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Prophetic Hijra: A Journey of Souls and Bodies – Lessons and Insights
Author : Mufti. Yousef Abu Hussein
Date Added : 19-03-2025

Prophetic Hijra: A Journey of Souls and Bodies – Lessons and Insights

 

Allah the Almighty says about His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): "If ye help not (your leader), (it is no matter): for God did indeed help him, when the Unbelievers drove him out: he had no more than one companion; they two were in the cave, and he said to his companion, "Have no fear, for God is with us": then God sent down His peace upon him, and strengthened him with forces which ye saw not, and humbled to the depths the word of the Unbelievers. But the word of God is exalted to the heights: for God is Exalted in might, Wise." [At-Tawbah/40].

The Hijra was not merely a physical migration from Makkah to Yathrib, nor was it just a journey of escape from oppression, tyranny, and injustice. Rather, it was a journey of souls and bodies to a land chosen by Allah as the cradle for the establishment of the Islamic state. Through its light, darkness was dispelled, and the principles of justice, equality, dignity, and honor were firmly established. Allah united hearts and instilled mercy and compassion between them. The Hijra was a turning point that changed the face of the earth, so much so that Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) made it the beginning of the calendar for a nation independent in its civilization. And why wouldn't it be? It is an inexhaustible spring, a treasure full of never-ending wisdom and endless wonders.

Indeed, we are in great need to reflect upon some of the lessons and wisdoms derived from the noble Hijra, including:

First: Proper Planning and Taking the Necessary Means

This is an important principle in the life of both the individual and the nation, and it is one of the factors of success and victory. The Prophet (PBUH), as the role model, meticulously planned his journey, relying on Allah after taking all the necessary precautions with precision, caution, secrecy, and discretion.

He did not take the usual route but instead chose a different path, heading south instead of north, to mislead the polytheists.

He took refuge in the Cave of Thawr, fully trusting in Allah’s ability to protect and preserve him and to guide him to Medina, just as Allah had previously guided him on the night of the Isra and Mi'raj to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. However, this was to teach the Ummah the meaning of true trust in Allah (Tawakkul) and to distinguish it from mere reliance on superficial means (Tawaakul). While trusting in Allah, the Prophet (PBUH) also took all the necessary steps with careful planning.

Allah's care for him was evident in every step of the journey. He sought refuge in the cave, where a spider spun its web, and a dove laid its eggs at the entrance. The enemies were standing right outside, and if any of them had looked down, they would have seen the Prophet (PBUH) and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). However, the Prophet (peace be upon him) reassured his companion, Abu Bakr, with confidence in Allah’s protection, saying: "What do you think of two, Allah is their third? "[Agreed upon].

Delegating Roles: The Prophet (PBUH) chose Abu Bakr as his companion for the journey, and he was the best companion. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "If I were to take a close friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr, but the brotherhood of Islam is better.” [Agreed upon]. This teaches us that a Muslim should choose their close companions wisely, ensuring that they are pious and trustworthy. This is in line with the Qur'anic verse [which means]: "Close friends, that Day, will be enemies to each other, except the righteous." [Az-Zukhruf/67].

 Logistical Organization: Aisha’s sister, Asma Bint Abi Bakr, provided food and drink for the journey, ensuring that the Prophet (PBUH) and his companion had their basic needs met. Abdullah Ibn Abi Bakr was responsible for bringing news about the movements of the enemy, essentially acting as an intelligence officer, keeping them informed and safe. Furthermore, Abu Bakr’s shepherd, Amir Ibn Abi Fuhayra, would erase their tracks by guiding the sheep to walk over the footprints, preventing any trace of their path from being followed.

Secondly: Fulfilling Trust, Sacrifice, and Devotion:

Ali Ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) became the first martyr in Islam, offering himself as a shield for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He slept in the Prophet’s bed to protect him from the danger of the idolaters who were plotting to kill the Prophet, knowing that their plans were imminent.

The disbelievers had conspired to kill the Prophet, but Allah foiled their plans. Allah Says in the Qur'an (What means): "And [remember] when those who disbelieve plotted against you [O Muhammad] to restrain you or kill you or evict you from [Makkah], but they plan, and Allah plans, and Allah is the best of planners." [Al-Anfal/30].

This reflects the deep love that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) had for the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). They were willing to sacrifice their lives, wealth, and families for him.

From this, we learn the importance of fulfilling trusts, as it is an essential part of complete faith. Even the disbelievers, who were enemies of the Prophet, trusted him with their valuables and entrusted him with their deposits. He returned them to the ones who sought to kill him, showing us the significance of loyalty and trustworthiness. Muslims are taught the importance of honoring and returning trusts, regardless of the situation.

