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The Noble Prophetic Migration: A Journey of Building and Belonging
Author : The Grand Mufti, Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim Al-Hasanat
Date Added : 01-07-2025

The Noble Prophetic Migration: A Journey of Building and Belonging

 

 

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon the most honorable of creation and messengers, our master Muhammad, the trustworthy guide, and upon his family, companions, and followers, and whoever follows them in goodness until the Day of Judgment.

The blessed Prophetic Migration (Hijrah), whose anniversary Muslims commemorate every year, is one of the most significant events in all of human history. This is due to the profound lessons and noble stances it embodies, which were instrumental in the rise of the Islamic nation (Ummah) whose light shone forth to dispel the darkness of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) and rectify the course of humanity.

The honor of this great journey became manifest through the gathering of the believers and the unification of sincere efforts to build a nation founded on brotherhood, love, and affection, strengthened by the blessings of divine revelation and divine planning. Thus, it served as a lesson for us in every time and place, teaching us how an Ummah rises after its lethargy, how it heals after its illness, and how it strengthens after its weakness.

This blessed journey began after harsh conditions suffered by Muslims in Mecca, characterized by their small numbers, the abandonment of kin who could have supported them, the loss of aid from friends, and the grim hostility of distant enemies. This continued until the Prophet (peace be upon him) became certain that the hearts of the people of Makkah had hardened to the point of turning to stone, their emotions withered until they became blunt, nobility vanished from their characters, and hope in them was severed!

At that time, the command came from Allah the Almighty to depart to the lands of a people whose thirsty hearts yearned to quench their thirst from the spring of faith, and who pledged allegiance to the Prophet (peace be upon him) for victory and empowerment. Thus began that blessed journey, which commenced with a divine command, followed by taking human means. This was a lesson for us from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that the first steps to success, after relying on Allah Almighty, are proper planning and sound preparation. If he (peace be upon him) had wished, it would have sufficed for him to raise his hands to the sky and supplicate to his Lord, Glorified be He, until Al-Buraq came obediently and submissively, transporting him and those with him with a mere sign in the blink of an eye to any destination he desired. However, he (peace be upon him) teaches us that walking the path of Hijrah is not by mere wishes, and building nations does not depend on the occurrence of miracles. Rather, it is by combining preparing the provisions with submission and delegation (to Allah), and by taking physical provisions after spiritual provisions, as Allah The Exalted Says (What means): "And take provisions, for indeed, the best provision is righteousness." [Al-Baqarah/197]. Then, by choosing the best of companions for the journey, accompanied by turning to Allah in supplication: "(O Allah, You are the Companion in travel and the Successor over my family)," and by changing the accustomed route known to the polytheists, while adhering to the station of "Guide us to the straight path." Thus, the pillars of submission to the will of the Almighty Truth were completed, and the meanings of harmony between divine legislation and sincere servitude became manifest, and the meanings of beauty were perfected in combining revelation and sound judgment, embodied in the person and actions of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived in those new lands, he found what he had sought when he departed from a people who chose to live in the darkness of ignorance, whose eyes were blinded by the light of faith, and who chased the signs of guidance in the desert with the edges of swords, to a people who welcomed those lights at the gates of Medina with the beating of drums. They believed that the power of change in the Ummah lies within itself, that the secret of its strength is in the unity of its children, and that faith does not require seeing miracles, but rather requires purifying the self. Their faith in the Prophet (peace be upon him) was before they saw him, and their love for him was before they met him, because when the sweetness of faith penetrates the souls, spirits submit to it and limbs obey it.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) invested that great power of faith by building a structure in Medina – which was Quba’ Mosque – for the worship of Allah the Almighty. The companions chanted that immortal anthem during its construction, whose echoes resonate in hearts before ears, and invite us to reflect on its words that form a way of life: 

If we sit while the Prophet works, that would be a misleading act from us

This anthem shows us the methodology of the companions and their view of their new homeland. They carried building blocks on their shoulders, raising with them the edifice of their ancient future in the pure, illuminated land, sending a message to generations after them that their new homeland is a land where there is no laziness in work, and that diligence is required from every individual, and that the honor of homelands is only built upon the shoulders of honorable people. As for idleness in building and developing nations, it is the work of hypocrites and people of misguidance. Therefore, the Prophet's (peace be upon him) response was to supplicate for them with mercy and forgiveness, saying:

 There is no life but the life of the Hereafter; O Allah, have mercy on the Ansar and the Muhajirin

The Prophet (peace be upon him) completed the journey of building the Ummah by building the human being simultaneously with establishing the infrastructure. He commanded the brotherhood between the Muhajirin (the converts to Islam and the Islamic prophet Muhammad's advisors and relatives, who emigrated from Mecca to Medina) and the Ansar (the early Muslims from Medina) so that their hearts would shake hands as their hands did, and their souls would meet as their bodies met in obedience to Allah and His piety. He (peace be upon him) commanded them to purify their souls from the tribalism of ignorance and the impurities of idolatry. Through them, the Ummah of goodness and love was established, and Allah The Almighty called them "the successful ones" – those whose striving prospered, whose toil blossomed, and who saw the fruits of their work in this world before the Hereafter. As Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "For the poor emigrants who were expelled from their homes and their properties, seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure and supporting Allah and His Messenger – those are the truthful. And [also for] those who settled in the home [Medina] and [accepted] 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 were in privation. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul – it is those who will be the successful." [Al-Hashr/8-9].

