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The Hijra establishes a community in Medina

622 CE

Muhammad and his followers migrated from Mecca to Yathrib, later known as Medina. The move created a new setting for communal organization and political leadership. Remembered as the Hijra, it became the chronological starting point for the Islamic calendar used to date religious observances.

Why it matters

The migration connects the Qur’an’s historical setting with the development of a community and explains why Islamic dates use a different starting point.

About the date

Migration year later adopted as the epoch of the Islamic calendar.

Medina

Destination of the migration, not a map of its route.

city orientation

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