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The Hijri calendar was established by the second rightly guided Caliph and the Prophet’s close companion, Umar ibn al-Khattab, in 637/638 AD.
According to al-Jabarti, the great chronicler of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Abu Musa al-Ash’ari wrote to the then Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab saying: “We have received letters from the Commander of the Faithful, but we do not know which one to obey.
We read a document dated [en el mes de] Sha’ban, but we do not know which of the Sha’bans it refers to: the month that has passed or the month that is to come?”
After consulting the Companions of the Prophet, Umar ibn al-Khattab established the year of the Prophet’s migration as the beginning of the Islamic calendar as it was the most important event in the Islamic world at that time.
The Islamic calendar is usually abbreviated in the Western languages of Latin ‘Anno Hegirae’, ‘the year of the Hijrah’.
The Islamic calendar consists of twelve lunar months.
These are (1) Muharram, (2) Safar, (3) Rabi al-Awwal, (4) Rabbi al-Thani, (5) Jumada al-Awwal, (6) Jumada al-Thani, (7) Rajab, (8) Sha’ban, (9) Ramadan, (10) Shawwal, (11) Dhul-Qi’dah, (12) Dhul-Hijjah.
Lexical Meaning of Hiyrah
The word Hijrah comes from the root h/y/r.
These Arabic letters indicate movement and locomotion.
In any order, the letters convey audibility of sound.
And because sound causes movement in the air and moves from one place to another, from the speaker’s mouth to the listener’s ears, the root letters also connote transport and movement.
Hijrah from one place to another involves movement and transportation.
In the Hans Wehrs Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, the meanings listed for the noun “Hijrah” include: departure, departure, emigration, exodus, and immigration, while the meanings listed for the verb “hayara” include: to emigrate; dissociate, separate, stay separate (from), be part of the company (with); surrender, renunciation, avoidance; abandon, surrender, leave, give up, vacate; Defect to each other, separate, separate, break.
In Islamic tradition, the word “Hijrah” is used to describe the emigration of Muslims from Mecca to Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia) or is more commonly used to refer to the Prophet’s migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD.
Types of Hiyrah
There are two types of Hijrah: physical and moral
Physical Hiyrah
Physical migration can be defined as a process of movement, either across an international boundary or within a state.
Covering any type of movement of people, whatever its length, composition and causes; It includes refugees, displaced persons, uprooted persons and economic migrants.
Religious persecution and the pursuit of religious freedom have played a major role in migrations, forcing people to flee for their lives.
The connection between religion and migration is a cross-cutting theme in the history of major religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and others.
The relentless persecution of the early Muslims led the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, to allow those who lacked power and protection to flee to Abyssinia.
Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: “When the Messenger of Allah witnessed the trials that descended upon his Companions, he compared this to his own good state derived from his own state with God, the Almighty and the protection of his uncle Abu Talib, and, recognizing that he could not prevent the evil that might befall them, he said to them: “I would like you to go to the land of Abyssinia, for there is a king in whose kingdom no one is harmed and where truth prevails.
Stay there until Almighty God gives you relief from the situation.”
This migration to Abyssinia took place seven years before the Prophet’s own Hijrah to Medina, and was followed by a second to Abyssinia a few years later.
The Hijrah (Hijrah) of the Prophet to MedinaWhile in Makkah, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, continued to invite the Arab tribes who gathered in Makkah to worship God the Almighty, appearing before them with the guidance of the message and the mercy that he brought.
When the Quraysh could no longer stand Prophet Muhammad, they decided to get rid of him once and for all.
They consulted among themselves on the best way to do this and Abu Jahl said: “I think we should select a young man from each tribe, and someone who is strong, of excellent lineage and reputation as a leader. We should give each one a sharp sword and they would go to him and use the swords to strike him in unison. They would kill him and then we would get rid of him. If they do this, their blood will spread over all the tribes. And the Banu Abd Manaf will not be able to fight against all of them. Therefore, they will accept blood money that we can pay them.”
Gabriel went to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and commanded him not to sleep in his bed that night.
The Prophet asked Ali ibn Abu Talib to sleep in his bed instead of him, promising him that he would not suffer any harm.
The Prophet took a handful of earth and threw it towards those who had gathered outside his door to kill him; the Prophet left unseen after having recited the following verses:
By the wise Qur’an! that you are one of those sent on a straight path.
Revelation that has sent down the Mighty, the Merciful, that you may warn a people whose fathers were not warned and are careless.
The word dictated against most of them has come true and they do not believe.
Of course, we will put rings around their necks that will reach up to their chins and they will not be able to move.
We have put a barrier in front of them and another behind them and we have watched over them, they cannot see.
(Ya Sin, 36:1-9)
He then turned to Abu Bakr, who had prepared for the journey.
And then God, Almighty, gave His Prophet permission to emigrate.
The event marks the beginning of the Islamic era as agreed by the Companions during Umar’s rule.
Moral Hiyrah
The term “Hijrah” has important subtle meanings associated with it, in addition to the physical movement from one place to another.
In addition to its physical sense, it also means abandoning something and rejecting it.
