Islam and immigration are no strangers to one another

Ilivein the UK. I am an immigrant. My father also was an immigrant and my mother's parents were immigrants as well. Immigration is very much part of my personal story. I would like to share with you how we find migration and immigration at the very roots of Islam.

As you would know, Muhammad, peace be upon Him, God's messenger, began His preaching in Makkah, which is Saudi Arabia. His community and his society were idol worshippers. The idea of worshiping just one God seemed very strange and totally unacceptable to his people. As a result, they felt that this person should not be allowed to live with them; otherwise he will begin to move people from the worship of idols to the worship of the one true God. However, with every passing day, Muhammad was able to convince a growing number of people that there is only one being that is worthy of worship and that is God and all these idols are man made objects that cannot be God. As a result of a growing number of his community the Makkan people decided that enough was enough and Muhammad had to be stopped from what he was preaching. So they tried to limit and stop his activities. They carried out a social boycott of Muhammad and his family and followers; intimidation, discrimination and even physical attacks on his community.

When the pressure became unbearable, Muhammad decided that he would send a selected core group of an immigrant, a refugee; left Makkah and went to Madinah. This is what we the Hijrah. It is a very significant event in the history of Islam. So significant that we mark our year and our calendar from this event! Not from the birth of Muhammad, as Christians do with Jesus, but from this migration from Makkah to Madinah. It was the turning point in the history of Islam, because from that day onwards Islam simply grew in strength.

Islam and immigration are no strangers to one another. It goes to the very heart of Muslim presence in the world today.

Muslims to a distant country where they would become immigrants and (in modern term) asylum seekers. He was aware of a Christian country, Abyssinia, modern day Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. There was a very kind and just Christian king, who was always helpful to the persecuted people, people who needed refuge and safety. In that knowledge, the first group of Muslims left Arabia and migrated to Abyssinia. This was one of the turning points in the history of Islam when a small number of Muslims was now safe from persecution and from certain death. However, not everyone was able to go. Once this delegation arrived to Abyssinia, they were warmly received, welcomed and were given a home.

I find a wonderful connection here in the story of migration of the first Muslim immigrants and that of Christians in a Christian country of being hosts to these immigrants. And that clearly demonstrates to me that every single religion believes and teaches the offering of refuge and safety to the oppressed and the troubled people. I can say with every confidence that every single religion in this world believes that people who are oppressed must be cared for, must be supported.

This Christian king demonstrated the beautiful teachings of Jesus, peace be upon him, of caring for the homeless, caring for the poor and the oppressed and loving your neighbours.

Subsequently, those who were left behind began to suffer more, until the time came when Muhammad himself, peace be upon him, had to flee from Makkah. He became

Over a very short period of time (within 10 years)

Muhammad was able to return to Makkah and liberate it. But His story about becoming an immigrant and reaching what was then known as Yathrib, today known as Madinah, was an incredible experience. In Yathrib He was welcomed with open arms by the people who were living there. They were willing to be hospitable and give him refuge and sanctity. In fact, there is a beautiful song that the little children sang to welcome him into Madinah. When they saw him come over the horizon, the children ran out and sang this beautiful song.

Islam and immigration are no strangers to one another. It goes to the very heart of Muslim presence in the world today. Not only that. Even as early as the last century,