Of all the servants of Allah in the world, the most beloved servants to Allah are the believing servants. They try to obey every command of Allah as much as possible. They are always cautious to protect themselves from falling into disobedience to Allah. Of course, Allah Ta’ala has sent down many rules and regulations for the welfare of the believing servants. One of them is Al-Hijrah (migration). It is an essential aspect of religion. Verily, there are several notable aspects of Al-Hijrah in Islam. There are many rulings about it in Islam. And Allah Ta’ala and His Messenger (peace be upon him) have said many things about it.
So I will mention a few things about Al-Hijrah (migration) that are very important. And at the same time, I will try to describe the view of Islam in this regard, the words of the Qur’an and Hadith from a reliable book. Insha Allah. Now let’s know first what the meaning of Al-Hijrah (Migration) is.
What is Al-Hijrah in Islam?
Al-Hijrah (Migration) is to move from the house of Kufr to the house of Islam. So if it is for gaining nearer to Allah, then it is Al-hijrah Al-Shar’iyyah (legal migration). [Al-Mawsuat al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyah, volume 42, page: 177]
In this regard, Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Al-Hijrah (Migration) will not end until At-Tawbah (repentance) ends, and At-Tawbah (repentance) will not end until the sun rises in the west.” [Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith No. 2479]
Verily, the house of Islam is the land where Muslims naturally have safety and where there is a danger for disbelievers. And the house of Kufr is the land where disbelievers naturally have protection and where there is a danger for Muslims. [Bada’i As-Sanai of Imam Kasani, volume 7, page: 131]
Of course, Al-Hijrah in Islam is a broad term that has different meanings. Some of these means are giving up forbidden work, not talking to others, moving from one place to another, and so on.
How many types of Al-Hijrah are in Islam?
There are many types of Al-Hijrah (Emigration). Many scholars have mentioned different types of it. However, four types of Al-Hijrah are particularly notable among them. Namely:
- To forsake forbidden works
- Moving from the house of Kufr to the house of Islam
- Leaving the area of bad people
- Giving up the relationship with the wrongdoers until they forsake evil deeds
So I will describe the above matters step by step. And I will try to present clear evidence in favor of each subject. Insha Allah.
To forsake forbidden works
It means to refrain from all the deeds that Allah Ta’ala has forbidden to His servants and from those deeds that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) has prohibited to His Ummah. For example, to do Shirk, Kufr, Hypocrisy, Bid’ah, hit people unjustly, etc.
In this regard, Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “A (real) Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands. And a Muhajir (real emigrant) is the one who gives up (abandons) all that Allah has forbidden.” [Sahih Bukhari, Hadith No. 10]
And Allah Ta’ala said: “Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you from, leave it. Fear Allah. Surely Allah is severe in punishment.” [Surah Al-Hashr, verse 7]
Indeed, forsaking forbidden works is an obligatory deed of all people. Verily, Allah Ta’ala said: “And leave open and secret sin. Indeed, those who commit sin will soon be punished for what they earn.” [Surah Al-An’am, verse 120]
Moving from the house of Kufr to the house of Islam
It means is if anyone accepts Islam in the house of Kufr, then it is necessary for him not to stay where the law of the unbelievers is effective and to leave that land and join the house of Muslims where the law of the believers is effective. [Al-Mawsuat al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyah, volume 42, page: 181]
In this regard, Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “I am not responsible for any Muslim who stays among polytheists. They asked: Why? O Messenger of Allah. He (peace be upon him) said: Their fires should not be visible to one another (i.e., Muslims should not stay in place of polytheists in such a way that cannot be differentiated among Muslims and polytheists).” [Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith No. 2645]
So a person who cannot reveal Islam in the house of Kufr and cannot observe the obligatory rulings of Islam but can go to the land of Islam, then he must migrate. Meanwhile, Allah Ta’ala indicated and said: “O My servants who have believed, indeed My earth is spacious, so worship only Me.” [Surah Al-‘Ankabut, verse 56]
But
who cannot reveal Islam in the house of Kufr, cannot observe the obligatory rulings of Islam, and can’t go to the land of Islam, then this kind of Al-Hijrah (Migration) is not obligated upon him. He will continue to worship Allah according to his ability. In this regard, Allah Ta’ala said:
“Indeed, when the angels seize the souls of those who have wronged themselves – (the angels) will say, ‘In what (condition) were you?’ They will say, ‘We were oppressed in the land.’ They (the angels) will say, ‘Was not the earth of Allah spacious (enough) for you to emigrate therein?’ For those, their refuge is Hell – and evil it is as a destination. Except for the helpless among men, women, and children who cannot devise a plan (i.e., who has no ability and provisions of migration) and cannot find a way (for migration). For those, it is expected that Allah will pardon them, and Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.” [Surah An-Nisa, verses 97 – 99]
Leaving the area of bad people
In the area where sin and evil deeds spread, there is no Interrupter, or no one prohibits people from evil deeds despite having power, and the people of the zone are not ashamed of all those wrongdoings, then leaving that area is considered one kind of Al-Hijrah (Migration).
