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MIGRATION TO THE MESSENGER By Imaam ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah From the book Ar-Risaalat ut-TabukiyyahN Translation & Comments by Muhammad al-Jibaali © Al-Qur'ân was-Sunnah Society of North America Description of a Migrator to the Messenger Migration to the Messenger (S) is a knowledge that has been [mostly] lost [from among people]; only its name continues to exist. It is a practice that has been abandoned; only its outline remains. It is a road whose milestones have been obliterated by wild animals, and whose water sources have been dried up by the enemies. Thus the person who takes this road is a stranger among people, unique in his surroundings, distant [from others] despite his physical closeness, lonely despite numerous neighbours. He is unhappy with what pleases [the common] people, and [often] satisfied with what depresses them. He resides when they travel, and travels when they reside. He is alone in the Way that he chose for seeking his goal, feeling no satisfaction until he achieves it. He is with the people in his body, but away from them by virtue of his goal. Their eyes sleep indifferently, neglecting to seek the Guidance; but he spends his nights awake. They are too lazy for migration to the Prophet (S), while he is totally engrossed in its pursuit. They scorn his indifference to their ideas; and they blame him for criticizing their ignorance and inconsistencies. They cast their doubts on him, and they keep close watch over him. They wait hopefully for death to rid them of him. He responds to them with what Allah says:
And
He further reminds them [with what an Arab poet once said]:
Definition of Migration to the Messenger Migration to the Prophet (S) is a most important matter. It is a long and difficult way for those who are not prepared for it, as a poet once said:
By Allah's Life, this migration is but a shining light to illuminate your darkness. It is a full moon lighting the earth from east to west and capable of lighting your gloom. It is a clear sweet stream of water capable of washing away the stains of your heart. It is the beginning of a great bounty of which you could be unaware. Listen now to the importance of this migration and to the evidence pointing to it. Be a judge of yourself before Allah: Are you among those who run away from it or among those who run toward it? The definition of this migration is: the soul's journey, in all matters of belief, in all desires of the heart, and in all legislative matters, to the origin of Guidance and the source of Light. This Guidance and Light came from the mouth of the truthful and trustworthy, Muhammad (S), whom Allah (T) describes as:
A matter is acceptable only if the light of his Message shone over it; otherwise, it deserves to be thrown into the seas of darkness. A witness is acceptable only if he is recommended by this praised one (S); otherwise, you can consider him among the doubtful and accused. How then could a man who is enslaved by his base instincts and worldly habits undertake this migration? A man who does not want to part with the place where he was born and raised? A man who says: "We only follow our fathers' ways, hold to their traditions, and trace their footsteps." How could he undertake it when his ancestors were incapable of doing so, and yet he relies totally on them to determine his way for success and salvation, claiming that their opinions should be better and sounder than his? If you investigate the reason for saying this you find it a combination of laziness and indifference. The Obligation of Migrating to the Messenger This migration [to the Messenger (S)] is required from every Muslim. It follows directly from the [second part of the] Shahaadah (the testimony proclaimed by every Muslim):
just as the first type of migration [to Allah] follows from the [first part of the same] Shahaadah, that:
Every human being will be asked about these two manners of migration, both in the barzakh1 and on the Day of Resurrection. Qataadah [one of the Taabi'in2] said:
These two matters are the content of the two parts of the Shahad ah. A Great Oath Allah (T) said:
Here Allah the Exalted makes the greatest oath - by His own Self, Glory be to Him, that the Imaan is not confirmed for a person, and he is not one of its People, until he accepts the Messenger (S) as the judge in all matters of dispute and in all aspects of the Deen. Using the term "any disputes" in this aayah absolutely negates the presence of Imaan unless the Messenger (S) is made the judge in ail disputes. In addition, Allah (T) has required satisfaction of the heart with the Messenger's judgment so that one would find no resistance in his soul. One should accept his judgment with satisfaction and submission. Taking the judgment with dissatisfaction, or following it in spite of oneself is contrary to the meaning of Imaan. So, the Messenger's judgment should be accepted with satisfaction and pleasure of the heart. Once a person knows this, he should always examine himself and look into his heart [to see how true is his submission to the Messenger's judgements]. He should do this whenever a judgment comes from the Messenger (S), in a major or a minor matter, conflicting with his desire or differing from the way of his ancestors. Allah (T) says:
Glory be to Allah! In how many instances have people hated quotations [from the Messenger (S)] and wished that they were never said! What hatred in their hearts and what dryness in their throats did some of the texts leave! Their secret thoughts will be revealed to them, causing them pain and humiliation on that Day:
Furthermore, Allah (T) concludes the above ayah by requiring the fullest submission to [the judgements and commands of] the Messenger (S). Loving the Messenger and Submitting to Him This submission is not that of a defeated fighter who is forced to surrender to his enemy. Rather, it is the submission of an obedient subordinate to his master who is dearer to him than any other creature, when he realizes that only through this submission will he achieve happiness and success. It is the submission of one who realizes that, compared to his own self, this master has more concern and compassion for him, and is a better counsellor who is more knowledgeable about what benefits him, and therefore more capable of saving him. When a person realizes these meanings4 with respect to the Messenger (S), he will surely submit himself to him (S), and surrender every desire in his heart in obedience to him. He will then comprehend that he cannot attain happiness except through this submission and obedience. This matter is not easy to express in words. The heart needs to open up for it to allow it to sink down to its depths. It cannot be attained by mere claims or wishes. A poet once said:
There is a great difference between knowing the meaning of love and being truly in love. People frequently confuse between knowledge and experience. Similar to this is the example of a sick man who is under the influence of a disease; he knows the meaning of health and well-being; however, his knowledge does not make him experience what a healthy man enjoys of good health, even if the latter cannot describe his healthy status in an expressive way. Another example is that of two persons, one of them knowing the meaning of fear, and the- other is subjected to it and is really experiencing it. Methods of Emphasis in This Ayah In the above ayah (an-Nisaa' 65), notice how Allah (T) emphasizes the obligation of obeying the Messenger (S) in several ways: 1. STARTING WITH A NEGATION First, He precedes the oath with the negation, <<But no, by your Lord..>> This style of starting a sentence with a negation when making an oath concerning a negated matter (in this case, their Imaan is what is being negated) common in the language of the Arabs. For instance as-Siddiq [Abu Bakr (R)] said:
Examples of this style are very numerous in the Arabic poetry as in the following two example:
If you examine the sentences in the Qur'ân which include oaths, and which start with negation articles, you will find in most of them that the thing about which the oath is made is itself negated as well. This general rule is not revoked by Allah's saying:
The intention in these ayaat is to first negate the fallacies of the disbelievers regarding the Qur'ân: that it is poetry, magic, or fables of the past. Then they confirm the opposite. Thus they tell them, "But no! It is not what you claim, but is rather an honourable Qur'ân". In other places, Allah (T) explicitly mentions both the negation (underlined) and the affirmation (italics). For example, He (T) says:
And:
Therefore, opening the oath with articles of negation emphasizes the matter being discussed, and confirms the absence of false claims or erroneous beliefs regarding it. 2. USING AN OATH The second method of emphasis is that Allah (T) used an oath [to negate Imaan from those who do not fulfill the conditions of submitting to the Prophet's judgment as set forth in the rest of the ayah] 3. SWEARING BY HIMSELF The third method is that Allah (T) chose to swear by Himself and not by any of His creatures, which He does on some occasions.8 4. REQUIRING THE ABSENCE OF ANY RESISTANCE The fourth method of emphasis is that Allah (T) requires submission to the Messenger's judgment, such that no resistance to it remains in the souls. 5. COMPLETE SUBMISSION And the fifth method of emphasis is in repeating the verb "submit" in the abstract form. Literally, this would be stated as: "... And submit a submission." In Arabic, this reflects the meaning: "... And submit completely or fully". The Prophet's Claim on the Believers The eloquent methods of emphasis applied here, and the great care taken to confirm this in the souls of the worshipers, are because of the great need of this important matter. Allah (T) said:
