KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 ― Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad today clarified that Prophet Muhammad had left Mecca for Madinah following Allah’s command and request, and not because he was running away.

"In the Fiqh Al-Sirah book written by Syeikh Dr Muhammad Said Ramadhan Al-Buti which defines hijrah (migration), the scholar said by moving to Madinah, the Prophet was not simply running away but was obeying Allah’s command.

"In religion, hijrah carries a different meaning for such a term,” he said during the oral question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.

He was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh (Bersatu-Sabak Bernam) on whether Mohamad Sabu (PH-Kota Raja)’s statement during the debate session in Parliament yesterday, that Prophet Muhammad had once become a ‘refugee’, could be classified as an insult.

Before answering the question, Zulkifli apologised for not being in the Dewan Rakyat while the Amanah president was debating on the motion of thanks for the royal address.― Bernama