Muhaajiriin

Muhaajiriin (Arabic: المهاجرون) is the term applied to the early Muslims who emigrated from Mecca to Medina, following the Prophet Muhammad. The word derives from the Arabic root 'hijra', meaning migration or departure from one place to another.

The Muhaajiriin are described as one of two foundational groups in the Muslim community of Medina, the other being the Ansar—the residents of Medina who received them. This distinction appears in the Quran and early Islamic history, and was used to determine the distribution of resources, leadership, and community responsibilities.

Etymology

'Haajir' means to depart from one's place of residence. When someone is called a muhaajir, it refers to one who has undertaken migration. In the early Muslim community, the term became a mark of honour, denoting someone who had sacrificed his wealth and family in Mecca.

Migrations

Before the migration to Medina, a group of Muslims had previously emigrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), which historians call the migration to Abyssinia. The migration to Medina later became the more significant one and marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar's era of hijra.

Role in community and politics

The Muhaajiriin were mostly from Quraysh. They arrived in Medina with little wealth, and a bond of brotherhood was established between each muhaajir and an Ansar. After the Prophet's death, the Muhaajiriin played a major role in selecting leadership, and they were among the parties involved in the early disputes over succession and governance.

Later usage of the term

In later centuries, the term muhaajir (Turkish: muhacir) was applied to Muslims who emigrated from the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Crimea to the territories of the Ottoman Empire. In India and Pakistan, 'Muhajir' refers to those who migrated from India to Pakistan in 1947. In most Islamic languages, the word 'muhaajir' generally means someone who has emigrated from his country.