Critical response to VI. The Hijrah (622 AD) – The Migration to Medina”

The Hijrah: A Critical Reappraisal of Islam’s Defining Migration

The Hijrah—the migration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE—is heralded in Islamic tradition as a watershed moment: a divinely guided escape, the beginning of the Islamic calendar, and the foundation of a righteous society governed by divine principles. But when subjected to critical analysis, how much of this narrative withstands historical scrutiny? Is the Hijrah a historical event as portrayed in Islamic sources, or a theological construct shaped to retroactively validate Muhammad’s rise to political power?

I. The Persecution Narrative: Hagiography or History?

Islamic tradition describes escalating persecution of Muhammad and his followers in Mecca, citing incidents of torture, boycotts, and assassination plots. However, non-Muslim sources from the 7th century remain silent on such events, and the earliest Islamic biographical accounts—such as Ibn Ishaq’s Sīrah—were written over a century after the fact, based primarily on oral traditions.

Critical Problem: There is no contemporary evidence for systematic persecution of early Muslims in Mecca. While isolated conflicts are plausible, the idea that Quraysh attempted mass extermination or orchestrated a multinational plot to kill Muhammad lacks substantiation outside of Islamic literature.

Furthermore, the narrative that Muhammad's anti-idolatry message directly threatened Quraysh's economy centered on the Kaʿbah is speculative. Meccan polytheism was pluralistic, and the claim that monotheism posed an existential threat presumes a fragile religious economy for which we have no corroborative archaeological or textual evidence.

II. The Invitation from Yathrib: Divine Guidance or Political Opportunism?

The traditional account says Muhammad was invited to Yathrib (later Medina) by delegates seeking arbitration amid intertribal conflict, impressed by his reputation for justice. But this raises two problems:

  1. Why would two warring pagan tribes in Yathrib seek an outsider with no prior connection to them—let alone one under siege in Mecca—as a neutral mediator?

  2. Why is there no record of such a diplomatic arrangement in any contemporaneous non-Muslim source from the region?

The Pledges of al-ʿAqabah are presented as pivotal moments where secret delegations from Medina offered loyalty and protection to Muhammad. But again, these pledges are only found in later Islamic sources with strong theological agendas. Their historicity is assumed, not demonstrated.

Historical Plausibility Issue: It is far more likely that Muhammad, aware of internal tribal conflicts in Yathrib, leveraged the situation for political gain—a move consistent with the actions of other Arabian leaders seeking power.

III. The Hijrah as a Miraculous Exodus: Theological Embellishment?

Assassination Plot: Fact or Fiction?

Islamic sources claim the Quraysh plotted to assassinate Muhammad on the eve of his migration, a plan allegedly thwarted by divine intervention (Qur'an 8:30). But this raises immediate issues:

  • If the Quraysh genuinely wanted him dead and had the manpower and opportunity, why assign one assassin from each clan to simultaneously attack—rather than simply arrest or exile him earlier?

  • The entire plan relies on a dramatic but strategically absurd approach.

This story resembles a heroic escape motif common in religious mythology: the threatened prophet, the loyal companion, the miraculous concealment (e.g., spider web and pigeons), and the divine reassurance (Qur'an 9:40). No independent source attests to it.

Conclusion: These elements appear as narrative devices designed to enhance Muhammad’s prophetic legitimacy—not as verifiable historical facts.

IV. The Constitution of Medina: Charter of Justice or Blueprint for Supremacy?

Islamic tradition holds that the Sahīfat al-Madīnah (Constitution of Medina) was a groundbreaking document promoting coexistence, mutual defense, and pluralism. However:

  1. The document survives only in Muslim sources.

  2. It is filled with inconsistencies in tone and structure, suggesting later editorial redaction.

  3. It is not signed by Jews, pagans, or any non-Muslim group, raising questions about its actual acceptance.

Critically, while the document appears to offer protection and autonomy to Jewish tribes, historical accounts within Islamic sources themselves (e.g., Sīrah of Ibn Ishaq and Hadith in Sahih Bukhari) report that these same tribes were later expelled or executed—most famously Banu Qaynuqaʿ, Banu Nadir, and Banu Qurayẓah.

Contradiction: If the Constitution promised coexistence, how did that square with the massacre of the Banu Qurayẓah, where 600–900 men were allegedly beheaded at Muhammad’s order (see Ibn Ishaq, p. 461)?

The very notion of a “unified ummah” under Muhammad often subordinated dissenting voices, making Islamic unity more about submission to authority than pluralistic governance.

V. The Brotherhood Narrative: Selfless Unity or Social Engineering?

The bonds of brotherhood (muʾākhāt) between the Muhājirūn and Anṣār are presented as a divinely inspired fusion of communities based on faith over blood. However:

  • These bonds were selectively assigned by Muhammad—not organically formed.

  • The property-sharing dynamic functioned as a redistributive system that increased dependency on Muhammad’s leadership.

  • Many of the early Muhājirūn gained positions of power in the later Islamic empire, suggesting that their sacrifices were ultimately rewarded with influence and material gain.

Rather than evidence of divine brotherhood, this appears more akin to a calculated method of consolidating loyalty.

VI. The Start of the Islamic Calendar: Historical Date or Mythical Pivot?

The Hijrah's elevation as the starting point of the Islamic calendar (instituted under Caliph ʿUmar) reflects its retrospective sacralization, not necessarily its actual significance at the time. It was only later that this moment was canonized as the "beginning" of Islamic civilization—a move that casts theological weight on a politically strategic event.

Note: Nowhere in the Qur'an is the Hijrah dated or described in the grandiose terms later Islamic tradition attributes to it.

VII. Conclusion: The Hijrah—History or Theological Narrative?

The traditional Islamic account of the Hijrah portrays a divinely orchestrated migration leading to the formation of a just and inclusive state. However, under critical scrutiny:

  • The persecution narrative lacks external support.

  • The invitation to Yathrib appears politically motivated.

  • The assassination escape reads like a mythologized tale.

  • The Constitution of Medina is internally inconsistent and uncorroborated.

  • The brotherhood system favored elite consolidation.

  • The event's elevation as calendar year one was a post hoc ideological decision.

In sum, the Hijrah is best understood as an ideologically shaped narrative that merges bits of historical reality with theological myth-making, aimed at legitimizing Muhammad's rise from prophet to statesman.

Note to Readers

This post critically examines the Hijrah based on Islamic sources, historical methodology, and logical reasoning. If you believe this critique misrepresents Islamic teachings or events, I invite you to respond with specific citations from the Qur’an, Hadith, or earliest Islamic historians. This blog is committed to honest inquiry and respectful dialogue.

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