HEGIRA

also spelled Hejira, Arabic Hijrah, or Hijra ("flight," or "emigration") the Prophet Muhammad's migration (AD 622) from Mecca to Medina in order to escape persecution; the date represents the starting point of the Muslim era. Muhammad himself dated his correspondence, treaties, and proclamations after other events of his life. It was 'Umar I, the second caliph, who in the year AD 639 (AH 17) introduced the Hegira era (now distinguished by the initials AH, for Latin Anno Hegirae, "in the year of the Hegira"). 'Umar started the first year AH with the first day of the lunar month of Muharram, which corresponded to July 16, 622. In 1677-78 (AH 1088) the Ottoman government, still keeping the Hegira era, began to use the solar year of the Julian calendar, eventually creating two different Hegira era dates, resulting from the differences between a solar and lunar year. The term hegira has also been applied to the emigrations of the faithful to Ethiopia and of Muhammad's followers to Medina before the capture of Mecca. Muslims who later quitted lands under Christian rule were also called muhajirun ("emigrants"). The Khawarij (Kharijites), those Muslims who withdrew their support from the arbitration talks that called into question the right of the fourth caliph, 'Ali, to the caliphate in 657, used the term to describe those who joined them. The most honoured muhajirun, considered among those known as the Companions of the Prophet, are those who emigrated with Muhammad to Medina. Muhammad praised them highly for having forsaken their native city and followed him and promised that God would favour them. They remained a separate and greatly esteemed group in the Muslim community, both in Mecca and in Medina, and assumed leadership of the Muslim state, through the caliphate, after Muhammad's death. As a result of the Hegira, another distinct body of Muslims came into being, the ansar ("helpers"); these were Medinese who aided Muhammad and the muhajirun. The ansar were members of the two major Medinese tribes, the feuding al-Khazraj and al-Aws, whom Muhammad had been asked to reconcile when he was still a rising figure in Mecca. They came to be his devoted supporters, constituting three-fourths of the Muslim army at the Battle of Badr (624). When no one of their number was chosen to the caliphate to succeed Muhammad, they declined in influence as a group and eventually merged with other Muslims who had settled in Medina.