Migration To Abyssinia

 

Migration to Abyssinia Abyssinia 

When the sufferings and a nd tribul tribulations ations of the Muslims Muslims at the hands of the Meccans reached to its ex extreme treme in 615 A.D., A.D., Muhammad directed that those of them who could afford it it should s hould migrate migrate to Abyssinia Abyssinia across the th e Red Sea, whose kings kings were known as the Negus (Najashi). As-Hama, the then Negus was a Christian king. Under the direction of Muhammad, eleven men m en and four women from among the Muslims Muslims migrated mig rated to Abyssini Abyssinia. a. When the Meccans came ca me to know of their migrati migration, on, they were much upset upse t and sent some men after them in in pursuit, but the Muslims Muslims had a long long start and could not be overtaken. This infuriated the malicious ones among the Meccans. T hey formed a deputation under Abdullah Abdullah bin Rabi and Amr bin bin A'as, who went to Abyssinia Abyssi nia with handsome presents prese nts to persuade persua de the king to deliver deliver the emigrants into their hands. In due course, this deputation stood in the presence of the king and listened to their their representati representation. on. Then he sent for the refugees refugees and asked them what they had to say. Jafar, nick-named nick-name d T aiyar (the flying), flying), the son of Abu Tali T alib b and brother brot her of Ali Ali,, acting as spokesman spokes man for the Muslims, Muslims, stood s tood forth fort h and made reply, reply, "O'king "O' king,, we belong belong to a  peoplee steeped in  peopl in ign gnorance. orance. Our fathers and grandfathers grandfathers worshi worshipped pped idols. idols. They ate carrion and other things unclean. They gambled and fornicated and indulged in other sins. si ns. T hey knew no pity, pity, nor compassion nor human sympathy. They T hey oppressed and  persecuted the weak and the helpl helpless. ess. They robbed and kil killed wi without thout compunction. 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 Hiss messeng Hi messenger. er. T hi hiss man was already already known to his his people as the trusted one and everyone testimony testimony thespoke puriteytoofushi purity hisof s conduct, goodness his s ways and the nobility nobil ity ofbore his birth. his T his to This man spok One Godthe and appealedoftohi us to worship no one but Him. We listened listened to his his appeal and accepted ac cepted it. We vowed vow ed that we would renouncee all renounc all false deities deities and idols idols and worship worsh ip the One T rue 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. T hese  peoplee demanded that we shoul  peopl should d renounce our new faith faith and once again again revert to idolatry. We refused to give up our new faith and our enemies refused to give up their  persecutions.  persecuti ons. When thei theirr brutaliti brutalities es ex exceeded ceeded all limi limits ts and our li lives were in in peri perill, 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 wil willl not hand over to you these innocent men me n and women who

 

have come to me for shel shelter." ter." Nevertheless, the disappoin disappointed ted Meccans hit hit upon another plan. Next day, they tried to incite incite the king, king, by telli telling ng him that the heretics did not believe believe in the divini divinity ty of Jesus. But in in this too their their hopes h opes were frustrated. frustra ted. The T he Muslims Musli ms confes confessed sed on the basis of Koranic verse that they did not look look upon Jesus as God but as a prophet of o f God. The king picked up a straw str aw and pointing pointing to it said, "Jesus is in in fact not even this much more than the Muslims Muslims have described him to be." Empty-handed and humbled humbled the deputation 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 the Meccans had finall 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. false. The Meccans began to  persecute even more severely severely those persons who had returned from Abyssi Abyssini nia. a. In spite of this, however, however , about a hundred Muslims Muslims managed to leave Mecca and settled in Abyssinia. Abyssi nia. T he Meccans however did their their utmost u tmost to check the tide of emigration, emigration, but all in vain. T he Abyssini Abyssinian an emig emigration ration gave the Meccans a conclusive conclusive proof that tha t the Muslims Muslims were ready to run all ri risks, sks, and undergo every form of hardship hardship in the th e cause of Isl I slam. am. They would shrink shrink from no danger danger in the path of God. The Meccans did did thei theirr utmost to check this tide of emigration, emigration, but all all in vain. vain. It was w as not until seven years after Muhammad's Muhamma d's flig flight ht from Mecca that they rejoined rejoined their Muslim Muslim brethren br ethren at Medina.