Muhammad arrived in Medina after the hijra from Mecca in 622.
The Hegira or Hijrah ( [ ) is the migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Yathrib , later renamed by him to Medina , in the year 622 . Medina . Medina was Muhammad 's destination after his Hijrah from Mecca , and became the capital of a rapidly increasing Muslim Empire , first under Muhammad 's leadership , and then under Ali . Muhammad . To escape persecution , Muhammad sent some followers to Abyssinia before he and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina ( then known as Yathrib ) in the year 622 . This event , the Hijra , marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar , also known as the Hijri Calendar .