Hijra; The prophet migration in Islam; milestones, lessons and cautions

Ar - Risalah (The Message)
#Issue 5

As salamu alaekum warahmatullahi

Hijra; The prophet migration  in Islam; milestones, lessons and cautions.

Bismillah wa solat wa salam ala rosulilah.
In the name of  Allah, May the benediction and peace of Allah be upon the prophet. We give thanks to Allah and facilitate with our fellow brothers and sisters in Islam for the blessings of living up till this time. We beseech Allah to make us witness another and many years of hijra to come.
This episode of Ar-risala shall feature;
–milestone events of Hijra
–lessons of Hijra
–and caution against innovative acts that arise from Hijra celebration.

1. Brief history of Hijra
Writing a whole series of stories of the prophet's migration from Mecca to Medina will result to nothing but repetition of the effort of the earlier writers, scholars and historians who had written enormously on this topic. However, because the story is important to our religion and in the life of every Muslims. We shall point briefly to milestone events relating to the prophet's migration.
The proclamation of prophecy by the Noble prophet as ordered by Allah and his frequent preaching of the words of Allah to the people of Mecca led to the persecution of the Prophet and his few followers. Some of them were harrased and killed. It was unbearable that he had to ask a few Muslims under the leadership of Jafar (RDT) to migrate to Absynia (Ethiopia) in the year 615 CE. The persecution persisted and this time the Prophet and his few followers were restricted indoor to pray. During this time he lost his first wife and afterwards his uncle. This persecution continued from the people of Mecca and also the people of Toif stoned him mercilessly when he approached them. All this led to the Migration of the Prophet from Mecca to Yethrib (Medina) in 622AH. He sneaked out of Mecca with his friend Abu Bakr the first Man to accept Islam among the Early Muslims. He was received by the people of Yethrib (Medina) with good hearts and kindness. Soon after, the people of Yethrib began to accept Islam in numbers. The Muslims of Mecca began to sneak into Yethrib in numbers leaving behind their properties and families. The Prophet soon established a State at Yethrib and it was subsequently known as Medinat Rasul (The City of the Prophet). The early Muslims who migrated to Ethiopia came back in Dozens at a moment when the Prophet was celebrating a victory in one of his battle. The territory of Islam began to expand and the people of Mecca later surrendered to the Prophet begging for his Mercy.
 Allah thus said;
إنا فتحنالك فتحا مبينا(١) ليغفرلك الله ما تقدم من  ذنبك وما تأخر ويتم نعمته عليك ويهديك صراطا مستقيما(٢)
1. Surely, We have granted you a clear victory (O! Prophet)
2. So that Allah may forgive you your shortcomings, whether earlier or later, and may complete His favours upon you and guide you to the Straight Way.
In 638CE or 17 year after the Prophet's migration when Umar was the leader of the Islamic States, he designated a calender system that counted from the year of the Prophet's migration.

2. The lessons of Hijra
The lessons of Hijra cut through every aspects of Muslims life. It goes beyond the religious lessons alone. It also encroaches on muslims life economically, socially and culturally. Muslims should learn the following lessons from the Prophet's Hijra;

  *Holding steadfast to the rope of Allah; No matter what happened to the Prophet he held to the rope of Allah and never let it off. The people of Quraish offered him the position of a king and treasures but he never let the love of life pull his covenant with Allah down and so he excelled.
  *Determination and Sturdiness; No matter what the pagans of Mecca did to the Prophet and his followers they were determined. The sufferness was so much that the enemies were forced to ask; "When will the help of Allah come?". Irrespective of the persecutions and harassments they suffered, while some of them were even Murdered! the Muslims remained sturdy and beared with the situations. So they surpassed every living being at the end.
  *Sincerity and strong believe; They never underestimated the Prophet and his God. They stood with him, believed in impossibilities – unseen. They risked their life in the cause of Allah and at last they attained the position which no one had ever attained. As for the hypocrites, they suffered the pain and curses which anyone had never suffered.
  *Leaving behind what you Cherish for better; The Prophet left Mecca with sadness, he had no hope, no foresight of what would happen in future, all he had was the promise of Allah. Because they believed strongly, he and his followers left all they had behind at Mecca for a place where they did not know anyone. They took the risk and became the World best!
In essence, the foregoings are key ways to success in every aspects of life. First, have Faith in Allah, work towards it, endure the pains and you will get to the peak of your ambition or attain a position which no one has ever attained. Allah says;
والذين جاهدوا فينا لندينهم سبلنا وإن الله لمع المحسنين
But as for those who strive hard in Our cause We shall most certainly guide them onto paths that lead unto Us: for, behold, God is indeed with the doers of good (Q29:69)

 3. Caution against innovative actions that arise from Hijra celebration.
For every thing, there are conditions and guidelines. Islam frowns at innovations and insincerity in acts of worship. It is important to note that;

√ The Hijra day is not an Eid day (festival day) as some people do think. Sidelining this day to be a day of eid like other eid days is strange in Islam and has no evidence from the traditions of the Prophet and the early Muslims.

√ There is nothing more in this story than to learn and reflect over the wonders of Allah in the lives of early Muslims and so set a standard of living from their own stories.

√ All acts of celebration to make this day special such as; rallying round, organizing a party and the likes should be shuned to avoid innovations in islam.

May Allah ease our life for us and count us among the early Muslims whom He promised the paradise (Amin).

Dan saliu
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Ibn Haroon "Akewshola"
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