Who were the muhajirun in Muhammad’s community?

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Medina, Saudi Arabia: Prophet's Mosque — Muhammad The Prophet's Mosque, showing the green dome built above the tomb of Muhammad, Medina, Saudi Arabia.

The muhājirūn (literally "emigrants") were the early followers of the Prophet Muhammad who migrated from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE to escape religious persecution, an event known as the Hijrah.1

Considered among the most honored Companions of the Prophet, the muhājirūn are highly esteemed in the Qur'ān for their early conversion to Islam and the hardships they endured in Mecca. Within the early Muslim community, they held a distinct and elevated status, eventually assuming leadership of the Muslim polity through the caliphate following Muhammad’s death.1

Upon their arrival in Medina, they were supported by the anṣār ("helpers"), the local Medinese tribes who provided aid to the emigrants and became devoted supporters of the Prophet.1