In a Muslim's life sometimes a great decision is required — to leave the place one is used to, to leave loved ones, to set out on an unknown road. The Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Companions made this decision when they left Mecca for Madinah. The event known as the Hijrah is one of the most important turning points in Islamic history. This sermon explores the historical background of the Hijrah, its place in the Quran, its outer and inner dimensions, and the "inner hijrah" the modern believer can live.
The Story of the Hijrah
The Prophet (peace be upon him) preached Islam in Mecca for 13 years. During this time the Quraysh subjected the Muslims to great pressure; some Companions took refuge in Abyssinia, some were beaten, and some were martyred (the family of Yasir). In 622 the Messenger of Allah and the Companions migrated to Yathrib (the city later named Madinah).
This hijrah was not merely a migration; it was the laying of the foundation of a state. In Madinah the first Islamic state was established, the "Madinah Document" — a kind of constitutional order — was proclaimed, and the Muslims, for the first time as a community, lived in freedom.
The Hijrah in the Quran
Allah names those who made the hijrah and those who hosted them with very lofty descriptions:
— At-Tawbah 9:20Those who believed and emigrated and struggled in the cause of Allah with their wealth and lives have a higher rank with Allah. They are the ones who will attain success.
Those who emigrated are called "the ones who attain success" — a great station. Because hijrah is a hard decision: home, wealth, relatives, the memories of childhood — leaving all of it for a new place. The one who makes this sacrifice has a high place with Allah.
In Surah an-Nisa' Allah issues another warning:
— An-Nisa' 4:97Those whom the angels take in death while wronging themselves — they will say: "What were you doing?" They will say: "We were oppressed in the land." They will say: "Was not Allah's earth spacious, that you might have emigrated in it?"
This verse teaches that saying "I am weak here" is not an excuse for not making hijrah. Allah's earth is wide; relocation for faith is possible.
The Hijri New Year — The Birth of a Calendar
When 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) became Caliph, the Muslims needed a common calendar. 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) proposed: "Let us make the Hijrah the start of our calendar." This proposal was accepted, and the Hijri calendar was officially begun.
Why the Hijrah? Why not the Prophet's birth or death? Because the Hijrah is the birth of a community — not an individual event. 'Umar's choice is important in showing that the Hijrah is the most foundational event in Islamic history.
Muharram is the first month of the Hijri year, and is one of the "sacred months" (see A Sermon on Regaib Night). On the 1st of Muharram 'Umar's calendar begins; on the 10th the day of 'Ashura is observed (the day Musa was saved from Pharaoh).
The Inner Dimension of Hijrah — Spiritual Migration
The Prophet (peace be upon him) declared that hijrah is not merely a geographical relocation but also a deeper spiritual journey:
— Sahih al-Bukhari, Iman, no. 10The Muhajir is the one who keeps away from what Allah has prohibited.
So the word "Muhajir" is not a Meccan-specific designation; it is a definition of character. Every believer who keeps away from what Allah has prohibited (alcohol, gambling, lying, riya', looking at the forbidden, backbiting) is a kind of Muhajir.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) shows another facet of hijrah:
— Sahih al-Bukhari, Jihad, no. 2783There is no hijrah (in the sense of obligatory first migration) after the conquest of Mecca; only jihad and intention.
After the conquest of Mecca the obligation to make hijrah "from Mecca to Madinah" was lifted. But "hijrah from sin to tawbah," "hijrah from heedlessness to remembrance," "hijrah from bad company to good company" — these are hijrahs every believer must always make.
Hijrah Paths for the Modern Believer
In today's world, what hijrahs can each believer make?
1. From sin to tawbah: breaking a sin you fall into, cutting a bad habit — this is hijrah.
2. From heedlessness to dhikr: moving from living forgetful of Allah to a life that constantly remembers Him — spiritual hijrah.
3. From bad company to good company: "A person is on the religion of their friend." Leaving a circle of friends that distances from Allah and entering a circle of goodness — a great hijrah.
4. From ignorance to knowledge: transforming from one who lives wrongly because they don't know their religion to one who learns and lives it rightly.
5. From social media to real life: moving from hours lost staring at a screen back to real relationships and real deeds in the real world — a modern hijrah.
6. From thinking of oneself to thinking of others: moving from a life occupied only with one's own comfort, earnings, and station to a life that thinks of the orphans, the poor, and the needy around.
What Comes After Hijrah? — Help (Nusrah)
Allah never deprives those who make hijrah of His help. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was hidden in the Cave of Thawr with Abu Bakr, and the Quraysh were at the door, Abu Bakr anxiously said: "O Messenger of Allah, if they look down they will see us." The Messenger of Allah's answer is a lesson for all believers:
— At-Tawbah 9:40Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.
To make hijrah is to walk with Allah. The hardship of the road is crossed by His help.
Remembering the Hijrah With VAAZ
The VAAZ app's hadith archive presents thousands of narrations about hijrah and the Companions. The du'a archive categorizes daily tawbah du'as of the kind "O Allah, I make hijrah from my sins to You." The prayer times display the Hijri calendar too — reminding which month of the year we are in.
For the link between tawbah and spiritual hijrah, see A Sermon on Tawbah; for the Companions' hijrah journey, see A Sermon on the Companions.
Hijrah is not a one-time event in a believer's life; it is a habit one must practice every day. Leaving everything that distances from Allah, toward everything that draws nearer to Him. When this hijrah ends, the ummah ends; when it begins, the ummah is born.
References
- The Qur'an, At-Tawbah 9:20, Diyanet translation.
- The Qur'an, An-Nisa' 4:97, Diyanet translation.
- The Qur'an, At-Tawbah 9:40, Diyanet translation.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Iman, Hadith No. 10.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad, Hadith No. 2783.