The Prophetic Migration and Weighing the Condition of the Nation—Then and Now
The Idols of This Age and the Threat of Intellectual Colonization
In this noble and sacred month of al-Muharram, two significant events are commemorated. One of them stands among the greatest events in human history, holding a place of unmatched eminence. The other, though rooted in grief, bears the deepest of sorrows and the most profound pain.
The Hijrah (Migration) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, which has come to mark the beginning of the Islamic lunar calendar, is not merely a historical event in the biography of the Prophet ﷺ. It is a pivotal moment filled with enduring meanings that remain relevant across all ages.
Anyone who wishes to compare the state of people today with those to whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent will find a precise description of their condition in the words of Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib, when he migrated to Abyssinia and was pursued by a delegation from Quraysh seeking to reclaim him and his fellow migrants. When addressing the Negus (the king of Abyssinia), Jaʿfar said:
“O King, we were a people steeped in ignorance. We worshipped idols, consumed carrion, committed immoral acts, severed family ties, mistreated our neighbors, and the strong among us oppressed the weak. Then Allah, the Exalted, sent us a Messenger from among ourselves, whose lineage, truthfulness, trustworthiness, and chastity we knew well. He called us to worship Allah alone and to renounce the stones and idols our forefathers had worshipped besides Him. He commanded us to speak the truth, fulfill trusts, maintain family ties, avoid forbidden acts, refrain from consuming the property of orphans, and to honor our neighbors.”
This was the state of that people before Allah sent to them the Seal of the Prophets ﷺ. The Prophet came as a reminder, a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings.
Now, if we reflect upon these attributes and compare them to our present reality, we find many parallels. Today, there are those who worship idols—not just idols of stone or wood, but anything that seizes control of the human mind. Philosophers of our time have rightly termed these as the idols of the modern age.
Anything that dominates a person’s intellect to the point of excess, drawing them away from rational independence, and pushing them into a state of subjugation—is, in essence, an idol.
Consider the mobile phone that one of us holds, becoming absorbed in it to the extent of neglecting responsibilities and duties. People have come to rely more on such devices—televisions, and others—than on their own reasoning. These are the idols of our era.
Anything that robs a human of his or her intellect is an idol. An idol, by definition, is a lifeless thing that is crafted by man and then revered above reason and thought. Reflect on how the pre-Islamic Arabs worshipped idols despite their eloquence, their mastery of language, and their renowned bravery. Were it not for this eloquence, the Qur’an would not have been revealed in such a powerful, articulate manner. Their ignorance did not lie in lack of intelligence, but rather in the barbarity of their moral state—closer to savagery than to human civilization: worshiping idols, eating carrion, the strong devouring the weak, and mistreating neighbors.
Let us reflect: in many ways, our current state resembles theirs. We have neglected our intellects, suspended their proper use, and submitted to various forms of servitude and control.
Let no one assume that when a colonial power physically withdraws from a land, that the land has necessarily been liberated from domination.
How can one claim the occupier has departed,
if the mind remains in captivity? [poetry]
The occupation of the mind is far more dangerous than the occupation of land.
When an invader enters a land, he destroys buildings, burns crops, and ravages the soil. But when intellectual or cultural colonization infiltrates a people’s minds, it devastates generations, severs lineages, erases history, and shatters civilizations.
This is a far greater threat than the occupation of land. The colonization of minds and the exportation of value systems alien to our moral and ethical foundations is a calamity greater than foreign troops in our homes, cities, or farmlands. If a traditional occupier seeks to starve our children by seizing their food, then a cultural colonizer seeks to destroy thousands of generations to come—by hijacking their thought.
One kills the body. The other kills entire nations.
We ask Allah, the Most High, to make us among those who recognize the true worth of their Prophet ﷺ, who grasp the reality of his mission, and who move from the darkness of ignorance and blind following to the light of truth and guidance—those who surrender to the obedience of Allah, rather than to obedience of any other.
We ask Allah to make us among those who listen to good counsel and follow the best of it.
O servants of Allah,
Indeed, Allah commands justice, and good conduct, and giving to relatives; and forbids immorality, bad conduct, and oppression. He admonishes you that you may be reminded. (Surah An-Nahl 16:90)
O Allah, make us among those whom You remind—and they remember; whom You rebuke—and they desist; whom You call—and they listen; whom You show the way—and they see.
I say these words of mine and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you.
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