Author: Khalid Yaghi Zahi
The Greatest Among Men in the Annals of History (The 4th and Final Part)
2. The Day of Migration (Hijrah):
Abu Jahl used to say: “O Quraysh! Do you know what the Zaqqum tree is that Muhammad is scaring you with? Butter with the Ajwa dates of Yathrib!” This time, this divine word was revealed: «إِنَّ شَجَرَتَ الزَّقُومِ ﴿٤٣﴾ طَعَامُ الْأَثِيمِ ﴿٤٤﴾ كَالْمُهْلِ يَغْلِي فِي الْبُطُونِ ﴿٤٥﴾ كَغَلِي الْحَمِيمِ (٤٦)» Translation: “Indeed, the tree of Zaqqum is the food of the sinners. Like molten brass, it will boil in their stomachs, like the boiling of scalding water.” [1]
Yet, they did not stop at this; they went as far as severing ties with Muhammad (PBUH) and his Sahaba, besieging them in the valley of Abu Talib for a period of time. They neither engaged in trade with them nor spoke to them.
Do you think these horrors had the slightest effect on Muhammad’s (PBUH) determination? Or that they caused the slightest doubt in his faith and mission? They offered him the most enticing worldly temptations: to make him their king, to bestow upon him their wealth, and to present him with the most beautiful women so that he could marry whomever he wished. Yet, after all these trials and temptations, his response to his uncle Abu Talib was: “By Allah, if they were to place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, on the condition that I abandon this cause, I would not abandon it!”
Has history ever witnessed such unwavering resolve? All of this continued for years—not just a day or two or a week or a month, but for many years. Had it been any man other than Muhammad (PBUH), he would have said: “Enough! I have fulfilled my duty and exerted all my efforts, but victory is impossible. It is time to withdraw and remain at home.”
But retreat had no place in Muhammad’s (PBUH) path, and the word “impossible” did not exist in his dictionary. If he could not achieve victory in Makkah, then he would seek it elsewhere, for his message was for the entire world and for all times. Thus, he set out for Ṭā’if. The journey to Ṭā’if was arduous, and the path was long, but the hardship and length of the road did not deter Muhammad (PBUH) from his mission.
He arrived in Ṭā’if and approached three of its leaders, hoping to find among them the support he could not find among the leaders of Makkah. He presented his call to them, but the first one scoffed, saying: “I will tear apart the curtains of the Kaaba if you are truly sent by Allah (SWT)!” The second mocked: “Could Allah (SWT) not find anyone else to send besides you?” The third refused to even speak, saying: “I will never speak to you. If you are truly a Prophet, you are too noble for me to respond to, and if you are lying about Allah, then it is not appropriate for me to converse with you.”
Muhammad (PBUH) then said: “Even if you reject my call (Dawah), at least keep it a secret from others.” But when he lost hope in their wisdom, he turned to their sense of honor—yet they had none. Instead, they incited their ignorant youth and slaves against him, who chased and harassed him, hurling insults and shouting at him as they drove him out of their city. At this moment, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) raised his hands in supplication, uttering a prayer that never fails to bring tears to my eyes whenever I read it. I doubt anyone can hear it, understand its meaning, and not be overcome with emotion.
He said: “O Allah! I complain to You of my weakness, helplessness, and the scornful looks of people towards me. O most merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the weak! You are my Lord; to whom do You entrust me? To a stranger who would treat me with disdain or to an enemy whom You have given power over me? If You are not angry with me, I do not care, but if Your mercy is greater for me, I seek refuge in the light of Your face, which illuminates the darkness and by which the affairs of this world and the Hereafter are made stable. I seek refuge from Your anger and Your displeasure. I seek Your pleasure so that You may be pleased with me, for there is no obstacle or power before You.”
It was an incredible scene; the Prophet (PBUH) was in a difficult situation, at a point where even the strongest of heroes would become disheartened. Yet he saw a glimmer of hope in the acceptance of his message by a weak servant named Addas. Despite all that he had suffered, nothing prevented him from delivering the divine message to Addas, and he turned towards him, forgetting his own pain, until Addas embraced Islam. This was a small moment in the life of the Prophet (PBUH), but in the history of all human missionaries, it was a monumental one. No scholar can find such selflessness and dedication in any other person besides Muhammad (PBUH).
He experienced rejection in Makkah and Ta’if, but after thirteen years of patience—4680 days, each day feeling as long as a year—was there any room left for patience? After all this, could he not be excused if he laid down his weapons and gave up? But no! The Quraysh, in all their ignorance and foolishness, sought to keep this light from the entire world; they wanted to prevent the goodness that future generations yearned for. They aimed to thwart the establishment of Baghdad, Cairo, the university of Cordoba, and the Nizamiyah schools. They sought to destroy the civilization that Muhammad (PBUH) had come to establish, one that would stretch from the farthest point in the west to the farthest point in the east. So, what was Muhammad (PBUH) to do? He had to migrate to open a new door of invitation to the world. This door was Yathrib, which, upon his arrival, became “Medina al-Munawwara.”
He sent his Sahaba there and delayed his own departure. He did not leave Makkah, the house of turmoil, except for the safety promised in Yathrib, until there was no Muslim left in Makkah. He left behind only Ali, who was like a son to him, and Ali slept in his bed to return the trusts of the Quraysh that were with him.
When I think about the Quraysh, how despite all their enmity, they entrusted their possessions and treasures to Muhammad (PBUH), I wonder if any political party would ever entrust its documents and treaties to a member of the opposing party.
But Muhammad (PBUH) was unmatched in trustworthiness and moral strength; he stood in a position that had no equal among humanity.
He secretly set out for migration with his chosen Sahaba, the Sheikh of Muslims, Abu Bakr. His hiding was not out of weakness or cowardice, but like a commander leading a great battle. Would he have exposed himself and stood in the way to fight every group that came his way, defeating them, and forsaking the great battle? Surely, greater battles awaited Muhammad (PBUH): Badr, Fath, Hunayn, Qadisiyyah, Yarmouk, the Battle of Gibraltar, and the fields of Islamic conquest that spread thereafter. A series of the best victories, the martyrs of truth in every land, the flag of justice waving on every mountain, and the light of Islam spreading in hearts and cities awaited him. The battlefields against ignorance, poverty, oppression, and corruption, and the frontlines against all other moral evils were waiting for him to come and purify human society from these stains.
When he entered Medina, no banner waved over his head, no entourage accompanied him, and no drums were played for him. But the banner of the Qur’an waved above him, and the future lay with him. The heart of history began to beat for him, and it continues to pulse as long as there is history in this world. Another page of the history of the call has been completed, and a new chapter has opened. The era of weakness and persecution ended, and the time of strength and victory began. Migration was the boundary between these two periods.
O Muslims! Whenever you celebrate the migration, remember that migration is the first chapter of the book of virtues, honors, and glories. When the paths to victory become narrow for a Muslim in a neighborhood, city, or region, they must migrate to a place of victory, dignity, and freedom. Wherever these exist, wherever justice prevails, wherever light spreads, and wherever the herald proclaims the call of «لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الله» Translation: “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,” that is the homeland of the Muslim!
[1] – Surah Ad-Dukhan, Verses 43-46.
