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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 swearing an oath by the Prophet ﷺ, and does such an oath take effect according to Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, requiring expiation upon its breach?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Swearing an oath by a created being is disliked (makrūh) in our Shāfiʿī school. Shaykh al-Islām Imām al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "Swearing by a created being is disliked — such as swearing by the Prophet, the Kaʿbah, Jibrīl, the Companions, or the Prophet's family. Al-Shāfiʿī, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: 'I fear that swearing by other than Allah the Almighty may constitute an act of disobedience.' The scholars of the school explained this to mean: that is, something forbidden and sinful — indicating that he had some hesitation in the matter. Al-Imām stated: the established position of the school is that it is categorically not forbidden, but rather disliked. Furthermore, whoever swears by a created being, his oath does not take effect and no expiation (kaffārah) is required if he breaks it." [Rawḍat al-Ṭālibīn wa ʿUmdat al-Muftīn, Vol. 11/P.6]
According to the Ḥanbalī school, however, expiation becomes obligatory upon one who swears by our master the Prophet ﷺ and then breaks his oath. Imām al-Bahūtī al-Ḥanbalī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "No expiation is required for swearing by other than Allah the Almighty, even if the oath is broken — because expiation was made obligatory for swearing by Allah and His attributes, out of reverence for His names, and nothing else is equal to Him in this regard... except in the case of swearing by our Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, for expiation becomes obligatory when one swears by him and then breaks the oath. This was explicitly stated in the narration of Abū Ṭālib, because he is one of the two conditions of the two testimonies of faith by which a disbeliever becomes a Muslim. Ibn ʿAqīl held the view that swearing by any of the other prophets, peace and blessings be upon them all, carries the same ruling." [Sharḥ Muntahā al-Irādāt, Vol. 3/P.441]. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on performing ṭawāf on the upper floors of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, given that these floors are situated above the level of the Ka‘bah, and that the one performing ṭawāf passes by certain barriers, such as pillars and walls, during the ṭawāf?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
There are numerous conditions for the validity of ṭawāf (circumambulation around the Ka‘bah), among them: that the one performing ṭawāf be inside the Masjid (al-Masjid al-Ḥarām) — even if the Masjid has been expanded, so long as the expansion does not extend out into al-ḥill (land outside the sanctuary boundaries). It suffices for the ṭawāf to be performed in the airspace of the Masjid or upon its roof, even if that roof is higher than the Ka‘bah (the House) itself.
Al-Khaṭīb ash-Shirbīnī (raḥimahullāh) said: "It [ṭawāf] is valid upon the roof of the Masjid, even if the roof of the Masjid is higher than the House — just as prayer [is valid] upon Mount Abū Qubays despite its elevation above the House. This is the relied-upon (mu‘tamad) position." [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol.2/P.246]
The validity of the tawaf isn`t affected by the pillars and walls standing between the one performing ṭawāf and the House, since the condition is only that the person performing ṭawāf be within the boundaries of the Masjid and outside the boundaries of the Ka‘bah itself.
Ash-Shirbīnī said: "It [ṭawāf] is valid inside the Masjid, even if it is expanded, and even if a barrier stands between the one circumambulating and the House — such as a water-supply structure (saqāyah) or pillars (sawārī)." [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol. 2/P.246]
Accordingly, ṭawāf performed on the upper floors is valid, and the presence of barriers such as pillars and walls during the ṭawāf does not affect its validity. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

When does the time for Udhiyah begin?

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The permissible timeframe for Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) begins on the day of Eid al-Adha—the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah—once the sun has risen and a period of time sufficient to perform two brief prayer units (Rak'ahs) and two short sermons (Khutbahs) has passed. This window remains open until the sun sets on the final day of Tashreeq, which is the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.
 
Our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said: "Every valley of Mina is a place of sacrifice, and slaughtering may be done throughout all the days of Tashreeq." (Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi and Ibn Hibban)
 
The days of Tashreeq refer to the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.
 
The most virtuous time to perform the sacrifice is immediately after concluding the Eid prayer, based on the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "The first thing we do on this day of ours is to pray, then we return and offer our sacrifice. Whoever does that has acted in accordance with our Sunnah (tradition), and whoever slaughters before that, it is merely meat he has provided for his family; it has nothing to do with the ritual sacrifice." (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
 
What is meant here is an estimation of time rather than the actual performance of the prayer itself, as our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), used to offer the Eid al-Adha prayer immediately after sunrise.
 
The sacrifice is valid if performed at any time during these designated days, whether by day or by night, though slaughtering at night is considered disliked (Makruh). And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

What is the ruling on praying alone (munfaridan) in a row, and what should I do if I enter the mosque together with another person, and there is only a single gap in the first row with no second row present — should I fill that gap in the first row, or should I stand together with him in a new second row?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If a person enters [the congregation] and finds no space available in the row, it is recommended for him — after making his opening takbīr for the prayer — to gently pull someone from the row in front of him to pray alongside him, provided he senses that this person would be agreeable to it. If that person does not agree, then he prays alone, and there is no dislike attached to his doing so in that case.
If he ends up praying alone [behind the row], it is sunnah for him to stand directly behind the imam. Then, if someone else arrives, that person stands to his right; and whoever comes after them stands to his left — and so on — such that the imam remains centered in the middle of the row. This is done so that everyone attains the reward of congregational prayer.
As for the case where two people enter the prayer together, and there is a gap in the row wide enough for only one person, then the two of them should pray together in a new row [of their own], and whoever arrives after them should fill that original gap. This is because if only one of the two fills the gap, the other would end up praying alone [which is to be avoided when it can easily be prevented].
Al-Khaṭīb ash-Shirbīnī (raḥimahullāh) said in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.1/P.494): "If he does not find space, then it is recommended for him, while still standing, to gently pull a single person from the row toward himself after making his opening takbīr — out of caution, so as to avoid the position held by some scholars that a person's prayer standing alone behind the row is not valid.
Az-Zarkashī and others said: this should only be done if it seems he would agree to it; otherwise, he should not pull anyone — indeed, doing so becomes impermissible, out of fear of causing discord (fitnah). It is recommended for the person being pulled to cooperate and agree, so that he may attain the reward of assisting in righteousness and piety (al-birr wat-taqwā). However, he should not pull one of two people [praying together] from the row, since this would cause one of them to end up praying alone. This is why the 'pulling' described here takes place only after the opening takbīr [i.e., once the person doing the pulling has already validly begun his own prayer]."
Accordingly: it is sunnah for you to pray alongside the person praying alone, and then, if someone else arrives afterward, you may go and fill the gap in the original row. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.