The lessons…

After I had told you about these Islamic historic stories, I'll analyze their meanings in this page.

We saw a typical example for refugee's concept in plight of the pioneer Moslems in early years of Islam history. The Moslems faced persecutions and despotism of the unbelievers. The Moslems suffered tortures and death, all which was due to their beliefs. For that they looked to find refuge out side their own place. They seek refuge in Abyssinia (Ethiopia, in Africa now) where there was Christianity as dominant religion firstly and in Yathrib afterwards. I explained about first refuge at previous page, now I'll speak about second refuge for Moslems in Yathrib and I'll explain the reasons that pushed the Yathribis to offer refuge for the Moslems and the benefits that people of Yathrib and Islam gained from offering refuge for Moslems in Yathrib.

Political benefits…

Yathrib an oasis in Arabia desert, it called al-Medina or Al Medina Al Monwarah (The Illuminated City) after the immigration of the Prophet (SA), is located some (250 miles, 447 kilometers) north of Mecca on the ancient caravans route which connected Mecca with Syria. In old times, Mecca Arabs used to travel to this distant land to sell what they had in their land and to buy all of the essential commodities they found in Syria. At that time it was needed between 10 to 12 days to travel from Mecca to Yathrib on Camels. At ancient geopolitics terms, the 2 cities were under different authorities or what we call now a jurisdiction.

At that time there wasn't Arabian homeland governed by one authority. There was different kingdoms composed from some tribes lived in different cities. In Yathrib there was 5 Arabic tribes, 3 of those tribes, known as Bani Qainuqa, Bani Nadheer and Bani Quraidha, professed the Jewish faith (monotheists). The other tribes of the Yathrib were the Aus and the Khazraj, who practiced the popular paganism of Arabia (polytheists). These tribes were not on good terms with one another and very often they came to fight between themselves.

Aus and the Khazraj were poor but they were stronger and have more fighters than the Jewish. The history told us that there was ferocious competition between these tribes for holding the Authority on the city. At 616 A.D. a member of the Aus tribe gave his protection to a Bedouin who was then visiting the oasis. In retaliation, a member of the Khazraj tribe paid a Jew to smack the face of the Bedouin. His protector took steps to defend his refugee and killed the Jew who had, in the meantime, struck the Bedouin. The Khazrajites, failing to nab the Jew's killer, killed, instead, another man of the Ausite; thus giving birth to a bloody feud that was destined to last for as long as it was necessary for both tribes to avenge the deaths. Consequently, a series of battles took place between the Aus and Khazraj.

That fighting made big problem for Yathribians to have one king to govern all the tribes. At that time the Prophet (SA) had contact with some Yathribians pilgrims in Mecca (A.D. 620, Aqaba) and they found in Mohammad (SA) a mediator or peacemaker in their violent quarrels and a good ruler for their city. After that they agreed to provide him and his followers a refuge and protection in their city, Yathrib. That took nearly 3 years (A.D. 620-622) of negotiations and meetings between the prophet (SA) and people from Yathrib.

When the Prophet settled at Medina, the tribes of Aws and Khazraj forgot entirely their old feuds and were united together in the bond of Islam. Their old divisions were soon effaced and the "Ansar", the Helpers of the Prophet, became the common designation of all Medinites who had helped the Prophet in his cause. Those who emigrated with him from Mecca received the title of "Muhajereen" or The Emigrants. The Prophet, in order to unite both classes in closer bonds, established between them a brotherhood which linked them together as children of the same parents, with the Prophet as their guardian.

After dealing with the interior management of the State, the charter concluded as follows: "All future disputes arising among those who accept this charter shall be referred, under Allah to the Prophet."

Thus this charter put an end to the state of anarchy that prevailed among the Arabs. It constituted the Prophet Muhammad as chief magistrate of the nation.

Another reason, which made the Hijrah a very important event, is the political freedom for the Muslims. Before Hijrah the Muslims had no say in any matter, internal or external. They were a minority against whom the hearts of the majority were full of enmity - the Muslims were an insignificant part of a set of dominating unbelievers in Makkah Mukarramah.

The Hijrah made the Muslims Masters of their internal affairs, external relations and matters relating to war and peace. There was great understanding among the Muslims, for instance, in case a difference occurred between the Muslims and non-Muslims, the final decision was to be made by the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam). This showed that an autonomous Muslim set up was coming into existence. This was a beginning of a city-state, which, within the lifetime of the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) or within a period of ten (10) years, expanded so as to encompass the entire Arabian Peninsula. It is thus evident that the event of Hijrah turned a few hundred persons into a highly successful society. The expansion of Muslim dominations during the following centuries is a historical record. All this was possible due to the shaping of events as the result of Hijrah.

The Prophet (AS) and the pioneer Moslems immigrate to Yathrip put the bases for the great Islamic state that continued for 1296 years from A.D 622 until A.D. 1918, remarked geographical as the vast state extend from China in the West to Spain in the East. Also it started the Islamic calendar. All that started with immigrate of some refugees from on place to another. Those refugees found shelter and protection that enabled them to build one of the greatest civilizations in our history as humans on Earth. The prophet left Mecca while there were 12 men waiting with swords outside his house for murder him! The prophet reached Yathrib to find refuge and support with his followers. Do you think that without that refuge and support we have Islam now?

