Migration: the moment when time became steeped

Nihal Şahin Utku

Abu Musa Al Ashari had just been assigned as the governor of Basra, however, Caliph Omar (pbuh) had requested that the inlands of Iran become penetrated, so the new governor had set out an expedition without much time to settle down.  In the camp he set up along the border, he was planning the part of the operation dealing with him directly , while at the same time, following the information flow he had set up with Basra and Medina. The frequency of writings coming from Calip Omar, who had kicked off a large-scale operation against Iran in particular, seemed to point toward the eventual capturing of the Persian King Al-Hurmuzan at the hands of Abu Musa.      

However these undated deluge of messages that came from the Caliph, were putting Abu Musa in a difficult situation. For the obligation to act in a coordinated and certain time period, made the deciphering of these messages mandatory so that he could know which order to place in whichever sequence of commands -- an act held a great deal of importance in terms of the effectives of this operation.      

According to narrations, Abu Musa, who was weary of this situation, had written Caliph Omar a letter of complaint, asking him to date the letters which he was sending him. The Caliph began to search for a commencement date to be entered on these documents which gave more information than the usual day and month and consulted with his companions on this matter. Caliph Omar, who selected the migration from Mecca to Medina as the beginning of the Muslim calendar, noted the following which underscores the significance of the migration:     

"The migration of the Messenger of Allah separate the truth from falsehood. This is why we take the migration as the beginning of history."      

Islamic societies have always recalled the migration as a "new beginning," as did Omar (ra) in a fashion true to the event. Islamic society gained the ability to flourish through the migration, gaining the strength and social infrastructure necessary to protect it's self against attacks directed at it. A new order, based on the cooperation and brotherhood between muhajir (migrants) and Ansar (the local Medinans) was one of the important dynamics that radically transformed traditional Arab culture. The Hijra became, in every way, a door for Muslim societies which opened up to light, from the darkness of ignorance imposed by the Arabs of Quraish and from there to a message that would light up the entire world.      

However, despite all of these positive connotations, the migration is a desertion and distancing in a sense. It also embodies a great deal of sorrow. And it is for this reason alone that it also connotes unwillingness. Its realizations come to be with worsening conditions and every migration, even if desired, is at the same time a kind of preference. But the lack of choice on behalf of the Muslims who migrated from Mecca to Medina is a different kind of tragedy. The hijra is a mandatory, helpless farewell at the hands of the autocratic and insistent Quraish, who did not want to lose their worldly power against the message, which they knew was the truth and would eventually prevail. The dark shadows of the victims of the migration, whose lives had been made unbearable by the unbelievers, would reflect onto the path as they set out on their journey. And the laments brought on by the silent migrant's deep love for Mecca would become part of the stories of migration.      

The migration would be a bitter farewell. Both for Mecca and the people whom it had raised on its land. For it would no longer be easy to be subjected the new plans of tyranny at the hands of the unbelievers of Mecca, who feared the growth and return of the message of Islam to them. For it had become almost impossible for the Last Prophet, whose message was to the whole of humanity, to deliver this divine invitation to even his own society. All sorts of precautions were employed so that Prophet Muhammad was not able to influence the visitors who came to the region during the season of hajj (pilgrimage), which played an important role in delivering this universal message; incredible slander was cast in the direction of the Messenger of Allah.        

However, despite all of Quraish's provocations and efforts, the calling of the Messenger of Allah would be received by receptive hearts. The conversion to  Islam by the poet Tufail of the Daws tribe in the South and a group from the Hazraj tribe in Yathrib in north, after becoming acquainted with the message of the Messenger of Allah, would become the symbol of the blessing of the calling.  For those coming from Yathrib, Islam would be the hope for  an end to the Battle of Buas, which had been continuing between two rooted tribes in Yathrib, the Aws and Hazraj, in which many people had lost their lives. Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad was a such a beautiful answer to the Jews, who were influential in their region and had established a certain cultural supremacy over the Arabs as they voiced their constant expectancy of a new prophet. Need would bring an invitation, an invitation would bring about the migration and the migration would bring about a nation.      

However, as the migration left behind sorrow in Mecca, it delivered hope to Medina. For this reason, the migration would become an incredibly important point of transition as both an end and a beginning. With the migration, the shape and significance of the test would change; a transition would take place from the visible pressure of social and physical force into a battle against the "undetected" temptations of every day life. Despite having escaped the obvious battle of faith against the idols of Lat and Uzza, and the simple forms of idol worship, the struggle would take on a different course, against more refined attackers. The focus of revelation would slide towards faith, the Day of Judgement, the lawful and prohibited in social life (and thus punishment and reward) as well as the answer and calling to the spectre of Jews and hypocrites.      

Migration signifies a fast and rooted transition, whose likeness is rare in human history as it creates a sharp divide between what preceded and followed it. In this sense, the migration represents the line that separates the truth from falsehood. Most importantly, the migration becomes the calendar for Muslims, as time would become steeped by the migration.