Khutbah - Lessons from the Hijra

Friday Khutbah (20/2/2004) delivered by Shaykh Muhammad Taher

Indeed the best of speech is the book of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, peace be upon him, and the worst of affairs are those newly begun, for every newly begun is innovation, and every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Hellfire.

Oh people of tawhid, oh beloved ones of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings,

In these days we stop to fill our hearts, our eyes, and our ears with the remembrance of the emigration of our Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, in the first year of the Muslim calendar. And he was the first to emigrate, to make the hijra, sala Allahu alaihi wa salam. Today we live with our families and children, but he was forced to leave them. Today we live luxuriously in houses and palaces, but he was forced to flee from his house. We live happily and comfortably today, but for him every day was one of anguish and sorrow. He was risking his life and his soul for the sake of ‘La ilaha illa Allah’.

He was a man forced out by his own family and relatives. Why? Is it because he was carrying the basis of salvation? Is it because he had come to seize people’s property, and shed blood, and occupy land? Is it because he came to save mankind, to take mankind out of darkness, and into light?

Strange, why was this man forced out of his hometown? In which he was born? He grew up in this town, drinking its water, breathing its air, and Mecca said to him: ‘Get out! Leave!’ Where to? We don’t know.

If only they had let him leave peacefully and freely, but they wanted to send him out as a corpse, to obstruct him and expel him from the land.(al-Anfal 30)

He entered the room of Ali, in his house, while the shameless disbelievers surrounded it, because he threatened their interests that were built upon oppression. He put obstacles in the way of their desires. He did not comply with their whims and caprices.

Indeed the people of falsehood, in the past and in modern times, see enemies in those who carry convictions, those who carry the truth. These people surrounded his house with drawn swords. They waited for him to come out so that they could attack him. Mohammad, peace be upon him, risked his life for his conviction. If he had been offered the sun in his right hand, the moon in his left, by Allah, he would not have moved one step, until ‘La ilaha ila Allah’ was spread out, purifying the land.

He went out without a sword, while they had swords. He went out without a spear, while they had spears. He took a handful of dirt, and Allah imposed sleep upon them, and they slept, and their swords fell from their hands. Dust and sand gathered on their heads, and Allah says in Surah YaSin:

“And We have put a bar in front of them, and a bar behind them, And further, We have covered them up; so that they cannot see.” (36:9)

We stop today, 1400 years later, to take lessons from these events.

The first lesson: Depending on Allah, and consigning our affairs to him.

Nothing and nobody suffices as a refuge and reliance except Allah, as He says on the tongue of one of those dear to him: “ ‘My affair I commit to Allah, for Allah watches over His Servants.’ Then Allah saved him from every evil that they plotted (against him)” (al-Ghafir 40:44-45). And He said, may He be Exalted, to His Messenger:

“They try to frighten you with others besides Him.”(Az-Zumar 39:36) 

Everything other than Allah is under Him and dependent upon Him. It has no value, no worth, no effect. 

Today, people carry the truth of reliance and victory from Allah in their minds, but not in their lives and actions. Indeed people are more cowardly than anything, most cowardly when anything threatens “La ilaha ila Allah”. Indeed Mohammad, peace be upon him, wanted to build a strong and courageous people, each one of them willing to risk his life and his soul for his conviction. But time has passed and hearts have hardened, the light of guidance has gone out, and this Ummah has become empty, hollow, more fearful than the rest of mankind.

Indeed, the meaning of depending on Allah is clarified best in the story of the Hijra. The Prophet, peace be upon, entered the cave, and the hadith of the cave is constantly reiterated for us. We always go back to it. Because the history began in the cave, and from the cave light was sent out. When the Prophet, peace be upon him, was making the Hijra, where were his weapons? Where was his army? Where were his guards?

