Firstly, we are in desperate need of sound understanding today. Without it we are unable to guard against the many pitfalls encountered. ‘Umar Ibn ‘Abdul‘Aziz (ra) said: "By doing something without knowledge (correct understanding), man causes mischief rather than bringing goodness." [Ibn Al-Jawzi, Sirat Wa Manaqib ‘Umar Ibn ‘Abdul‘Aziz]

If I were to ask for an opinion on whether it is permissible for a man to wear his pants or thawb below his ankle, I am sure many of you would be willing to give an opinion or verdict. What about the issue of destroying the idols in Afghanistan? But, if this was a forum for butchers and I was to ask them about they’re opinion regarding open-heart surgery and whether a 5 mm or 10 mm scalpel would be preferable, it is unlikely that any of them would give an opinion. Why is it then that so many of us today can give opinions and verdicts on matters of fiqh (jurisprudence) with little understanding of the science of Usul-ul-Fiqh. This is one of the major diseases that is crippling the ummah today.

To illustrate the point, let us return to the issue of isbal (lowering the garment). There are two hadith, and according to the scholar Imam An-Nawawi, one is mutlaq (not associated with any condition or circumstance) and the other is muqaiyad (bound or associated with a particular condition or circumstance). The first hadith states: "That (part of the garment) which is trailing below the ankles is in the Fire." The second hadith which is muqaiyad explains that what is really forbidden is to trail the garment out of pride or vanity. The Prophet (s) said: "Whoever trails his garment out of pride." Imam An-Nawawi in his tafseer of the hadith said: "The hadith which is mutlaq should be correlated with the one which is muqaiyad in this particular case." There are many other aspects to this issue that we don’t have time for. [`Abdul`Aziz]

Many of us today are unqualified to speak on issues that are serious and complex, yet we do. Our predecessors have criticised even some of the learned who hasten to give fataawa (legal rulings) without careful consideration and knowledge of the matter saying: "Some people hastily give fataawa on matters which, if referred to `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (ra), would have caused him to consult all the people of Badr." Imam Malik (ra) once said: "If a person is asked on a certain issue, he should think of Jannah and Jahannam and of his own salvation in the hereafter before he replies." [Qaradawi, Islamic awakening…]

We are in desperate need of learning and gaining sound understanding of our deen and then inshaAllah we will benefit people and not cause more mischief. May Allah (swt) help us achieve this.

In light of this, what I am presenting to you today are the findings of a student of Islam who is also in search of greater understanding. May Allah (swt) cause you to accept the truth of what is presented and certainly it is only from Allah (swt); and may He (swt) forgive me for any error, which would be due only to my weakness.

Secondly, we must understand that working for Islam through doing dawah is obligatory and not voluntary. It is a responsibility entrusted on us by Allah (swt): "By the declining day, Lo! Humanity is in a state of loss, except those who attained faith and do good deeds, and exhort one another to truth, and exhort one another to endurance." (Q103:1-3)

The Prophet (s) also exhorted Muslims to call towards the truth and to fight against falsehood: "Whoever amongst you sees an evil, let him change it with his hands. And if he is unable, then with his tongue; and if he is still unable, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith." (Muslim)

Working for Islam is also a legal obligation: It is an obligation on Muslims to work towards the establishment of an Islamic society where the Divine Laws of Allah (swt) reign supreme. The implementation of many Divine Laws is dependent upon the establishment of the Khilafah, and this can only be brought about through an Islamic power and authority. "Whoever judges not by that which Allah has revealed, such are disbelievers." (Al-Ma`idah,5:44).

Working for Islam is also a necessary obligation in order to face the challenges of the modern age and the enemies of Islam. Muslims are suffering under un-Islamic and non-Muslim domination and tyranny of oppressive regimes in many countries. "And fight them until there is no more fitnah (persecution) and the deen will all be for Allah…" (Al-Anfal,8:39)

In order to work for Islam, we need to know how. After carefully studying the Seerah of the Prophet (s), we can extract a very specific method for carrying out the Dawah, and if our aim is to please Allah (swt), then it is obligatory to adhere to this method step by step, through each and every phase. "Say (O Muhammad): if you love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Aal-`Imran 3:31) "And whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it, and whatever he forbids, avoid." (Al-Hashr 59:7)

One particular aspect of the Prophetic Method of Dawah that we need to understand is that the task of implementing Islam is much too great to be undertaken individually. It demands capabilities, which are beyond that of one individual and can only be found in an organised collection of individuals. The Sunnah of the Prophet (s) shows us that an organised collective movement is required - a jama‘ah.

Dr Yusuf Al-Qaradawi in his book "Priorities of the Islamic Movement in the Coming Phase" wrote a beautiful passagebased on verses of Quran and hadith: "Islam calls for jama’`ah (organised and collective work) and opposes isolation and straying as Allah’s hand is with the jama`ah and he who strays shall stray into Hell. It is only the stray and isolated sheep that the wolf attacks. A prayer is not valid if the worshipper performs it separately from the congregation or stands ahead of the line. A believer to another believer is like one firm building, one strengthening and supporting the other. Cooperation in righteousness and piety is one of the obligations of the Deen, and the mutual teaching of truth and patience is one of the preconditions of saving oneself from loss in this world and the Hereafter."

