LESSON 6
THE HIJRA

This persecution, Ibn-Ishāq says, occasioned the first hijra in Islam:

When the Messenger of God saw the sufferings inflicted on his companions and his inability to protect them, although he himself was exempt because of his position with God and with his uncle Abū-Tālib, he told them, "If you went to Ethiopia you would find a friendly country whose king does not allow anyone to be mistreated. Stay there until God gives you relief from the present situation." At those words, his Muslim companions left for Ethiopia, fleeing to God with their religion since otherwise they might be exposed to deny it.

Eighty-three adult males went with their families. One of them was the future 3rd caliph `Uthmān ibn-`Affān, who went with his wife Ruqayya, a daughter of Muhammad.

In Ethiopia, says Umm-Salama, a future wife of Muhammad, "the Negūs showed us excellent hospitality. We safely practised our religion and worshipped God without interference or any words of reproach." When a delegation of Meccans came to ask the Emperor for the extradition of the Muslim refugees, he refused to hand them over.

Ibn-Isāq gives a fictitious story of how the Emperor interrogated the Muslims about their faith and accepted it, declaring "that there is no God but Allāh and Muhammad is his servant and messenger, and that Jesus, Son of Mary, is his servant and messenger, his spirit, and his word which he planted in Mary" (1:341). These words are a quotation of Qur'ān 4:171, which even Muslims say dates from the Medinan period, much later than the time of this conversation.

Meanwhile, `Umar ibn-al-Khattāb (the future 2nd caliph) became a Muslim. He had been a fierce enemy of the Muslims before, and his conversion lent strong support to the beleaguered Muslim community in Mecca, especially during an attempted social and economic boycott of the Muslims. During this time some Muslims found protection under prominent Meccan citizens. Abū-Bakr, however, left his protector after the latter required him to stop praying and reciting the Qur'ān on the street where he annoyed the Meccans by gathering an audience of their women and children.

About this time came the fabulous night journey to Jerusalem and ascent to heaven. According to a Hadith elaboration of Qur'ān 17:1, Muhammad is said to have been woken from his sleep by Gabriel and put on "a white animal, half mule, half donkey, with wings on its sides with which it propelled its feet, at each step advancing as far as its sight could reach". The animal took him to Jerusalem and back in one night.

There Muhammad is said to have ascended to the first heaven where he saw many angels, one of whom showed him the fire of hell; he also saw the punishments that people receive for various crimes. In the second heaven he met Jesus and John, the son of Zechariah. In the third heaven he met Joseph, in the fourth Idrīs (a Qur'ānic prophet of uncertain identity), in the fifth Aaron, in the sixth Moses, and in the seventh Abraham. He then met God in Paradise. There, advised by Moses, he bargained with God to reduce the daily prayers from fifty to five (Compare Genesis 18:16-33). Note, however, that the five daily prayers were established only in Medina.

When Muhammad related this experience, many of his listeners thought he had really gone mad, and "many Muslims gave up their faith". Abū-Bakr, however, had absolute faith in Muhammad and said of every part of the story, "That is true." For this reason Muhammad gave him the title Siddīq, meaning "testifying to the truth" (Compare John 6:64-71).

In the year 619 Muhammad suffered the loss of his wife Khadīja (n.1). In her place he married Sawda (n.2), widow of Sakrān ibn-`Amr. Sakrān had emigrated with his wife to Ethiopia and died after their return to Mecca. At the same time Muhammad married `Ā'isha (n.3), the 6 year old daughter of Abū-Bakr, but he did not take her into his house as wife until three years later, in Medina. These marriages were important means of cementing alliances among the early Muslims.

Also in 619 Muhammad lost his uncle and protector Abū-Tālib. Muhammad was eager to convert his uncle before his death, and Abū-Tālib showed some inclination to Islam, but refused to change. Qur'ān 9:113 is said to refer to this event:

It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they are near relations, once it has been made plain to them that they are the citizens of hell.

Abū-Lahab succeeded his brother, Abū-Tālib, as leader of the clan of Hāshim. At first he promised to continue to include Muhammad under the protection of the clan but his friends prompted him to ask Muhammad about his deceased grandfather `Abdalmuttalib, who had raised Muhammad with so much kindness but followed only the Arabian traditional religion. "Was he in hell or not?" Muhammad answered that he was. Such an insult to the ancestor of the clan was taken as reason enough to deny Muhammad further protection from the clan.

Muhammad's situation was now desperate. He obtained temporary protection from a friend in Mecca, but looked for help outside. At the trade fair of 620 he preached to the visitors, telling them that he was a prophet and they should believe in him and support him. Some were impressed, but no one openly accepted his message until he met six men from Medina (then known as Yathrib) belonging to the federation of clans called the Khazraj. They had been at war with another federation of clans called the `Aws. In addition, some twenty clans of Jews were also involved in the civil war, shifting their support from one side to another. The bloodshed was so much and so protracted that the people were desperate for any kind of settlement. The six Medinan men said:

We have left our people, for there is no people so divided by hatred and evil as they are. Maybe God will reunite them through you. Let us go to them and invite them to your religion and maybe they will accept it as we did. If God unites them this way, there will be no man more powerful than you.

At the trade fair of the next year (621) a larger Medinan delegation made a provisional agreement with Muhammad, and the following year (622) concluded a pledge to obey Muhammad and fight for him.

This Second Pledge of `Aqaba had two immediate results. The first was to put the Muslim community on a war footing, and the second was the migration or hijra of the Muslims to Medina. Thereafter hijra and/or jihād were the answer to any situation where the faith of the Muslims was in danger (fitna). Ibn-Ishāq quotes Qur'ān 22:39-41 and 2:193 for the new regulation to fight in defence of Islam.

When God permitted Muhammad to make war, and this group of the Ansār had pledged that they would accept Islam and support him and his followers, and some Muslims had taken refuge with them, the Messenger of God commanded the emigrants (to Ethiopia) and his Muslim companions in Mecca to leave for Medina and join their brothers, the Ansār. He said, "God provided for you with brothers and homes where you can be safe." So they left in companies, but he himself stayed in Mecca waiting for God's permission to leave and migrate to Medina.

Finally Muhammad himself departed secretly at night with Abū-Bakr, hiding in a cave to elude the Meccans who pursued them. They arrived at Medina about 4 September 622. That was 12 Rabī` I, the third month of the lunar year. The year in which the hijra took place is counted as the first year of the Islamic era.

QUESTIONS

1. Comment on the implications of the hijra to Ethiopia for Christian-Muslim relations in Africa.
2. How did the story of the night-ride and ascension build up the faith of Muslims?
3. Why did Muhammad have to leave Mecca?
4. Describe Muhammad's political ability in securing a base in Medina.

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West Africa and Islam

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