When these two great pillars in the Ummah were completed – meaning the pillar of knowledge, whose light shone from the Mosque, and the pillar of unity and love among the people of the same nation – submission to the foundation of justice in society became voluntary. So the Prophet (peace be upon him) established a document for them to regulate their affairs and inform them of their rights, and he built a strong economy for them that protected their livelihood, and he withdrew financial control from the hands of their enemies.

With these pillars, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was able to build an Ummah that Allah The Almighty called in His Book: "You are the best nation produced for mankind..." [Al-Imran/110]. This blessed Ummah will remain a bright, white page in the book of time, a history inscribed by believers in letters of light, and by The Will of Allah The Almighty, it will remain a witness to its superiority, righteousness, and goodness over all nations under the banner of our master, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), the leader of the Ummah, its Imam, and its role model, throughout all ages and times. Besides, Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "And thus We have made you a middle nation that you may be witnesses over the people and the Messenger may be a witness over you." [Al-Baqarah/143]. And all Perfect Praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds.

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is a person rewarded for refraining from all that breaks their fast when required to do so, and is it considered a valid fast?

If a person eats or drinks thinking that Fajr has not yet arrived, but then someone informs them that Fajr had already begun, they must refrain from eating for the rest of the day and make up the fast later.
If they observe the required restraint (imsak), they will be rewarded for obeying the command because fulfilling an obligation brings reward.
However, this is not considered a valid fast in terms of rulings. For example:
● It is not disliked (makruh) for them to use a miswak after noon.
● They are not encouraged to hasten the breaking of the fast at sunset.
● Other fasting-related rulings do not apply to them.

What are the Sunnahs and etiquettes recommended for the person offering the Udhiyah?

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
There are several Sunnahs (prophetic traditions) and etiquettes that are highly recommended for the person offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) to observe:
 
First:
It is a Sunnah for anyone intending to offer a sacrifice to refrain from cutting or removing any of their hair or nails once the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah begin. This is based on the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "When the ten days [of Dhul-Hijjah] begin and one of you intends to offer a sacrifice, let him not touch any of his hair or skin." (Narrated by Muslim)
 
However, if someone does happen to remove any hair or nails, they have not committed a sin, and their sacrifice remains perfectly valid.
 
Second:
The person offering the sacrifice should ideally slaughter the animal themselves. If they are unable to do so, they should at least witness its slaughter. This is drawn from what our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said to Lady Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her):
 
"Stand up and witness your sacrifice, for with its very first drop of blood, every sin you have committed will be forgiven." (Narrated by Al-Tabarani in his Mu'jam, Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, and Al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan)
 
Third:
Face the Qiblah (the direction of prayer) at the time of slaughtering, as the Qiblah is the most honorable of directions.
 
Fourth:
Pronounce the name of Allah (Tasmiyah) at the moment of slaughter by saying: "Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim" (In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful). Even if one forgets to say it, the meat remains lawful (Halal) to eat. Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says:
 
"So eat of that [meat] upon which the name of Allah has been mentioned." (Al-An'am: 118)
 
It is also recommended to send blessings upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and to follow it with the Takbeer (Allahu Akbar).
 
Fifth:
Supplicate for acceptance by saying: "Allahumma hadhihi minka wa ilayka, fa-taqabbal minni" (O Allah, this is a blessing from You and is offered back to You, so please accept it from me). This means: This sacrifice is a blessing that originated from You, and I am offering it to draw closer to You. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

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 of Islamic Law on performing ṭawāf on the upper floors of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, given that these floors are situated above the level of the Ka‘bah, and that the one performing ṭawāf passes by certain barriers, such as pillars and walls, during the ṭawāf?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
There are numerous conditions for the validity of ṭawāf (circumambulation around the Ka‘bah), among them: that the one performing ṭawāf be inside the Masjid (al-Masjid al-Ḥarām) — even if the Masjid has been expanded, so long as the expansion does not extend out into al-ḥill (land outside the sanctuary boundaries). It suffices for the ṭawāf to be performed in the airspace of the Masjid or upon its roof, even if that roof is higher than the Ka‘bah (the House) itself.
Al-Khaṭīb ash-Shirbīnī (raḥimahullāh) said: "It [ṭawāf] is valid upon the roof of the Masjid, even if the roof of the Masjid is higher than the House — just as prayer [is valid] upon Mount Abū Qubays despite its elevation above the House. This is the relied-upon (mu‘tamad) position." [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol.2/P.246]
The validity of the tawaf isn`t affected by the pillars and walls standing between the one performing ṭawāf and the House, since the condition is only that the person performing ṭawāf be within the boundaries of the Masjid and outside the boundaries of the Ka‘bah itself.
Ash-Shirbīnī said: "It [ṭawāf] is valid inside the Masjid, even if it is expanded, and even if a barrier stands between the one circumambulating and the House — such as a water-supply structure (saqāyah) or pillars (sawārī)." [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol. 2/P.246]
Accordingly, ṭawāf performed on the upper floors is valid, and the presence of barriers such as pillars and walls during the ṭawāf does not affect its validity. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

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