If you have frequented IMANShoppe, you might be familiar with one of IMAN’s prolific authors, Norhafsah Hamid. She’s written many bestselling books, like Will You Stay, Heaven Sent, Letters to God, and one newly-released book Time To Heal. Her books often encapsulate tales of forgiveness, seeking God’s blessings, grounding the self, and the challenges that creep into your life in between all that.
But one thing that is not often talked about is that Norhafsah, or more endearingly called Kak Hafsah by her fans and friends at IMAN, is that she’s been on an extensive, self-searching quest of hijrah herself. Before she became an author, Norhafsah enjoyed a successful career until she realised that something was missing from her core, and that has led her to find herself and revamped her life. She began covering up and focused her energy to strengthen her spiritual core. To say that her stories are inspiring is an understatement, because Norhafsah’s journey leads to her beautiful books that have benefited the lives of thousands of people. She lovingly recounts this story in IMAN+ In This Moment podcast, episode “When Allah Knocks On the Doors of Our Hearts.”
Norhafsah’s story reflects the lessons we get from the collective spiritual realisations that have permeated our cultural narratives over the past decade: you see more hijab-wearing icons on the mainstream media, people talking more publicly on how to integrate their spiritual wellbeing and the careers, and influencers and celebrities embracing their new ways of living that will grow them closer to Allah.
Today, there’s a social awakening that may not be as widespread, but acknowledged enough: with all of this external noise and worldly appeals in living, we’re all seeking a meaning within ourselves. Regardless of the kind of lifestyle you have or the external validation you seek, there’s a push to also seek that inner contentment. Even better, now that we have more icons making their hijrahs, there’s more positivity surrounding revamping our lives, donning the hijab, and embracing our spirituality––the kind of discourse that used to be more personal and discussed within a more private circle is now taking place in a more public arena.
Basically, the motivation to help us be a more spiritually conscious, kinder, and thoughtful person, is everywhere today. But what does that all mean to us? How should we know if we have to make hijrah now? What does that journey look like? But more importantly, what does hijrah mean to me?
In her exclusive online course produced by IMAN+, titled “Hijrah: Seeking Contentment By Turning Back To Him,” Norhafsah begins by asking the audience a question: when the call of return to Allah has knocked on the doors of our hearts, do we ignore it? Do we find excuses to avoid the call or do we blindly embrace it?
In Al-Quran, there are a few verses that outline the importance of hijrah. In Surah Al-Anfaal, Allah says:
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَهَاجَرُوا۟ وَجَـٰهَدُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَاوَوا۟ وَّنَصَرُوٓا۟ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَقًّۭا ۚ لَّهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌۭ وَرِزْقٌۭ كَرِيمٌۭ (٧٤).
“Those who believed, migrated, and struggled in the cause of Allah, and those who gave ˹them˺ shelter and help, they are the true believers. They will have forgiveness and an honourable provision.” (al-Anfal: 74)
The thing is, there’s an innate feeling that we want to get better, regardless of where in life we’re at. But, even if we know that we want to change, usually we don’t even know how or where to start, and whether we are on the right track or not. In this online course, Norhafsah insists that to be a Muslim is to follow the Qur’an and the teaching of Rasulullah saw, and don’t compare your hijrah story to anyone else’s.
“The first that comes to mind when we talk about hijrah is changing of appearance, that’s the physical aspect of hijrah. The other aspect of hijrah is we have to spiritually migrate. It has to be the hijrah of the heart first,” says Norhafsah.
The idea of the spiritual dimension of hijra is encapsulated in the hadith which states:
“The migrator is the one who avoids what God the Almighty has prohibited”
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
“A Muslim is someone who spares people the harm of his tongue and hand, and a migrator is someone who migrates from what God has forbidden”
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
In its essence, hijrah is moving away from a bad place to a good place, and pushing yourself to be in an even better place when you’re at a good place. In this case, hijrah is a life-long process that is inherent in being a human––to always become a better person. This growth mindset allows you to not only live a better life, but a life that is spiritually fulfilling, that allows you to be closer to your Creator.
But, what if in the journey of hijrah, there are times we feel helpless and give up? How do we pull ourselves back up and how do we continuously refresh or renew our iman?
Norhafsah says, “This is where your environment comes to play. We are fighting a battle. In a way, we are fighting this battle alone because no one will fight this battle for us but with Allah’s mercy we can. We must be strong and work towards being strong to
stay on the path. Immediately make du’a for Allah to help you and believe Allah will send you help.”
“It is our responsibility to try our best to make things better for us within our limitations.
Never be afraid to ask for help or to reach out for help from people who you feel that can help you. If you don’t have any people that you can reach out to, reach out to Him. He will send you people that can help you.”
Get Norhafsah Hamid’s Online Course “Hijrah: Seeking Contentment By Turning Back To Him” at IMANShoppe, and get special deals when you make the purchase with her books this Ramadan!
The article on the term “Hijrah” offers a thought-provoking exploration of a word often used but not fully understood. It delves into the nuanced meanings and historical context behind Hijrah, shedding light on its significance beyond its common interpretation. This piece encourages us to deepen our understanding of cultural and religious concepts.