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Lessons from Hijrah
Shaykh Usamah Al Khayyat
[(Dhul-Hijjah 27, 1424 (February 28, 2003)]
All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of
all the worlds. May peace and blessings of Allaah be upon the Messenger of
Allaah, his household and companions.
Brethren in faith! Major events in the
lives of nations and communities need to be studied for lessons and
benefits. Indeed, there is in the life of the Messenger of Allaah events
that changed the course of human history and left great impacts on the
history of mankind. Among these events, the Prophet’s Hijrah (migration)
from Makkah to Al-Madeenah occupied the highest position. For it through
this migration that Islaam won a decisive victory, started its
consolidation and the disbelievers started suffering defeat and
humiliation.
Fellow Muslims! There are uncountable
lessons to be learned from the Prophet’s Hijrah. There are however two
main lessons which are:
One:
That Islaamic belief is greater than the land, home and town in which is
born; and that it is greater than the goal and all the beauties and
pleasures of this world.
This concept
showed vividly when the Messenger of Allaah in the company of his
companion, Aboo Bakr set out of Makkah, the Sacred City. The Prophet
himself said addressing the city: “By Allaah! You are the most pleasant
city and the dearest place to me. Had my people not expelled me out of
you, I would not have lived elsewhere.” (At-Tirmidhee)
What is more, Makkah was his birthplace
and the very place where he spent his childhood and youth. But the
Messenger of Allaah left this blessed city to seek the pleasure of his
Lord, in the interest of his religion and in order to spread the his
belief and guidance to all mankind. The Messenger of Allaah removed all
obstacles that impeded the propagation of the religion of his Lord so that
mankind could have the right of choice between guidance and error. Allaah
says,
“And
say: "The truth is from your Lord." Then whosoever wills, let him believe;
and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve.”
(Al-Kahf
18:29)
Two:
Perfect certainty that Allaah is always with His truthful and believing
slaves. This deep-rooted certainty that was unshaken by the threat of the
enemy manifested itself in these two migrating men. When the situation
became tense and the disbelievers almost came to know that cave in which
they were hiding, Aboo Bakr said: ‘By Allaah O Messenger of Allaah, had
anyone of them looked at his feet he would have seen us.’ The Messenger of
Allaah replied: ‘O Aboo Bakr, what is your opinion of two men whom there
is Allaah?’ Allaah confirms this incidence in the Glorious Qur’aan when He
says,
“If
you help him (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) not (it does not matter), for
Allaah did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second
of two; when they (Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr (may Allah be
pleased with him) were in the cave, and he (peace be upon him) said to his
companion (Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)) "Be not sad (or
afraid), surely Allaah is with us." Then Allaah sent down His Sakeenah
(calmness, tranquility, peace) upon him, and strengthened him with forces
(angels) which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the
lowermost, while the Word of Allaah that became the uppermost, and Allaah
is All-Mighty, All-Wise.”
(At-Tawbah
9:40)
Dear
brethren! Which support is greater than this divine support and which
power can overcome this power. The support of Allaah is the greatest
protection against all calamities. It is the provision in times of
difficulty and the protecting shield from all evils. But this special
support that entails protection and victory is only given to the righteous
and pious slaves of Allaah, those who fulfill their obligation to Allaah
by believing in His Oneness, worshipping Him alone without ascribing any
partner to Him, abiding by His commandments and abstaining from all that
He forbids.
Fellow
Muslims! Le us put the lessons of Prophetic Hijrah into practice in order
to reclaim our glory and our position in the world. Allaah says,
“Truly, Allaah is with those who fear Him (keep their duty unto Him), and
those who are good-doers.”
(An-Nahl
16:129)
Brethren in faith! If the Hijrah
means abandoning a Kufr land for that of Islaam, it also means abandoning
sins and all that Allaah forbids. The Messenger of Allaah said, “The
Muslim is the one from whose hand and tongue all Muslims are safe. And the
Muhaajir (emigrant) is the one who abandons all that Allaah forbids.”
(Al-Bukhaaree)
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