First Migration to Abyssinia
الهجرة الأولى إلى الحبشة
Summary
The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed a group of Muslims to migrate to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) to escape persecution, saying: 'There is a king there in whose presence no one is wronged.' The first group included eleven men and four women, led by Uthman ibn Affan and his wife Ruqayyah, the Prophet's daughter.
Details
The Quraysh sent Amr ibn al-As and Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'ah with gifts to the Negus (An-Najashi) to demand the return of the Muslims. The Negus summoned the Muslims, and Ja'far ibn Abi Talib spoke on their behalf, describing their condition before Islam and reciting the opening verses of Surah Maryam (19). The Negus wept and refused to hand them over, saying: 'This and what Isa (Jesus) brought have come from the same source.' A second, larger migration followed, with approximately eighty-three men and their families.