Hijrah: A Timeless Reminder of One’s Sincerity on the Path to Allah

In the noble verse — “If you do not aid him, Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, ‘Do not grieve; indeed, Allah is with us’” (9:40) — Allah draws our attention to the cave in which the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and his companion, Abu Bakr, sought refuge during the prophetic migration (Hijrah). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, arrived there after taking every necessary means, exercising unwavering determination, planning with precision, and placing his complete trust in Allah.

The cave symbolizes the culmination of the Prophet’s efforts. By the time he had reached it, peace and blessings be upon him, every possible human measure had been taken, every plan had been carefully executed, and every available means had been exhausted. Yet throughout this entire process, his heart remained firmly attached to Allah, relying upon Him with complete certainty. It was at that moment — when human effort had reached its limit — that divine care intervened, bringing Allah’s protection, support, and ultimate victory.

Thus, the cave stands as the meeting point between human effort and divine assistance. It marks the moment when a believer fulfills every worldly responsibility, while recognizing that victory belongs to Allah alone.

Allah (swt) reminds the believers of this profound reality in the context of one of the greatest trials faced by the Muslim community after Islam had become firmly established and Madinan society had attained stability. That trial was the Expedition of Tabuk — a decisive test of sincerity: sincerity of faith, sincerity of loyalty, and sincerity in following the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

True sincerity demands perseverance in striving and steadfastness in the face of hardship. It requires remaining firm upon righteousness, preserving the religion, and safeguarding the unity of the Ummah. The establishment of Islam and the stability of the Muslim community are not, by themselves, enough to sustain resolve. Once comfort and security are attained, lethargy may creep in, and the heart may become attached to worldly life. It is for this reason that Allah asks: “Are you satisfied with the life of this world instead of the Hereafter?” (9:38).

The message of the Hijrah, therefore, is a timeless reminder to examine the sincerity of our journey to Allah. Are we truly striving toward Him with unwavering determination, or have we become weighed down by attachment to the earth and the fleeting attractions of this worldly life?

“O believers! What is the matter with you that when you are asked to march forth in the cause of Allah, you cling heavily to the earth? Do you prefer the life of this world over the Hereafter? The enjoyment of this worldly life is insignificant compared to that of the Hereafter” (9:38).

The commemoration of the Hijrah is not merely an occasion for remembrance or celebration. Rather, it is an opportunity to examine the sincerity of our orientation toward Allah by reflecting on our commitment to supporting His religion and the completeness of our adherence to His guidance. The central lesson of this verse above is that the true Helper and Giver of victory is Allah, the Most High. He has taken it upon Himself to support His religion and grant victory to His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

Accordingly, the believer should never imagine that he/she is the one who brings about victory or accomplishes it. Rather, his/her role is to be among those whom Allah honors by allowing them to participate in the means that lead to victory — through continual striving, perseverance, and steadfast endurance.

This noble occasion of the Hijrah, therefore, invites every believer to reflect upon its spirit, understand its true meaning, and recognize his/her own place within it. The spirit of the Hijrah is the pursuit of Allah’s bounty and His good pleasure. This is the greatest motive and the primary driving force behind every legitimate migration, as Allah says in describing the poor Emigrants who were driven from their homes and wealth: “For the poor emigrants who were expelled from their homes and their properties, seeking bounty from Allah and [His] approval and supporting [the cause of] Allah and His Messenger, [there is also a share]. Those are the truthful” (59:8).

This same quality distinguishes the believers described by Allah in the closing verses of Surat Al-Fath: “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are firm against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking bounty from Allah and His pleasure” (48:29).

Thus, the foundation of the Hijrah is the pursuit of Allah’s pleasure and the striving for His bounty. This is the driving force that inspires the emigrant and the lofty objective that directs every step of the journey.

In its essence, the Hijrah is a movement of transformation. Every transformation must be guided by both a foundational principle and a clear objective.