Thirdly: Trusting in Allah's Decree, Even in the Most Challenging Circumstances:

As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companion Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) embarked on their journey, the Quraysh offered a lucrative reward (a hundred camels) to anyone who could capture them. Despite this pursuit, Suraqa Ibn Malik, who was still a disbeliever at the time, managed to catch up with them. As he approached, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) saw him and, noticing that the hooves of his horse sank into the ground, he turned to Suraqa and said: "How would it be for you, if you wore the bracelets of Kisra?" [Ibn Abd Al-Barr [Al-Isti'ab/Vol.2/P.581]. Days passed, and the Prophet’s prophecy came to fruition. During the time of the Caliphate of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), Suraqa was honored with the very bracelets of Kisra, as foretold by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) remarked: "All praise is due to Allah, who adorned Suraqa with the bracelets of Kisra, as the Messenger of Truth and Master of Creation (PBUH) promised."

Fourthly: Protecting the Rights of the Weak:

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) demonstrated the importance of safeguarding the rights of the weak, including orphans, when he purchased a piece of land (Murbad) to build a mosque upon. This land belonged to two orphans, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) insisted on paying its price to the guardian of the orphans. This act teaches the community that true strength lies in protecting the weak, such as orphans, and not in exploiting their rights. From this, we also learn the great role and message of the mosque. It is from the mosque that the battalions of Islamic conquests were raised, and from its walls emerged the heirs of the Prophets—scholars who, through their knowledge and action, preserved the religion of Allah. Thus, we are in dire need to restore the mosque to its rightful role in our communities.

Fifthly: Learning Altruism, Love, and Brotherhood

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) established a powerful example of brotherhood and selflessness when he bonded the Muhajirun (the converts to Islam and the Islamic prophet Muhammad's advisors and relatives, who emigrated from Mecca to Medina) and Ansar (The early Muslims from Medina ) together upon his arrival in Medina, may Allah bless it. Allah praised this beautiful bond, saying: "And those who were settled in the home and adopted the faith before them love those who emigrated to them and do not find in their hearts any need from what has been given to them. And they give preference over themselves, even though they are in need. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of their soul—those are the successful." [Al-Hashr/9].

Let us also strive to emigrate from selfishness, hatred, jealousy, animosity, and exploitation, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught us that "The emigrant is the one who leaves behind sin and disobedience." [Narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad/Vol.6/P.21]. We are in dire need of embodying the meanings of compassion and love, just as the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did. Allah Describes them in the Qur'an (What means): "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those with him are severe against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking favor from Allah and His pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration." [Al-Fatih/29].

Indeed, Allah has Promised victory for His Messenger and his followers, as He Says in the Qur'an (What means): "And Our word has already preceded for Our servants, the messengers, that indeed they would be supported. And indeed, Our soldiers will be the victors." [As-Saffat/171-173].

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

Are school exams a valid excuse for breaking the fast in Ramadan?

