Throughout time, we have witnessed that Prophets of God, after giving the message of God to their people, are faced with opposition and cruelties from those who want to stop their mission. God then opens up new ways for them to continue their mission, and migration becomes a part of a divine plan for these elects of God. For example, the migration of Moses (as) from the cruelty of Pharoah, the migration of Jesus (as) from the barbarism of the Jewish Clerics, and the migration of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) from the savagery of the Meccans.

God Almighty states in the Holy Qur’an,

“And whoso emigrates from his country in the cause of Allah will find an abundant place of refuge and plentifulness in the earth. And whoso goes forth from his home, emigrating in the cause of Allah and His Messenger, and death overtakes him, his reward lies on Allah, and Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful” (1).

Many people today migrate for various reasons, whether economic, personal, or social. But when we look at the history of Islam, there have been migrations for religious reasons.

In the early days of Islam, when the Holy Prophet (sa) preached the message of God to his people, the number of converts grew. Persecution soon followed, and the Holy Prophet (sa) sought to provide a way out for those suffering by telling them to migrate to a neighboring nation, Abyssinia, where the King would give them refuge and allow them freedom of religion.

The next migration, which is a major event in Islamic history, was when the Holy Prophet (sa) and the Muslims migrated to Madinah because of the dire circumstances emerging in Makkah for the Muslims, especially the Holy Prophet (sa). It was a difficult time when practicing their faith was quite impossible, so to keep their faith intact, they left their homes, their property, and their own people for the sake of Allah.

When they arrived in Madinah, the Holy Prophet (sa) established a bond of brotherhood amongst the migrants, the ‘Muhajirin’, and the helpers, the ‘Ansar.’ These Ansar Muslims sacrificed their property, wealth, and resources to help these new brothers in faith. This bond of brotherhood helped solve the immigration crisis of that time by providing the migrants with housing and food. This also helped the migrant Muslims get on their feet and integrate into their new society.

Migration has great significance in Islam when it is done with the right intentions and the reward is given accordingly. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) has stated, ‘Deeds are judged by the intentions, and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So, whoever emigrated for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, then his emigration will be considered to be for Allah and His Messenger, and whoever emigrated for the sake of worldly gain or for a woman to marry, then his emigration will be considered to be for what he emigrated for” (2).

Migration is recounted within the community of the Promised Messiah, His Holiness Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), through his second successor, His Holiness Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad (ra). The first migration of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community took place during his period of Khilāfat (period of service as Caliph). It was the time of the partition of India and Pakistan, where many extremist Hindu and Sikh communities were eradicating Muslim communities; after assessing the safety and security of the community and the level of religious freedom, the community shifted its headquarters from India to Pakistan, where it rebuilt a new town in the barren land of Rabwah in 1948.

Again, we see that this condition worsened considerably in the community’s new city during the Khilafat of His Holiness Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rh), the fourth successor of the Promised Messiah (as). Its very faith was being challenged, and every possible obstacle was being put in place by the government and religious fanatics so that Ahmadi Muslims could not practice their religion freely. The second migration of the community took place in 1984 when His Holiness Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rh) was forced to leave Pakistan to settle the new headquarters in London, UK.

Time and again, we witness history repeating itself within these divine communities where they are forced to leave their homeland because of life-threatening opposition to their faith. But when they migrate, a select few remain to safeguard and oversee the situation of their past homes. These individuals, whose faith is strong and impenetrable, stay behind for the sake of Allah and their divine community.

Though migration is not forbidden or restricted for those who make the journey for lawful reasons, they would be well served to keep in mind the advice of His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba), the spiritual head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community:

“In this regard, no immigrant should enter another nation with a sense of entitlement; rather, they should ponder over what they can offer the local society. I have often said that immigrants should consider themselves indebted to the nation that has accepted them. They owe gratitude to both the government and the public, and the way to repay this favor is that they should not waste time seeking only benefits and allowances from the state; rather, they should seek to contribute to society as soon as possible. They should work hard and strive to enter employment, even if the only job they can get is basic labor work. While this will enable them to maintain their personal honor and dignity, it will also relieve the burden on the state and remove the local people’s frustrations.

Certainly, every Muslim should remember that the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) said that the giving hand is far better than the one that takes. On many occasions, people sought to help their companions, but they refused to accept and preferred to earn a living for themselves. As I said, even if refugees are forced to do menial or basic jobs, which they consider themselves over-qualified for, it is better than remaining idle and expecting the state to cover all their needs. Otherwise, immigrants who fail to contribute to society will increase restlessness amongst the wider population” (3).

References

1. The Holy Quran (4:101)
2. Bukhari Hadith 54
3. Ahmad, Mirza Masroor (9/8/2018), Second Day Address, 43rd Jalsa Salana Germany (Transcribed from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6WTsCehKaY [Accessed April 10, 2024]