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The Prophet's Migration (Hijrah)... Building the Muslim Nation and Shaping its History
Author : Secretary General Dr. Zaid Al-Kilani
Date Added : 09-07-2024

The Prophet's Migration (Hijrah)... Building the Muslim Nation and Shaping its History

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

The Noble Migration is a journey of nation building, transitioning from weakness to strength, fear to security, and fragmentation to unity... It is a journey of constructing a nation chosen by Allah to alter the course of history, led by the greatest leader in history and the best prophet in existence, peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and all his companions.

The Noble Migration signifies the birth of a resilient nation destined to lead the world in a few short years, guided by men devoted to Allah and dedicated to building their homeland and achieving its glory. The companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) understood these profound meanings, marking the beginning of their nation's history. With these lofty meanings, the honorable migration teaches us to trust in Allah's promise to His sincere servants, knowing that He fulfills His promise and completes His light. It is a promise for our people in Palestine that their patience and steadfastness will ultimately be rewarded with victory by the permission of Allah. The journey was a departure for the sake of return, but it symbolizes the return of the victorious, triumphant liberators. The migration serves as a lesson for us to uphold the strength and resilience of our Jordan, and to stand united against any threat that may confront us.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) guided us that one of the most important objectives of migration is to build a strong homeland and establish a state with effective institutions. Building a strong nation begins with the establishment of active institutions that uphold the aspirations of the country, foresee its future, and fulfill the ambitions of its people. Upon his arrival in Medina, the Prophet (peace be upon him) built the mosque, which became the center for nurturing pillars of faith, shaping religious identity, education, communication, judiciary, consultation, opinion, and governance. He built the mosque to house these effective institutions that organize society in accordance with its uplifting values and objectives.

As we learn from the noble migration of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), one of the pillars of a strong resilient nation is to have a strong independent economy. This serves as a fortress against any interference, by adversaries, in the nation`s political will or cultural identity. Therefore, one of the Prophet's first actions upon arriving in Medina was to establish an independent market for Muslims, breaking the monopoly held by the Jews over trade and wealth. They had sought to control the economic sphere to sow discord and animosity among different societal groups, enabling their own dominance.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) formulated the document that can be described in contemporary terms as a constitution, outlining the rights and duties of the state and individuals, including protection and preservation. It clarified the meanings of citizenship and emphasized the necessity of the rule of law.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) established brotherhood between the Muhajireen (The first inhabitants of Mecca to accept Islam) and the Ansar (The first inhabitants of Medina to accept Islam) to replace the tribal values of negative boasting about ancestors and tribes that Arabs used to practice in the pre-Islamic era.

To resolve the issues of division within the Muslim community, based on the principle from ThHoly Quran, it states (What means): "The believing men and believing women are allies of one another" [At-Tawbah/71], and the same applies on Quranic motto, which states (What means): "Verily, the believers are brothers" [Al-Hujurat/10], in accordance with Allah's Command that reads (What means): "hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided" [Al-Imran/103], the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) established these values and principles as the foundation of the Muslim society. This spirit permeated the institutions of the state founded by the Prophet (peace be upon him), leading to cultural and societal advancement within the Islamic community.

Allah the Almighty immortalized the incident of brotherhood in the Quran to serve as a lasting testimony to this crucial foundation of human civilization. Whereas He, The Exalted, Says (What means): "And [also for] those who were settled in the Home [i.e., Medina] and [adopted] the faith before them. They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in their breasts of what the emigrants were given but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in privation. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul, it is those who will be the successful." [Al-Hashr/9].

In conclusion, we ask Allah the Almighty to make this new Hijri year a year of goodness and blessings for our blessed country and for the leader of the Hashemite family, His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, may Allah protect and preserve him.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on entering the toilet with something containing the remembrance of Allah?

It is disliked to bring into the toilet anything containing a reminder of Allah, such as the Quran or a sacred name (like the name of Allah, Muhammad, etc.). If one does that, etiquette dictates that he conceal it so it is not visible while entering the toilet, either by cupping his hands over it, putting it in his pocket, or inside his shirt if it is a necklace or ring. And Allah  the Almighty knows best.

Who is "the poor" entitled to receive Zakah (obligatory charity)?

The poor is the one who has neither money nor a source of living, or has either of them, but it isn`t sufficient such as being in need for a hundred/JDs, and having an income of forty/JDs only.

What are the Sunnahs and etiquettes recommended for the person offering the Udhiyah?

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
There are several Sunnahs (prophetic traditions) and etiquettes that are highly recommended for the person offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) to observe:
 
First:
It is a Sunnah for anyone intending to offer a sacrifice to refrain from cutting or removing any of their hair or nails once the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah begin. This is based on the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "When the ten days [of Dhul-Hijjah] begin and one of you intends to offer a sacrifice, let him not touch any of his hair or skin." (Narrated by Muslim)
 
However, if someone does happen to remove any hair or nails, they have not committed a sin, and their sacrifice remains perfectly valid.
 
