We human beings often move from one place to another in the evolution of our life. Sometimes it happens of our own will, sometimes not. Sometimes we move from one area to another, sometimes from one city to another city, and sometimes, we journey from one land to another land. In fact, all these happen due to our needs. This process of moving on is always present in human life. This process of leaving one country for another is called ‘Migration’ (Hijrah in Arabic). Such a great historical event took place in the life of the greatest man of all times, Rahmatallil Alamin (Mercy for the worlds) Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). When he started preaching the messages of eternal peace and salvation to the people of his tribe and the other tribes, he faced extreme resistance, humiliation, and persecution from them. When their persecution reached its peak, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) took shelter in Yathrib (Present day Medina), leaving his motherland Mecca at the direction of Allah. This event in history is called Hijrat.
Hijrat of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Hijrat is an Arabic word derived from another Arabic word, ‘Hujrun’. The constituent letters of the word are- Ha, Jim, and Ra. The literal meaning of the word is – departure or migration. But the migration of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) from Mecca to Medina is called Hijrat in history.
Background of Hijrat
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received Nabuwat (prophethood) from Allah at the age of forty in 610 AD. Since then, he began to receive divine messages from Allah, which is called ‘Wahi’ in Arabic. Even though Allah sent different prophets and messengers to some specific communities in the past, the final and greatest Prophet and Messenger, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), was sent for the entire humankind. Allah states in the holy Quran, “I’ve sent you as Mercy for the worlds.” [Sura:Al Ambia, verse:107]
Therefore, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) was Mercy to the entire humankind. That is why he had to preach the messages of the oneness of Allah to people from all walks of life, which wasn’t an easy task at all. Nevertheless, the religion the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) preached wasn’t the same religion his ancestors practiced. There was no place for paganism or idolatry in the religious ideology the Prophet (PBUH) preached. As a result, people of that age hardly had the mindset to embrace the ideology of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). So, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) preached Islam secretly for about three years from 610-613AD. Some of them wholeheartedly accepted his invitation of Risalat (divine messages), and many rejected and turned into his enemy.
Hijrat from Mecca to Medina
The commandment to preach the messages of Islam openly came from Allah in 613 AD. It is stated in the holy Quran,” O You covered up in your clothes. Arise and warn everyone. Revere your Lord alone. Purify your garments. Continue to shun idols. Don’t favour expecting more in return. And preserve for the sake of your Lord. [Sura:Al Mudassir, verse:1-7]. Then he called upon everybody openly at the foot of Mount Safa and invited them to the path of truth and peace of Islam. From then onwards, he kept on preaching Islam openly. By this time, Hazrat Khadiza (R:), Hazrat Ali (R:), Hazrat Abu Bakr (R:), and a few others embraced Islam. They also joined the Prophet (PBUH) to preach Islam. As a result of it, the number of Muslims kept on increasing to a great extent. More Meccan people accepted the invitation to Islam, and consequently, the number of Muslims kept increasing. As a result of it, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) turned into an eyesore to the influential Meccan leaders. They inflicted all kinds of torture on the followers of the Prophet (PBUH), which forced them to migrate to Abyssinia two times. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself migrated to the city of Taif to take refuge but the inhabitants of Taif didn’t accept him; rather they stoned him and ousted him from Taif. At one point, the Meccan infidels agreed to boycott the family of the Prophet (PBUH) as well as all the Muslims in the valley of Abu Talib.
At last, they planned to kill the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and formed a group to execute the killing mission led by Abu Jahel. When Abu Jahel and his men approached to kill the Prophet (PBUH), the following message was revealed to him- “And ˹remember, O Prophet,˺ when the disbelievers conspired to capture, kill, or exile you. They planned, but Allah also planned. And Allah is the best of planners.”[Sura:Al Anfal, verse:30]
Finally, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) migrated from Mecca to Yathrib (present-day Medina) in the darkness of night, laying Hazrat Ali (R.) down on his bed accompanied by Abu Bakr (R.) on 16 July, 622 AD at the request of the Muslims in Yathrib and direction of Allah. At one point, the Prophet (PBUH) stopped at the cemetery of Hajun and looked at Mecca and Baituallh (Kaaba) with tearful eyes and said, “Swear upon Allah! Verily, you’re the best city to Allah, and your land is liked most by Him(Allah). If they didn’t force me to exile, I would never leave you.” [Tirmiji:3926, Musnade Ahmad:18739]. When the infidel group came to know about the Hijrat of the Prophet (PBUH), they pursued him. But the Prophet (PBUH) took shelter in the cave of Mount Thawr and stayed three days. He stayed in Kuba for a few days to preach Islam and established a mosque there. A few days later, he reached Yathrib (Medina). The two tribes, Aws and Khazraj, warmly welcomed the Prophet (PBUH) to Yathrib and renamed the city ‘Medina-tun-Nabi’ from Yathrib in his honour which means the city of Prophet. Afterwards, the city became widely known as Medina.
