Alhamdulilah! We have entered Muharram, the first month of Islamic calendar, our calendar is lunar based, and is called hijri calendar. Ever wondered why it is called hijri?
But before discussing it, would like to share something that subhanAllah listening to the spiritual stories of those returning from Hajj is profoundly moving (as the month before muharram is dhul hijjah). Their experiences stir the soul and carry us back to the memories of our own Umrah journey.
We have been blessed to perform Umrah once, may Allah As-Sami, Al-Aleem accept it from us, and may He grant us the honor of performing Hajj as well. Ameen.
Whenever people recount their Hajj experiences, I’m transported back to that sacred moment I stood before the Kaaba, weeping not just for myself, but for the liberation of the Kaaba, Masjid an-Nabawi ﷺ, and Masjid al-Aqsa. It was incredibly emotional to stand in front of the House of Allah and pray for the House of Allah to The Lord of the Kaaba.
The closer I got to the Kaaba, the more overwhelmed I became, thinking about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ circling it, saying.
“How pure you are, and how pure is your fragrance! How great you are, and how great is your sanctity! But by The One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the sanctity of the believer is greater to Allah than your sanctity, in his wealth, his life, and to assume nothing of him but good.”
SubhanAllah! this weighty hadith hits even harder today, as we witness so-called Muslim rulers robbing and exploiting believers in the name of nationalism, a concept Islam never endorsed. They trample the dignity of believers while outwardly claiming to defend Islam.
During our Umrah, we first visited Makkah, then traveled to Madinah by road. Despite a smooth ride in an air-conditioned taxi, it still took nearly three hours. Along the way, our hearts kept returning to the thought- How did our Prophet ﷺ and his closest companion Abu Bakr (ra) make this journey on foot, in the scorching heat, with minimal resources?
The Hijrah was no ordinary migration. It wasn’t done merely due to persecution, it was strategic. The Prophet ﷺ sought nusrah (support) from the tribes of Aws and Khazraj, the two tribes previously known for infighting. Yet, through Islam, they became the Ansar, the helpers of the Final Messenger ﷺ. It’s a powerful reminder that never belittle anyone. Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (r.a) was once a highway robber. The Aws and Khazraj were once seen as hopeless. Yet Allah Al-Azeem turned their hearts and made them the means of victory.
As we have approached the sacred month of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, we are reminded that the Hijri calendar itself is a legacy of the Hijrah. Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) famously said-
“The Hijrah has separated truth from falsehood. Let it be the Epoch of the Era.”
This Hijrah wasn’t a retreat, it was the foundation of a civilization built upon the Divine guidance. A system (deen) rooted in justice, mercy, and the practical implementation of Allah Al-Hakam’s commands on His Earth. Sadly, this divine system is absent today, not even present in the so-called Muslim lands.
And let’s be honest, the deeper crisis is internal. We are not even ready to make a mental hijrah from shackled thinking, defeatist attitudes, and hopelessness toward faith, clarity, and conviction in the promises of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. The glad tidings of Islam’s revival are clear yet many of us hesitate to believe, let alone work for its re-establishment in muslim lands.
May Allah Al-Fattah open paths for us, just as He opened the sea for Musa (a.s) on the 10th of Muharram.
May Allah Al-Wahhab grant us the courage of Hussain (ra), who stood firm against injustice.
May Allah Al-Hafeez protect us, as He protected His beloved Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr (ra) in the cave of Thawr.
And may Allah Al-Fattah unlock the gates of victory for this Ummah, as He always has for those who remained steadfast.
Ameen.