Hijrah (Macca to Medina)
What is the Hijrah? Why is it important?
Why did the Holy Prophet migrate to Medina?
What does the Hijra symbolize in Islam?
What is the difference between Mecca and Medina?
قال تعالى
إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ثَانِىَ ٱثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِى ٱلْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَـٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَا ۖ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُۥ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلسُّفْلَىٰ ۗ وَكَلِمَةُ
ٱللَّهِ هِىَ ٱلْعُلْيَا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
سورة التوبة:40
˹It does not matter˺ if you ˹believers˺ do not support him, for Allah did in fact support him when the disbelievers drove him out ˹of Mecca˺ and he was only one of two. While they both were in the cave, he reassured his companion,1 “Do not worry; Allah is certainly with us.” So Allah sent down His serenity upon the Prophet, supported him with forces you ˹believers˺ did not see, and made the word of the disbelievers lowest, while the Word of Allah is supreme. And Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.
The incident of Hijrah took place in the early seventh century where the early Muslims had to move from Makkah to Madinah seeking freedom where they can practice their religion freely. It was a migration away from harm, persecution, oppression, polytheism, and disbelief to peace, security, justice, and Islam. It was a migration towards saving the new message of Islam and establishing a fresh society, in which Islam would flourish and spread all over the world.
The Prophet (PBUH) began encouraging the Muslims to emigrate to Madinah where there are Muslim communities are welcoming them to come over and live with them are they one unity.
The Quraish “The opposing power” did their best to hinder the Hijrah. They had rejected Islam and they didn’t want the Muslims to settle somewhere else and spread its message. So the Muslims often emigrated at night, secretly leaving Makkah in small groups until only a few of them were left.
The Prophet (PBUH) and Abu Bakr (RA) – His closest friend - were among the last Muslims to leave. The Quraish had actually conspired to kill the Prophet (PBUH) on the same night that he planned to leave, and they awaited him outside his house. But Allāh concealed the Prophet (PBUH) from their eyes and he passed by them safely. Meanwhile, his cousin Ali (RA) lay in the Prophet’s bed reciting Qur’ān, and the Quraish assumed the Prophet (PBUH) was still in the house.
The Quraish had offered a reward of a hundred camels to whoever brought the Prophet (PBUH) back to Makkah, even if they had to kill him to do so. Therefore, the Prophet (PBUH) and Abu Bakr (RA) took difficult routes as they crossed the desert and, with Allāh’s protection, avoided the conspiracy of the Quraish.
After the Hijrah, the Ansar – the supportive - (People who used to live in Madina) lived side-by-side with the Muhajirun, the Emigrants, wholeheartedly welcoming the people who had left everything behind.
