| Session Details | |
| Guest Name | Dr. Jamal Badawi, Famous Da'iyah and Member of the European Council for Fatwa and Research |
| Subject | New Hijri Year: What Does Hijrah Mean? |
| Date | Wednesday,Feb 2 ,2005 |
| Time | Makkah From... 15:00...To... 17:00 GMT From... 12:00...To...14:00 |
| Name | Host.. - |
| Profession | |
| Answer | Dear visitors, The session has just started. Please feel free to join us with your questions. After the session has ended, you can view the whole dialogue by clicking Recent Sessions, orthe archive. For feedback and suggestions, please e-mail us atEngLivedialogue@islamonline.net. Yours, Islamonline Live Dialogue Editing Desk.. |
| Name | Mariam - |
| Profession | |
| Question | How can Muslim women in today’s world make use of the Hijrah lessons? Please mention some examples of female companions and their efforts in Hijrah. |
| Answer | Yes, great roles were played by great women such as: 1. Asmaa', daughter of Abu Bakr, who brought food to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions in the cave of Thawr. She was also struck by Abu Jahl when she refused to disclose the whereabouts of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions. She also assured her grandfather who was blind that Abu Bakr left some money for them even though he took all his money to support the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) by putting stones and covering them in order to blockade him. 2. Umm Salamah, when she, her husband, and son were prevented from leaving Makkah to join the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Madinah. She was taken by force in prison by her family and her son was taken away from her and she was separated from her husband who continued to Madinah. Her deep faith and commitment was not shaken and she continued to cry for nearly a year before one of her relatives intervened to let her and her son join her husband. 3. And generally speaking, a large number of women in Madinah were involved in the enthusiastic reception of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) upon his arrival. That shows that Muslim women were actively involved not only in their traditional roles as homemakers, but also in the public affairs of their community and the advancement of their faith. |
| Name | MFR - |
| Profession | |
| Question | Dear scholar, I noticed that most preachers who handle this issue concentrate on one aspect, that is abandoning one's home, sins, bad habits etc, but they ignore another important aspect, the constructive and positive one, namely to follow this abandonment with undertaking serious effort to establish the religion, to gain new good habits, to make new righteous friends etc. The Prophet immigrated from Makkah to establish a strong state in Madinah. After all, immigration is from one thing to another one. Being content with only abandoning home or shunning evil deeds is not, to my mind, enough. Could you, respected scholar, shed light on this point. |
| Answer | It is true that one element of Hijrah as explained by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is to "leave behind what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden." However, it is true also that the lessons from Hijrah are far beyond that, including: 1. The assertion of unique identity of Muslims as a community. 2.Refusing to live indefinitely under the state of oppression whenever it was possible to have their own free community. 3. It reflects the nature of Islam as a complete way of living and to be able to have a community that is guided by Allah in all phases and aspects of their lives; economic, social and political. 4. Providing a model of interaction and co-existence with other non-Muslim communities on the basis of mutuality of interests while standing firm in the face of destructive behavior or betrayal, which was a practical model of what the Qur'an instructed in Surah 50, verses 8 and 9. 5. It shows also that the community whose faith is derived from peace and aiming at achieving peace with Allah, inner peace and peace with other creation of Allah, that community should not hesitate to stand up for its legitimate rights and engage in the battlefield against aggression and outside attacks or internal betrayal whenever it was necessary to use force judicially. 6. That the Muslim community, with the encouragement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), broke the existing monopoly of marketplace when Muslim established their own market orsooq, which is an important element of the strength of the community. |
| Name | Muhsin - |
| Profession | |
| Question | How Can a Muslim migrate to Allah by his heart? |
| Answer | As indicated earlier, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that "the miuhajiris the one who abstains (or leave behind) what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden." Specifically it means inculcating the quality of taqwa and sincerity, remembrance of Allah all the time as much as possible, and to abide by His rules in our moral behavior, and above all, to observe our acts of worship as a daily routine and to keep close to the Book of Allah. |
| Name | Maxim - |
| Profession | |
| Question | In what way can Muslim parents educate their children about such important Islamic events like the Prophet’s Hijrah? Could you please provide some helpful tips? |
