The Hijra
الهجرة النبوية
c. 12 September 622 CE · c. 29 Safar 1 AH† – 24 September 622 CE · 12 Rabi' I 1 AH †
† Hijri date derived by computation from the Gregorian/Julian date; it may differ from the transmitted date by a day or two.
Mecca → Ghar Thawr (Cave of Thawr) → Quba → Medina
The migration of the Prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, the event from which the Islamic calendar is counted.
At a glance
- Era
- The Prophetic Era
- Region
- Arabia
- Identifiers
- Wikidata
- Review
- Draft Completeness 3/5 · Help complete it
In time
In space
Map: Natural Earth, public domain · places and route from the graph
Refugees, migrants and diasporaSacred time
On screen
- The Message· Film, 1976 · About · historical-drama
Brief
What happened
After years of hardship in Mecca, a group from Medina (then called Yathrib) pledged to protect the Prophet, and his followers began to leave Mecca for the oasis in small groups. The Prophet left with Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and reached the outskirts of Medina in the autumn of 622 CE; Ali ibn Abi Talib followed shortly after 1.
The traditional date of arrival at Quba is 12 Rabi' I, year 1 AH. Historians discuss the exact chronology, so the dates here are marked as tradition 2.
Why it matters
The community that formed in Medina became the first Muslim polity. About fifteen years later the caliph Umar had the Hijri calendar begin with 1 Muharram of this year, which corresponds to 16 July 622 CE in the Julian calendar.
For young visitors
The Hijra is a journey that started a new calendar. When someone says "year 1447 AH", they are counting years from it.
Connections
- Had participant
- Abdullah ibn AbbasAbdullah ibn Abi BakrAbdullah ibn Mas'udAbdullah ibn UrayqitAbu Ayyub al-AnsariAbu Bakr al-SiddiqAbu Burayda al-AslamiAbu Dharr al-GhifariAbu Ubayda ibn al-JarrahAisha bint Abi BakrAli ibn Abi TalibAmir ibn FuhayraAsma bint Abi BakrBilal ibn RabahHafsa bint UmarMuhammadSa'd ibn Abi WaqqasSuraqa ibn MalikUmar ibn al-KhattabUmm Ma'badUmm Salama (Hind bint Abi Umayya)Uthman ibn AffanThe early Muslim communityThe Muhajirunal-Zubayr ibn al-AwwamKulthum ibn al-HidmAs'ad ibn ZuraraSawda bint Zam'a
- Led to
- The Battle of BadrThe brotherhood of the Muhajirun and AnsarThe change of the qiblaThe Constitution of MedinaThe prescription of the Ramadan fastThe marriage of Fatima and AliThe building of the Prophet's Mosque
- Has part
- The first Friday prayerThe three nights in the cave of ThawrThe departure night of the HijraThe Hijra routeThe sojourn at Quba
- Occurred at
- MeccaGhar Thawr (Cave of Thawr)QubaMedina
- Part of
- The Prophetic Era
- Caused by
- The Pledges of Aqaba
- Basis for
- The Hijri calendar
- Mentioned in
- Qur'an 9:40Qur'an 36:9Qur'an 66:4
- Subject of
- The Message
People and things also explored
MuhammadMedinaMeccaAbu Bakr al-SiddiqThe early Muslim communityThe Battle of BadrThe three years of the secret callQuraysh
Sources
- Ibn Ishaq / Guillaume, The Life of Muhammad (1955)
- Watt, Muhammad at Medina (1956)
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham
- Sahih al-Bukhari
- Zad al-Ma'ad — Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The Hijra”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/hijra/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-12.