A journey especially when undertaken to escape from a dangerous or undesirable situation; exodus. To escape the lowering clouds of impending war, Grandmother's family embarked on a hegira that would carry them far from their native soil. Did you know? "A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country." By the year A.D. 622, the prophet Muhammad had learned that painful lesson. In that year, he was forced to flee his native city, Mecca, to escape persecution from those who rejected his message. Muhammad, the founder of Islam, with a number of his followers migrated to Medina, where they were guaranteed protection by local clans. This event, which traditionally marks the beginning of the Islamic era, is known in Arabic as the "Hijra" literally, "departure." That Arabic term passed into Medieval Latin (where it was modified to "Hegira") and from there it eventually made its way into English. By the mid 18th century, English speakers were using "hegira" for other journeys, too especially arduous ones. Merriam-Webster, Inc. Word-of-the-Day ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As related to writing, one can look on many stories (and poems) as being a journey, which can be the result of the need to escape or the wish to go on a quest. The more difficult the journey, internal (of the mind) or external (actual travel), the more interesting it is to the reader.