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The Definition of Hijrah

In the four verses cited above, the merits, blessings and injunctions of Hijrah have been described. Lexically, Hijrah, Hijran and Hajr mean 'being displeased with something and leaving it'. In common parlance, the leaving of one's home country is known as Hijrah. In the terminology of the Shari' ah, leaving Dar al-Kufr (Homeland of disbelievers) and going to Dar al-Islam (Abode of Islam) is called Hijrah (Ruh al-Ma'ani).

In Sharh al-Mishkah, Mulla ` Ali al-Qari has said: Leaving a home country for religious reasons is also included under Hijrah (Mirqat, p. 39, v.l).

From the verse الَّذِينَ أُخْرِ‌جُوا مِن دِيَارِ‌هِمْ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْ (59:8): 'Those who have been driven away from their homes ...' revealed about emigrating Companions, we know if disbelievers of a country forcibly expel Muslims because they are Muslims, this too will be included under Hijrah.

From this definition, we learn that Muslims migrating from India to Pakistan who came here out of disgust for Dar al-Kufr at their own choice or were driven away by non-Muslims simply because they were Muslims, are all 'Muhajirs' in the Islamic legal sense. But, those who have moved to benefit from business or employment opportunities are not entitled to be called 'Muhajir' in that Islamic legal sense.

Then, there is the hadith from al-Bukhari and Muslim in which the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been reported to have said:

اَلمُھَاجِرُ مَن ھَجَرَ مَا نَھَی اللہَ عَنہُ وَرَسُولُہ

Muhajir is one who leaves everything Allah and His Messenger have prohibited.

The full sense of the saying becomes clear from the first sentence of this very liadith which is as follows:

اَلمُسلِم مَن سَلِمَ الممُسلِمُونَ مِن لِّسَانِہ وَیَدہہِ

A Muslim is the one from whom all Muslims remain safe - (safe) from his tongue and (safe) from his hands. (Tirmidh, Kitab al-'Iman)

As obvious, it means that a 'true and staunch Muslim has to be the one who hurts none. Similarly, a true and successful Muhajir is the one who does not consider migration from his home country as the ultimate obligation. He should, rather, leave everything else the Shari' ah has declared to be unlawful or impermissible. Said poetically, it would be saying something like: اپنے دل کو بھی بدل جامہ احرام کے ساتھ (When you change into the Ihiram garment, better change your heart too! )The Merits of Hijrah

Just as the verses about Jihad are spread out all over in the Holy Qur'an, Hijrah too has been mentioned many times in most of the Surahs. A cumulative view of these verses shows that there are three kinds of themes in verses relating to Hijrah. Firstly, there are the merits of Hijrah; secondly, it' s worldly and other-worldly blessings; and thirdly, warnings against not migrating from Dar al-Kufr despite having the ability to do so.

As for the merits of Hijrah, there is a verse in Surah al-Baqarah:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُ‌وا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ أُولَـٰئِكَ يَرْ‌جُونَ رَ‌حْمَتَ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَاللَّـهُ غَفُورٌ‌ رَّ‌حِيمٌ ﴿218﴾

As for those who believed and those who migrated and carried out Jihad in the way of Allah, they do hope for Allah's mercy and Allah is Forgiving, Very-Merciful - (2:218).

The second verse appears in Surah al-Taubah:

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَهَاجَرُ‌وا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ أَعْظَمُ دَرَ‌جَةً عِندَ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ ﴿20﴾

And those who believed and emigrated and took up Jihad in the way of Allah with their wealth and lives are greater in rank in the sight of Allah - and they are the successful ones - (9:20).

The third verse belongs to Surah al-Nis-a' and appears right here as part of the set of verses under study:

وَمَن يَخْرُ‌جْ مِن بَيْتِهِ مُهَاجِرً‌ا إِلَى اللَّـهِ وَرَ‌سُولِهِ ثُمَّ يُدْرِ‌كْهُ الْمَوْتُ فَقَدْ وَقَعَ أَجْرُ‌هُ عَلَى اللَّـهِ

And whoever migrates in the way of Allah shall find in the earth many a place to settle and a wide dimension (of resources). And whoever leaves his home migrating for the sake of Allah and His Messenger and death overtakes him, then, his reward is established with Allah. And Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful - (4:100).

According to some narrations, this last verse was revealed about Sayyidna Khalid ibn Hizam at the time of the migration to Ethiopia. He had left Makkah on his way to Ethiopia with the intention of Hijrah. Enroute, a snake bit him which caused his death. In short, the three verses cited above have clearly emphasized Hijrah from Dar al-Kufr (migration from the Abode of Disbelief) and the many merits it has.

In a hadith, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said: اَلھِجرَۃُ تَھدِمُ مَا کَانَ قَبلَھَا ، meaning: Hijrah will undo all sins which may have been committed before it.

