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The Prophet's Migration (Hijrah)... Building the Muslim Nation and Shaping its History
Author : Secretary General Dr. Zaid Al-Kilani
Date Added : 09-07-2024

The Prophet's Migration (Hijrah)... Building the Muslim Nation and Shaping its History

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

The Noble Migration is a journey of nation building, transitioning from weakness to strength, fear to security, and fragmentation to unity... It is a journey of constructing a nation chosen by Allah to alter the course of history, led by the greatest leader in history and the best prophet in existence, peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and all his companions.

The Noble Migration signifies the birth of a resilient nation destined to lead the world in a few short years, guided by men devoted to Allah and dedicated to building their homeland and achieving its glory. The companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) understood these profound meanings, marking the beginning of their nation's history. With these lofty meanings, the honorable migration teaches us to trust in Allah's promise to His sincere servants, knowing that He fulfills His promise and completes His light. It is a promise for our people in Palestine that their patience and steadfastness will ultimately be rewarded with victory by the permission of Allah. The journey was a departure for the sake of return, but it symbolizes the return of the victorious, triumphant liberators. The migration serves as a lesson for us to uphold the strength and resilience of our Jordan, and to stand united against any threat that may confront us.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) guided us that one of the most important objectives of migration is to build a strong homeland and establish a state with effective institutions. Building a strong nation begins with the establishment of active institutions that uphold the aspirations of the country, foresee its future, and fulfill the ambitions of its people. Upon his arrival in Medina, the Prophet (peace be upon him) built the mosque, which became the center for nurturing pillars of faith, shaping religious identity, education, communication, judiciary, consultation, opinion, and governance. He built the mosque to house these effective institutions that organize society in accordance with its uplifting values and objectives.

As we learn from the noble migration of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), one of the pillars of a strong resilient nation is to have a strong independent economy. This serves as a fortress against any interference, by adversaries, in the nation`s political will or cultural identity. Therefore, one of the Prophet's first actions upon arriving in Medina was to establish an independent market for Muslims, breaking the monopoly held by the Jews over trade and wealth. They had sought to control the economic sphere to sow discord and animosity among different societal groups, enabling their own dominance.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) formulated the document that can be described in contemporary terms as a constitution, outlining the rights and duties of the state and individuals, including protection and preservation. It clarified the meanings of citizenship and emphasized the necessity of the rule of law.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) established brotherhood between the Muhajireen (The first inhabitants of Mecca to accept Islam) and the Ansar (The first inhabitants of Medina to accept Islam) to replace the tribal values of negative boasting about ancestors and tribes that Arabs used to practice in the pre-Islamic era.

To resolve the issues of division within the Muslim community, based on the principle from ThHoly Quran, it states (What means): "The believing men and believing women are allies of one another" [At-Tawbah/71], and the same applies on Quranic motto, which states (What means): "Verily, the believers are brothers" [Al-Hujurat/10], in accordance with Allah's Command that reads (What means): "hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided" [Al-Imran/103], the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) established these values and principles as the foundation of the Muslim society. This spirit permeated the institutions of the state founded by the Prophet (peace be upon him), leading to cultural and societal advancement within the Islamic community.

Allah the Almighty immortalized the incident of brotherhood in the Quran to serve as a lasting testimony to this crucial foundation of human civilization. Whereas He, The Exalted, Says (What means): "And [also for] those who were settled in the Home [i.e., Medina] and [adopted] the faith before them. They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in their breasts of what the emigrants were given but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in privation. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul, it is those who will be the successful." [Al-Hashr/9].

