Muharram: How to Gain the Reward of a Muhajir without Emigrating
Muharram Reflections on the Hijra (Migration)
The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said on the day of the Conquest of Mecca:
There is no Hijra (migration) after conquering Makkah but (only) jihad (striving in the way of Allah) and niyyah (sincere intention) [have great reward]; when you are asked to set out (on an expedition undertaken for the cause of Islam) you should (readily) do so. (Muslim)
Hijra was an obligation for believers until the conquest of Makkah. After the conquest, the dust had settled, Islam had spread and the obligation ended. However how can we gain the reward of hijra now?
We still have the opportunity to gain reward for two things, jihad and niyyah.
Jihad
The wider meaning of jihad is struggling against your whims and desires, improving your own character, and delivering goodness. Fighting for justice, and opposing oppression is jihad as well.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned the definition of jihad:
The Mujahid (the one who strives in the way of Allah) is one who strives against his own whims and desires. (Tirmidhi)
How We Apply Hijra to Our Lives
Although we don’t have Hijra anymore, we still can apply the principle of Hijra to ourselves, which is not migrating from one place to another, but moving from one action to another.
When the Prophet (peace be on him) was asked who is a al muhajir the immigrant? He replied:
The one who forsakes what Allah Almighty has prohibited. (Bukhari).
We can all be muhajir when abandon what Allah Almighty has prohibited – this is an on-going Hijra.
Even though the obligation of Hijra ended after the conquest of Makkah we have an on-going Hijra. Every day, when we take the bus, or train or drive, when we deal with difficulties, we can be a muhajir, by leaving what displeases Allah Almighty and doing what pleases Allah Almighty.
Khutbah delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim
Transcribed by Sana Zuberi
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Shaykh Haytham Tamim
Shaykh Haytham Tamim is the founder and main teacher of the Utrujj Foundation. He has provided a leading vision for Islamic learning in the UK, which has influenced the way Islamic knowledge is disseminated. He has orchestrated the design and delivery of over 200 unique courses since Utrujj started in 2001. His extensive expertise spans over 30 years across the main Islamic jurisprudence schools of thought. He has studied with some of the foremost scholars in their expertise; he holds some of the highest Ijazahs (certificates) in Quran, Hadith (the Prophetic traditions) and Fiqh (Islamic rulings). His own gift for teaching was evident when he gave his first sermon to a large audience at the age of 17 and went on to serve as a senior lecturer of Islamic transactions and comparative jurisprudence at the Islamic University of Beirut (Shariah College). He has continued to teach; travelling around the UK, Europe and wider afield, and won the 2015 BISCA award (British Imams & Scholars Contributions & Achievements Awards) for Outstanding Contribution to Education and Teaching.
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