The Command to emigrate

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: The Prophet was in Makkah, then he was commanded to emigrate, and Allah revealed the words:

وَقُل رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِى مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِجْنِى مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ وَاجْعَل لِّى مِن لَّدُنْكَ سُلْطَـناً نَّصِيرًا

It has been reported in al-Jami` of Tirmidhi from Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was in Makkah al-Mu` azzamah. Then, he was commanded to migrate to Madinah. Thereupon, this verse was revealed: وَقُل رَّ‌بِّ أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِ‌جْنِي مُخْرَ‌جَ صِدْقٍ (And say, "0 my Lord, make me enter a rightful entrance and make me exit a rightful exit - so). Here, the word: مُدخَل (mudkhal) and مُخرَج (mukhraj) meaning the place of entry and the place of exit are اِسمَ ظرف (ism-al-zarf: the noun of place and time). The addition of the attribute (na't) of صِدق :sidq (translated as rightful) releases the sense of such entry and exit being totally true to the will and pleasure of Allah and in the best of attending circumstances, because the word: صِدق to (sidq) is also used in the Arabic language for every such act as is correct and better both outwardly and inwardly. The words: قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ (Yunus 10:2), لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ (ash-Shu` ara 26:84) and مَقْعَدِ صِدْقٍ (al-Qamar 54:55) have been used in the Holy Qur'an in that very sense.

'Entrance' means 'Madinah' and the place of exit denotes 'Makkah.' The sense takes the form of a prayer: 0 Allah, may my entry into Madinah turn out to be good and smooth, without having to face anything unpleasant and unwelcome on arrival there. And may my exit from Makkah be good and smooth, without being entangled in love of country and home.' There are other exegetic statements too which explain this verse. But, this particular explanation has been reported from Hasan al-Basri (رح) and Qatadah. Ibn Kathir calls it 'the most sound statement.' Ibn Jarir too has gone by it. As for the order, it required that the 'exit' should have been mentioned first while the 'entrance,' later. But, the precedence of 'entrance' and the succession of 'exit' is there, perhaps, to indicate that the exit from Makkah had no purpose of its own, in fact, parting from the Baytullah was extremely shocking. But, there was a purpose - to look for peace, for Islam and Muslims - something that could be hoped for through the entry in Madinah. Therefore, the objective to be achieved was made to come first.