In conclusion, we ask Allah the Almighty to make this new Hijri year a year of goodness and blessings for our blessed country and for the leader of the Hashemite family, His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, may Allah protect and preserve him.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on waiving a debt owed by a debtor and counting it toward zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Waiving a debt owed by a debtor, with the intention of counting it toward zakāh, does not fulfill the zakāh obligation. Rather, it constitutes an ordinary act of charity, for which Allah rewards the giver generously — since one of the conditions for the validity of zakāh is that the person paying it must form the intention of zakāh at the actual moment the wealth is paid out. In this case, the debt has already been established as a standing obligation upon the borrower, so it is not valid to simply redirect the intention toward zakāh after the fact.
It is preferable, instead, for the creditor to first collect the debt from the debtor, and then return to him the amount of money he is required to pay as zakāh — or a portion of it — if the debtor happens to fall under one of the eight categories that Allah, the Exalted, has commanded be given from zakāh.
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik, from the books of the Shāfi‘ī school: "If someone gives [money] to a poor person, stipulating that the recipient return it to him in payment of a debt owed to him, or says, 'I am making what you owe me into zakāh, so take it [as such]' — this is not valid. But if he gives it to him with the [unstated] intention that the recipient will use it to repay him, or says, 'Repay what you owe me, so that I may [then separately] give it to you as zakāh,' or the debtor himself says, 'Give it to me, so that I may [then] repay you with it' — this is valid, and there is no binding obligation for the recipient to actually fulfill this [informal understanding]." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on praying in congregation at the mosque?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Congregational prayer (Salat al-Jama‘ah) is a communal obligation (Fard Kifayah) for resident men regarding the performance of the prescribed (obligatory) prayers. For men, praying in congregation at the mosque is better than praying elsewhere, such as at home. On the authority of Abdullah bin Umar, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Prayer in congregation is twenty-seven degrees more excellent than the prayer of a person alone' (Reported by Bukhari & Muslim). Furthermore, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Shall I not tell you that by which Allah erases sins and raises ranks?' They said, 'Of course, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Performing wudu thoroughly despite difficulties, taking many steps toward the mosques, and waiting for the next prayer after the prayer; that is your Ribat (steadfastness)' (Narrated by Muslim).
 
As for a woman, her praying in congregation at home is better for her than in the mosque, according to the saying of our Master the Prophet ﷺ: 'Do not prevent your women from attending the mosques, but their homes are better for them' (Narrated by Abu Dawood). Young boys should be encouraged to attend the mosques and congregational prayers so they may become accustomed to them. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling on praying seated due to severe obesity, given that I experience hardship in performing the prayer — especially when rising from the ground after sujūd to perform the next rak‘ah?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Standing, when one is able to do so, is a pillar of the prayer. However, whoever would experience severe, intolerable hardship, or fears harm to himself or to a limb due to obesity, or finds that standing causes him to lose his khushū‘ (humble focus and concentration) in prayer, then there is no objection to his praying seated on a chair or on the ground, performing rukū‘ (bowing) and sujūd (prostration) through gesture — provided that the gesture for sujūd is made lower than that for rukū‘. Whoever is able, at any point, to properly perform any one of these pillars, is obligated to perform it in full; for omitting it is a concession that applies only in cases of genuine inability. The Prophet ﷺ said: "When I command you to do something, do of it whatever you are able." (Related by al-Bukhārī). As the scholars of fiqh have established: what remains possible is not waived on account of what is difficult.
The criterion for determining genuine inability, as chosen by Imam al-Ḥaramayn al-Juwaynī (raḥimahullāh), is that the worshipper experiences hardship that causes him to lose his khushū‘.
As for voluntary (nafl) prayer, there is no objection to performing it while seated, even if one is able to stand. However, rukū‘ and sujūd must still be performed [in their proper physical form] by anyone who is able to do so. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Which is better during the day in Ramadan: reciting the Quran or performing voluntary prayers?

A Muslim should establish a daily schedule for reciting the Quran in Ramadan.
Once they have completed their daily portion (known as a wird or hizb), they can engage in other acts of worship, including voluntary prayers (nawafil). Prayer itself is called "Quran", because a significant part of it involves reciting the Quran.
Allah says: "BE CONSTANT in [thy] prayer from the time when the sun has passed its zenith till the darkness of night, and [be ever mindful of its] recitation at dawn: for, behold, the recitation [of prayer] at dawn is indeed witnessed [by all that is holy]." [Al-Isra`/78]