There is an indication of this in a hadith. It is narrated in that hadith that when a man asked a scholar after killing 100 people his repentance would be accepted or not, then the scholar told him that his repentance would be accepted, and he would have to emigrate. Their conversation was such that,
“The killer told the scholar that he had killed one hundred persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He (the scholar) said: Yes; what stands between you and repentance? (There is no interruption between you and your repentance.) You better go to such and such land; there are people devoted to prayer and worship, and you also worship along with them and do not go back to the land of yours since it is an evil land.” [Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2766]
Verily,
In areas where sinfulness is running more and more, and there is no deterrent, then it is obligatory to leave the area if possible and move to a place where there are more virtuous people than sinners. In this regard, Allah Ta’ala said:
“O you who have believed, fear Allah, and be with those who are true.” [Surah At-Tawbah, verse 119]
But if it is not possible to leave the area of bad people and move to other areas, then it is obligatory to stay home and seek forgiveness from Allah and be aware of own every responsibility. In this regard, Allah Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Control your tongue, let your house be sufficient for you, and cry over your sins.” [Jami’ at-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2406]
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) also said: “Every one of you is a guardian and is responsible for his charges. The ruler who has authority over people is a guardian and is responsible for them, a man is a guardian of his family and is responsible for them; a woman is a guardian of her husband’s house and children and is responsible for them; a slave is a guardian of his master’s property and is responsible for it; so all of you are guardians and are responsible for your charges.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 2554]
Giving up the relationship with the wrongdoers until they forsake evil deeds
Those who do evil deeds repeatedly, and do not care about the warnings and advice, then not having relations with them is a kind of Al-Hijrah (Migration). So don’t keep a relationship with them unless they try to come back from their sinful deeds. If you deliberately associate with the wrongdoers, you will belong to them even though you have not sinned with them. In this regard,
Allah Ta’ala said: “And He has already revealed to you in the Book (i.e., the Qur’an) that when you hear the verses of Allah (recited), they are denied (by them) and ridiculed; so do not sit with them until they enter into another conversation. Indeed, you would then be like them (if you stay with them). Indeed, Allah will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers in Hell all together.” [Surah Al-Nisa, verse 140]
But if the wrongdoer tries to come back from his sin, does good deeds, and repents, then All you have to do is re-establish a relationship with him, help him to do good, and not give him the shame for his past sins.
Verily, Allah Ta’ala said: “O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule (another) people; perhaps they may be better than them, nor let women ridicule (other) women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by (offensive) nicknames. How evil it is to act rebellious (i.e., to call by an offensive name) after having faith! And whoever does not repent – then it is those who are the wrongdoers.” [Surah Al-Hujurat, verse 11]
Why is Migration important in Islam?
Al-Hijrah (Migration) is an important matter in Islam. Because we can learn many things from the migration of Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) and his Companions (R). Some of the notable things about those are that they always gave priority to the command of Allah over everything. They were subjected to various hardships and persecutions due to their conversion to Islam, but they did not abandon the religion of Allah.
They did not migrate until Allah Ta’ala ordered them to migrate. On the contrary, they had endured many hardships for the sake of Islam. Then, whenever Allah Ta’ala ordered them to migrate, they started migrating. Verily, Omar (R) started counting the Hijri year from the year in which the Messenger of Allah migrated from Makkah to Madinah.
The greatest lesson from Al-Hijrah (Migration) is to prepare oneself for one new test after another and to be determined to succeed in the test with the pleasure of Allah and to prove oneself truthful in word and deed.
In this regard, Allah Ta’ala said: “Do the people think that they will be left to say, ‘We believe’ and they will not be tried? But I (Allah) have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident who are liars.” [Surah Al-Ankabut, verses 2 – 3]
Our Dua
May Allah Ta’ala grant us the grace to understand every aspect of Al-Hijrah (Migration) well. Ameen.
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