While they were hiding in the cave Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Ya Rasul Allah, by Allah, if one of them was to look to the place of his feet he would surely see us!” And he smiled, alaihi asalatu wa assalaam, and to smile in the face of death is something only great people are capable of. He smiled and said: “What do you think of two, oh Abu Bakr, and Allah is their third.” Are these three to be defeated? Or is the affliction to fall upon their enemies? If Allah is the third, who is the defeated one? Who is the loser in this round? Who is obliterated in the final battle? The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to Abu Bakr, radi Allah anhu, consoling him: “Do not grieve, Allah is with us”. May He be Exalted, and He provides protection, help, and guidance for those dear to Him. And He was with Ibrahim, alaihi salaam, when he was thrown between the sky and the earth, when was about to be thrown in the fire, and Jibreel said to him: “Do you need anything from me?” And he said: “ From you, no, but from Allah, yes.” And Allah is the best to rely on, and the fire became cool and safe.

He was with Musa the shepherd, who was carrying his staff, and language is not the best at describing this. He entered the court of the tyrant, the criminal, the shedder of blood, Pharaoh. Musa turned and said:

“Oh my Lord, we fear that he will hasten towards us with insolence, or that he will transgress all bounds.” (Taha 20:45)

And Allah taught him the lesson of the Unity of Allah, and reliance on Him alone, and said:

“Fear not, I am with you: I hear and see everything.” (Taha 20:46)

The forelock of his slaves are in His hand, the heads of the transgressors are in his grasp, He possesses the reins of power, and nobody does anything without His permission.

Suraqa was chasing Muhammad, peace be upon him, and he did not pay attention. He read from the Qur’an and did not pay attention, because Allah was with him. He prayed to Allah against Suraqa, and Suraqa felt threatened with death, and said: “ Oh Mohammad, write for me an assurance of protection for my life. You are protected, and I am threatened. By Allah, don’t kill me.”  The Prophet, peace be upon him, smiled and said: “Oh Suraqa, how will you be if you are surrounded be defeated horsemen?” Where are the defeated horsemen? The Persian empire, the dictator of the north, the criminal, the shedder of blood. Suraqa laughed as if he was dreaming. This is what overpowered the empire of the earth! This is what obliterated the kingdoms of the world! And he was unable to save himself. 

This actually happened. Oppression was destroyed and the North was opened for Islam, and the courtyard glimmered with ‘La ilaha ila Allah’.

The Second Lesson: Allah protects those that are dear to Him

Yes, they were harmed, obstructed, oppressed, they risked their lives for the sake of Allah, but Allah gave them victory, because the good end is for the righteous, as Allah says:

“We will, without doubt, Help our Messengers and those who believe, both In this world’s life and on the day When the witnesses will stand forth. The day when no profit will it be to wrong-doers to present their excuses, but they will only have the curse and the home of misery.” (al-Ghafir 50: 51-52)

The certain end is that they are the victors in the final round. And indeed falsehood, whenever it swells and increases, Allah says:

“For the scum disappears like froth cast out; While that which is for the good of mankind remains on the earth. Thus doth Allah set forth parables.” (13:17)

Falsehood comes around once, while truth always remains, and the good end is for the pious. Allah is responsible for preserving the pillars of this deen, and those who adhere to it, those who rally under its banner, and whenever they are opposed or oppressed, obstructed, Allah increases in them in their conviction and perseverance, and pride.

The third lesson is in the life of the Prophet, peace be upon him, but what have I done, what have you done for this deen? What do we have to show for ourselves? Our prophet, peace be upon him, was always busy. His breaths, his movements, his thoughts, his property, his family, his spirit, for Allah, as he once said: “ By the One who possesses the soul of Muhammad, I wish I could fight in the path of Allah and be killed, then fight again and be killed, then fight again and be killed.

He left Mecca, forced out. The city closed its doors in his face, and he stood, addressing Mecca saying: “By the one who possesses the soul of Muhammad, you are one of the most beloved of the lands of Allah to my heart, and if you were people were not forcing me out I would not leave.” 

The people of Mecca wanted to drown out the voice of his da’wa, but his da’wa, his calling to Islam only became stronger and greater, and when he arrived in Medina the whole world had heard his message. 

This sublimity, the pioneering leadership, the world came to listen to him, to hear his words, and Allah strengthened him with an army, and the angels surrounded him.

This is the sacrifice, to give your blood, your tears, your wealth, your time, for Islam. Not just the prostrations and the praises which make firm the hearts of men, but to make efforts to do more, to change our state, so that ‘La ilaha ila Allah is given victory.

Related Links:
Khutbas