Hijrah toward The Light

Next Sunday 27 November will be the new year of Islamic calendar which is called Hijriah taken from the arabic word hijrah. The islamic calendar was commenced in the period of caliph Umar bin Khattab RA (may Allah sanctify his soul) and counted backward from the day Prophet Muhammad SAW left Mecca to Madinah accompanied by his beloved companion Abu Bakr Ash Shiddiq RA. 

Having their own calendar, not all Muslim take great pride in using their own calendar or celebrating their new year. It is so different from the way they celebrate the new year of Gregorian calendar. You can take this comparison and see it in Islamic countries including Indonesia which has the highest islamic population in the world. Even I myself, used to take this new year for granted, being ignorant and care less in welcoming the new year of hijriah, till I was made conscious of its significance by my great spiritiual master. By then I look into the new year of hijriah with different perspective and feel grateful for the wisdom of Umar ibn Kattab RA who first commenced its usage and more importantly to Prophet Muhammad SAW and Abu Bakr as Shiddiq RA the actors of hijrah. 

The Dawn of Islam

The Beginning of Emerging Light

The history of Islam was started with years of struggling during period of Mecca (about 13 years). From the moment Islam being known in Mecca, Prophet Muhammad SAW and his followers had to endure the oppression of Quraisy tribes. So much hardship and threat were experienced that some of them had to die as martyr such as Sumayyah bint Khayyat RA. When the threat had become more severe, prophet Muhammad SAW gave permit to his followers to migrate to Abbysinia, now known as Ethiopia. Some of them were his daughter Ruqayya RA, his son-in-law Utsman ibn Affan RA and his cousin Ja'far ibn Abi Thalib RA.

Till there came the time for the prophet SAW to leave Mecca accompanied by Abu Bakr RA. In their migration there was a time when they hid themselves in the cave of Tsur. And they were protected by Allah using 'little and weak' creatures, spider and dove. It was told that the spider was forming its home right at the door of the cave and the dove built its nest in front of it as camouflage to the Quraisy ban. Their way of thinking was made in such a way that they thought it was impossible for the two persons to hide inside the cave where there was those two animals having their nests intact. Never they knew that in their weakness, these two little animals had been the media in which Allah had taught the prophet SAW.

There was divine wisdom for those who want to ponder and see beyond the appearance for they were the two great men with the highest rank in their proximity to Allah. In them the embodiment of Islamic teachings; and to protect the them Allah had given the web of a little creature such spider. This is to show that we, the Muslim as a whole community and society if we want to protect the integrity of what we believe to be true must also use the web (read: network).

A network can't be establish without a system to support it. That's why once the Prophet SAW arrived in Yatsrib (now Madinah) the first place he went to and built was mosque. Then from the mosque he started to organize the Muslim people and made agreement with the Jews and Christian community there. If we read through the history of Islam, never he SAW mentioned the naming of his ruling as Islamic country. Even in the Qur'an it was only said "baldatun thoyyibatun wa robbun ghofuur" a good land and a forgiving Lord (QS 34:15)

And in front of the spider web was a nest of doves. Dove as we know is the symbol of love and peace. So it was to say that in making the network he would use love and peace in facing anyone who opposed his main mission. This is in accordance to the Qur'an " So by mercy from Allah , [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah . Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him] " [QS 3;159] From that experience on the teaching of Islam spread to the whole world, thus Hijrah had been the dawn of Islam. 

Into the Light

From darkness into the Light

I remembered in my biology class long ago, it is mentioned that one of the signs of living creatures is their response towards the light. And we were given this laboratory practice to prove it by isolated a plant in an isolated box with a small hole. After a week we opened the box and saw that the plant growth toward the small hole from which the light came through. This is similar to human being both inward and outward. There is not any single human being likes to be in the dark because it isn't their innate nature All these vampire and underworld movies are just their mind creation.

Hijrah is a conscious act of human being in their love and tendency towards the light. Mecca under the sovereign of the one against the teaching of Islam in that culminating time before hijrah was in their darkest time and Yatsrib with their welcoming brotherhood of Anshar was a prospective light for prophet Muhammad SAW. Hijrah was then a sign given by Allah to be taken in the dire situation that he SAW had faced at that time for he SAW knew very well that " Allah is the ally of those who believe. He brings them out from darknesses into the light. And those who disbelieve - their allies are Taghut. They take them out of the light into darknesses. Those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide eternally therein [QS 2:257]

So it wasn't by mistake that by then prophet Muhammad SAW changed the name of Yatsrib to be Madinatul Munawwarah. For indeed that place had been the city where the light of hope, love, peace and strength came from. And it was by no mistake that the three great men involved in this history of mankind, Rasulullah Muhammad SAW, Abu Bakr ash Shiddiq RA and Umar ibn Khattab RA were honored to have their tombs in this city of light.

Taking the example given by Prophet Muhammad SAW, we then should do the same in anything when we intend to make the next move for the betterment of our self since the light of Islam has been given to us to see what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is bad. We ask Allah's guidance and support along our way toward His Light in a prayer " And say, "My Lord, cause me to enter a sound entrance and to exit a sound exit and grant me from Yourself a supporting authority. " [QS 17:81] and as Prophet SAW gave example through his action (al Hadist) the prayer taught to us before we started our journey is Bismillahi tawakkaltu 'alallah. Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah. In the name of Allah I rest my self to Allah for there is no power and strength save from Allah 

My deepest gratitude for them as their efforts had reached me and make me as I am.

All Praise belongs to Allah, The Master of Universe.
 

HAPPY NEW ISLAMIC YEAR 1433H.

MAY ALLAH BLESS OUR LIFE SPAN, KEEP US IN TRUE FAITH 

AND SHOWER US WITH A BLESSING PROSPERITY