Human migration is
the movement of people going from one place to another with the intention of
settling temporarily or permanently in the new location. It can take the form
of both voluntary and involuntary migration. People who migrate into a
territory are called immigrants, while at the departure point they are called
emigrants.
According to UN
Global Migration Statistics there are 232 million migrants living abroad worldwide
in 2013 (= 3.2 per cent of the world’s population). In 2013, half of all international migrants lived in
ten countries, with the US hosting the largest number (45.8 million), followed
by the Russian Federation (11 million); Germany (9.8 million); Saudi Arabia
(9.1 million); United Arab Emirates (7.8 million); United Kingdom (7.8
million); France (7.4 million); Canada (7.3 million); Australia (6.5 million)
and Spain (6.5 million).
The purposes of
migration vary: most immigrants do it in search of a better livelihood; others
search for a peaceful place fleeing from a chaotic situation in their original
country; and others migrate due to political reasons.
But those who
migrated from Mecca to Medina 1435 years ago (counted in lunar years), had the specific
purpose, dictated by God, to diffuse God’s call to the whole world. We can say
their motive was to establish a great human civilization based on God’s
guidance. This migration took place 13 years after the Prophet’s mission in
Mecca.
Before that historic
migration, in the fourth and fifth year of his mission, the Prophet (God’s
blessings upon him) suggested to some of his followers to migrate to Ethiopia. The first
group that consisted of 10 men and 4 women migrated in 614, and the second group,
83 men and 19 women, in 615. The purpose of that migration was twofold: to
escape from oppression they suffered from the Meccan rulers (of Quraish tribe);
and at the same time to expand the mission of calling people to listen to God’s
appeals to humanity as a whole. The Prophet chose Ethiopia because there ruled
a Christian King who was known to be equitable and fair.
The Meccan rulers sent a delegation to Ethiopia to convince the King
that those Muslim migrants were rebels and should be repulsed back to their
country. But after investigation, the King did not consent to the delegation’s
demand and decided to give them refuge and good treatment.
Seeing the increase of the oppression against his followers in Mecca,
the Prophet started to think of migrating to a place from where he could expand
his mission. In the beginning of 621, during the Hajj (Pilgrimage) season, the
Prophet met secretly some persons who came from Yathrib (later called Medina).
He presented them with the Islamic creed. They were convinced and became
submitted to God and believed in the Prophethood of Muhammad (God’s blessings upon him). Afterwards, they
asked that someone be sent to their home to teach them the Qur’an. In the next
year, 75 men and 15 women came again from Yathrib, invited the Prophet to
migrate to their home, and gave pledge to lodge him and his Meccan followers as
soon as they arrived there.
Immediately after that, in 622, the Prophet ordered his followers to
start the migration to Medina. Among the last ones were the Prophet himself,
Abubakr and Ali. One night, the Prophet went out from his home in Mecca,
secretly leaving town accompanied by his closest friend Abubakr, on their way
to Medina.
By the time the immigrants came to Medina, half of the population of the
city had already entered Islam. All those immigrants were welcomed and given
shelter and considered truly as their own brothers. This brotherhood was so wonderful,
that God mentioned it in the Qur’an as follows: “The poor emigrants who have been
driven away from their homes and their possessions that they should seek bounty
from God and beatitude and who aid (the cause of) God and His messenger. It is
they, they who are true to their word! And those who had settled in the
hometown, and (had abided) in faith before them, love those who have emigrated
to them (in search of refuge), and do not find any grudge in their hearts for
whatever the others may have been given, but rather give them preference over
themselves, even though poverty be their own lot: for such as from their own
covetousness are saved – it is they, they are the successful!” (59:8-9).
Well settled in Medina, the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) had had a
lot of discussions with different factions of the population and managed to draft
a document called
“The Medina Charter”. This Charter shows how the Prophet managed to take
leadership and create a lasting peace. The first clause, indicating the population
of Medina, was marked as “They are a single community (Ummah)”, which
means he succeeded in unifying many diverse groups, cultures and religions with
a wide tolerance for each other.
To conclude, I would say that the migration held by Prophet Muhammad
(God’s blessings upon him) and his followers from Mecca to Medina was a great
event, which proceeded to a great change in human civilization at large. From
there Islam expanded, with its message: a Godly origin and a humanly aim and
purpose.
Islam incites human beings to be free to think, free to express positive
opinions. It insists that there should be no compulsion in religion, and seeks
humanity to build fair civilizations, far from becoming slave to one’s whim,
whether it is the ego, sex or any unjust deed. People need to accept the
plurality of religions, cultures and opinions, as it was written in the “Medina
Charter”, and of course in the Quran.
In recognition of the impact and importance this migration had on
the Islamic History, seventeen years after that migration, Omar bin Al-Kattab, as
the Head of State in Medina, appointed that year as the beginning of the
Islamic Calendar!
