Jakarta, June 16 -- Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar reminded Muslims to commemorate the Islamic New Year of 1 Muharram 1448 Hijriah as a momentum for personal and social transformation.

"Hijrah is not just the Prophet Muhammad's physical migration from Mecca to Medina. It is a transformation of the social system, from a narrow and primordial tribal society to a global, cosmopolitan community bound by love," he remarked on Tuesday.

He then explained that hijrah is a shift in perspective from a tribal mentality to an inclusive, civilized, and oriented community life for the common good.

According to him, pre-Islamic Arab society was characterized by strong tribal loyalties rooted in kinship. The arrival of Prophet Muhammad ...