Addressing Displacement from an Islamic Perspective_Bayt, Hijrah, and amȃn.pptx

Displacement from Islamic Perspective

1. Addressing Displacement from an Islamic Perspective: Bayt, Hijrah , and am ȃ n Faisal Riza Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara (State Islamic University North Sumatra ) JCM Conference 2024, 5-12 February 2024, Organised by UEM Manila

2. Background The world is being filled with many displacement events caused by many things such as war, political development policies , the climate crisis, and others . Sudan, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Rohignya , for example. Displacement , then, affects many aspects of the quality of human life, affects both na­tional development plans and individual human development. It impacts national security and personal security. It affects relationships between neighboring countries, UN Security Council discussions, and peace processes. In short, understanding and resolving displacement are central to development, peace, and security. While these mobilities have been extensively analysed in terms of secular processes, the role of religion is becoming ever more evident and this paper seeks to contribute to this growing understanding by analyzing verses from Alqura n that talk about the concept of bayt , Hijrah , and am ȃ n . While the Convention, Protocol, and Guiding Principles provide a framework of protection for displaced people, Islam, as interpreted by various scholars, could also offer a potential framework and innovative solutions for displaced persons. For example, the right to asylum is thought by many to be recognised in Islam. The faith promotes humanitarian principles and views the granting of asylum as a duty of political leaders within the Muslim community . As we know how the concept contribute to the making of multiple homes across the metropolis , How this concept of home contribute to our understanding of displacement?

3. Albayt Alqur’an consists of 114 Surahs and 6236 verses. Alqur’an tells many aspects of human life, economic, social, politics, including about the home. The word home in the Alqur'an is mentioned in several terms such as Al- bayt ( البيت ), Al- maskan ( المسكن ), Al- ma'wa ( الماوا ), and Al- dar ( الدار ), Mustaqarrun and Manzilun ( منزل ).

4. Albayt means shelter, a place of rest. The term Albayt and words derived from it are mentioned in the Qur'an 51 times. وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنۢ بُيُوتِكُمۡ سَكَنٗا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّن جُلُودِ ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ بُيُوتٗا تَسۡتَخِفُّونَهَا يَوۡمَ ظَعۡنِكُمۡ وَيَوۡمَ إِقَامَتِكُمۡ وَمِنۡ أَصۡوَافِهَا وَأَوۡبَارِهَا وَأَشۡعَارِهَآ أَثَٰثٗا وَمَتَٰعًا إِلَىٰ  حِينٖ “And Allah has made for you from your homes a place of rest and made for you from the hides of the animals tents which you find light on your day of travel and your day of encampment; and from their wool, fur and hair is furnishing and enjoyment for a time”

5. Al- Maskan In the Qur'an, the definition of home is also called al- Maskan , which means a place to obtain peace. The house is expected to provide comfort for its residents, both psychologically and physically. Psychological comfort is related to aspects of belief, religion, customs and so on. Psychological comfort is more qualitative in nature, namely mental pleasure. The word al- maskan comes from the word sakana-yaskunu which means steady or calm, so the house is a place to settle in peace. The word al- Maskan in the al- Mu'jam al- Muhith dictionary means residence. The words sakana or sukkan can also be used for residents of a house or village, because they have settled and settled firmly in that place, without moving.

6. Al- Ma’wa The word al- Ma'wa means gathering. Ma'wa is a place where everything returns (gathers), both day and night. In its various forms, this word is mentioned 22 times in the Qur'an. The word al- ma'wa is used to refer to two places where humans return (gather) in the afterlife, namely heaven and hell. Heaven as ma'wa is mentioned 3 times and hell as ma'wa is mentioned 19 times. The term ma'wa in the Qur'an is only a noun and is not found in the form of a verb or command word.

7. QS. Al-Sajdah [32]:19-20 أَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَلَهُمْ جَنَّاتُ الْمَأْوَىٰ نُزُلًابِمَاكَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فَسَقُوا فَمَأْوَاهُمُ النَّارُ ۖ كُلَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا أُعِيدُوا فِيهَا وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ ذُوقُوا عَذَابَ النَّارِ الَّذِي كُنْتُمْ بِهِ تُكَذِّبُونَ  As for those who believed and did righteous deeds, for them will be the Gardens of Refuge as accommodation for what they used to do. But as for those who defiantly disobeyed, their refuge is the Fire. Every time they wish to emerge from it, they will be returned to it while it is said to them, "Taste the punishment of the Fire which you used to deny

8. Dar Dar means a house where one settles or resides because it is a center for looking after each other. Allah Said QS. Al-An‟am [6]: 127 لَهُمۡ  دَارُ ٱلسَّلَٰمِ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡۖ وَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُم بِمَا  كَانُواْ   يَعۡمَلُونَ For them will be the Home of Peace with their Lord. And He will be their protecting friend because of what they used to do . Manzilun Manzilun is a place to stop or stay.

