Honorable Muslims!
The Messenger of Allah (saw), as per the command of his Lord (swt), called on people to believe in Allah (swt) and worship Him (swt) alone. However, the polytheists of Makkah, who were devoid of a sense of servitude to Allah (swt) and of moral values, did not respond to that call. They felt no remorse for imposing all forms of pressure, persecution, and torture on believers. They even went so far as to attempt the life of our beloved Prophet (saw), who was sent as mercy to the worlds. No longer were believers able to freely practise the religion of Islam. As a consequence, the Companions, and then the Prophet (saw), migrated to Yathrib, the city of the faithful people. Dear Believers! After the Hijrah, Yathrib turned into Madinah al-Munawwarah. From there, the sun of civilizations rose over the face of the earth. It turned into an enlightened city. It became the Prophet’s (saw) masjid, as well as home for knowledge and wisdom. The enlightenment process for both Madinah and other towns and cities accelerated with the Companions raised in Suffah, the school established as part of the masjid. From there, Islam’s high values, such as righteousness, justice, love, compassion, and brotherhood, spread to every corner of the world.
Dear Muslims!
In one hadith, our Prophet (saw) says,وَالْمُهَاجِرُ مَنْ هَجَرَ مَا نَهَى اللَّهُ عَنْهُ “A true Muhajir (Emigrant) is he who leaves the deeds which Allah has prohibited.”[i]
Right! Hijrah is more than just a physical journey from one location to another. It never means escaping from hardships and troubles towards comfort and ease. Hijrah is a challenging journey towards new horizons in the cause of faith and ideals. Hijrah is the manifestation of faith in Allah (saw), loyalty and submission, as well as patience and perseverance. It is the will expressed by embracing tawhid and rejecting polytheism. It is a sign of moving away from falsehood and toward the right and the truth. It is the epic of helping one another and solidarity, as well as friendship and brotherhood. A muhajir is thus the one who does not succumb to the desires and lusts of their nafs, who is not deceived by Satan’s temptations, and who does not abandon lofty ideals for shallow ambitions. Muhajir is the one who is always content with what is halal and abstains from what is haram. S/he is the one who continually strives for the good and seeks Allah’s approval (swt).
Dear Believers!
Tomorrow LAST SATURDAY marks the beginning of a new Hijri year. The year in which the Hijrah took place is also the first year of the Hijri calendar. Therefore, let us reflect on the last year and the portion of our lives that we have left behind. Let us reaffirm our covenant with Allah (swt) and our commitment to the Messenger of Allah (saw). Let us regard this day as the beginning of our Hijrah from sins and haram to a halal and pure life.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy new year, and pray to Allah the Almighty (swt) that the Hijri year 1444 may be prosperous for our country, nation, and the Muslim world.
I would like to conclude this Friday’s khutbah with the following good news from our Lord Almighty (swt), “Those who have believed, emigrated, and striven in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives are greater in rank in the sight of Allah. It is they who will triumph.”[ii]
[i] Bukhari, Iman, 4.
[ii] Tawbah, 9/20.
FRIDAY KHUTBA OF TOKYO CAMII “LET OUR HIJRAH BE TO OUR LORD (SWT)”.(PDF)