Tomorrow the
new Islamic year of 1437 begins. This year records the number of years that
have passed since the Prophet Muhammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him,
emigrated from the city of Makkah, with some of his companions and their
families, and where they were persecuted for their belief in One God, the
Almighty and Creator of all, a belief contrary to that of polytheists, who
associate many deities with One God, to the city of Madina
The Prophet
Mohammad was born in Makkah to the noblest of the Quraishite clan of Hashim,
themselves descended from the Prophet Ishmael (Ismail) the eldest son of
Ibrahim.
From
childhood he was well known amongst them for his good character, integrity and
modesty. He had a reflective personality and possessed an association with godly
virtues.
He preached
to the people of Makkah, urging them to submit to Allah, and to return to the
worship of One God and to the roots of their Abrahamic tradition, who was their
forefather and who built the Ka`bah to enable people to fulfil their duty of
pilgrimage to Allah.
The Prophet
Muhammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, received his first revelation
when he was 40 years old and preached for 13 years in Makkah. The persecution and the suffering inflicted
upon him and his followers resulted in them being banished from Makkah. Some of
his companions emigrated to Abyssinia and received the protection of its
Christian king Negus, while the rest sought relief in the city of Madina, where
some in its population had become Muslims.
This migration
stands as a milestone in the development of the Muslim community and its
framework of co-existential laws, and in the spreading of the Islamic message,
resulting ultimately in the formation of the Islamic State.
It created
hope for those people who believed in God and His words, showing them that God
protects His servants who believe in Him and bestows upon them His mercy and
favour.
It also
taught Muslims the lesson that persecution should not be allowed to manipulate
a person into the abandonment of his faith. Indeed, if persecution for simply
having a belief in the true Creator is
present in any country, there can be no compromise and believers should
emigrate from that land.
The
possession and retention of true faith is our most precious attribute and must
be protected no matter what the cost. Abandoning one’s faith, even in the most
testing of times, can have no validity in the eyes of the beholder of that
faith. How then could it be of any value
in the Sight of God who would like to test the beholder for his faith?
The end of
the old year and the beginning of the new is surely an appropriate time to take
stock and reflect on our past deeds, especially for those of us who care about
our time and take seriously our accountability to Allah for all our
actions. Here I remember a good story by
Fudhail bin Ayadh, who was a pious scholar and who asked a man saying: ‘How old
are you? The man replied: 'Sixty years'. Fudhail said: 'So you have been
walking towards your Lord for the last sixty years?' You are nearly ready to arrive at your
destiny!!!' The man then realised his age and said: 'Indeed we belong to Allah
and indeed we are to return to Him’. Fudhail said: ‘Do you know its meaning (of
what you said)? You are saying: ‘Indeed we belong to Allah and indeed we are to
return to Him’. The man then said: 'So
what shall I do?' Fudhail answered saying: 'It is simple'. The man said: 'And
what is that?' Fudhail said: 'Do good in the rest of your life and Allah will
forgive you for your past. But, if you continue doing wrong in the rest of your
life you will be held accountable for your past wrongdoings and for the rest of
your life'.
So, if
someone knew he was the servant of Allah and that he would return to Him, he
should also know that he will appear in front of Him. And he should know that
whoever appears in front of Him must account for his actions and whoever must
account for his actions must prepare his answers to His questions.
This story
presents a very real scenario that helps us to understand the purpose of our
lives and to change them for the better before it is too late. We need to ask
ourselves such questions when we reflect on our past deeds.
In Islam, in
particular, everything is spiritually based to guide people to the right path,
so that they connect with what must surely be their ultimate goal – their final
testing by Allah. Although as Muslims we are bound to reflect on all our
actions, we rarely do so. But reflection can change the course of our lives,
and provide the starting point for a new path and goal.
The hijra New
Year is a time when spiritual thought processes should take place and inspire
people to unite in such thoughts. We can then measure our successes or failures
and alter our deeds or thoughts accordingly.
However,
sadly, not many Muslims even know what or which Hijra year they are in. They
hardly know of its significance and life changing ability. As the Quran says: how many signs are out
there for people but they pass by them heedlessly.
Hijra is a
sacrifice for Allah the One True God and represents a commitment to the right
path despite all the troubles and hurdles that may exist or block the way.
People with this commitment will always be the ones who march on and the
others, that fall by the wayside, will never develop any strength in their
faith and practices.
