The hardships and sufferings borne by the Muslims were ever
on the increase. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) at last permitted them to emigrate to some other
place. Abyssinia at that time was ruled by a Christian King (who later on embraced Islam), famous for his
mercy and equity. In Rajab of the fifth year of the Mission, the
.first group emigrated to Abyssinia. The group comprised about twelve
men and five women. The Qureysh pursued them to the port to capture them,
but their vessels had left the shore. When the group reached Abyssinia, they heard the rumour that the
whole tribe of the Qureysh had accepted Islam.
They were naturally very much pleased at the new~ and
returned to their country. On approaching Mecca, they learnt that the rumour was false and the persecutions
wen; going on unabated. Some of them decided to return to Abyssinia and the rest entered Mecca, seeking the
protection of a few influential people. This is known as the first migration to Abyssinia. Later on, a
bigger group of eightythree men and eighteen women emigrated to Abyssinia (separately). This is called the
second emigration to that country. Some Sahabah took part in both the migrations. The Qureysh did not like the
emigrations, and the thought of peace enjoyed by the fugitives gave them no rest. They sent a delegation to
Abyssinia with handsome presents for the king, his courtiers and the clergy. The delegation first met the
chiefs and the priests arid, by offering them presents, succeeded in winning the court officials to their side.
Having thus made their way to the royal court, they prostrated themselves before the king and then presenting
the gifts put their case before him. They said:
"0, king! A few foolish lads of our community have
renounced their ancestral faith, and have joined an absolutely new religion,
which is opposed to' our as well as your religions. They have come and
"settled in your country. The nobility of Mecca, their own parents and kith and kin have sent us to take them
back to their country. We beseech you to make them over to us."
The king replied:
"We cannot make over the people who have sought our
shelter, without proper investigation. Let us call them to our presence, and
hear them out. If your charge of apostasy against them is genuine. we shall
make them over to you." .
The king thereupon summoned the Muslims to his court. They
were at first greatly distressed and did not know what to do. but Allah gave
them courage. and they decided to go and place the true facts before the king.
On appearing before him. they greeted him with 'Salaam'. Someone from the
courtiers objected that they had not prostrated before the king according to
the rules of the land. They explained:
"Our Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has forbidden
us from prostrating before anyone except Allah."
The king then asked them to submit what defence they could
make to the charges brought against them. [a'far (Radhiyallaho anho) rose and
addressed the king thus:
"0, king! we were an ignorant people. We neither knew
Allah nor His Prophets A.S. We worshipped stones.
We used to eat carrion and commit all sorts of undesirable
and disgraceful acts. We did not make good our obligations to our relatives. The strong among us would
thrive.at the expense of the weak. Till at last, Allah raised a Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) for our reformation. His noble descent,
up-right conduct, integrity of purpose, and pure life are only too well known
amongst us. He called upon us to worship Allah, and exhorted us to give up idolatry and stoneworship. He
enjoined upon us right conduct, and forbade us from indecency. He taught us to tell the truth, to make good
our trust, to have regard for our kith and kin, and to do good to our neighbours. From him we learnt to observe
Salaat. Fasting. Zakaat and good conduct; and to shun everything
foul, and to
avoid bloodshed. He
forbade adultery, lewdness
telling of lies. misappropriating the orphan's heritage, bringing false
accusations against others, and all other indecent things of that sort. He taught us the Qur'an, the won Ch. I:
Steadfastness in the Face of Hardships 33 derful book of Allah. So we believed in him, followed him
and acted up to his teachings. Thereupon our people began to persecute us, and
to subject us to tortures, thinking that we might abjure our faith and revert
to idolatry. When, however, their cruelties exceeded all bounds, we took
shelter in your country by the permission of our Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallarn]."
The king said:
"Let us hear something of the Qur'an that your Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has taught you."
