29:63 Al-Ankaboot (The Spider)

هذا استدلال على المشركين المكذبين بتوحيد الإلهية والعبادة، وإلزام لهم بما أثبتوه من توحيد الربوبية، فأنت لو سألتهم من خلق السماوات والأرض، ومن نزل من السماء ماء فأحيا به الأرض بعد موتها، ومن بيده تدبير جميع الأشياء؟ { لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ } وحده، ولَاعْتَرَفُوا بعجز الأوثان ومن عبدوه مع اللّه على شيء من ذلك.فاعجب لإفكهم وكذبهم، وعدولهم إلى من أقروا بعجزه، وأنه لا يستحق أن يدبر شيئا، وسَجِّلْ عليهم بعدم العقل، وأنهم السفهاء، ضعفاء الأحلام، فهل تجد أضعف عقلا، وأقل بصيرة، ممن أتى إلى حجر، أو قبر ونحوه، وهو يدري أنه لا ينفع ولا يضر، ولا يخلق ولا يرزق، ثم صرف له خالص الإخلاص، وصافي العبودية، وأشركه مع الرب، الخالق الرازق، النافع الضار. وقل: الحمد لله الذي بين الهدى من الضلال، وأوضح بطلان ما عليه المشركون، ليحذره الموفقون.وقل: الحمد لله، الذي خلق العالم العلوي والسفلي، وقام بتدبيرهم ورزقهم، وبسط الرزق على من يشاء، وضيقه على من يشاء، حكمة منه، ولعلمه بما يصلح عباده وما ينبغي لهم.

يقول تعالى مقررا أنه لا إله إلا هو لأن المشركين الذين يعبدون معه غير معترفون بأنه المستقل بخلق السموات والأرض والشمس والقمر وتسخير الليل والنهار وأنه الخالق الرازق لعباده ومقدر آجالهم واختلافها واختلاف أرزاقهم. فتفاوت بينهم فمنهم الغني والفقير وهوالعليم بما يصلح كلا منهم ومن يستحق الغنى ممن يستحق الفقر فذكر أنه المستقل بخلق الأشياء المنفرد بتدبيرها فإذا كان الأمر كذلك فلم يعبد غيره؟ ولم يتوكل على غيره؟ فكما أنه الواحد في ملكه فليكن الواحد في عبادته وكثيرا ما يقرر تعالى مقام الإلهية بالاعتراف بتوحيد الربوبية وقد كان المشركون يعترفون بذلك كما كانوا يقولون في تلبيتهم لبيك لا شريك لك إلا شريكا هو لك تملكه وما ملك.

Evidences of Tawhid

Allah states that there is no God but He. The idolators who worshipped others besides Him recognized that He was the sole creator of the heavens and earth, the sun and the moon, alternating the night and day. They acknowledged that He was the Creator Who provided for His servants and decreed how long they should live. He made them and their provision different, so that some were rich and some were poor, and He knew best what was suitable for each of them, who deserved to be rich and who deserved to be poor. So, Allah stated that He has alone created everything, and that He alone is controlling them -- if this is how it is, then why worship anyone else Why put one's trust in anyone else Since dominion is His Alone, then let worship be for Him Alone. Allah often establishes His divinity by referring to their acknowledgement of His Unique Lordship, because the idolators used to acknowledge His Lordship, as they said in their Talbiyah (during Hajj and `Umrah: "At Your service, You have no partner, except the partner that You have, and You possess him and whatever he has."

And if wa-la-in the lām is for oaths you were to ask them ‘Who sends down water from the heaven and therewith revives the earth after its death?’ They would assuredly say ‘God’ so how can they ascribe partners to Him?! Say to them ‘Praise be to God!’ that the proof has been established against you. Nay but most of them do not realise their contradictiousness in this respect.

After stating the real source of sustenance for all, that is the bounty of Allah Ta’ ala, it is said that if you ask the infidels as to who has created the earth and the skies, or who controls the movement of the sun and the moon, or who brings in the rain, and who makes the vegetation grow; then even they will admit that it is all controlled and done by One entity, that is Allah Ta’ ala. In the next sentence it is advised to ask them as to why do they then worship any other than Allah and regard it as their mentor. From the next verse وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْ‌ضَ (And if you ask them as to who has created the heavens and the earth - 29:61) until the end of the ruku` this subject continues.