| Answer | In a previous answer, some lessons from Hijrah were mentioned briefly. Parents may choose relevant examples based on the age of their children and present it in a pleasant story-like manner and encourage their children to react to the story and answer questions such as: what do you think we can learn from that. For example, to refer to the courage, sacrifice and love of `Ali ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) as a young man who accepted to sleep in the bidding of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the night when the Makkans were prepared to assassinate him. `Ali also was a participant of another unique act of honesty when he followed the instructions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to return the deposits of the Makkans to them after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) left Makkah. Imagine the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and `Ali are going out of their way to return deposits of people who were conspiring to kill him. |
| Name | Sama' - |
| Profession | |
| Question | Now, a Muslim cannot be one of theMuhjrun-who migrated to Madinah with the Prophet-; is a Muslim still have a chance to join theMuhajrin in virtue and merits? Thanks. |
| Answer | Of course, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught, "there is no Hijrah (in the ideal sense) after retaking (returning to) Makkah, but engagement in struggle (Jihad in the broad sense) and having good intention." |
| Name | Abu Salma - Egypt |
| Profession | |
| Question | Dear sir, As-Salamu Alaykum. I am a father of two children. They are under five years old. How can I instill the meanings of Hijrah into them. What should I start with? How can I simplify the issue for them to appeal to their understanding? |
| Answer | Wa`alaikum as-salam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. In addition to what was said earlier (especially with reference to the answer give to ‘Maxim’), we may add the following: 1. Hijrah wasn’t motivated by any material benefit as Muslims left behind their homes, properties and in many cases their families and relatives. This is a testimony of faith and sacrifice. 2. The very meticulous planning for migration such as taking precautions, traveling initially towards south to the cave of Thawr instead of north as expected by the Makkans, arranging for food supplies through Asmaa’, the daughter of Abu Bakr getting intelligent reports about the Makkan's plan through Abdullah, son of Abu Bakr, using sheep to hide the footprints and arranging in advance of a guide. 3. We learn that seeking the help of a non-Muslim who is known for his sincerity and truthfulness is permissible, as the guide who knew the way best Abdullah Ibn ‘Uraiqt, was not a Muslim – he was a trustworthy non-Muslim. This does mean imply acceptance of his shirk. |
| Name | mariam - |
| Profession | |
| Question | What is the Hijra of a contemporary Muslim? Could it mean to live a non-Muslim country, where Islam cannot be practiced fully, or the children cannot learn Islamic teaching appropriately? Does it mean to to emigrate to a Muslim country, although maybe poorer? Is it a duty of Muslims who cannot practice Islam correctly (for example girls cannot wear Hijab in public schools) to make this "Hijrah"? |
| Answer | It is not possible to make sweeping generalization about this issue. Following are some guidelines: 1. If a Muslim is unable to practice the basics of his/her faith, like the pillars of Islam, and he or she has an option of moving to a place where these duties are fulfilled, then they should migrate. 2. If a person feels that his children will be lost and the only way to save them from unbelief is to migrate, they should migrate. However, there maybe positive means available to raise children in the same place, such as Islamic education at home, in Islamic centers, in truly full-time Islamic schools, and above all having a strong, vibrant Muslim community. 3. If all Muslims are supposed to migrate to other Muslim countries, how could those who accept Islam leave the country of their birth, and where to go? 4. We should remember that there is hardly any place in the Muslim world where Muslims can practice their faith fully and completely including not only acts of worship, but also a truly Islamic and consultative system of government. 5. Therefore, each person should evaluate their own situation and avoid sweeping generalization about the desirability of continuing their lives where they are presently citizens or to consider other options. 6. After all, the active Muslim presence in non-Muslim societies is a great means of conveying the message of Allah and exemplifying it to their fellow citizens. |
| Name | Nada - |
| Profession | |
| Question | What about leaving one’s country and living in a non-Muslim country because the regime in one’s country is not that good? |
| Answer | Islam is for all people and for all times and where they are. All earth is the land of Allah. A Muslim is supposed to try all his or her best to conduct an Islamic life wherever he is. |
| Name | H.I - Egypt |
| Profession | student |
| Question | We have a big problem, do you have an e-mail address to send it to you because it's so long. |
| Answer | My e-mail is: jamalbadawi@hotmail.com If you send me an e-mail, I can give you all the information you need. |