Some people think that the Messenger (S) cannot have more claim on them than their own selves. This ayah indicates that anyone who thinks like this is not one of the believers. This Prophet's claim on the believers involves the following two important matters: 1. DEARER THAN ONE'S SELF The Messenger (S) should be more beloved than one's own self. This is so because the Prophet's claim on a believer is based on love; and a person usually loves himself more than others; yet the Messenger (S) should have more claim on him, and be dearer to him than himself. A person who fulfils this acquires the quality of Imaan. Once a person submits to the Prophet's claim on him and loves him more than any other creature, then there follows full compliance, obedience, and all the other consequences of love, such as satisfaction with his judgment, submission to his orders, and favouring him over anyone else. 2. THE RULER OVER ONE'S SELF A person should not have an independent rule over himself; this authority is the right of the Messenger (S). His rule is superior to a master's rule over his slave or a father's over his son. Thus, a person has no right of disposal over himself except in accordance with what the Messenger (S) disposes, for he (S) has more claim on him than himself. Deviation from true love How then could such a closeness (to the Messenger) ever be attained by a person who isolates the Messenger's message from the position of authority [over himself and his life], who is more satisfied and pleased with someone else's judgment, who claims that the guidance is not acquired from him (S) but from the dictates of the minds, and who claims that the Messenger's message does not offer full certainty? These and other similar views reflect a deviation from him (S) and from his Message, and that indeed is the worst misguidance. There is no way to establish the closeness to the Messenger (S) except by isolating oneself from all but him (S), following him in everything, and checking what anyone else says against that with which he (S) came. So, if the Messenger's testimony supports it, it is accepted, and if it invalidates it, it is rejected; and if it were unclear whether his testimony is for or against it then it is treated as the talk of the People of the Scripture, and no decision is made concerning it until he is sure which of the two judgments is closer to it. The one who follows this method will have his journey of hijrah straightforward, his knowledge and deeds will be upright, and the people will aspire to him from every direction. FOOTNOTES 1. Barzakh: The period of death between the first life and the Resurrection. 2. Tabi'un or tabi'in: Plural of tabi' or tabi'iyy (follower), which normally refers to a disciple of the Sah abah (Companions of the Messenger (S)). 3. Ibn ul-Qayyim also attributed these words to Qatadah in Ighaathat ul-Lahfaan. But he attributed them in Madarij us-Salikeen to Abul 'Aliyah. lbn Jarir at -Tabari also attributed them to Abul 'Aliyah, as is mentioned by lbn Kathir in his Tafsir. This derives from what Allah (T) said in His Book (review al-Qasas 28:62-74). 4. When applied to the Prophet (S), these meanings must be understood within the boundaries of Islam. They should not be influenced by extreme tendencies like the sufees' who glorify him beyond his honourable human status, bestowing on him some divine attributes, and believing that he can answer the supplications and help and protect people while he is in his grave. Thus he (S) should be (next to Allah) dearer to a person than his own self; to submit to him means to submit to his Sunnah; his mercy and compassion and ability to counsel and save the people are by virtue of what Allah (T) has taught him, and, after his death, this takes place through his Sunnah and teachings. 5. The occasion for saying this is the following: Qatadah (R) narrated that he was with Allah's Messenger in the battle of Hunayn. When the Muslims approached victory, he saw a man of the disbelievers about to kill a Muslim. He ran to him from behind and hit him with the sword between the shoulders. The disbeliever turned around to Qataadah, held him, and squeezed him so hard that he felt he was about to die. But then, death came to him (because of Qatadah's hit), and he let go of him. After the battle was over, the Prophet (S) said three times, <<Whoever kills an enemy and has a proof of it then he has the right to his booty>> Qatadah asked if anyone would testify before the Prophet (S) that he killed that man. A man then stood up and said, "He is saying the truth, O Messenger of Allah; and I have taken his booty; so give him something to satisfy him instead." Then Abu Bakr (R) said, "No, by Allah! He shall not turn around to one of Allah's lions, who fought for Allah and His Messenger, and give you his booty." The Messenger (S) responded by saying, <<He is right! So give him [his booty]>> And he gave it to him. [Recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim] 6. As explained in a footnote below, swearing by the fathers is prohibited in Islaam. 7. Ghayb: Domains beyond the human senses. This is commonly and erroneously translated as "the Unseen". It is used in the Qur'an to denote all those sectors or phrases of reality which lie beyond the range of human perception: as, for instance, Allah's existence, His attributes, the Hereafter, the angels, and unrecorded events of the remote past or future. 8. People, however, may only swear by Allah (T), His Names, or His Attributes. The Messenger (S) instructed that anyone who wants to make an oath, should either make it by Allah (T) or remain silent. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] 9. The Arabic word used here is Awlaa which means that he (S) has more right and claim on a person. It also caries the meaning of closeness, ie. that he (S) must be closer to a person that his own self. Some translations use this latter meaning and we use it sometimes in this text. |
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