Sura 16, al-Nahl, Mecca

The Quranic text and Ali’s version

وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُواْ فِي اللّهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا ظُلِمُواْ ...

16: 41.  To those who leave their homes in the Cause of Allah, after suffering oppression --

C2067. There is no merit in suffering exile (Hijrah) in itself. To have any merit, it must be;

-        in the cause of Allah, and

-        after such an oppression as forces the sufferer to choose between Allah and man.

When these conditions are fulfilled, the exiles are entitled to the highest honour, as having made a great sacrifice in the cause of Allah.

Such were the early Muslim exiles to Abyssinia; such were the later exiles to Madinah before the Prophet himself left his home in Makkah and went to Madinah; and such were the exiles who went with the Prophet or followed him.

At all these stages, his approval or advice was always obtained, either specifically or generally.

... لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً... 

 We will assuredly give a goodly home in this world:

... وَلَأَجْرُ الآخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ لَوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٤١﴾ 

but truly the reward of the Hereafter will be greater, if they only realize (this)!