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Migration to Abyssinia

When the sufferings and tribulations of the Muslims at the hands of the Meccans
reached to its extreme in 615 A.D., Muhammad directed that those of them who could
afford it should migrate to Abyssinia across the Red Sea, whose kings were known as
the Negus (Najashi). As-Hama, the then Negus was a Christian king. Under the
direction of Muhammad, eleven men and four women from among the Muslims
migrated to Abyssinia. When the Meccans came to know of their migration, they were
much upset and sent some men after them in pursuit, but the Muslims had a long start
and could not be overtaken. This infuriated the malicious ones among the Meccans.
They formed a deputation under Abdullah bin Rabi and Amr bin A'as, who went to
Abyssinia with handsome presents to persuade the king to deliver the emigrants into
their hands. In due course, this deputation stood in the presence of the king and
listened to their representation. Then he sent for the refugees and asked them what
they had to say.
Jafar, nick-named Taiyar (the flying), the son of Abu Talib and brother of Ali, acting
as spokesman for the Muslims, stood forth and made reply, "O'king, we belong to a
people steeped in ignorance. Our fathers and grandfathers worshipped idols. They ate
carrion and other things unclean. They gambled and fornicated and indulged in other
sins. They knew no pity, nor compassion nor human sympathy. They oppressed and
persecuted the weak and the helpless. They robbed and killed without compunction.
For centuries our people lived thus and then God in His mercy sent us the light. From
among these cruel and headstrong people, He deputed a man to be His prophet and
His messenger. This man was already known to his people as the trusted one and
everyone bore testimony to the purity of his conduct, the goodness of his ways and the
nobility of his birth. This man spoke to us of One God and appealed to us to worship
no one but Him. We listened to his appeal and accepted it. We vowed that we would
renounce all false deities and idols and worship the One True God. He taught us to be
honest, kind, compassionate and just, and we obeyed his teachings. This so angered
our countrymen that they persecuted and tortured us in many fearful ways. These
people demanded that we should renounce our new faith and once again revert to
idolatry. We refused to give up our new faith and our enemies refused to give up their
persecutions. When their brutalities exceeded all limits and our lives were in peril,
reluctantly, we bade farewell to our mother land, and decided to emigrate."
The king was greatly impressed, and returned the gifts brought by the leaders of
Mecca, and said, "I will not hand over to you these innocent men and women who

have come to me for shelter." Nevertheless, the disappointed Meccans hit upon
another plan. Next day, they tried to incite the king, by telling him that the heretics did
not believe in the divinity of Jesus. But in this too their hopes were frustrated. The
Muslims confessed on the basis of Koranic verse that they did not look upon Jesus as
God but as a prophet of God. The king picked up a straw and pointing to it said,
"Jesus is in fact not even this much more than the Muslims have described him to be."
Empty-handed and humbled the deputation from Mecca returned home and the
leaders of Qoraish gnashed their teeth in anger.
Gradually, the number of emigrants increased in Abyssinia. Only a few days had
passed in peace, when a rumour reached them that the Meccans had finally embraced
Islam. On hearing this, most of the Muslims decided to return to Mecca. When they
reached the city, they came to know that the report was false. The Meccans began to
persecute even more severely those persons who had returned from Abyssinia. In spite
of this, however, about a hundred Muslims managed to leave Mecca and settled in
Abyssinia. The Meccans however did their utmost to check the tide of emigration, but
all in vain.
The Abyssinian emigration gave the Meccans a conclusive proof that the Muslims
were ready to run all risks, and undergo every form of hardship in the cause of Islam.
They would shrink from no danger in the path of God. The Meccans did their utmost
to check this tide of emigration, but all in vain. It was not until seven years after
Muhammad's flight from Mecca that they rejoined their Muslim brethren at Medina.

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