9. Mustaqarrun Mustaqarrun comes from the word qara-ya'qidu . Qara means 'firmly stuck in place'. In the Qur'an it is mentioned 38 times. The meaning of mustaqarrun means a place of residence on earth. Allah Said QS . Al- Baqarah [2]: 36 . فَأَزَلَّهُمَا ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ عَنۡهَا فَأَخۡرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِۖ وَقُلۡنَا ٱهۡبِطُواْ بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوّٞۖ وَلَكُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ  مُسۡتَقَرّٞ  وَمَتَٰعٌ إِلَىٰ  حِين But Satan caused them to slip out of it and removed them from that [condition] in which they had been. And We said, “Go down, [all of you], as enemies to one another, and you will have upon the earth a place of settlement and provision for a time .

10. After tracing all the terms of house in the Qur'an, we can find the differences and similarities in each term. The following are the differences and similarities between the terms house in the Qur'an: 1. Bayt is a place where someone can spend the night, whether used for sleeping or not. bayt does not have to be an important building, it must have a small family living in it. bayt can be tents, houses, caves or even dormitories. 2. Maskan is a place where someone lives, like a temple. Anyone can live in it, because maskan is a settled place. Bait is definitely maskan , but maskan is not necessarily bait. 3. Dar means a house where you live or where you live which must have a building. Dar has a broader meaning, even the state can also be called dar .

11. 4. Ma'wa means place of return. Ma'wa is used to refer to two places where humans return (gather) in the afterlife, namely heaven and hell. 5. Mustaqqrun is a permanent place on earth, namely as a place to live and a place to seek sustenance until the appointed time. 6. Manzil is a place that used to stop by or stop by. This word means an area used to stop or stay.

12. Hijrah Islam requires believers to assist and protect vulnerable people and offers a number of mechanisms for their care and support. According to Islamic migration law ( hijrah ), individuals have the right both to seek and to be granted asylum in any Muslim state. Furthermore, it is the duty of Muslims to accept and protect refugees for as long as they seek protection. In comparison to modern refugee law, hijrah offers a broader definition of a refugee, and gives individuals, rather than states, the right to determine asylum. However, despite its significance in Islam, hijrah is rarely invoked by Muslim states today. The promotion of Islamic teachings on refugees could encourage Muslim states to widen their acceptance and protection of refugees.

13. In Islam, asylum is a right of anyone seeking protection. In his study of asylum in the ArabI slamic tradition, G.M. Arnaout argues that asylum ‘is an integral part of the islamic [sic] conception of human rights’. Islam embraces people of different races, nationalities and ethnicities. Islamic ideas of asylum and refugees reflect the inclusiveness of this religion. Its most important scripture, the Holy Qur’an , speaks explicitly about the issue of asylum-seekers and refugees وَاِنْ اَحَدٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَاَجِرْهُ حَتّٰى يَسْمَعَ كَلٰمَ اللّٰهِ ثُمَّ اَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهٗ ۗذٰلِكَ بِاَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَعْلَمُوْنَ And if anyone of the  Mushrikun   (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) seeks your protection then grant him protection, so that he may hear the Word of Allah (the Qur'an), and then escort him to where he can be secure, that is because they are men who know not.

14. The Holy Qur’an also has numerous references to justice, particularly the importance of creating a just society, and provides a framework for justice in inter-personal relationships, toward the poor and needy, and connections between communities and nations. It speaks specifically to issues of justice surrounding asylum and refugee protection. These concepts were integral to the creation of Islam. In 662 AD, the Prophet Muhammad Saw fled persecution in Mecca and sought refuge in Medina. This hijrah , or migration, came to symbolize the movement of Muslims from lands of oppression to those of Islam. Moreover, the hospitable treatment of Muhammad by the people of Medina embodies the Islamic model of refugee protection contained in the Qur’an.

15. Hijrah , (Arabic: “Migration” or “Emigration”) the Prophet  Muhammad’s migration (622  CE ) from Mecca to Yathrib (Medina) upon invitation in order to escape persecution. After arriving, Muhammad negotiated the Constitution of Medina with the local clans, thereby establishing the Muslim community as a sociopolitical entity for the first time . The term  hijrah  has also been applied to the emigrations of the faithful to Abyssinia (later known as Ethiopia) and of Muhammad’s followers to Medina before the capture of Mecca in 630. Muslims who later left lands under Christian rule were also called  muhājirūn  (“emigrants ”). The most- honoured   muhājirūn , considered among those known as the Companions of the Prophet, are those who emigrated with Muhammad to Medina. Another distinct body of Muslims came into being, the  anṣār  (“helpers”); they were the Medinese who aided Muhammad and the  muhājirūn . The  anṣār  were members of the two major Medinese tribes, the feuding al- Khazraj and al-Aws, whom Muhammad had been asked to reconcile when he was still a rising figure in Mecca.

