The meaning and conditions of Hijrah
Question:
What are the conditions of Hijrah (a believer’s migration to an Islamic land) according to Islam? What is meant by the Hadith: “Worship (of Allah) at times of turmoil is like Hijrah to me.” 1?
Answer:
Hijrah means leaving a non-Muslim to a Muslim country, which is obligatory. Allah (Exalted be He) says: “Verily, as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to them): “In what (condition) were you?”” [al-Nisa: 97] Up to the part saying: “Such men will find their abode in Hell - What an evil destination!” [al-Nisa: 97]
Commenting on the previous Ayah (Qur’anic verse), Ibn Kathir said: “The general meaning of this glorious Ayah includes all those who reside among Mushriks (those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) and cannot freely perform the rites of the religion while able to emigrate. By remaining there, such people are wronging themselves and committing an unlawful act by Ijma’ (consensus of scholars).” 2
The Hadith stating: “Worship (of Allah) at times of turmoil is like Hijrah to me” 1, indicates the superiority of worshipping Allah during times of turbulence and fighting, which is equal in reward to migration to the Prophet (peace be upon him) that Muslims undertook during his lifetime to Al-Madinah away from the country of disbelief (i.e. Makkah) before the liberation of Makkah. This Hadith does not mean exemption from Hijrah for those residing in a land of Kufr (disbelief) and cannot practice their religion while living among Kafirs (disbelievers).
Related by Ahmad, vol. 5, pp. 25 and 27; Muslim, vol. 4, p. 2268, no. 2948; Al-Tirmidhy, vol. 4, p. 489, no. 2201; Ibn Majah, vol. 2, p. 1319, no. 3985; Ibn Abu Shaybah, vol. 15, p. 72; Al-Tabarany, Al-Kabir, vol. 2, pp. 212 and 213, nos. 488 - 494, and Al-Saghir, vol. 2, p. 58; Ibn Hibban, vol. 13, p. 389, no. 5957; Al-Khatib, Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 2, p. 116. ↩ ↩2
Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, vol. 1, p. 541. ↩
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