| Name | Yaqub Suleiman - Nigeria |
| Profession | Civil Servant |
| Question | Can a late comer for prayer follow another late comer who performed a raka'h or two with the Imam? |
| Answer | Some scholars are of the view that this is permissible. So, there is nothing wrong to do it. |
| Name | Sarah - |
| Profession | |
| Question | Do you have any audio materials on Hijrah? |
| Answer | Not at the present. Maybe you can check in www.islamonline.net Editor’s note: The Shari`ah Corner team is currently preparing the layout of a special page about the New Hijri year, and it will, in sha’ Allah, contain some useful audio stuff about the Hijrah. The page will be online within few days. |
| Name | hiba - France |
| Profession | student |
| Question | I have heard that there is a Surah which doesn't begin with the Basmalah. Is this right and can you give us an explanation? Thank you. |
| Answer | When `Uthman was supervising the making of copies of the Qur'an to send to other major centers, he noted that there was an occasion where he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reciting Surah 8 followed by 9 without uttering the Basmalah between them. In the meantime, it is obvious that these are two separate Surahs. Because of his absolute honesty and fear of making the slightest change in the Qur'an, he simply asked that these two Surahs be put one after the other without putting the formula Bismillah before Surah 9. |
| Name | zaki - Malaysia |
| Profession | student |
| Question | Hijrah means to look forward and be better than before. Dr. Jamal, could you show me the way how to focus and concentrate on life at present and future? |
| Answer | Please refer to the previous answers that dealt with the lessons of Hijrah in this session. Try to focus on the lessons and analogies that relate to our present life and our future prospect. |
| Name | wan - United States |
| Profession | student |
| Question | What can I tell my non-Muslim friends when they ask me about this holiday? What can I tell them about this holiday to make them think of Islam as a beautiful religion? |
| Answer | Please refer to previous answers about the lessons from Hijrah in this session with emphasis on the fact that Muslims are entitled to take measures to practice their faith fully without persecution while coexisting peacefully with others with the right of defending themselves, if attacked. It also demonstrates the fact that there is no compulsion in religion, and that a Muslim should coexist peacefully with others without losing his/her identity. |
| Name | Fahmy - |
| Profession | |
| Question | Is Hijrah still obligatory today? |
| Answer | As explained earlier in this session, Hijrah in the spiritual and moral meaning is always obligatory, but Hijrah of the persecuted Muslims from Makkah was for them obligatory. |
| Name | Azizah - United Kingdom |
| Profession | |
| Question | I am 15 years old and I live in London with my family. I have been living here for about 7yrs. But now I feel so bored of everything. I find life boring and I feel that everyday is a big challenge for me. I have Muslim friends but no matter what I still feel upset and bored all the time. I pray and watch Islamic programs and my faith is strong thanks to Allah, please advice me, how can I have better hope in life? |
| Answer | It is not unusual for a teenager to feel bored at times due to their energy and idealism. My humble suggestion is to have a long-term objective of their lives, for example to learn more and more about Islam and to get serious training as to how you can convey its message effectively in private and in public. Also, to get involved in charitable, social and political activities to benefit your Muslim communities and the community at large, such as visiting the sick or helping the elderly with their groceries or other needs. This will give you a sense of achievement and fulfillment. Furthermore, if you can organize a group of committed sisters like yourself to have a study circle and other Islamic social activities, it may help a lot too. |
| Name | Ali - |
| Profession | |
| Question | Is there any example from the Hijrah about dealing with non-Muslims other than that of ibn ‘Uraiqit? |
| Answer | Yes, shortly after the arrival of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to Madinah, he had an agreement with other non-Muslim communities especially the Jewish tribes in the area, which provided for the following: 1. Mutual respect of all parties' rights of belief and religious practice. 2. Autonomy in their internal affairs. 3. Mutual respect and peaceful co-existence. 4. Commitment not to help hostile forces against any party living in Madinah. 5. Commitment not to give refuge to any criminal. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was absolutely faithful to his commitment in thissahifah or treaty until some tribes violated these provisions in which case only the offending tribe was punished and punishment was proportionate to the gravity of their betrayal. We learn from Hijrah the lesson laid down in the Qur'an in Surah 60, verse 8 and 9 that the basic rule of relationship between Muslims and peacefully coexisting non-Muslims is that of kindness, mutual respect, and justice. |
Courtesy:http://www.islamonline.net/livedialogue/english/Browse.asp?hGuestID=LRvCFl
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