Tears of Happiness: In Remembrance of the Spirit of the Hijra!

As we are welcoming the new Hijri year, the year 1447, it is in the spirit of our faith to remember the days of Allah (swt) with facts that help the believer gain more strength on the journey to Allah (swt). Nowadays, the new Hijri year is mostly remembered around the Muslim world with certain traditions not truly related to the faith, such as the preparation of special dishes! Alas, the Hijra is only now remembered as a tradition, not as a Spirit and a Gift!

We all tend to forget that without Hijra, Islam could not have reached us today. The Hijra marked a demarcation between truth and falsehood, truthfulness and doubt, trust and fear. The Hijra distinguished the best of the generations of believers, those who were granted the honor to convey Islam to the world. In remembrance of the spirit of the Hijra, the following is the amazing account of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him. When the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, were given permission to migrate to Madinah, Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, quickly began preparing for his departure. But the Prophet (pbuh) told him: "Hold off and wait, may Allah send you a companion to be with you in your Hijra journey." Abu Bakr wished then that the companion would be the Prophet himself, pbuh. While waiting, Abu Bakr took the initiative to buy two distinctive camels. He kept feeding them for four months, expressing with this action his preparedness and being proactive. He was eagerly awaiting the glad tidings which will allow him to initiate the journey of Hijra, all the while seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt) and His Messenger (pbuh), and hoping at the same time, to be honored by being the companion of the Prophet on his Hijra.

When the great day came in which the Prophet (pbuh) was given the permission to do the Hijra, he went to see Abu Bakr at an odd time. It was the time of Thahira (midday), during which people usually were at rest inside their homes. Concerned about a knock at the door during this odd time, Abu Bakr opened and was surprised to see the Prophet (pbuh) standing at the door, covering his face. He invited him in and the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Abu Bakr, I was given permission to leave Makkah for Madinah." Overwhelmed by this long-awaited great news, Abu Bakr could not hold back his emotion, and tears flooded his face. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, seeing her father in this situation, said:"I didn't know that people could cry out of happiness until I saw my father."

These tears of happiness from Abu Bakr transcended the bitterness and pain of leaving behind his family, wealth, properties and the motherland. These are tears which translate the meaning of truthfulness, testify the complete submission, complete devotion, complete dedication, complete love of Allah (swt) and His Messenger (pbuh). The heart, mind and soul were waiting for a glimpse of the light of the pleasure of Allah. And when the news of the honoring came, tears gushed forth out of happiness, despite knowing that everything else dear to his heart would be left behind. But at this level of Eman (faith), the certainty that Allah will take care of what is left behind is unquestionable. 

The name of Siddiq (truthful) given to Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was not due to a few events in his life, but was the result of living the truthfulness in every moment of his life in Islam. His tears of happiness, at this event of Hijra, were a manifest witness to this attribute.

The spirit of the Hijra which needs to be revived today, is this continuous migration toward truthfulness that defeats doubt, toward trust that defeats fear, toward solidarity that defeats division, toward compassion that defeats indifference … a Hijra that makes us believers who care and strive for a world without genocide, without oppression.

Should not the tears of Happiness of Abu Bakr be one of the memories from the Hijra to inspire us, inshaAllah, to set a goal from the beginning of the year? … A goal to strive to change! Let’s strive to reach the next level of seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt).