Hijri or Islamic Year is named after the migration of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) from Mecca to Yathrib (which is called now Al Madina Al Munawara) to escape the harm of Quraish people. And from which the Hijri History began to be dated by the second Caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) migrated with Abu Bakr Assidiiq, the first Caliph, to Al Madina Al Munawara. When he arrived at Al Madina Al Munawara, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was welcomed joyfully by the believers and the supporters, who chanted “Talaa Al Badro Alaina”. Then, he carried stones with his companions to build a Mosque, and fraternized among the migrants, the supporters and the Jews in Al Madina Al Munawara.

For Muslims, the word Al Hijra (migration) has deep meanings at the level of feelings and doctrine, in the sense that it differentiates the right/truth from wrong/falsehood through the migration to Allah (God), through the migration from polytheism and disbelief to Islam, and so for Muslims represents the limit between the habits of an ignorant society/community and its regime on the one hand, and the foundation of the Islamic State in Al Madina Almunawara (which means in English “the Enlightened City) on the other hand. Therefore, according to all of this, the Hijri calendar began for Muslims starting from the Prophet’s migration from Mecca to Yathrib, which then became known as Al Madina Al Munawara.

Happy Hijra Year full of love and peace in the world!