16. The most- honoured   muhājirūn , considered among those known as the Companions of the Prophet, are those who emigrated with Muhammad to Medina. They are praised in the  Qurʾān  for their early conversion to Islam ( sābiqah ) and for the subsequent hardships they endured in Mecca, which forced them to migrate to Medina. The Qurʾān describes the  muhājirūn  as being of a higher status before God (9:20) and states , وَٱلَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا۟ فِى ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا ظُلِمُوا۟ لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ۖ وَلَأَجْرُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ “As for those who emigrated for the sake of God after having been persecuted, We will provide them with a fine abode in this life; yet better still is the reward of the life to come, if they but knew it” (16:41).

17. Islam obliges host societies to give asylum-seekers a generous reception, for which the hosts will be rewarded. Shariah affirms the practice of providing sanctuary to persecuted persons and the sacredness of places, such as the Kaaba in Mecca. Anyone who sought refuge in a mosque or in the home of a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was safe and secure . According to Shariah law, asylum is not confined to sacred sites, it is also granted in homes and designated communal places under the protection of Islam. Asylum should be provided without discriminating between free persons and those who are enslaved, between rich and poor, men and women, or Muslims and non-Muslims.

18. This responsibility is formalized in the fourth surah of the Holy Qur’an, which states that: “He who emigrates in the path of God will find frequent refuge and abundance” [4: 97-99]. ‘Migration’ may be necessary if one’s life or beliefs are threatened and the Qur’an requires that the faithful also follow any agreements and treaties that they have signed on the rights of refugees [5:1 ].

19. Amān The concept of Amān , which is intrinsic in Shariah , encompasses the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers and the duties incumbent upon their hosts . Amān also refers to the refuge and safeguard offered to non-Muslims, even if they are in conflict with Muslims, and requires that host populations facilitate the voluntary return of refugees to their places of origin when considered safe. Such refuge remains inviolate even if the person who is being offered protection is in a conflict with Muslims [9: 6]. Islamic scholars of jurisprudence believe that amān creates an irrevocable bond.

20. The Holy Qur’an provides a set of instructions in dealing with refugees and migrants, praising those who go to the assistance of people in distress and requiring the faithful to protect refugees [9: 100 and 117]. It entitles refugees and internally displaced persons to certain rights and to humane treatment [8: 72-75, 16: 41 ] It condemns people whose actions prompt mass migration, viewing them as lacking faith in God’s words [2: 84-86].

21. The Holy Qur’an also puts forth certain regulations to lend additional support to women and children, who are considered more vulnerable [4: 2, 9, 36, 75, 98, 127, 17: 34]. Under the principle of justice, which is the basis of all Islamic regulations [42: 15, 16: 90], those who are more at risk as a result of migration and asylum should be offered extra support. This is also true of non-Muslims or those who oppose the Muslim faith [5: 8]. Required alms, such as khums (one fifth of income or of the spoils of war that Muslims are required to hand out as charity) and zakat (a portion of property that the faithful are required to give away for charitable causes), as well as optional alms, constitute a fund that can be used to meet the basic needs of refugees.

22. The Qur’an implies that worldly consequences will befall those who do not give humanitarian assistance to those in need, those who do provide protection and assistance will achieve a ‘special legal status’ in Islamic law. Therefore, I argue that ‘Muslim states and non-state actors have an obligation to guarantee the safety, security and unfettered access of those offering protection and assistance’. It is clear, therefore, that Islamic law encourages a humanitarian approach to refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced persons.

23. Conclusion Islamic rules and regulations constitute a valuable source for protection of the rights of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. In addition to contractual responsibilities, they could serve as a faith-based guarantor of the rights of refugees, particularly women and children. Further exploration of respected Islamic sources could result in new mechanisms in this regard.

24. Adagium من لا يملك أرضا لا يملك تاريخا، ومن لا يملك تاريخا لا يملك حضارة He who does not own land does not have history, and he who does not have history does not have civilization

25. Faisal Riza is a lecturer of Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara-Medan (State Islamic University). He obtained PhD in Islamic Studies, Faculty of Ushuluddin and Islamic Studies, UIN Sumatera Utara-Medan, Indonesia. Interesting in Religion, Politics, and Urban Studies. Publications Riza , Faisal. "Echoing Syari'ah in City Spaces: The Framing Process and Political Mobilization of the Islamic Movement in North Sumatra."  Ulumuna  27, no. 1 (2023): 65-88 . Riza , Faisal, Hasyimsyah Nasution , and Katimin Katimin . "Spatial Conflict, Local Politics, And The Presence Of Islamic Social Movements; GNPF Ulama in Medan."  Jurnal Sosiologi Agama  16, no. 1: 103-122 . Riza , Faisal. "Islam And Climate Change."   Academic Journal of Asia Region : 56 . Riza , Faisal. "Islam and Nationalism: The Role of the Universitas Al Washliyah in the Era of Post Independent 1950s."  Journal of Contemporary Islam and Muslim Societies  5, no. 1 (2021): 1-36.