Imam Hasan Al-Banna (assassinated in 1949, may Allah (swt) have mercy on his soul), outlined the stages, based on the Quran and Sunnah, that the Islamic Movement needs to pursue in order to re-establish the Deen of Allah (swt) on this earth:

[Reflection on the Tract of the Teachings, Natharaat fee Risaalat At-Ta‘leem]

Where does the hijrah fit into these Phases of Dawah? What component of the Prophetic Method does it represent? These are the important aspects of the hijrah that I wish to focus on today.

About the Hijrah, Allah (swt) says in the Quran: "Verily, as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though migration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to them): In what (condition) were you? They reply: We were weak and oppressed on the earth. They (angels) say: Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to migrate therein? Such men will find their abode in Hell, what an evil destination! Except the weak ones among men, women and children who cannot devise a plan, nor are they able to direct their way. These are they whom Allah is likely to forgive, and Allah is Ever Oft Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving." (An-Nisaa‘ 4:97-99) Abul `Ala Mawdudi (r) in his commentary of this verse states that it is an injustice for a Muslim to live in a place where he is oppressed and not able to live in accordance with the Law of Allah (swt).

It is also the obligation of those Muslims who are in safety, to rescue those who are not: "And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the Cause of Allah, and for those weak, ill-treated and oppressed among men, women, and children, whose cry is: Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help." (An-Nisaa‘ 4:75)

The Hijrah marked the beginning of a new phase in the dawah (the transition from the Makkan to the Madinan period). After laying the foundation with strong Muslim individuals and families, the dawah needed to organise the Muslim society.

The Hijrah provided this opportunity and institutionalised three very important aspects of life: social, economic and political. The first 13 years of the Prophet’s mission was devoted to inculcating the Deen of Islam in the minds and hearts of individuals while no pattern of a collective life could be presented to the world. The situation in Makkah was that in a household where the father was a believer, the son was an infidel, or the wife a believer and the husband an infidel. There were only a few homes where the entire family was Muslim. This gave rise to the misconception that Islam was one’s personal affair pertaining only to the hereafter and had nothing to do with collective life. It was only after the Hijrah that people began to see clearly that Islam is a way of life which pays attention to and reforms every aspect of human existence, giving directions regarding almost every moment of one’s conscious time.

Only after this great event could the world see the aspect of social decency and decorum under Islam. The organizational principle of this society was no longer mere blood kinship, but rather the greater brotherhood of all Muslims. The Muslims who accompanied the Prophet (s) on the Hijrah were called the Muhajirun, "those that made the Hijrah", while those in Medinah who became Muslims were called the Ansar or "Helpers."

A second aspect institutionalised by the Hijrah was its economic effects. The matchless hospitality of the people of Madinah, not only provided a shelter and a new peaceful home for the newcomers, but the Ansar, with a note-worthy passion of self-sacrifice accepted the incoming Muslims with great zeal and love. The Hijrah brought trade into contact with agriculture and craftsmanship resulting in an economic revolution for Madinah. The Muhajir who were trained by Rasulullah (s) for 13 years to be responsible, pious and righteous, were not prepared to be mere idle dependants, but rather adopted ways and means to earn righteously for themselves. Initially, they worked as labourers in the fields and gardens and construction works. Later they, being traders, started small businesses, which competed with the Jews of Madinah. Muslim traders began to set new standards of ethical trade that were not witnessed before.

Al-Bukhari narrated that: "When they arrived in Madinah the Messenger of Allah united `AbdurRahman ibn `Auf and Sa`d ibn Ar-Rabi` in brotherhood. Sa`d said to `AbdurRahman: ‘I am the wealthiest of the Ansar and I will split it into two. I have two wives so chose the one more pleasing to you.’ `AbdurRahman said: ‘May Allah bless you as regards your family and wealth. Where is your marketplace?’ So they showed him the square of Banu Qaynuqa and he returned with some cheese and butter. Then he went out the next day … and one day he came back with the signs of adornment showing. The Prophet (s) asked: ‘What is this?’ and he replied: ‘I got married.’ The Prophet (s) asked: ‘How much did you give her?’ and he replied: ‘A nugget of gold.’" One’s wonder at Sa`d’s generosity cannot be equaled except by one’s wonder at `AbdurRahman’s nobility. He vied with the Jews in their own market place and outstripped them in their field and in a few days he was able to gain enough to safeguard his chastity by getting married. [Al-Ghazali]

