The Message of Hijrah

the hijrah, the migration of the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions from makkah to madinah, is one of the greatest landmarks in the history of islam. it is a unique event in the history of humankind. the hijrah that marks the beginning of the construction of an ideal islamic society in all aspects of life, contains several lessons. it also gives us the message of hope.

the hijrah teaches the believers about advanced preparations and adequate planning, which are highly essential for the propagation of the islamic system of life. it highlights the total submission of the believers to the will of almighty allah as they leave behind everything that is dear to them including their family, wealth, homes and parents. this is only possible for those who have strong faith and commitment to the cause of islam.

when we analyze the events leading up to the migration of the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) we find that he spent a few days hiding from the quraysh to return the things that had been entrusted to him and hand over what remained to a responsible person. here we have to understand that a believer should be very careful with regard to entrusted responsibilities and property and that he should return it to its owners at any cost. this is a very important aspect of the islamic personality.

another observation in the migration of the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is that even on this decisive journey he selected an unbeliever as his guide. there are many lessons for the believers in the wise actions of the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

when the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) left the blessed city of makkah, he might have yielded to the hope of returning successfully to the place defeating all the powers of ignorance and establishing the reign of almighty allah there.

he hoped to see the flag of islam raised high over the most blessed house of allah in makkah (the ka`bah). we may note that the hope of the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was fulfilled within a short period of time and he saw the powers of disbelief and arrogance surrendering before him during the historical event of the liberation of makkah. at that time, the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) managed to win over the powers of jahiliyyah through a bloodless revolution, which is a unique incident in the history of man on earth.

when we pass on to a new tear of the islamic calendar, which is based on the hijrah of the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the hopes of islamic revivalism make us courageous to proceed in the way of almighty allah. the islamic calendar contains several lessons and reminds us about the marvelous lessons from the life mission of the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

it is relevant to take a look at the historical background of the hijrah and to draw certain important lessons from it. it is a well-known fact that the conditions of arabia, especially those of makkah, were very deplorable and the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) found it very difficult to continue his mission. even after propagating and sincerely calling the people for more than ten years the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) felt insecure to live in makkah, and hence, there was a need for hijrah.