The Blessings of Hijrah

As for blessings, a verse from Surah al-Nahl says:

وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُ‌وا فِي اللَّـهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا ظُلِمُوا لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ۖ وَلَأَجْرُ‌ الْآخِرَ‌ةِ أَكْبَرُ‌ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿41﴾

And those who migrated for the sake of Allah after they were subjected to injustice, to them We shall give a good place to be in the world while the reward of the Hereafter is certainly great - only if they had realized! (16:41)

The fourth verse of the set of four verses (97-100) appearing at the head of this part of the Commentary deals with approximately the same subject. There it has been said:

وَمَن يُهَاجِرْ‌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ يَجِدْ فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ مُرَ‌اغَمًا كَثِيرً‌ا وَسَعَةً

And whoever migrates in the way of Allah shall find in the earth many a place to settle and a wide dimension (of resources).

The word 'muragham' مُرَ‌اغَم in the verse is a verbal noun which means to move from one land to the other' and the place to which one moves and settles is also called 'muragham'.

Both these verses quoted above tell us about the open and the hidden blessings of Hijrah where Almighty Allah has promised to everyone who migrates for the sake of Allah and His Messenger that He shall open new opportunities in the world for them and give them a good home to settle. As for the rewards and ranks of the Hereafter, they are beyond any reach of expectation or imagination.

The words لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً 'which promise 'a good place to be' in the world have been interpreted variously. Mujahid explains it as 'lawful sustenance', Hasan al-Basri (رح) as 'good home' while some other commentators have interpreted it as 'superiority in excellence, honour and power over antagonists.' The truth of the matter is that all these elements are included within the sense of the verse. World history bears witness that whoever has left his homeland for the sake of Allah, to him Almighty Allah has given a home far better than what he had earlier, far more honour and far more comfort. Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) migrated to Syria from his homeland in Iraq - Allah gave him all those things. Sayyidna Musa and the Bani Isra'il migrated from Egypt, their homeland for the sake of Allah, then He gave them the land of Syria, a better homeland. Then, they got Egypt too. When our master and the last of the prophets, Sayyidna Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Companions left Makkah for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, these blessed emigrants found the best of shelter in Madinah, far better than Makkah. There they had honour and power and peace and prosperity. Of course, this does not include the transitory hardship faced during the early period of Hijrah. But, soon after that, the blessings, which were showered on these people and which continued through several generations, shall be the proper yardstick in this matter.

Events related to the poverty and hunger of Noble Companions so well-known belong generally to the early period of Hijrah; or, go as what can be called volitional acceptance of poverty, a dignified attitude of readiness to live with less (Faqr). In other words, they just did not like worldly wealth and property as a result of which they lost no time in spending what they received, in the way of Allah. This was very much the state in which the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم lived. His lack of means and patience in hunger were simply voluntary. He just did not choose to be rich. Nonetheless, during the sixth year of Hijrah, after the conquest of Khyber, things had changed and sufficient means of sustenance were available for the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his family. The same was the case with all righteous caliphs. When they reached Madinah, Allah had given them everything they needed. But, when Islam needed their support, Sayyidna Abu Bakr ؓ came forward and donated everything he had in his house. The Mother of the Faithful, Sayyidah Zaynab ؓ would give away all her stipend money to the poor and the needy and remain satisfied living indigently. For this reason, she was called 'The Mother of the Needy'. On the other side, no less in number were the rich ones among the Companions ؓ who left wealth and property behind. There were many among the Companions who were poor in their home-city of Makkah but Allah Almighty made them rich and happy after Hijrah. Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ can be cited as a good example. When he was appointed the governor of a province, he used to enjoy talking about his past with unusual relish. He would formally address himself and say: '0 Abu Hurairah, you are the same man, the servant of a tribe. Your salary was what you could eat. Your duty was to walk with those who rode on a journey and your duty was to collect firewood for them when they broke their journey at a certain stage. Today, because of Islam, you are here, so high from so low, and they call you the Commander of the Faithful!

In summation, it can be said that the world has openly witnessed the fulfillment of the promise Allah has made in the Qur'an. However, the verse has put a condition that they must be 'true emigrants for the sake of Allah', a substantiation of Hajaru fi-llah. This kind of emigrant should have not migrated for the sake of wordly wealth, office, power, recognition, honour or influence. Otherwise, in a hadith of al-Bukhari, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has also been reported to have said: 'Those who migrate for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, their migration is precisely for Allah and His Messenger.' It means that this is the correct mode of Hijrah the merits and blessings of which appear in the Qur'an. As for those who migrate to make money or marry a woman, their compensation against Hijrah is exactly what they migrated for.

In our time, some groups of muhajirin (emigrants) who are living in distress are either in that transitory stage of the early period of Hijrah which is usually marked with hardships, or they are not Muhajirs in the real sense. They should correct their intention and take charge of the circumstances under which they live. After their intention and their corresponding deeds have been corrected, they shall witness the truth of Allah's promise with their own eyes.