The First Migration to Abyssinia: Seeking Safety from Quraysh’s Persecution
The Search for a Safe Refuge
The suffering of the Muslims at the hands of Quraysh became increasingly severe, as they faced continuous persecution, attacks, and oppression. Because of these hardships, the Prophet Muhammad began considering another land where he could send his followers in order to protect them from Quraysh’s hostility.
The question was: Which land would be suitable for the Muslims to migrate to?
Why Not Yemen?
Yemen was not chosen because it was under Persian influence at that time. The Persians did not follow the revealed religions and did not show respect toward them. This was demonstrated by the Persian king Kisra, who ordered his governor in Yemen, Badhan, to send two strong men to bring the Prophet Muhammad to him from the Hijaz.
Why Not the Lands of the People of the Book?
The Prophet also did not choose areas inhabited by Jews and Christians because these communities were involved in religious disputes and competition. They were unlikely to welcome another religious movement that called people to worship the same God.
Why Not Syria or Al-Hirah?
Syria and Al-Hirah were also unsuitable choices because Quraysh already had strong influence there due to their trade relationships and connections with the people of those regions. This could have exposed the Muslim migrants to further pressure and danger.
Choosing Abyssinia as a Place of Refuge
After considering these possibilities, the Prophet Muhammad chose Abyssinia because he knew that it had a just ruler who did not oppress anyone. Therefore, in the fifth year after the beginning of revelation, he directed a group of Muslims to migrate there.
The first group of migrants to Abyssinia consisted of ten men and four women. Their number later increased to nearly one hundred people. Among them were prominent companions such as Uthman ibn Affan and his wife Ruqayyah, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, Al-Zubayr ibn Al-Awwam, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, and Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib.
The ruler of Abyssinia, known as the Negus (Al-Najashi), welcomed the Muslims and treated them with great respect. When Quraysh attempted to convince him to return the migrants to Makkah, he refused and allowed them to remain in Abyssinia in safety and peace.
The Return of Some Migrants and the Continued Struggle of Early Muslims
The Muslims who migrated to Abyssinia remained under the protection of the Negus for a period of time. Later, they received news that Umar ibn Al-Khattab had accepted Islam and openly declared his faith, which encouraged some of them to return to Makkah in order to stand alongside Umar in his courage, strength, and public support for Islam.
They also heard reports of a temporary calm between Quraysh and the Muslims, as the increasing number of Muslims made Quraysh concerned about the possibility of a wider conflict between the two groups. In addition, the love of one’s homeland is a natural human feeling, and those living away from their homeland often search for reasons and opportunities to return.
Motivated by their love for Makkah and their hope that conditions had improved, some of the migrants returned from Abyssinia. However, when they arrived, they discovered that they had been overly optimistic and that the hostility between the Muslims and the polytheists of Quraysh had not ended.
According to Ibn Hisham, those who returned could only enter Makkah under the protection of a tribal leader or by hiding themselves from their enemies.
The Remaining Muslims in Abyssinia
The rest of the migrants chose not to return and preferred to remain in Abyssinia, where they could practice their faith safely until Islam became stronger.
They stayed there until the Prophet Muhammad later sent people to bring them back. Their return took place after the conquest of Khaybar in the seventh year after the Hijrah, when they arrived in Madinah.
It is reported that when Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib returned, the Prophet Muhammad expressed his great happiness and said that he did not know which event brought him more joy: the victory at Khaybar or the arrival of Ja‘far.
The Protection System of Tribal Alliance (Al-Jiwar)
Returning to the issue of protection mentioned earlier, many of the Muslims who came back from Abyssinia could not safely enter Makkah unless they entered into the protection of a respected individual or returned secretly.
In Arab society, granting protection (jiwar) was a serious social responsibility. A person who offered protection became responsible for defending the individual under his protection. Any attack against the protected person was considered an insult and violation against the protector himself.
After returning from Abyssinia and seeing that Muslims were still suffering persecution, Uthman ibn Maz‘un entered into the protection of Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughirah. However, when Uthman saw other Muslims continuing to suffer while he moved freely and safely under protection, he felt uncomfortable accepting such safety for himself.
He said:
“I swear by Allah, I would not want to go and return safely under the protection of a man while my fellow Muslims are suffering hardship.”
The Strength of Faith and the Principle of Divine Protection
Uthman ibn Maz‘un Rejects Tribal Protection
Uthman ibn Maz‘un felt deeply troubled that he was living safely under the protection of a member of Quraysh while his fellow Muslims were suffering persecution and hardship because of their faith.
He believed that accepting personal safety while other believers endured suffering was a weakness in himself. Therefore, he went to Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughirah and said:
“O Abu Abd Shams, I return your protection to you.”
Al-Walid asked him:
“Son of my brother, has anyone from my people harmed you?”
Uthman replied:
“No, but I am satisfied with the protection of Allah, and I do not wish to seek protection from anyone else.”
Al-Walid said:
“Then come with me to the mosque and publicly return my protection just as I publicly granted it to you.”
They went together to the mosque, and Al-Walid announced:
“Uthman has come to return my protection.”
Uthman said:
“He has spoken the truth. I found him honorable and generous in his protection, but I prefer not to seek protection from anyone except Allah. Therefore, I return his protection to him.”
He then left.
Uthman’s Defense of Faith
After this, Uthman saw the famous poet Labid ibn Rabi‘ah sitting in a gathering of Quraysh reciting poetry. Uthman joined the group, and Labid recited:
“Everything except Allah is false.”
Uthman replied:
“You have spoken the truth.”
Labid continued:
“And every blessing will certainly come to an end.”
Uthman responded:
“You have lied. The blessings of Paradise will never end.”
Hearing someone challenge him, Labid became upset and said:
“O Quraysh, by Allah, your gatherings were never disturbed like this before. When did this begin among you?”
One of the men replied:
“This is one of the foolish people who have abandoned our religion, so do not worry about what he says.”
Uthman defended himself, and the argument developed into a physical confrontation. A Quraysh man struck Uthman in the face, injuring his eye.
Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughirah said to him:
“O Uthman, you could have avoided this. You were under strong protection from me.”
Uthman replied:
“By Allah, my healthy eye is in need of the same suffering that has reached its sister eye for the sake of Allah. I am under the protection of One who is greater and more powerful than you.”
This incident reflected the strong faith of the early Muslims and their willingness to endure hardship rather than depend on worldly protection.
Abu Bakr and the Search for Protection
Another example related to the system of protection occurred with Abu Bakr. When the persecution of Muslims increased and Abu Bakr saw that he could no longer protect the Prophet Muhammad from harm, he asked for permission to migrate.
The Prophet allowed him to leave, so Abu Bakr departed from Makkah. After traveling for a day or two, he met Ibn Al-Dughunnah, a man from the tribe of Banu Al-Harith, who offered him protection.
