Ibrahim Negm
The Hijri year does not begin with a conquest, a coronation, or a moment of worldly triumph. It begins with a migration. The Hijra of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Madinah was, on its surface, a journey across desert terrain. In truth, it was a passage from vulnerability to possibility, from isolation to community, and from persecution to the foundations of a moral and social order.
This is why the Companions, after the passing of the Prophet, made a deliberate and profound choice. When they sought to establish a calendar for the Muslim community, they did not anchor it to the Prophet’s birth, nor to the first revelation, nor even to the eventual conquest of Mecca. They chose the Hijra. In doing so, they defined time itself not by a miracle alone, but by a transformation – one that required sacrifice, courage, and collective responsibility.
The Hijra marked the emergence of the Muslim ummah as a lived reality. In Mecca, Islam was a call, a conviction, and a test of patience. In Madinah, it became a society. It was there that bonds of brotherhood were forged between the Muhajirun and the Ansar, not as a symbolic gesture, but as an economic, social, and ethical commitment. It was there that principles of justice, consultation, and coexistence were translated into governance. And it was there that the Prophet demonstrated that faith is not confined to belief, but must shape the structures within which people live together.
To begin the year with the memory of the Hijra is to be reminded that true beginnings are rarely comfortable. They demand leaving behind what is familiar, even when it is beloved. They require trust in a future that is not yet visible, and reliance upon Allah when worldly assurances are absent. The Hijra was not an escape; it was a deliberate step towards fulfilling a divine mission, despite uncertainty and risk.
In our own time, the lessons of the Hijra remain deeply relevant. We live in an age where communities are often fragmented, where individualism can overshadow collective responsibility, and where moral clarity is frequently tested by competing pressures. The Hijra calls us back to the idea that a community is not merely a shared identity, but a shared commitment – to uphold justice, to care for one another, and to embody values that transcend circumstance.
As Muharram begins, it offers more than a chronological reset. It invites reflection. It asks us to consider the journeys we are undertaking in our own lives – spiritual, ethical, and communal. What are we leaving behind for the sake of what is right? What are we building, together, that can endure beyond us? And how are we supporting those who, like the Muhajirun, may find themselves displaced, vulnerable, or in need of solidarity?
Gratitude, too, becomes central in this reflection. The Hijra reminds us that no meaningful journey is undertaken alone. The Prophet was accompanied, supported, and ultimately welcomed into a community that recognised both his mission and their responsibility towards it. In our lives, we are likewise sustained by families who nurture us, by communities that give us belonging, and by companions who walk beside us in moments of ease and difficulty alike.
To acknowledge this is not merely an emotional gesture; it is a moral one. It calls us to reciprocate, to strengthen the ties that hold our communities together, and to ensure that no one among us is left to face their journey in isolation.
The new Hijri year, then, is not simply a turning of the page. It is a return to a defining narrative – one that situates movement, sacrifice, and community at the heart of Islamic consciousness. It reminds us that the strength of the ummah lies not only in its beliefs, but in its ability to translate those beliefs into lived realities.
May this new year bring health, provision, and barakah. And may it renew within us the spirit of the Hijra: the courage to move towards what is right, the wisdom to build together, and the gratitude to cherish those who journey with us.
Negm is a senior Advisor to the Grand Mufti of Egypt