School and university exams are not considered a valid excuse for breaking the fast, as most students take their exams while fasting without experiencing extreme hardship. Fasting does not conflict with exam preparation, and a Muslim seeks strength in obedience to Allah for both worldly and spiritual matters.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on eating or drinking during the circumambulation?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is disliked (makrūh) to eat or drink during the circumambulation (ṭawāf).
Shaykh al-Islām Imām al-Nawawī states in al-Majmūʿ: "It is disliked to eat or drink during ṭawāf, and the dislikedness of drinking is lighter. Neither of them, nor both together, invalidates the ṭawāf. Al-Shāfiʿī said: 'There is no objection to drinking water during ṭawāf, and I do not consider it sinful; however, I prefer that it be avoided, as refraining from it is more befitting in terms of proper conduct.' Among those who explicitly stated the dislikedness of eating and drinking, and that drinking is the lesser of the two, is the author of al-Ḥāwī."
If, however, a person is in genuine need of drinking, then there is no dislikedness in doing so. In any case, the ṭawāf itself remains valid. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on performing the night prayer (*qiyām al-layl*) between the first and second adhān of Fajr? And which is better: delaying the prayer until shortly before the Fajr adhān, or performing it earlier than that?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The time for night prayer (qiyām al-layl) begins after the Maghrib prayer and lasts until the second adhān of Fajr. The best time for it is the last third of the night, and best of all are the fourth and fifth sixths of the night. If the night is divided into two halves, the latter half is better.
Whoever intends to pray at night is encouraged to delay the Witr until he has prayed the night prayer. If he knows that he will not wake up, it is better for him to pray and perform Witr before sleeping, so that he does not miss both the night prayer and the Witr.
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vpl.1/p.462): “I say: The voluntary prayer of the night, that is, the absolute voluntary prayer (al-nafl al-muṭlaq), is better than the absolute voluntary prayer of the day, because of the report in Muslim: ‘The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.’ In another narration of his: ‘In the night there is an hour that no Muslim man meets while asking Allah for any good of this world and the next except that He gives it to him, and that is every night.’ It is also because the night is a time of heedlessness. I restricted the voluntary prayer to the absolute kind following the commentator, although what the ḥadīth and the underlying meaning require is that the night rawātib be preferred over the day rawātib, since the jurists preferred the two rakʿahs of Fajr over everything except Witr. The middle of the night is better than its two ends if it is divided into thirds, because heedlessness is greatest then and worship is hardest. If he wishes to pray during some third, the best is the fourth and fifth sixths, based on the ḥadīth in the two Ṣaḥīḥs: ‘The most beloved prayer to Allah the Exalted is the prayer of Dāwūd: he would sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth.’ Then the latter part is better than the first if he divides it into two halves, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: ‘And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness’ [al-Dhāriyāt: 18], and the report of the two Shaykhs: ‘Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends,’ meaning His command descends, ‘to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: Who calls upon Me, that I may answer him? Who asks of Me, that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’”
It is also stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 60): “It is better to perform it [the Witr] immediately after the sunnah of ʿIshāʾ, unless he has tahajjud, in which case it is better to delay it so that he performs Witr after it. If he performs Witr and then wishes to pray tahajjud, he prays two rakʿahs at a time and does not repeat the Witr, nor does he need to cancel it with a single rakʿah before the tahajjud. It is recommended that he not deliberately pray after it.”
Qiyām al-layl is a term applied to any prayer performed at night. Tahajjud, on the other hand, refers to the night prayer that follows sleep, whether it is prayed after Maghrib or after ʿIshāʾ, or the prayer performed after ʿIshāʾ without sleep. On this basis, the Witr is also called tahajjud, since it is only prayed after ʿIshāʾ.
It is stated in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.4/p.84): “The sound position, as stated in al-Umm and al-Mukhtaṣar, is that the Witr is called tahajjud.”
It is stated in Nihāyat al-Zayn (Vol.1/p.114): “Among the absolute voluntary prayers is qiyām al-layl. If it is performed after sleep, even during the time of Maghrib and after having prayed ʿIshāʾ early (taqdīman), it is called tahajjud.”
And it is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī ʿalā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.1/p.418): “His statement: ‘(the night prayer)’: the genitive construction (iḍāfah) carries the sense of fī, meaning a prayer in the night. His statement: ‘(it would be more fitting)’: the reason it is more fitting is that the night prayer includes both tahajjud and other prayers.” And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on using the *subḥah* (prayer beads) to count during *tasbīḥ* and *dhikr*?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is recommended to use the ordinary or electronic subḥah (prayer beads or counter) to count tasbīḥ, dhikr, and istighfār, because it helps one to remember Allah. Many reports have been transmitted from the Companions and the Followers (tābiʿūn) showing that they continued to use strings of date pits as an aid to dhikr and tasbīḥ.
It is one of the lawful means of worship. Indeed, what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), namely that he counted tasbīḥ on his right hand, shows that it is permissible to count tasbīḥ with whatever helps a Muslim keep track of the number. There is therefore no basis for calling it an innovation (bidʿah), and we know of no jurist who said so.
Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Suyūṭī (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote a dedicated treatise on the subject titled al-Minḥah fī al-Subḥah, printed within al-Ḥāwī li’l-Fatāwī (vol. 4–6).
Shaykh al-Islām Imam Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Does the subḥah have a basis in the Sunnah? He replied: “Yes, and al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Suyūṭī wrote on this. Among the evidence is what is authentically reported from Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both): ‘I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) counting tasbīḥ on his hand.’ Ibn Abī Shaybah, Abū Dāwūd, and al-Tirmidhī also narrated: ‘Hold fast to tasbīḥ, tahlīl, and taqdīs, and do not be heedless, lest you forget the affirmation of Allah’s oneness (tawḥīd). Count them on the fingertips, for they will be questioned and made to speak.’ Counting tasbīḥ with pebbles, date pits, and a knotted string has also been reported from a group of the Companions and those after them. Some scholars held that counting on the fingertips is better than the subḥah, based on the ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar. Others distinguished, saying: if the one reciting is safe from miscounting, counting on the fingertips is better; otherwise the subḥah is better.” [al-Fatāwā al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kubrā, Vol.1/p.152]. And Allah Almighty knows best.

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