Second:
The person offering the sacrifice should ideally slaughter the animal themselves. If they are unable to do so, they should at least witness its slaughter. This is drawn from what our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said to Lady Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her):
 
"Stand up and witness your sacrifice, for with its very first drop of blood, every sin you have committed will be forgiven." (Narrated by Al-Tabarani in his Mu'jam, Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, and Al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan)
 
Third:
Face the Qiblah (the direction of prayer) at the time of slaughtering, as the Qiblah is the most honorable of directions.
 
Fourth:
Pronounce the name of Allah (Tasmiyah) at the moment of slaughter by saying: "Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim" (In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful). Even if one forgets to say it, the meat remains lawful (Halal) to eat. Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says:
 
"So eat of that [meat] upon which the name of Allah has been mentioned." (Al-An'am: 118)
 
It is also recommended to send blessings upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and to follow it with the Takbeer (Allahu Akbar).
 
Fifth:
Supplicate for acceptance by saying: "Allahumma hadhihi minka wa ilayka, fa-taqabbal minni" (O Allah, this is a blessing from You and is offered back to You, so please accept it from me). This means: This sacrifice is a blessing that originated from You, and I am offering it to draw closer to You. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

What is the ruling on performing the night prayer (*qiyām al-layl*) between the first and second adhān of Fajr? And which is better: delaying the prayer until shortly before the Fajr adhān, or performing it earlier than that?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The time for night prayer (qiyām al-layl) begins after the Maghrib prayer and lasts until the second adhān of Fajr. The best time for it is the last third of the night, and best of all are the fourth and fifth sixths of the night. If the night is divided into two halves, the latter half is better.
Whoever intends to pray at night is encouraged to delay the Witr until he has prayed the night prayer. If he knows that he will not wake up, it is better for him to pray and perform Witr before sleeping, so that he does not miss both the night prayer and the Witr.
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vpl.1/p.462): “I say: The voluntary prayer of the night, that is, the absolute voluntary prayer (al-nafl al-muṭlaq), is better than the absolute voluntary prayer of the day, because of the report in Muslim: ‘The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.’ In another narration of his: ‘In the night there is an hour that no Muslim man meets while asking Allah for any good of this world and the next except that He gives it to him, and that is every night.’ It is also because the night is a time of heedlessness. I restricted the voluntary prayer to the absolute kind following the commentator, although what the ḥadīth and the underlying meaning require is that the night rawātib be preferred over the day rawātib, since the jurists preferred the two rakʿahs of Fajr over everything except Witr. The middle of the night is better than its two ends if it is divided into thirds, because heedlessness is greatest then and worship is hardest. If he wishes to pray during some third, the best is the fourth and fifth sixths, based on the ḥadīth in the two Ṣaḥīḥs: ‘The most beloved prayer to Allah the Exalted is the prayer of Dāwūd: he would sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth.’ Then the latter part is better than the first if he divides it into two halves, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: ‘And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness’ [al-Dhāriyāt: 18], and the report of the two Shaykhs: ‘Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends,’ meaning His command descends, ‘to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: Who calls upon Me, that I may answer him? Who asks of Me, that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’”
It is also stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 60): “It is better to perform it [the Witr] immediately after the sunnah of ʿIshāʾ, unless he has tahajjud, in which case it is better to delay it so that he performs Witr after it. If he performs Witr and then wishes to pray tahajjud, he prays two rakʿahs at a time and does not repeat the Witr, nor does he need to cancel it with a single rakʿah before the tahajjud. It is recommended that he not deliberately pray after it.”
Qiyām al-layl is a term applied to any prayer performed at night. Tahajjud, on the other hand, refers to the night prayer that follows sleep, whether it is prayed after Maghrib or after ʿIshāʾ, or the prayer performed after ʿIshāʾ without sleep. On this basis, the Witr is also called tahajjud, since it is only prayed after ʿIshāʾ.
It is stated in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.4/p.84): “The sound position, as stated in al-Umm and al-Mukhtaṣar, is that the Witr is called tahajjud.”
It is stated in Nihāyat al-Zayn (Vol.1/p.114): “Among the absolute voluntary prayers is qiyām al-layl. If it is performed after sleep, even during the time of Maghrib and after having prayed ʿIshāʾ early (taqdīman), it is called tahajjud.”
And it is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī ʿalā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.1/p.418): “His statement: ‘(the night prayer)’: the genitive construction (iḍāfah) carries the sense of fī, meaning a prayer in the night. His statement: ‘(it would be more fitting)’: the reason it is more fitting is that the night prayer includes both tahajjud and other prayers.” And Allah Almighty knows best.