Social benefits…

The refuge concept had big effect on Arabs behavior and it's caused many battles throughout the history. I like to tell you more about the Arabs traditional regarding the refugee concept. The Arabs were very sensitive for honor matters and for their reputation one of these matters was the hospitality and protection for the guest.

At these old times the Arabs had special traditions to deal with the strangers when they come to their houses. At that time there wasn't hotels to use by travellers, so when some one move from his area to another he has the right to go to any house and to stay there as a guest for 3 days without any questions and to have a place for sleep and to eat with great respect from the host. After those 3 days the host have the right to ask his guest the normal questions, like about his name and from where he came. If the guest has problem so the host must help him what ever his problem could be, even if it require fighting. Generosity and protection for stranger, passerby or refugee is great honor for any Arabian, the history contain many stories about that tradition.

Here we can understand the amount of proud and honor that the inhabitant of Yathrip from providing refuge for the Prophet (SA) and his followers, special if we know that the Prophet and his followers were from the noble class of Mecca and the Yathribis were normal people, but those normal people changed the cores of the history just by providing refuge for some people in urgent needs.

The pact of brotherhood by the Prophet between the emigrants (Al muhajrian) and the (Ansaar) helpers (inhabitants of Yathrib and the mutual assistance between the Muslims and others are irrefutable evidence that the Islamic state is built upon social justice. Also, the basis of the international relations between Muslims and non-Muslims is peaceful as long as the non-Muslims are peaceful. The principles of truth, justice, cooperation, righteous, fearing Allah, and working together for the interest of mankind and repealing the pain and damage that the evildoers inflict upon society are the most visible principles upon which the Islamic state is established.

The brotherhood between the emigrants and the Ansaar (may Allah be pleased with himm) established by the Messenger (Peace be upon him) is a demonstration of Islam's concept of a socially constructive morality and justice. This is evident when the emigrants were accommodated and provided for by the Ansaar who were a rich society. Because they were a people who cast aside their wealth and their lands in order to go to another place for the sake of Allah, owning nothing of the possessions of this world. Such affluence was due to their agriculture and the money from their industries. Thus, each of the Ansaar helped his Muslim brother and shared with him the pleasures as well as miseries of life. They shared their homes if there were enough rooms for both of them and would give up half of their money, so long as they could spare it. What social justice in the world could there be to surpass if not equal such kind of brotherhood?

The Ansar took the principle of brotherhood to heart so enthusiastically that they vied with one another to make a Muhajir their brother, and in certain cases they resorted to casting lots to decide the winner. Many of the Ansar gave up half of their property in favor of their brother among the Muhajirin. It comes as no surprise that history has recorded some cases, in which a man from the Ansar asked his brother from the Muhajirin to choose any one of his two wives, so that he divorced her to become free to marry to the brother from the Muhajirin. This is after the end of the legal obligatory period of probation observed by women after divorce

Economic benefits…

The importance of Hijrah from view of its economic aspect. The economic effects were due to the permanent migration to Medina Munawwarah by the Muslims. The matchless hospitality of the people of Medina Munawwarah to the migrating Muslims, not only provided a shelter and a new peaceful home for those newcomers Moslem refugees, but the Ansars (of Medina) with a note-worthy passion of self-sacrifice accepted the incoming Muslims with great zeal and love. When after Hijrah, the companions and the followers of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) shifted from Makkah Mukarramah to Medina Munawwarah, trade came into contact with agriculture and artisanship resulting in an economic revolution for the place. The migrants from Makkah having been taught and reformed by Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) himself for nearly 13 years were not carefree and irresponsible men; they were God-fearing and righteous. The Ansars helped the migrants to the extent of being ready to divide all their belonging between themselves and the Muhaajirs. But the latter were not prepared to accept a status of mere idle dependants; so every one of them adopted ways and means to earn righteously for their own selves and did not like to be permanent burden on others.

Initially, the Muhaajirs worked as labourers in the fields and gardens and construction works. Later they, being traders, started small trading activities, which brought them into an economic competition with the Jews of Medina Munawwarah. One aspect of the economy revolution was that the Muhaajir traders paid the right price to the growers for their produce since Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) had forbidden the practice of acquiring products on reduced prices in return of loans given to the artisans or to the cultivators.

Thus, it was only after Hijrah that agriculture, industry and trade freely helped to bring about an integrated, balanced and unfettered economy for the Muslims. Thus changing provides the Moslems with strong economic system enabled them to have wide financial recourses to support the Islamic state and the spreading Islam in new places.

When the Prophet Muhammad and his companions settled at Yathrib, this city changed its name, and henceforth was called, Al-Medina Al-Munawara, The Illuminated City, or more shortly, Medina, The City. It is situated about eleven day’s journey to the north of Mecca. At that time two Kahtanite tribes, Aws and Khazraj, ruled it. These two tribes, however, were constantly quarrelling among themselves. It was only about the time when the Prophet announced his mission at Mecca that these tribes, after long years of continuous warfare, entered on a period of comparative peace.

That wasn't just a changing in names or the calendar; it was a start for a great religion and a great nation. Nation provided justice and prosperity for its citizens. Those citizens lost that justice and prosperity when they lost that great nation. To day those citizens looking to find refuge somewhere, maybe they will find justice and prosperity! Today we need to find another refugee story if not in our countries maybe we will find in our souls.

Justice brings peace, freedom brings democracy

understanding is the way