MIGRATION

The lmam (AHS) took to mirgation in accordance with Quranic injunctions. To decree the defaulters in migration as hypocrites, he quoted the Verse:

"They (the souls) reply: Weak and oppressed were we in the earth".

"They say: Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to move yourself away (from evil)?"

This Verse points out that migration is inevitable when one is weak, and the penalty for not migrating is an abode in Hell. This shows that the punishment is for non-observance of an obligation (wajib). Hence, when one is down and out with no power to propagate (the religion), migration becomes obligatory. Baizavi, too, holds that the Verse makes migration obligatory. One has to migrate from a place where religion (deen) cannot be established.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "Whoever migrates from one place to another in love of (or to preserve) the religion, even through it may be a short distance (less than a foot) away, he will be entitled to go to Paradise, and remain in the company of the Prophets Abraham (AHS) and Muhammad (PBUH).

The author of Tafseer-e-Mudarik says that a migrant is one who had left his hearth and home for the exigencies of the religion (deen), and that migration in times to come would be similar to that at the beginning of Islam.

This being the situation, we can say that migration is not confined to any particular stretch of time. When one has no power or freedom to profess, practice and propagate the laws of Shariat, migration becomes obligatory. The question is what are the chances of migration.

This is the truth. The inference is that migration becomes obligatory when one has no authority, freedom or facilities to worship Allah, enforce His commandments and prevent people from actions prohibited by Him. It was under similar circumstances, when the infidels of Makkah had made it impossible for the faithful to worship Allah, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) migrated to Yathrib (Madina), where the profession, practice and propagation of Islam became easy.

Imam Mahdi (AHS) too faced similar circumstances and the commandments relating to Vilayat-e-Muhammadi (PBUH) (Muhammadan (PBUH) Sainthood) could not be effectively propagated. He then resorted to migration. For us, Mahdavis, therefore, migration becomes obligatory when the situation warrants it.

If anyone said that Hijrat (migration) meant going from Dar-ul-Harab (the abode of war) to Dar-ul-Islam (the abode of peace-Islam), he was wrong, because, if this contention is accepted, Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) companions who migrated to a Christian country Habsha (Abyssinia) cannot be treated as muhajirs (migrants). This is wrong because they were the (first) muhajirs (of Islam).

And, according to Tafseer-e-Kabir, when Abraham (AHS) got isolated and wanted to leave the city, he migrated to where Allah led him.

It could be argued that a Hadith says that there is "no migration after the conquest of Makkah. The point to consider here is whether migration in this context means migration particularly from Makkah to Madina or towards Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

However, this Hadith does not categorically repudiate migration, because migration from Dar-ul-Harab to Dar-ul-lslam, or from a place where religious duties cannot be performed to where they can be, is valid and obligatory till Doomsday. This has also been stated in the Sharah-e-Arbaeen by Krimani and Nowawi.

It cannot be said that the Quranic Verses sanctioning migration as obligatory are abrogated (mansookh). The Arabic ward Mansookh means to dismiss or to change. This has two aspects. When his referred to Allah, it means that a given Verse is valid during the period of currency of a commandment of Allah. When it is referred to humankind, is may mean that it is no more in force.

In Tauzeeh, it is stated that when the law-giver (sharey) knows the period during which a commandment would be in force, the second argument becomes only a statement The commandment being absolute, it is not a side-issue but an obligation, a reality. The reason is that we do not know the period during which the commandment would remain in force. The second argument changes according to our information and knowledge.

Take a murder case, for instance. If it is attributed to Allah's knowledge, it would refer to the time of death. But when it is attributed to a human being, the murder is proved. And the murderer would be subject to its consequences. Besides, the murdered person is a dead body from its own point of view. But from our point of view, it is a changed reality. (The Tauzeeh argument ends here).

If the statement of the commandment is considered in relation to Allah as abrogated, it is tantamount to saying that Allah's knowledge is transitory and not eternal. However, Allah's knowledge is sacred and not subject to change. Hence, to a person who knows the will of Allah, no Quranic Verse remains abrogated. But, to a person who does not know the will of Allah, some of the Quranic Verses appear to be abrogated and some others abrogating.

In short, to the group of persons who know the will of Allah (like the Mahdavis), no part of Quran is abrogated. Hence, the lmam (AHS) called persons who avoided migration as hypocrites (munafiqs).

The Hadith relating to the case of Ka'b (RA)-Bin-Malik has been reported in detail by Muslim and Bukhari and I give a summary of it here:

Ka'b (RA) says that he did not join Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the battles of Badr and Tabuk and had participated in all other wars. The Prophet (PBUH) had not remonstrated those who had not joined him in the battle of Badr. But when he returned from the battle of Tabuk, he went to the mosque and said his prayers of thanks-giving. Soon after, people who did not participate in the battle came and made their excuses. They were more than 80 in number. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) pardoned them. Then Ka'b (RA) went and greeted him, he responded with a smile but appeared to be very angry. He ordered that nobody should even talk to Ka'b (RA). Ka'b (RA) was alone. It looked as if nobody knew him; nobody would talk to him or take notice of his presence, even if he roamed the marketplace. One day Ka'b (RA) climbed the wall of his cousin Abi Qatada's house and greeted him. There was no response. Some forty days after the ban, an emissary of the Prophet (PBUH) told him that the Prophet (PBUH) had ordered him to stay away from his wife. Ka'b (RA) sent his wife to her parents' house. Some ten days after this, a person called Ka'b (RA) and said: "Good News. The Prophet (PBUH) has permitted you to repent".

Nowawi says this Hadith had highlighted 27 important points. The tenth point is that the excuses of the hypocrites were accepted. The eleventh point is that it was desirable to ostracise the defaulters to chastise them.

This shows that a person who avoids migration is a hypocrite and deserves punishment; he should be ostracised and separated from his wife.

In short, lmam Mahdi (AHS) resorted to migration on the basis of the Quranic Verse quoted above.

The Iman (AHS) choose to migrate. He declared he was Mahdi (AHS). And he concentrated on reforming and guiding the people. He always showered the divine light of Allah's blessings on his followers and disciples.

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