The Prophet (peace be upon him) often used definitive statements to describe the characteristics Muslims must always observe. These often sounded unusual, because they did not seek to provide a comprehensive definition, but rather an essential characteristic, the absence of which deprives a person of a greater and more important quality. A very clear example is the Hadith that says: “A Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand all Muslims are safe. A migrant is one who abandons what God has forbidden.” (Related by Al-Bukhari).
The first sentence of this Hadith speaks about relations within Muslim society. A Muslim must never be abusive of his fellow Muslims, neither verbally nor physically. A person who is habitually guilty of such abuse may take himself outside the fold of Islam altogether. Thus, insults, curses and mouthfuls are not part of the usual vocabulary a Muslim uses. The Hadith does not say that an abusive person is an unbeliever, but he is not a proper Muslim, because a Muslim must always be good mannered. Indeed, good and kindly treatment of all people, Muslims and non-Muslims, is required by Islam, but it is more so in the case of Muslims. Hence the Hadith highlights this by mentioning them as the ones who must be safe from such abuse.
We note also that verbal abuse is mentioned first. This is due to the fact that it is more common and could be more hurtful. It can also be leveled at people who are present or absent, close or distant, living or dead, and at individuals or communities. Scholars have pointed out that the Hadith is a clear prohibition of all that may hurt others, even though it might not be done by word or hand. The tongue and hand are mentioned only because they are the most frequent means of such hurting.
The second sentence in the Hadith defines a migrant. We need to put this into perspective. The first 13 years of Islam witnessed great pressures on the fledgling Muslim community in Makkah. Such pressures included the infliction of torture on many and the murder of some of the weaker elements of the community by the unbelievers. This led to the migration of all Muslims in Makkah to Yathrib, which was later called Madinah, to form a solid Muslim community and be better able to defend the Prophet and the message of Islam. These Muslims from Makkah earned the name “Al-Muhajirun”, or the migrants, while the ones from Madinah were called “Al-Ansar”, or the supporters. Both groups formed a model Islamic society and are praised in the Qur’an as the ones that were ready to sacrifice their all for their faith. Therefore, when the Prophet describes a person as a migrant, he is saying that such a person earns the best reward from God.
In the Hadith the Prophet gives a new meaning to the word “migrant”, defining such a person as “one who abandons what God has forbidden.” Like a migrant who abandons his home and people, the one who steers away from what is forbidden makes a noble sacrifice. They both share the quality of putting the earning of God’s pleasure as their top priority. They are willing to do what they can in order to lead a truly Islamic life, in which they provide a model for others to follow. They want to implement the teachings of Islam within their own personal life and within their community. They are dedicated to the cause of Islam and they consider its progress to be their life’s mission. Hence, they earn God’s pleasure which is the highest prize in both this life and the life to come.