The third aspect, which made the Hijrah such an important event, was the political freedom it provided for the Muslims. Before the Hijrah the Muslims had no say in any matter, internal or external. They were a minority against whom the hearts of the majority were full of enmity. The Muslims were an insignificant part of a set of dominating unbelievers in Makkah. The Hijrah to Madinah provided the Islamic Dawah with one very important thing, land, or a territory over which Muslims could have political sovereignty. The Hijrah made the Muslims Masters of their own internal affairs, external relations and matters relating to war and peace. Before the Prophet (s) made the Hijrah, he (s) was a Prophet with the new laws revealed to him by Allah (swt). After the Hijrah, he (s) was the one who implemented these laws. Islam had gone from addressing and pointing out the problems to tackling the problems and providing solutions for them. This was the beginning of a city-state which, within the lifetime of the Prophet (s) or within a period of ten years, expanded to encompass the entire Arabian Peninsula. The Hijrah turned a few hundred Muslims into a highly successful society. The expansion of Muslim domination during the following centuries is a historical record. All this was possible due to the shaping of events as the result of the Hijrah. [Al-Jamiat Publications]

i. No individualism: The concepts of leadership, shura (mutual consultation), obedience, etc were all practised. The companions waited for the Prophet (s) to direct them. They did not act individually without permission. Today we do so many things without seeking appropriate permission; e.g., so many brothers want to go and fight in jihaad but don’t even know what authority is required. "Authority from whom," they ask - this is another topic on its own.

ii. Proper timing: Under the constant Guidance of Allah (swt), the Prophet (s) waited for the right time to make the Hijrah. He (s) waited for all the necessary components to be in place before migrating: (a) Madinah was suitable: it did not show the same animosity towards Islam as in Makkah, and it was vulnerable because of the perpetual wars between the Aus and Khazraj; (b) It had a critical mass of believers: First six and then one year later 12 from Madinah pledged their allegiance to the Prophet (s). Then the Prophet (s) sent an envoy, Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr (ra) with them and he was very successful in increasing the numbers in Madinah. A year later 70 from Madinah pledged their loyalty to the Prophet (s); (c) An invitation was extended: The Muslims of Makkah were invited by their brothers-in-Islam to migrate to Madinah undertaking their protection as a major responsibility. Then only did the Prophet (s) instruct the Muslims to migrate. Today we do things out of sequence, impatiently and rushed, eg, Algeria is a good example where Muslims are killing Muslims in the name of Islam. Who fault is it for picking the green fruit and then suffering the indigestion?

iii. Secrets should be hidden: The Prophet (s) hid the secrets of his journey and only disclosed them to those with strong ties to him. And, then they were only told what they needed to know in order for them to act - they were "on a need to know" basis. Today we talk about issues that don’t need to be talked about to the general public - what is needed is "less talk and more action."

iv. Employ skill and competence: The Prophet (s) hired a guide who was well acquainted with the dessert. He employed a person with competence and skill even though he was an idolator. Therefore, sincerity is not a substitute for ability - we need both, sincere and able brothers and sisters.

v. No deputising: The Prophet (s) insisted on paying for his horse and refused that Abu Bakr (ra) offer it free since spending on the Hijrah was a form of ‘ibaadah which the Prophet (s) wanted to observe and not have someone deputise for him. Today we want others to work, rather than do it ourselves.

vi. Deception is necessary: The Prophet (s) instructed ‘Ali (ra) to put on the cloak in which the Prophet (s) normally slept and to lay down on his bed. The Prophet (s) and Abu Bakr (ra) also chose to hide in a cave to the south in the direction of Yemen so as to fool their pursuers. [Al-Ghazali]

These are only some of the many principles we learn from the Hijrah, principles that can be applied in all aspects of our lives.

The Hijrah, like all of the Seerah of the Prophet (s), is something that must be studied in detail to gain a full understanding of its implications and meaning. The Hijrah is not simply a series of bedtime stories to be told like fairy tales of how the Prophet (s) and Abu Bakr (ra) traveled from Makkah, stopping over in a cave and ending in Madinah with a joyous reception.

This is not to say that the small details of the Hijrah are not significant. These details are important because they remind us that the methods used by the Prophet (s) were human and not superhuman. They were not tactics that required miracles. We cannot claim that since he was a Prophet (s), and we are not, we therefore are unable to follow exactly his (s) footsteps when it comes to the manner in which the Dawah should be carried out. We must remember that these steps, or phases, in the Dawah mission were meant for us to follow and implement with the Help of Allah (swt).

The three things that you should take away with you tonight are:

1. We are in desperate need of better understanding our Deen - remember "little knowledge is sometimes dangerous".

2. The Prophetic Method of Dawah is the only method that will bring us success.

3. The Hijrah was a transition from one phase of the Dawah to another. It is an obligation on each one of us to help the Dawah move from its current phase to the next.

May Allah (swt) grant us better understanding of His Deen so that we can follow the Method of His Prophet (s) to establish the rule of Islam on this earth. May He (swt) also have Mercy on us and forgive us for our mistakes and shortcomings and guide us all to the Path that earns His pleasure. Ameen.