Hijra is the name given to Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Medina in 622. The name is sometimes spelled Hegira, Hejira, or Hijrah. The term comes from an Arabic word that means to depart or to emigrate. The Muslim calendar is dated from the beginning of the year of the Hijra.
Muhammad was a prophet whose life and teachings formed the basis of the Islamic religion. He was born in Mecca and began to preach there in the early 600’s. But he aroused opposition by rejecting the city’s gods and by criticizing the Meccans’ way of life, such as their failure to help the needy. Muhammad left Mecca to avoid persecution and also to establish a community under his leadership. He decided to move to Yathrib, where he had supporters, a city about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Mecca. Yathrib became known as al-Madinat al-Nabi (the City of the Prophet), or Medina. Mecca and Medina are the two holiest cities in Islam.