The foundational principle of change in the Hijrah is liberation from everything that obstructs one's path to Allah, hinders the establishment of His religion, and prevents the realization of the justice brought by the divine message.

Its objective is to build a reality in which the landmarks of divine guidance are preserved — a society in which Allah is worshipped with clear insight, and in which His bounty and His pleasure are sincerely sought.

The comprehensive hallmark of the Hijrah is, therefore, the preservation of the religion. For its sake, the believer willingly bears the hardships of migration and endures separation from homeland, family, and wealth.

This reality is clearly illustrated in the migrations of the prophets. When Ibrahim, peace be upon him, left his homeland, he declared: “Indeed, I am going to my Lord; He will guide me” (37:99). He also proclaimed: “Indeed, I am emigrating to my Lord. Indeed, He is the Almighty, the All-Wise” (29:26).

Likewise, the migration of Musa, peace be upon him, and the Children of Israel was undertaken to preserve the religion, establish the truth, and free the believers from oppression, so that they could worship Allah alone.

The Hijrah, therefore, is not merely a journey from one place to another. It is a transition from weakness to strength, and from incapacity and stagnation to the establishment and propagation of the religion. Its inseparable spirit is the pursuit of Allah’s bounty and pleasure, the preservation of the religion, and the establishment of life upon the foundation of divine guidance.

When believers reflect upon the profound meanings and lofty objectives for which the Hijrah was undertaken, they realize that their relationship to it is not merely one of remembrance or celebration, but one of commitment, support, and faithful adherence.

Accordingly, the believers' motto in commemorating the Hijrah is to move continually toward that which pleases Allah, to strive in support of His religion, and to strengthen the manifestations of faith within their heart, in their character, and throughout every aspect of their lives.

Likewise, the divine statement, “Do not grieve; indeed, Allah is with us” (9:40), nurtures within believers courage, reliance upon Allah, confidence, hope, and unwavering certainty that Allah will fulfill His promise and grant victory to His religion. For this reason, the remembrance of the Hijrah should become an opportunity for believers to examine their hearts, reassess their priorities, and renew the purpose that drives their lives, so that every aspiration, every effort, and every step may be directed toward attaining the pleasure of Allah, the Most High.

These are the meanings and principles that were embodied in the character and conduct of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, as Allah described them in the closing verses of Surat Al-Fath.

Following the example of the Companions with excellence, as Allah says in Surat Al-Tawbah: “And the first forerunners among the Emigrants and the Helpers, and those who followed them with excellence — Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him” (9:100), is achieved through Hijrah, through supporting the truth (nuṣrah), and through striving in the cause of Allah (mujāhadah). Allah says: “And those who believed afterward, emigrated, and strove alongside you — they are of you” (8:75).

Thus, the Hijrah remains an enduring reality in every time and place. It is not confined to migrating from one land to another; rather, it is the migration of the heart to the lofty stations of faith, liberation from the whims and desires of the soul, and complete submission to Allah. In this way, the believer's entire life becomes a continuous striving in the cause of Allah, seeking His pleasure and His bounty, in fulfillment of His saying: “As for those who strive for Our sake, We shall surely guide them to Our ways” (29:69).

The Hijrah thus stands as an enduring model that unites clarity of purpose, strength of resolve, diligent use of every lawful means, and complete reliance upon Allah.

Accordingly, whoever seeks to reform themselves, their community, or their circumstances must undertake a Hijrah: a migration from negligence to obedience, from heedlessness to remembrance, from weakness to strength, and from hesitation to resolve, until his/her life is brought into harmony with the will of Allah under the banner of certainty and tranquility: “Do not grieve; indeed, Allah is with us” (9:40).

Through this perspective, we come to appreciate the profound wisdom behind beginning the Islamic calendar with the Hijrah. It marked the decisive turning point that distinguished truth from falsehood and transformed a persecuted community into a nation established upon faith. AsʿUmar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, recognized, the Hijrah was the event that separated truth from falsehood, making it the most fitting point from which the history of the Muslim Ummah should be measured.