hegira
noun
Hegira — the historic flight that marks the founding moment of Islam
Definition
A journey by a large group to escape from a hostile environment
In depth
A hegira is a journey by a large group to escape a hostile environment, the word specifically and originally referring to the Prophet Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, an event so significant it marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. In broader use, the word describes any significant, often founding migration undertaken to escape persecution or hostility.
Origin
The word comes from Arabic hijra, meaning migration or departure, related to the verb hajara, to emigrate or leave. Its adoption into English reflects the profound historical importance of Muhammad's journey, an event so foundational that it restructured an entire civilization's method of measuring time itself, the Islamic calendar dating its years from this single, defining hegira.
Usage examples
"The hegira marks not merely a historical event but the very beginning of the Islamic calendar itself."
"Historians sometimes use hegira more broadly to describe other significant, founding migrations driven by religious or political persecution."
"Her family's hegira from their homeland, though far smaller in scale, carried for them something of the same founding, defining significance."
How to use it
Hegira carries specific religious and historical significance within Islam and should be used primarily in that context or with clear acknowledgment of its origin when applied more broadly and figuratively to other significant migrations.
Related concepts
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