Emigration to Abyssinia
When the Muslims were treated in this way, the Messenger of God commanded them to emigrate to Abyssinia. In Abyssinia there was a righteous king called the Negus in whose land no one was oppressed and who was praised
for his righteousness. Abyssinia was a land with which Quraysh traded and in which they found an ample living, security, and a good market. His fear was that
they would be seduced from their religion. He
himself remained, and did not leave Mecca.
Abu Ja`far (al-Tabari): There is a difference of opinion as to the
number of those who emigrated to Abyssinia in this, the first emigration. Some say that
there were eleven men and four women. This took place in the month of Rajab in the fifth year from the time of the Messenger of
God's commissioning as a prophet. Quraysh set out in pursuit of them and reached the sea at the place where the Muslims had
embarked, but did not capture any of them.
The names of this group, men and women, were: `Uthman b.
`Affan and his wife Ruqayyah, the daughter of the Messenger of God; Abu Hudhayfah b. `Utbah b. Rabi`ah and his wife Sahlah bt. Suhayl b. `Amr; al-Zubayr b. al-`Awwam b. Khuwaylid b.
Asad; Mus`ab b. `Umayr b. Hashim b. `Abd Manaf
b. `Abd al-Dar; `Abd al-Rahman b. `Awf b. `Abd `Awf b. al-Harith
b. Zuhrah; Abu Salamah b. `Abd al-Asad b. Hilal b. `Abdallah b.
`Umar b. Makhzum and his wife Umm Salamah bt. Abi Umayyah
b. al-Mughirah b. `Abdallah b. `Umar b. Makhzum; `Uthman b.
[1183]
Maz`un al-Jumahi; `Amir b. Rabi`ah al-`Anzi (from the tribe of
`Anz b. Wa'il, not from that of `Anazah), the confederate of theBanu `Adi b. Ka`b, and his wife Layla bt. Abi Hathmah; Abu Sabrah
b. Abi Ruhm b. `Abd al-`Uzza al-`Amiri; Hatib b. `Amr b. `Abd
Shams; Suhayl b. Bayda', from the Banu al-Harith b. Fihr; and
`Abdallah