This meaning finds support in some Prophetic traditions such as the one narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar in which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The muhajir (migrant) is the one who abandons what Allah has forbidden” (Bukhari and Muslim).
The idea of a metaphorical hijarah has numerous references to the life of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
Just as the Hijrah of the Prophet to Medina was a line of transition between two states, a state of weakness to a state of security, the Hijrah of the soul is also a line of transition from human weakness to certain wrong actions to a position of security in the face of them, from a state of disobedience to one of obedience.
The departure of the Prophet from Mecca was an escape from polytheists and from a hostile and unbelieving environment, with the aim of finding safety in another safe place and forming a new community based on righteousness; it was a movement toward a situation better conducive to good deeds for God’s sake.
In a similar vein, a person who undertakes a moral hijarah emigrates from all that God has forbidden without falling prey to his earthly desires.
It is to leave a place for the sake of spiritual refuge from all forms of evil and corruption.
It is a spiritual way out of oppression to justice; from cruelty, harshness, and ungodliness to mercy, compassion, and grace; from intolerance to patience; from indulgence to moderation; from misery to generosity and munificence; from malignity to benevolence; from selfishness to charity and altruism; from hard heart to sympathy; from hostility to goodwill and kindness; from conflict and strife to peace and friendship; from ignorance to knowledge; from pride to humility; from faults to repentance; and from defiance and resistance to God’s commands to complete submission to Him.
It is, above all, a return to man’s natural disposition towards the good. Perhaps spiritual Hijrah is best expressed by the words of the Qur’an which says:
I have to emigrate for my Lord, it is true that He is the Incomparable, the Wise.
(The Spider, 29:26) We also find the commandment of Allah in the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him: Say: Verily, my prayer, the sacrifice that I may offer, my life and my death are to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
He has no partner.
That is what I have been ordered.
I am the first of the Muslims.
(The Flocks, 6:162-163)
The metaphorical content of the journey is evoked every time a person decides to emigrate from prohibitions and disobedience to fulfilling obligations and obedience.
Like the Prophet’s journey from Mecca to Medina, the flight to moral excellence and obedience is not without difficulties.
Man’s existence on earth is not a walk through life.
Your path is full of obstacles and fears, but being aware of God and following the guidance of our beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, makes the journey in life lighter and easier.
Sometimes travel means abandoning what one desires for what God desires.
Because man has been commanded to strive for the life prescribed by God, Almighty, he must not succumb to harsh conditions or to his weakness and desires.
You must trust God and cannot blame the circumstances that are imposed on you or the temptations you encounter along your path, keeping in mind that God intends to make it easier for us and not to put a burden on us that we cannot carry.
Nor can he yield or trust God alone to live the virtuous and upright life that is required of him; He must strive to attain the glory of doing what pleases God.
Returning from a battle, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) once said: “We have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad.”
This tradition clearly demonstrates that man struggles with his own weakness and inclination to follow his passions.
The secret nature of the Hijrah of the Prophet and the precautions he took demonstrate his human nature.
He ordered Ali to sleep in his bed instead, chose an unconventional route to Medina, took steps to nullify his steps, and took refuge with his companion Abu Bakr in a cave to hide from the pursuing enemy.
All of this reveals their dependence on God, but at the same time, the employment of all human efforts to achieve their goal.
Similarly, we are instructed to employ every possible measure to achieve our goal, namely, obedience to God and the attainment of His pleasure with us, which will ultimately secure us God’s promise of eternal life in paradise in the next life.
This single promise is a motivating force to improve, avoid disobedience, and strive for God’s pleasure.
The end of the Prophet’s journey and the triumphant welcome he received in Medina foretell our own triumph at the end of our journey on earth and our entry into paradise.
The Prophet’s journey from Mecca to Medina, from a land of hostility to a land of security, should serve as a moral compass for us.
On all scales, the Prophet’s journey to safety was not easy, and neither is ours.
The conscious decision to migrate from major and minor transgressions is indeed of great magnitude, and the difficulties that may arise in its wake should not deter us from embarking upon it.
In essence, the Prophet’s migration was in pursuit of fulfilling his mission on earth.
Our moral migration, in turn, is also about fulfilling our mission on earth, for God says, “And I did not create jinn and men except to worship Me” (Qur’an 51:56).
This should determine our migration from the various states of faults to the desire to attain divine nearness and secure our place in the afterlife.
Although often difficult, a perpetual moral migration is the mark of a life based on righteousness and success.
Although all Hijrah classes involve entering uncharted territory and thus evoking a sense of dread by committing oneself to endure the tribulations that result from the decision to remain on the path of truth, it is important to remember that God, Almighty, is always the best Companion on the path to righteousness.
We should always keep in mind the words of assurance of the Prophet to Abu Bakr when, on their way to Madinah, the pursuing Quraysh search party came dangerously close to the entrance of the cave where they were hiding.
When Abu Bakr expressed his alarm, the Prophet said, “Do not be afraid, for God is with us.”
Fountain: http://www.dar-alifta.org/ Translated with slight editorial modifications by Fundación Mezquita de Sevilla
