As a Muslim at any stage in your spiritual development, you will almost certainly come across the most-cited hadith ever:
Indeed actions are [judged] by their intentions, and to every person [the reward for] which he intends.
Narrated through what Hadith scholars refer to as the “Golden Chain,” the hadith of intentions is one of the most authentic hadiths around.
What many of us miss, however, is the not-so-often-cited second half:
Whoever migrates with an intention for Allah and His messenger, the migration will be for the sake of Allah and His messenger. And who ever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration will be for the sake of whatever he migrated for.
Migration here is the translation of the Arabic term “hijrah,” often referred to the events when the Prophet Muhammad left Makkah to establish the first Muslim community in Yathrib, renamed Madinah or the “City of the Prophet.”
Some movements have taken this meaning to heart, suggesting that Muslims must physically leave non-Muslim majority societies and move to majority-Muslim countries.
However, most scholars believe that leaving your society is not a requirement as long as you are not in physical danger and are able to comfortably practice your faith.
But the meaning of hijrah goes much deeper than this; and there are several things that you can do that will both improve your faith and make you a better Muslim. These are what I like to call the “mini-hijrahs:” removing yourself from negative and detrimental non-Muslim influences and surrounding yourself with true submission (Islam) in as many aspects of life as possible.
Hijrah of the Eyes
The first and most obvious of these is to work towards the perfection of that which you see around you. In typical discussions, this means diverting your gaze from things that are forbidden. Not staring at the opposite sex, changing the channel when inappropriate content comes on the television, and avoiding reading material that drives you away from your faith are all parts of this.
There are also positive changes that you can make. Clean up your home, neighborhood, mosque, and work-space. Remember that hadith: “Cleanliness is half of faith.”?
It doesn’t just mean having wudu’ but can also be achieved by not littering, cleaning up trash in your neighborhood, or having an organized home and office space.
Another positive hijrah for the eyes is to remember to take time to step away from your daily grind. Take your family to the park or re-connect with nature. Plant a garden, paint, and surround yourself with the beauty of God’s creation.
Hijrah of the Ears
We often pass-off the terrible things we hear every day. Swearing, explicit music, and just overall annoying sounds are things we have become accustomed to.
What we don’t realize, however, is that no matter how much we try, these sounds shape our mood. Do what you can to be aware of these negative sounds and try to avoid them as much as possible.
Take a step back from that friend who swears too much or talks about coworkers behind their backs. Turn down the music at work and avoid areas of town that are known for heavy street noise.
Surround yourself with positive sounds. Listening to the Quran and religious lessons throughout the day are a good start but be careful as even these typically beautiful and beneficial sounds can turn negative.
Anyone who has suffered through a crushingly-loud Quranic recitation or call to prayer can relate, and even the best of us can be turned away from God’s words when they are delivered through a nasty sound system or a lesson given by someone not properly trained.
Combine this hijrah with connecting to nature and listen to the birds or the calming sounds of the ocean. Sometimes, however, the most positive sounds you can hear are nothing, isolating yourself from the sensory overload of our daily lives to reflect in silence.
Hijrah of the Tongue
We’ve all let our tongues get away from us. Gossiping about a co-worker, spreading rumors about extended family members, or even just speaking your feelings when you should have kept your mouth shut. These are problems of the tongue and, as Muslims, we have a responsibility and duty to watch what we say to others as it affects both our well-being and that of others. Remember the Prophet’s words here:
He who believes in Allah and the Last Day must either speak good or remain silent.
Think before you say something the next time you feel you just have to say something and hold in those feelings to speak out no matter how honest it really is. This doesn’t mean that you should lie, but silence is often better than brutal honesty.
These days, the hijrah of the tongue could be extended to that of our fingers as well, as negative social media posts are just as dangerous as strong words.
On the other side of the equation, utilize the positive meaning of the Hadith and speak “good” to others. A good word can really go a long way and positive statements, even those that are sometimes hard to make, can change lives.
Hijrah of the Mind
By combining these “mini-hijrahs,” you will find that it is not just your eyes, ears, and tongue that benefit, but also your mind and heart. Your mind is at the core of all these systems, and training it to be in better submission to its Lord is the first and most important step to being a better Muslim.
