WHAT DOES MUHAJIR AND HIJRAH MEAN?

Muhajir is a person who has made Hijrah. 

Literally speaking, Hijrah means forsaking, leaving, displacing, immigrating, etc. In the Shari’ah, this refers to the event when Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) and the Sahabah-e-Kiraam (Radiyallahu Anhum) had to leave their native place of Makkah to settle in Madinah to practice Deen with freedom. Thus, the Sahabah-e-Kiraam (Radiyallahu Anhum) had to leave their wives, children, wealth and whatever they possessed. They went out empty-handed to settle in Madinah, with the sole purpose of living for the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala with total freedom. It was really a huge sacrifice.

In this Hadith, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) has drawn our attention to the fact that the main thing in all this is the obedience of Allah Ta’ala and not the displacement or change of place. The form of Hijrah was the displacement from Makkah to Madinah and the foundation was the obedience of Allah Ta’ala. It is true that the form is very important but it is also true that the foundation is the most essential of all. A form without a foundation becomes so insignificant that it appears that it does not even exist. It is in relation to this that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) did not consider a displacement or a change of place without the obedience of Allah Ta’ala as Hijrah. That is why a person in Europe who is practicing Deen is better than a person in Madinah who is not practicing Deen.

In this sense, the true Muhajir is the one who has forsaken everything that Allah Ta’ala has prohibited even if he stays far from Madinah. This kind of Hijrah will always exist until Qiyamah. And thus, everyone who will abstain from what Allah Ta’ala has prohibited will become a true Muhajir and on the day of Qiyamah, they will be embellished and honoured as a Muhadjir.

[English version of "MOUHAJIR ET HIJRAH" – Al Jamiat – Vol.4 No.1]