The meaning of migration
وَٱلَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا۟ فِى ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا ظُلِمُوا۟ لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًۭ ۖ وَلَأَجْرُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ
Those who have migrated for the sake of Allah after they were oppressed, We shall give them a good place in the world, and of course, the reward of the Hereafter is much greater, if they only knew! [16:41]
It was not only the Prophet ﷺ who suffered and faced difficulties before migration, but also his companions who had been persecuted for their beliefs.
The first migration
Scholars of tafsir say that this ayah is talking about the first migration to Abyssinia. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions suffered so much at the hands of the Quraysh, so a group of them fled Makkah, the most beloved city to their hearts. This was the place that held their wealth, their families and friends, childhood memories, etc. but when it came to choosing between living their life by the word of Allah or being under persecution, the choice was clear.
This group of muhajir included Uthman ibn Affan and his wife Ruqayya, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Jafar ibn Abu Talib, his cousin, and many others.
It was only many years later that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was given permission to migrate to Yathrib, whose name he later changed to Madina. Imam as-Suyuti has compiled a beautiful book on all the places and people whose names the Prophet ﷺ changed.
Migration for Allah’s sake
There are several narrations about migrating for Allah’s sake.
Actions are (judged) by intention, so each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated. [Bukhari & Muslim]
You do not leave anything for Allah’s sake, the Mighty and Majestic, except that Allah will replace it for you with that which is better than it. [Ahmad]
Allah promises those who migrate for His sake that He will not let them down, and will in fact give them something better. In Madinah He gave them a better life and better provisions, as well as increased closeness with Allah. In addition to rewards in the dunya, they will also have an elevated status in the akhirah. So although the test was a heavy one, ultimately the rewards outweighed what was left behind.
إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَا مَا عَلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ زِينَةٗ لَّهَا لِنَبۡلُوَهُمۡ أَيُّهُمۡ أَحۡسَنُ عَمَلٗا
We have adorned the earth with attractive things so that We may test people to find out which of them do best [18:7]
The importance of sabr
In the next ayah, Allah describes the characters of those who migrated:
ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا۟ وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ
˹It is˺ they who have patiently endured, and who place trust in their Lord. [16:42]
Sabr is one of the qualities of leadership, and we need to instil this in the new generation. Someone who loses their temper often cannot be a successful leader.
You also need perseverance and resilience. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ didn’t give up after 13 years. The Quraysh placed thugs on every street corner in Makkah to tell people entering the city not to listen to him. This is why Allah reassures him in the Quran that He sees his distress. Those who are clinging to the command of Allah will always be tested.
The second part of the ayah is trust in Allah. However this does not mean sitting down and waiting for Him to solve your problem: you still have to do what is required, whether that is going to court, filing a petition, etc. True tawakkul is to be active, not passive.
“The emigrant (muhājir) is the one who abandons what Allah has forbidden.” (Bukhari)
We ask Allah to make us among those who leave what is displeasing to Allah for what pleases Him. This is the true definition of a muhajir, and wherever we are, we can all do this. Ameen
Based on the talk delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim on Ramadan Night 7. Transcribed by Hana Khan.