Likewise, by being a better member of your community, you can fulfill the deeper meaning of the hijrah as explained by the Prophet Muhammad without taking one step outside your home.
1440 years ago was the biggest turning point in the lives of human beings all over the world. It is known that such things are said a lot, and most often for incidents that are quite irrelevant.
However, the migration of Prophet Muhammad was a turning point in history. It was the start of a period when he would go from being the oppressed man of Makkah to the one who returned as a Beneficent ruler.
He would have to slip away in the night avoiding murderers and would come back years later victorious and while glorifying Allah. The lessons from the Hijrah are timeless and for us forever to reflect upon.
In fact, even during the time of the Prophet, towards the end of his life, Allah reminded the believers of the Hijrah and of how Allah had helped him through it. The verse goes:
If you do not aid the Prophet – Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion:
“Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.”
And Allah sent down his tranquillity upon him and supported him with angels you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah – that is the highest. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. (Quran 9:40)
The lessons from this are numerable but we will focus on 5.
1- Allah Is Not in Need of us
Allah starts at the beginning of the verse that even if the believers do not aid the Prophet in circumstances when it is not really that difficult, then that is not an issue. Allah will aid His Prophet and His religion in ways that none can imagine.
Everyone in Makkah expected the Prophet to be dead by the morning, and yet Allah saved him and took him to Madinah. He did not need an army to protect him- he only needed Allah.
It is a reminder to us that whenever we do something that is for the benefit of Islam, we are only helping ourselves.
Allah’s faith is not in need of us, and He will protect His faith and the legacy of His Prophet.
We are in need of Him, and whatever good we do is good for us, and Allah is As-Samad– the One who is free from need but everyone depends on Him.
2- Trusting Allah in Times of Difficulty Brings Ease
Abu Bakr and the Prophet (peace be upon him) were in the cave and did not have a way out.
The Quraysh were nearby and searching for them. As they came close Abu Bakr whispered to the Prophet about his anxiety.
That is when the Prophet replied, “Do not grieve, Allah is with us.”
The Prophet did not know exactly what would happen or how Allah would save them. But he knew that as they were on the path of Allah, He would suffice, and He did.
And along with it He sent down tranquility, that can only come upon putting trust in Allah and allowing Him to do what He is doing.
3- Obey Allah’s Orders even if it doesn’t Make Sense
The Messenger’s life had changed dramatically since he became a Prophet. And despite all of this he kept being the Messenger.
He never gave up on it despite all the persecution, and even having to be driven out of his home. And yet, he kept going.
This might sound quite weird for us, as to why he kept going… and this is a teaching that we obey Allah’s orders because He orders them, not because it makes sense to us. And we follow them on, and trust that He will make it work as He has ordered us to do the same.
4- With Difficulty Comes Ease
The Prophet had suffered for so long. It was 13 years of almost torture, and it was only now that he was about to be finally coming out of the pain that the Makkans had given him. But little did he know that Allah had planned so much.
All that pain was one thing but what was coming was better. And with the difficulty he had faced, now he was about to open up to a new land.
He was going to be the King of Madinah, the Prophet who sends letters to various heads of state to accept Islam and with all of this finally shall come the victory of Makkah. And the promise of Allah stands true- with difficulty comes ease.
5- Brotherhood
The Hijrah teaches us about brotherhood. Muslims emigrated from Makkah with little or nothing with them, and they were then accepted in Madinah almost as if they were the inhabitants.
The people of Madinah shared their houses, food and whatever they had to help their brethren from Makkah settle in. It is among the best expressions of brotherhood in the history of humanity.
And that is something that Islam brought. It was brought up only by understanding that they were all united under the one Prophet Muhammad.
These are some of the many, many lessons that the Hijrah has taught us.
Today, as the world descends into chaos, and life becomes difficult again, it is worth remembering the Hijrah that happened 1438 years ago.
Most importantly, let us all make our own Hijrah- from deeds that Allah doesn’t like towards the deeds that Allah loves.
