Scenes and Images from the Hijrah

Scenes and Images from the Hijrah

“I was shown the land where you shall emigrate to and it had palm trees - it is Al-Madeenah.” This was the vision that the Prophet,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ), had. It was like a rescue boat that would save the Muslims from the harm and persecution meted out by Quraysh, and would take them to the land of freedom and security that the Muslims had longed for. They prepared for the Hijrah (emigration) to Madeenah and those who had migrated to Abyssinia also left from there for Madeenah.

The Quraysh did not allow the believers to leave Makkah that easily. They used the most offensive means of torture and oppression with the Muslims, thinking that they would therefore be able to devastate this collective emigration. However, the believers were ready to sacrifice everything they had and faced all the conspiracies conspired against them with patience and firmness, regardless of the results and consequences. This resulted in the finest examples that are worthy of respect and contemplation.
Abu Salamah, may Allah be pleased with him, emigrated for the sake of Allah The Almighty and His Messenger,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ), accompanied by his wife and child. However, the family of his wife prevented him from taking her and took hold of the child. Accordingly, the family of Abu Salamah, may Allah be pleased with him, were enraged, and said, “By Allah, we will not leave our son with her.” Consequently, the two families tugged at the child, causing his arm to be dislocated. The family of Abu Salamah then took the child and Abu Salamah, may Allah be pleased with him, then continued on his way alone until he reached Madeenah.
Therefore, Abu Salamah, may Allah be pleased with him, faced this adversity with patience and firmness. His wife suffered a great deal as she was separated from her husband and child. For almost a year, she would weep from morning until night because of being separated from her loved ones. Then, a man who was of one of her people saw this and felt great pity, so he interceded on her behalf with her people until they agreed to allow her to emigrate. When her husband’s people came to know that, they returned her child to her. She was alone with her child when she emigrated. On her way, ‘Uthmaan ibn Talhah, may Allah be pleased with him, saw her and let her ride his camel while he walked. When they reached the outskirts of a village near Madeenah, he said to her, “Your husband is in this village, so go there with the blessings of Allah.” Then he returned to Makkah.
The emigration of Suhayb ibn Sinaan Ar-Roomi, may Allah be pleased with him, was another example of the great sacrifices that the Muhaajiroon (emigrants) made for the sake of Allah The Almighty, giving up their wealth and property for the sake of gaining the pleasure of Allah The Almighty. After making up his mind to emigrate, the disbelievers of Quraysh tried to catch up with him and prevent him.
When he saw them, he pulled out his bow and arrow and fought with all his might. They said to him, “You came to us as a poor man and made your fortune by living among us, and now you want to emigrate safely with your wealth? How can this be? By Allah, this will never happen!” He answered them saying, “Will you allow me to emigrate if I leave my wealth with you?” They agreed. Therefore, he told them where he had hidden his wealth in Makkah and they allowed him to proceed on his journey, having given up all that he had for the sake of his beliefs and his Da‘wah (call to Islam).
When the Prophet,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ), heard what had happened, he said: “O Abu Yahyaa [i.e., Suhayb], you made a profitable deal.”Then he recited the verse where Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And of the people is he who sells himself, seeking means to the approval of Allah. And Allah is kind to [His] servants} [Quran 2: 207] This event was narrated by Al-Haakim.
One of the most magnificent scenes of the Hijrah was what happened to ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, ‘Ayyaash ibn Abi Rabee‘ah and Hishaam ibn Al-‘Aas ibn Waa’il As-Sahmi, may Allah be pleased with them all. They agreed to meet secretly outside Makkah. ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab and ‘Ayyaash ibn Abi Rabee‘ah, may Allah be pleased with them, met at the appointed time, but Hishaam failed to meet them because the Quraysh had captured and tortured him until he spoke words of disbelief.
When ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab and ‘Ayyaash ibn Abi Rabee‘ah, may Allah be pleased with them, reached Madeenah, the Quraysh wanted to trick them in order to kidnap ‘Ayyaash, may Allah be pleased with him. Therefore, they sent Abu Jahl and Al-Haarith ibn Hishaam - since they were relatives of ‘Ayyaash, may Allah be pleased with him - to Madeenah, searching for him until they found him in Qubaa’. They said to him, “Your mother has vowed not to comb her hair or seek shelter from the sun until she sees you.” It therefore became very difficult on him to bear the fact that he was the reason for his mother being harmed.
However, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him, realized from the very first moment that it was only a trick. He therefore said to him, “By Allah, these people want to make you apostate. Therefore, beware of them. By Allah, if lice aggravate her, then she will comb her hair and if the heat of Makkah becomes intense, she will seek shelter from the sun.” ‘Ayyaash, may Allah be pleased with him, replied, saying, “I will fulfill the oath of my mother and bring my money, which I left there.” ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him, “By Allah, as you know I am one of the richest people of Quraysh, so take half of my wealth and do not go with them.” However, ‘Ayyaash, may Allah be pleased with him, insisted on going; accordingly, ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, could not do anything and so he gave him his she-camel so he could escape with it if need be.
On their way to Makkah, Abu Jahl asked ‘Ayyaash, may Allah be pleased with him, to dismount his she-camel. The moment he dismounted, the men who were with Abu Jahl attacked him, tied him up firmly, took him to Makkah and tortured him until he spoke words of disbelief. When the Muslims heard about this, they were distraught. They thought that Allah The Almighty would not accept his repentance and those who were like him because they had become disbelievers after knowing Allah The Almighty and believing in His Messenger,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ). However, Allah The Almighty then revealed the verses where He Says (what means): {Say: ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.’ And return [in repentance] to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped. And follow the best of what was revealed to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly while you do not perceive} [Quran 39:53-55].
‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him, hastened to give Hishaam ibn Al-‘Aas, may Allah be pleased with him, the glad tidings that his repentance had been accepted through sending him these verses written on a sheet. When Hishaam, may Allah be pleased with him, read it he did not understand what it meant, so he asked Allah The Almighty to inspire him with its meaning. Hence, Allah The Almighty inspired his heart that it was meant for him and those who were like him. Therefore, he returned to Madeenah as a repentant Muslim and ‘Ayyaash, may Allah be pleased with him, followed him after managing to escape from the people of Quraysh.
These were clear examples and true images of the difficult circumstances that the Muhaajiroon experienced on their way when they were seeking religious freedom and seeking a way out of the harm and persecution meted out by the Quraysh. Such sacrifices were the final steps taken in establishing the Islamic sate and its secure society.

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