Hadhrat [a'far
(Radhiyallaho anho) recited a few verses from the beginning of Surah
"Maryam", which touched the hearts of the king and the priestly class
so much that tears flowed down their cheeks and wetted their beards. The king
remarked:
"By Allah, these words and the words revealed to Moosa
('Alayhis Salam) are the rays of one and the same light," and he told the Qureysh embassy that he would by no means
hand over the refugees to them. Then. disappointed and disgraced, they held a
counsel. One of them said:
"I have hit upon a plan that is sure to draw the king's
wrath upon their heads."
Although the others did not agree to such a drastic step
(for after all they were their own flesh and blood), yet he would not listen. The next day. they excited the king by
telling him that those heretics denounced 'Isa ('AlayhisSalaml and did not believe in his Divinity. The
Muslims were again summoned to the court. They were much more distressed this time. When the king inquired
about their belief in '{sa ('Alayhis Salam). they said:
"We believe in what Allah has revealed about him to our
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), Le. he is a servant and Prophet of Allah,
and is His word, which He conveyed to the virgin and pure Maryam."
Negus said: "Tsa ('Alayhis Salam) himself does-not say
anything beyond that."
The priests then began to murmur in protest, but the king would
not listen to them. He returned to the delegation the presents they had brought
for him, and said to the Muslims:
"Go and live in peace. If anybody ill-treats you. he
will have to pay heavily for it."
A royal declaration was also issued to that effect. This
enhanced the prestige of the Muslims in the country. and the Qureysh delegation
had to return crestfallen.
This failure of the Qureysh embassy to Abyssinia. and the
triumph of Muslims over them. led to an increase in the exasperation of the idolaters; the conversion of
'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) to Islam added fuel to fire.
They grew more and more embittered. till things came to such
a pass that a large number of the Qureysh chiefs conspired to kill Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) outright and deal summarily with the whole affair. But this was not so easy. Banu Hashim to which clan
the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) belonged. were strong in number and still stronger in
influence. Although all of them were not Muslims, yet even the non-Muslims among them would not agree to. or
tolerate the murder of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). The Qureysh, therefore. decided to place a
social ban on the Banu Hashim, and their chiefs drew up a document to the effect that none of them or their
clans would associate with. buy from or sell to those who sided with the Banu Hashim, unless and until they
surrendered Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) for the death penalty. All of them signed this
document on 1st Moharram of 7th year of the Mission, and the scroll was hung up in the Ka'abah in order
to give it full sanctity. Then. for three long years, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was shut up with
all his kinsfolk in the glen. which was a sub-section of one of the gorges that run down to Mecca. For
three long years, nobody could see them nor could they see anybody. They could not purchase anything in Mecca
nor from any trader coming from outside. If
any person was found outside this natural prison. he was
beaten mercilessly and if he asked for anything it was flatly refused. Soon their stock of food was exhausted
and they were reduced to famine rations. Their women and. more specially. the children and suckling babies
would cry with hunger, and this was harder on them than their own starvation. During the last part of this
period. their sole subsistence was the little food that the husbands of Hashimite women married into other
clans managed to smuggle into the glen in the darkness of night.
At last by the Grace of Allah. after three years the scroll
was eaten up by white ants and the ban was removed. The severity of the
afflictions, which they bore during this period of ostracism. cannot be imagined.
But the Sahabah not only remained steadfast in their faith, but also kept busy
in spreading the light of Islam amongst their comrades in distress.
Look! How .rnuch the Sahabah have suffered in the path of
Allah and for the cause of Islam. We claim to follow their footsteps. and dream of the material progress
and spiritual elevation which was theirs. but how much have we suffered in the true cause? what sacrifice have
we offered for the sake of Allah in His path?
Success is always proportionate to the sacrifice. We wish to
live in luxury' and comfort. and are too eager to race shoulder to shoulder with the non-Muslims in enjoying
the good things of this world. forgetting the Hereafter. and then at the same time we expect to receive
the same help from Allah which the Sahabah received in their time. We cannot beguile anybody but
ourselves by working like this. As the Poet has said.
'I am afraid, 0 wayfarer. that you will not reach the Ka'aba
because the path that you are following goes (in the opposite direction) to
Turkistan.•
