Hijrah, a word used to describe the Prophet’s (صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) migration from Makkah to Medina in 622 AD, dives into the existence of a believer on an occasional basis, upon which a rightly framed minded individual is bound to create a reformative course of life existence to himself/herself, as a way of a sincere resolute decision to lead a better life than he/she led in the past. Its marking on the Islamic choice of date/time labelling is annually inevitable and this calls for periodic admonition to call us upon reflection on reformation at times crucially needed for it – even though constant reminder does no other, than to benefit the believer.
An average aim of taking a bold step of migration from one cause to another is definitely to seek a more advantageous spot for oneself or collection of people, or for the quest for “greener pasture” as commonly stated. The only counter-objective to this aim can be seen if the individual(s) involved is(are) logically imbalanced, for humans have been wired to always tend toward spotlights and that’s the situation for an average being. We could think not less for the Holy Prophets (عَلَيْهِ ٱلصَّلَاةُ وَٱلسَّلَامُ) – who are divinely specially marked/recognised – in terms of their logicality/divine calling to migration.
Among all the ordained Prophets of Allah who have, in an aspect of their prophethood journey, migrated from a point to another, Prophet Muhammad’s (صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) Hijrah, alongside his companions, is one that earns every benevolence of being discussed and reflected upon, as it forms a vitally huge aspect of our endeavours to pleasing the Almighty. For every action comes equal and opposite reaction, and this relates to the case of Hijrah where the action of migration of the Prophet (صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) came with a reaction of pains and tribulations, but with a joyful and triumphant ending.
Hijrah, as implied to be migration, could come up as both physical and moral move. The physical aspect of it, denotes the physical travel from a region to another for a particular purpose and this physicality took place in the Hijrah accrued to the early Muslims of Prophet Muhammad’s (صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) era. A confirmation of this can be found in the words of Muhammad Ibn Ishaq “When the Messenger of God witnessed the trials descending upon his Companions, he compared this with his own good state derived from his own status with God the Almighty and from his uncle Abu Talib, and, recognizing that he was unable to prevent the evil befalling them, he told them, ‘I wish you would go forth into the land of Abyssinia, for there is a king in whose realm no one is harmed and where truth prevails. Stay there until God the Almighty gives you relief from your plight.’” This word was yielded to, and migration took place to Abyssinia, with another set of Muslims migration, few years later.
The moral part/description of Hijrah status has its deeper, and more relevant meaning engraved in the figurative moral interpretation of Hijrah as leaving that which is of less benefit and moving towards that which is more/most valuable. Supporting this fact comes with a narration by Abdullah Ibn Umar in which the Prophet (صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said, “The muhajir (emigrant) is the one who abandons what God has forbidden” (Bukhari and Muslim). The disposition of our being towards goodness, as against badness, governed by our sincere reflection on our life sojourn, carries a lot more weight on the celebration of Hijrah, for the positively self reformed being is what Allah will be pleased with, as the diving into any phase of life (either within the earth or hereafter transition) occurs.
No gain, as they say, comes without its attached pain, but amidst the dysphoria of the steps to physically or morally incline toward a better self in a way pleasing to the Almighty, it should always be known that Allah never forsakes His true servants and capping up this point is The Prophet’s (صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) words of reassurance to Abu Bakr when, on their way to Medina, the Quraysh search party that was after them came dangerously close to the mouth of the cave where they were hiding. When Abu Bakr expressed his alarm, the Prophet told him, “Have no fear, for God is with us.” Indeed, Allah was with them, considering the mean danger – almost close to impossible to survive – they got into, which they later got freed from.
Another mark of Hijrah year commences in a short while from now and this occasion should immerse us in servitude upon utmost reflection on our ways and seeking to be well placed on every perceived good and improvement in areas of faulted nature, with the resolve to remain steadfast on goodness without any breach to giving in, to vices, for the sake of the ultimate attraction of Allah’s immeasurable blessing in this world and the hereafter.
May Allah make His guidance a default in our lives and not leave us to be infiltrated by any force of misdeeds, in this world and the next. Aameen.
Ismail Abogunde, Editor-in-Chief at The Muslim Voice, Nigeria. Contact: abogundedarey@gmail.com
17 – 12 – 1443AH
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