622 CE became the starting point of the Islamic Hijri calendar, so a physical journey became a system for measuring sacred time.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
h-j-r
“A root associated with leaving, abandoning, or separating from someone or something.”
7th Century CE
Quranic Arabic
hijra
“Migration or departure, especially undertaken for faith or religious allegiance.”
622 CE
Arabic
al-Hijra
“The migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina.”
Medieval Period
Arabic
al-hijrah
“The foundational migration used to mark the beginning of the Islamic era.”
17th Century
English
Hegira
“An English form borrowed through European accounts, referring chiefly to Muhammad’s migration.”
Modern English
English
Hijra
“The standard transliteration for the Islamic migration and, more broadly, religious migration or exile.”