When
the torture intensified for the Muslims in Makkah, Allaah Permitted for some of
them to migrate to a land of safety – Abyssinia (East Africa). There were two
migrations and the first migration was led by ‘Uthmaan bin ‘Affaan and with him
was his wife, Ruqayyah, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad. There were twelve men
and four women altogether including Ja’far bin Abi Talib.
The
Quraysh heard about the migration and feared that if they were accepted to stay
there and practice their religion, the Najashi (the king of Abyssinia) would
give them support and power. So the Quraysh sent a delegation to Abyssinia led
by ‘Amr bin ‘Aas and ‘Utbah bin Rabee’ah. They agreed that they couldn’t tell
the Najashi why they wanted the Muslims to be returned, lest he sides with the
Muslims. So they spoke to him nicely and even presented him to special Makkan
leather of which he was very fond of.
In
his court, he asked the Muslims for their stance of ‘Esaa and allowed for the
Muslims to speak. Ja’far responded by reciting the first Aayaat from Surah Maryam. When he finished,
the Najashi grabbed a stick and said, “You have not added to the Tawrah not
even by a measurement of this stick. Depart, for you are under my safety as
residents.”
In
another narration it says that the Najashi turned to the delegation from the
Quraysh and said, “By Allah! Had you given me the weight of a mountain in gold
I would not hand them over.”
So
the delegation returned to Makkah after being humiliated and rejected.
Commentary
-The
term Najashi means “king” in the language of the people of East Africa at that
time. His real name was Ashama which means “generous” and he was a just king
that hated oppression. He was known to be kind and accommodating and thus the
Muslims chose him to turn to as part of their migration.
-
Hijrah means to leave a land for the sake of Allah, either to protect oneself
physically or spiritually. The Hijrah to Abyssinia was the first Hijrah in
Islam.
-The
Najashi recognized the Islamic ‘Aqeedah and agreed to protect them.
-In
a separate narration, Abu Bakr sought to leave and join the migration but en
route met a man called Dahina and rebuked him, “How can you leave, the people
of Makkah need for people like you to stay.” So he returned and stayed and
supported Islam in Makkahd.
-The
twelve men and four women left by foot, seeking to meet the red sea. There,
merchants would transport people over the sea for the cost of half a Dinar per
person.
-Meanwhile
in Makkah, Surah an-Najm was revealed and the Muslims and Mushriks alike had
the Surah recited to them. At the end of the Surah, the Prophet prostrated and
the Muhsriks of Quraysh prostrated with him (except Umayyah bin Khalaf). So
rumuors spread to Abyssinia that the Mushriks now believed in Islaam and had
converted thus they returned back to Makkah, only to find that the rumours were
not true. When they realized it wasn’t the case, a second Hijrah was commission
with Ja’far bin Abi Talib being in charge and eventually left Abysinnia when
the Prophet had established his own state in al-Madeenah.
-The
Najashi died as a Muslim and the Prophet prayed Janazah over him whilst he was
in al-Madeenah.
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