On Migration and Flight

Published:

By Omar Muaz

Since the start of the uproar caused by the Sahara newspaper which grieved the Muslims on and offline, my pen had been salivating to bleed. It’s still swinging that some people, even among the Muslims, think our beloved Prophet’s migration from Makkah to Yathreb, now Madinah, was for a reason of “victimization and maltreatment” which I feel obliged to put it into perspicuity.

 

As A. Rahim narrated in his book, Islamic History: “the pledge of Aqabah paved the way for the historic migration of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from Makkah to Yathrib (Madinah), known as Hijrat, in 622 A.D. The Hijrat is not a “flight” but a scheme of migration carefully considered for two years. There were many which made the Prophet take the momentous decision of leaving his native and adopting the city of Yathrib. He found that hus mission did not make progress at Makkah on account of the deadly hostility of the Quraysh. “By preserving idolatry, the ruling and priestly aristocracy of the Quraysh wanted to maintain their economic and political interests and privileged position among the pagan Arabs”. In Yathrib however, there was no privileged or priestly class. In view of this fact, Islam had better prospects at Madinag than Makkah itself.

 

Compared to the Makkans, the Madinites were a cultured, enlightened and refined people endowed with receptive mind. As they had contacts with the Jews and Christians of their city, they had been already acquainted and enlightened with the ideas of revelation and Devine Monotheism. So the prospects of the new religion looked bright at Madinah.

 

The Madinites had religious as well as political considerations in inviting the Prophet to their city. The Awz and Khazraj, two influential tribes of Madinah, had been engaged in internecine warfare for many years. Being weakened and exhausted, they wanted to settle their dispute through meditation. In the Prophet they found a man on whom both the tribes could rely on for fair settlement of their troubles.

 

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was also not a stranger to the Yathribites. He had blood relationship with them through the marriage if his great grand-father Hashim with a lady of the Khazraj tribe. This created a favourable atmosphere for the migration of the prophet (PBUH) to Yathrib.

 

In response to the invitation of the people of Yathreb, the Prophet prepared for the migration. He first sent the Muslims of Makkah to Yathreb, and himself, Abu Bakr and Ali (RA) stayed at Makkah a few days more. Having scented the plan of his migration, the infuriated Quraysh planned to kill him one night. The Prophet got wind of this dangerous conspiracy and one night left his native city, accompanied by his chief companion and friend Abu Bakr. The Quraysh pursued him. The Prophet however, escaped their pursuit and reached Yathreb on 2 July, 622 A.D. Three days after, Ali (RA) also arrived in the new city.”

 

I am dispirited by the brainless comparison between the so called mouth breather and dumb blonde, Igboho’s flight and our beloved Prophet’s historic migration from Makkat to Madinah. Forget about it being sacrilegious, blasphemous and impious, the Prophet’s migration to Madinah wasn’t for the reason of a mere “persecution” as read the headline.

 

However, a deputation of seventy-three people from Madinah representing the two tribes, Khazraj and Awz, met prophet (PBUH) near Makkah and invited Him to their city after accepting Islam. And they assured the Prophet support, shelter, devotion which is know as second pledge of al-Aqbah. So rationally, there’s no any point of comparing a “flight” from persecution, chagrin and ignominy to the migration that dawned honor and success to the life of the Muslims world — spiritually, socially, economically and politically.

 

*—Omar Muaz,*

_*muazuumar45@gmail.com*_

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