One by one, Hazrat Ali (R.) and the other companions of the Prophet (PBUH) also migrated to Medina. Those who migrated with the Prophet (PBUH) to Medina are called Muhajir (migrators), and those who allowed them safe refuge in Medina are called Ansars (helpers).
Notable: Some historians term the Hijrat (migration) of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as fleeing or fleeing to save life. Renowned western historian Karl Brokelman said regarding this, “The Hijrat of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) wasn’t fleeing at all, rather it was a migration which started a new chapter in his life.”
The Hijrat played a significant role in flourishing Islam and the life of the Prophet (PBUH) in Medina.
Reasons for migration from Mecca to Medina
Unbearable harassment by the Meccans
When the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) started preaching the divine messages of Allah to the Meccan people, they thought of them as something new. They also considered the holy messages of Allah opposite to their forefathers’ religion. The majority of the Meccans rejected the religious ideology of the Prophet (PBUH) and forbade them to preach it furthermore. So, some Meccan Kafir (infidel) leaders and their associates started to harass the Prophet (PBUH) in different ways.
Climactic reasons
Geographically Mecca was a city of desserts. The temperature of Mecca was always higher than the other neighboring regions, and the number of trees there was few too. That’s why most of the Meccan people were hot-tempered by nature. They couldn’t accept the Prophet (PBUH) easily; instead, they opposed him extremely. On the other hand, the climate of Medina was more comfortable than Mecca’s. Moreover, the people of Medina were peace-loving. This is one of the reasons why the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) accepted their invitation and migrated to Medina.
The pledge of Mount Aqabah
Twelve men from the tribes Aws and Khazraj in Medina embraced Islam in 621 and pledged to live in peace. Another group of seventy-five men from the same Aws and Khazraj tribes embraced Islam in 622, and they, too, pledged to live in peace. Afterward, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his closest companions, migrated to Medina at their invitation.
Prior relations in Medina
Father of the Prophet (PBUH) Hazrat Abdullah (As.) and their ancestor Hashim married in Medina. That’s why the Prophet (PBUH) often visited Medina in his childhood. Besides, he was very familiar with the atmosphere of Medina and its people since long ago. It’s one of the reasons, too, why the Prophet (PBUH) chose Medina for Hijrat (migration).
Reconciling chaos
Severe chaos was occurring between the two tribes, Aws and Khazraj, around 622 AD, which was gradually turning into the battle of Buath. The converted Muslims who pledged in Aqabah invited the Prophet (PBUH) to Medina to settle their dispute. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had great acceptability to the people of Medina. So, reconciling the battle of Buath was another important reason for the Prophet’s (PBUH) migration to Medina.
The religious atmosphere in Medina
Most Medinan people didn’t like paganism and polytheism and were eagerly waiting for a religion of peace. As the religion the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) preached was of peace, they all agreed to invite the Prophet (PBUH) to Medina.
Positive report by Musab
Before Hijrat (migration), the Prophet (PBUH) sent one of his companions named Musab to Medina to observe the overall condition of Medina. After he had been confirmed by Musab about the favourable atmosphere for Hijrat, he migrated to Medina.
Plotting to kill the Prophet (PBUH)
The Quraysh tried to stop the Prophet (PBUH) from preaching the messages of Islam in different ways but failed. Finally, they made a plot to kill the Prophet (PBUH).
Getting commandment from Allah:
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was waiting for a command from Allah for Hijrat after he knew about the Quraysh’s plan to kill him. When he finally got a divine order from Allah for Hijrat, he immediately left Mecca for Medina.
Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) didn’t migrate to Medina of his own will. When he faced extremely unfavourable situations in preaching the messages of Mohammadi Islam in Mecca, he migrated to Yathrib (Medina) at the direction of Allah, which is a groundbreaking event in Islamic history. Historian Joseph said about this, “Hijrat is a turning point in Islamic history.” In fine, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) didn’t migrate to Medina to fulfill his interest but rather to establish the messages of truth and justice.
Bengali