HIJRAH DEBATE

 HIJRAH DEBATE 🌍✈️🌏

Should Muslims run, now that there is a little bit of pressure in western nations?? This discussion divided the African American community in the early 20th century when some of their leaders advocated for a mass exodus out of America and back to the "Motherland" while others championed the idea that the community had earned its right to remain and participate in the development and refinement of the society in which they had sacrificed so much to build and shape. Then a little later on, a third school emerged. Those who wanted to remain in America but desired to live separately from the dominant majority by establishing their own communities and cities. Today the baton is handed over to the Muslims in the diaspora as some are calling for a mass exodus of Muslims out of the West and back into the Muslim world while others challenge this proposal by raising several considerable objections. Undoubtedly, each end of the argument has its merits, however it is unwise to force a single option upon millions of Muslims currently living in the West. It's not in everyone's best interest to leave or to stay. Circumstances vary. My impression of those who are taking this as an opportunity to demoralise and talk down to Muslims in the West by threatening them with Jahannam and accusing them of prioritising Dunya over Akhirah - is as follows Do YOU personally have ANY plans to welcome, support and accommodate these Western Muslims in YOUR home and in your community when they finally decide to board a plane and make Hijrah? Do you have jobs to offer them in your business or at least do you intend to help them settle and navigate the administrative systems in your country?? Will you lobby and demand your government to relax the restrictions on citizenship to allow for these Muslims to get equal footing with you and to share in your economy once they arrive as permanent guests economic migrants?? What contribution do YOU intend to make towards this mass Hijrah project exactly?? 🤔 Hijrah requires hosts, too! Prophet Muhammad ﷺ refused to leave Makkah until he had received a firm and clear commitment from the Ansar that they would defend him and his community the same way they defended their own women and children. He did not accept open invitations from just any tribe or region without securing a complete and solid form of guarantee of safety and permanent commitment. They literally swore an oath to protect him and never abandon him, no matter what. Are Muslims in the west being given these sorts of guarantees?? And why not?? Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received a number of invites before he accepted that of the Ansar, he refused all previous proposals because the terms were simply not satisfactory! Hijrah is not a lottery. We are advised to tie our camels first, then to have Tawakul and be patient. Some of us have solid qualifications, sound paperwork and sufficient resources (and backup plans) to leave the West and settle virtually anywhere we wish to, without compromising on our safety or quality of life, but that's not available to everyone in the diaspora. A little common sense goes a long way. Look before you leap, into the unknown.... Prophet Muhammad ﷺ talked about Hijrah but he also implemented a robust and ready rehabilitation program and a solid social network in Madinah to ensure that no one arrived without a place to reside in and that each migrant coming in was hosted by a local family until they were able to get back on their feet. Some locals went as far as dividing their own properties and businesses into two halves, giving one half to the migrants. Do you want to have that conversation?? Come back when you are genuinely prepared to contribute and be a part of the solution (not just someone who focuses on problems). FOR THE REMAIN CAMP Sure, so there is rampant corruption, widespread nepotism and deeply rooted tribal discrimination in our own countries - not to mention the unsurmountable entry barriers to citizenship in many of the more desirable Muslim countries. Let us not forget the political and economic volatility across many of the Middle Eastern and African nations today, HOWEVER - condemning and dismissing all Muslim nations with the same tainted brush is also not very serious. You probably have several relatives who live in those countries, and they are raising families and living their lives there, what makes you so special and exempts you from being able to live there too?? There are MANY Muslim nations that afford migrants a suitable, stable and welcoming environment with prospects for a sound economic lifestyle. They may not be welfare states, but why are Muslims even looking for welfare to begin with? [ *** Newsflash*** The prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the Muhajireen in Madinah LITERALLY rejected handouts from the Ansar because Islam is not a religion for parasites and leeches, it's a religion that promotes self sufficiency and positive contribution to society and to the world are large. We should be giving far MORE than we demand, wherever we are ] Not everything has to be handed to you on a silver platter, it wasn't done when your grandparents parents arrived in the West and they really went up against everything possible from racism to discrimination and marginalisation - but that didn't deter others from joining them and striving to make things better for the coming generation. It's not good enough to complain about Islamophobia in the West but as soon as Hijrah is mentioned, suddenly - no Muslim country is suitable or good enough. There has to be a reality check and more balance in this discussion. THE THIRD LENSE My wife purchased a beautiful Islamic gown for me over the weekend, I was shocked to see the label 🏷️ on it bearing the logo of a very large supermarket chain here in the UK....I mean - they are now selling Thawbs in mainstream supermarkets and even have vast Halal food isles and sections while Eid gifts and Cards are stocked in all the main retailers not to mention to Eid outfits in some of the more popular clothing outlets in the UK. Are we really being oppressed?? The question of Hijrah is something that must be judged based on individual circumstances and individual needs. Many Muslims have actually found it much easier to practice Islam in the West, having left the "Muslim world" in their adulthood. Likewise, there are also many Muslims born in the West who have had no prior experience of living in the Muslim world but have come to imagine a wonderful Islamic realm where everything runs on goodwill and faith. Some people NEED to make Hijrah and others should stay, because if everyone left overnight, the problems would simply be shifted out of the West and into the new destinations. Racism, xenophobia, government repression and economic downturns will not magically disappear if millions of Muslims decided to make Hijrah en-mass, but to the contrary - the aforementioned problems will simply be transferred to whichever Muslim land they decide to settle in. Likewise, Muslims cannot just be sitting ducks in the heart of the Western world hoping that the rising tensions and growing frustrations of the dominant societies will simply "blow over" and things will go back to "normal". We have crossed the Rubicon and from here onwards Islam needs to be embodied and exemplified - not just talked about in our Masajid on in the classroom... Those who choose to stay have to get up and start working for Islam, living by it's teachings and being VISIBLE positive role models in society. That includes abandoning Mortgages on Riba, selling alcohol and other Haram products, praying 5 times a day and generally being more serious about observing the guidelines for how a Muslim should act and conduct themselves in society. Remaining in the West should be considered both a serious responsibility and a weighty burden that can only be carried by Muslims who engage positively within the societies that they CHOOSE to remain present in. I do not believe in running away from problems when there are equal or greater opportunities to actually solve those problems. Furthermore, if we have lived in these countries and benefitted from the resources, infrastructure, education and global mobility granted by carrying their passports (which many people will never renounce even after making Hijrah.... "just in case") - then running away at the slightest hint of difficulty seems to be a little bit dishonourable if not ungrateful. And what if the countries we decide to run to also face similar challenges in 20 years, do we run away once more, and where to?? While I admire the courage, resourcefulness and foresight of Garvey, I am more inclined to Washington who insisted that his community stay where they were and actually work to improve the situation rather than fleeing in retreat elsewhere. This was also Malcolm's stance, who did not accept invitations from various leaders in the Muslim world to host him and his family permanently, rather - he insisted on a return back to America in the service to his people, those who didn't have the connections and fame necessary to simply make Hijrah at the expense and invitation of some President or Sultan.... (But maybe he should have left, Allah knows best).