The Islamic Doctrine of Immigration
Accepting Freedom or Imposing Islam?

The first fundamental principle for the creation
of a successfully visible Islamic society
is to be separate and distinct…

The meaning of Al-Hijra is ‘to immigrate’, and the Islamic calendar starts with that date, i.e., the date Muhammad ‘immigrated’ from Mecca to Medina, for which he had planned carefully and meticulously laying down the groundwork for the Islamic State, soon to grow after his death into a formidable empire ruled by the laws and regulations laid out by him, called the Shariah. Today as we see staggering numbers of immigrants from Muslim countries in Europe and in the Americas, we have to ask the questions as in the title of this book, “Are these communities wanting to join the free societies? Or, are they extending the ‘Abode of Islam’ as per the ‘Doctrine of Immigration’ which was modeled by Muhammad in the initial Hijra?”

Free immigration by various groups to Western Europe and the Americas has long been a welcome part of national growth, as immigrants were searching primarily for opportunities for a better life and were quick to identify with their host nations and so to contribute their talents to the national good. So why does this book focus on the subject of ‘Islamic Immigration?’ Why should this be an issue at all? After all, aren’t the Muslim immigrants just like any other immigrants from China, the Indian subcontinent or Africa? After all, these other immigrants try to preserve their ethnic identity and even form lobby groups to fend for their rights and special requirements. The authors of this book argue that ‘Islamic Immigration’ (Al-Hijra, in Arabic) is tied organically and inseparably to a form of immigration which is an integral part of the Islamic call (da’wa) to establish an Islamic state or political power base and to spread Islam.

The authors provide the painstaking detail of how the Hijra was not a sudden desperate attempt by Muhammad and his followers to flee Mecca for a better life in Medina. In fact it was a methodically planned event whereby Muhammad used his shrewd political manoeuvring and leadership skills to transform every development into an advantage without losing his focus on the final goal. In the process he unified the pagan Arabs as Muslims and placed the Jewish and Christian Arabs in a subservient condition. Prior to becoming subservient they were masters in their own towns and oases. More importantly, Muhammad developed a ‘model’ to be emulated by generations to come — for 1400 years and still counting! This model is called the ‘Doctrine of Immigration,’ and it provides the mechanisms and processes to be followed by dedicated and pious Muslims to transform the world into the abode of Islam.

If this is the case, as demonstrated by one example after the other, then does the image of a ‘Trojan Horse’ apply? In Greek history, the Trojan horse was a fake ‘gift’ by the Trojans as they made the appearance of lifting their siege on Troy. But that allowed the toughest Trojan fighters to hide inside that horse, only to take on the fully drunk and sleepy enemy by surprise and inside the walls of their city. Is Islamic immigration then a deceptive effort to take over Western societies while they are unaware of what is going on? The authors point to the gradual attempts to spread Islamic influence in small steps, but with the aim of making Islamic Shariah laws fully functional.

Modern Islamic intellectuals and planners have been actively working on applying the Doctrine of Immigration to the Muslim societies in Europe, North America, and Latin America. The advocated mechanisms and tools are not mere ‘parallels’ of what Muhammad did in Medina some 1400 years ago, but actually are precise imitations and applications of what he did and developed, as you will see in this book.

Sam Solomon, a convert to Christianity and an expert on Islam, is a senior lecturer and research coordinator, a human rights activist and an advisor to British as well as European parliamentarians. Sam has authored a number of thought-provoking books and numerous articles on Christian Muslim relations.

E Al Maqdisi is a prolific writer and debater, an author of some 15 books, and a regular contributor to many Internet sites on this complex subject of Islam and its teachings.

©2009 Advancing Native Missions