The Definition of Hijrah

The Definition of Hijrah

AUTHOR:	Husayn Al-'Awaayishah
SOURCE:	Al-Fasl-ul-Mubeen fee Mas'alat-il-Hijrah wa Mufaaraqat-il-Mushrikeen (pg. 11-12)
PRODUCED BY:	Al-Ibaanah.com

The linguists have noted many uses for the word (hajara), such that I will only mention what will be of benefit to this research, with the will of Allaah.

It is stated in Al-Lisaan: "Al-Hajar (migrating) is the opposite of Al-Wasl (arriving and establishing oneself). The word Hijrah and Hujrah (both) mean leaving from one land to another land. The ‘Muhaajireen’ - those that migrated with the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) - is a derivative of this word. And every person that abandons his place of dwelling transferring to another group of people to live amongst them, he has made Hijrah. The Muhaajireen are called this name because they left their lands and dwelling places, which they grew up in, for the sake of Allaah. And they proceeded until they entered a land, in which they had no family or possessions, which was the case when they migrated to Madeenah. So every individual that separates from his land, whether he lives in the rural areas (i.e. a Bedouin) or in the urban areas, then he is considered a Muhaajir. And the noun form derived from that is Hijrah."[1]

And in Mujmal-ul-Lughghah it states: "'And a people made Hijrah (migrated) from one land to another' means that they abandoned the first for the second."

And it states in Al-Qaamoos-ul-Muheet: "The phrase ‘hajara Hajaran’ or ‘Hijraanan’ means that one has cut off or separated from something or someone. And the noun form of it is Hijrah."

It is stated in Fath-ul-Baaree (7/229): "The origin of the word Hijrah comes from migrating from one’s homeland."

It occurs in An-Nihaayah and other books: "When there occurs the mention of two Hijrahs in the hadeeth, then it refers to the Hijrah made to Abyssinia and the Hijrah made to Madeenah."

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Footnotes:

[1] Lisaan-ul-‘Arab of Ibn Al-Mandhoor (rahimahullaah)