When the suffering of the Muslims had reached its limit and the Quraish continued to aggravate the affliction of the Muslims, the Holy Prophetsa instructed Muslims to migrate to Abyssinia, and said, “The king of Abyssinia is just and equitable. None are subjected to oppression under his rule.”1 The country of ‘Ḥabashah’, which is known as Ethiopia or Abyssinia in the English language, is situated to the north-east in the continent of Africa. It is exactly opposite to southern-Arabia and with the exception of the Red Sea, no country intercedes it. During that era a strong Christian sovereignty was established in Abyssinia and the king was referred to as the Negus. As a matter of fact, the ruler there is still called upon by the same name. Arabia had business relations with Abyssinia,2 and in the era that we are currently mentioning, the capital of Abyssinia was Axsun, which is located near the present-day city of Adowa, and until now is considered a sacred city. In those days, Axsum was the centre of a very powerful sovereignty.3 During that time, the personal name of the Negus was Aṣḥamah,4 who was a just, intelligent and powerful king. In any case, when the pains of the Muslims reached their limits, the Holy Prophetsa instructed that those who could afford should migrate to Abyssinia. Therefore, upon the instruction of the Holy Prophetsa, in the month of Rajab 5 Nabawī,5 eleven men and four women migrated to Abyssinia. The well-known names among them were as follows: Ḥaḍrat ‘Uthmān bin ‘Affānra and his wife Ruqayyahra the daughter of the Holy Prophetsa, ‘Abdur-Raḥmān bin ‘Aufra, Zubair bin Al-‘Awwāmra, Abū Ḥudhaifah bin ‘Utbahra, ‘Uthmān bin Maẓ‘ūnra, Muṣ‘ab bin ‘Umairra, Abū Salamah bin ‘Abdul-Asadra and his wife Ummi Salamahra.6 It is very strange that a majority of these pioneer immigrants were those who belonged to powerful tribes of the Quraish, and the weaker were few and far between. This illustrates two things: firstly, even those who belonged to the powerful tribes of the Quriash were not safe from the cruelties of the Quraish. Secondly, weak people such as slaves, etc., at that time were in such a grave state of weakness and misery that they were not even able to migrate.
Travelling south, when the immigrants reached Sha‘ībah, which was a sea-port in Arabia at that time, by the Grace of Allāh they found a trade ship which was just ready to leave for Abyssinia and thus, all of them boarded in security. When the Quraish were informed of this, they were deeply enraged that this ‘prey’ has slipped our hands. Hence, they pursued these immigrants, but when their man reached the coast, the ship had already departed, and for this reason they returned dissapointed.7 Upon reaching Abyssinia the Muslims found a life of great peace and protection from the cruelties of the Quraish after much difficulty and prayers.
1 * As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Malik bin Hishām, p. 237, Bābu Dhikril-Hijratil-Ūlā ilal-Arḍil-Ḥabashah, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)
* Tārīkhuṭ-Ṭabarī, By Abū Ja‘far Muḥammad bin Al-Jarīr Ṭabarī, Volume 2, p. 233, Bābu Dhikril-Khabri ‘ammā kāna min Amri Nabiyyillāhisa ‘inda Ibtidā’illāhi Ta‘ālā......, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002)
2 Tārīkhuṭ-Ṭabarī, By Abū Ja‘far Muḥammad bin Al-Jarīr Ṭabarī, Volume 2, p. 233, Bābu Dhikril-Khabri ‘ammā kāna min Amri Nabiyyillāhisa ‘inda Ibtidā’illāhi Ta‘ālā......, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002)
3 Chambers’ Encyclopedia, Volume 1, Under the word: “Axum”, Edition 1871
4 Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Muḥammad bin ‘Abdul-Bāqī Az-Zarqānī, Volume 1, p. 506, Bābul-Hijratil-Ūlā ilal-Arḍil-Ḥabashah, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
5 Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 1, p. 98, Bābu Dhikri Hijrati man Hājara min Aṣḥābi Rasūlillāhisa ilā Arḍil-Ḥabashati fil-Marratil-Ūlā, Dārul-Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
6 As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Malik bin Hishām, p. 238, Bābu Dhikril-Hijratil-Ūlā ilal-Arḍil-Ḥabashah, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)
7 * Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 1, p. 98, Bābu Dhikri Hijrati man Hājara min Aṣḥābi Rasūlillāhisa ilā Arḍil-Ḥabashati fil-Marratil-Ūlā, Dārul-Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
* Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Muḥammad bin ‘Abdul-Bāqī Az-Zarqānī, Volume 1, p. 505, Bābul-Hijratil-Ūlā ilal-Arḍil-Ḥabashah, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)