In short, the second impediment in the way of hijrah is one's worry for sustenance, but that too is based on wrong assumptions. Provision of sustenance is not in the hands of its resources, but it is a direct gift of Allah Ta’ ala. It was He who had provided the sustenance in the first place, and it is He who would provide it at the second place. Therefore, this second assumed apprehension should also not come in the way of 11-hijrah.

When does Hijrah become obligatory?

The meaning and definition of Hijrah and its blessings and auspiciousness has been detailed in Surah An-Nisa' under verses 97 to 100. The changes in religious laws in respect of Hijrah were described under verse 98 in Ma'ariful Qur'an on pages No. 552 V.2 to 558. One aspect of the subject was omitted there, which is being discussed below.

When the Holy Prophet ﷺ migrated from Makkah under instructions from Allah Ta’ ala, and in turn instructed all the Muslims to do the same, provided they had the means, at that time, it was obligatory for all Muslims to migrate. No man or woman was exempt from this rule. The only exemption was given to those who did not have the means to migrate.

At that time migration was not just compulsory but was also regarded as a sign of being Muslim. One who did not migrate, despite having the means for it, was not considered a Muslim, and was treated like an infidel. This point has been elaborated in Surah An-Nisa' verse 89 حَتَّىٰ يُهَاجِرُ‌وا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ (unless they migrate in the way of Allah - 4:89). In those days the position of hijrah was like professing the kalimah لا إله إلا الله). As one is accepted in Islam only after recitation of this kalimah (that is after testifying that he had accepted Islam as his faith), the same way it was regarded necessary to migrate to be a Muslim if one had the means. Similarly, as those were exempt from recitation of the kalimah who could not speak, those were also exempt from migration who did not have the means for it. This is also mentioned in verse 98 of Surah An-Nisa'إِلَّا الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ إِلَّا الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ (Except the oppressed - 4:98). As for those who stayed on in Makkah, despite having the means to migrate, they were warned very strongly of jahannam in verse 97 of Surah An-Nisa' إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أَنفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا فِيمَ كُنتُمْ قَالُوا كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ قَالُوا أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْ‌ضُ اللَّـهِ وَاسِعَةً فَتُهَاجِرُ‌وا فِيهَا فَأُولَـٰئِكَ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ (Those whom the angels take while they had wronged themselves, (to them) the angels said, "What were you (involved) in?" They said, "We were oppressed in the earth." They said, "Was not the earth of Allah wide enough that you might have sought refuge in it?" As for such, their shelter is Jahannam. And it is an evil place to return. - 4:97).

After the victory of Makkah, the obligatory command for hijrah was withdrawn, because Makkah itself turned into a house of Islam. The Holy Prophet ﷺ issued the following order: لَا ھَجرَۃَ بَعدَ الفَتحِ that is, after the victory of Makkah there is no need to migrate from there. The Divine command to migrate from Makkah and later its withdrawal is established from categorical statements of the Qur'an and Sunnah. The religious jurists have deduced the following rulings from this incident:

Ruling

If someone is not free to hold on to Islam in a city or in a country, and is constrained to act against its teachings or follow the infidel rites, then it becomes obligatory on him to migrate to a place or country where he can follow and practice rites and teachings of Islam, provided he has the means to do so. However, if one does not have the means to travel or there is no place available to him where he could practice the religious obligations, then he is 'excused' in the religious term.

Ruling

If there is freedom of action to follow one's religion in a non-Muslim country, migration from there is still preferable, though not compulsory or obligatory. For undertaking migration it is not necessary that the country is of non-Muslims, rather it becomes obligatory from a country where the commandments of Allah are flouted openly, no matter even if it is called Islamic on the basis of its Muslim rulers.

Hafiz Ibn ajar in Fath al-Bari has adopted this ruling, and it is not in conflict with the principles of Hanafiyyah. A narration quoted in Musnad of Ahmad on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Yahya Maula-Az Zubair Ibn Al--` Awwam also endorses this view. The hadith narrates that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:

اَلبِلَاد بِلَادُ اللہِ وَالعِبَادُ عِبَادُ اللہِ حَیثُمَا اَصَبتَ خَیراً فَاَقِم۔

` All cities belong to Allah, and all the people are His servants. Therefore, wherever you find goodness you live there'.

Ibn Jarir has reported with his own chain of narrators that Sayyidna Said Ibn Jubair (رح) had said ` leave that city where sins and obscenity are common'. And the Imam of Tafsir, ` Ata' ؓ had said that ` run away from the city where you are forced to commit sins'.