Migration to Abyssinia
This chapter covers the first migration for the sake of Allah: why the Prophet ﷺ directed some believers to Abyssinia, who went, how Quraysh tried to bring them back, and how Ja'far ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه spoke truth before the Negus.
Where This Chapter Fits
After persecution increased in Makkah, Allah opened a path of safety for some believers outside Arabia.
Hardship grew
Quraysh pressured the early Muslims, especially those without strong clan protection.
A safe land
The Prophet ﷺ directed some believers to Abyssinia because a just ruler lived there and people were not wronged under him.
Pressure continued
Quraysh did not stop. Later came deeper pressure in Makkah, including the boycott and years of hardship.
Why Migration Became Necessary
The early Muslims loved Makkah. It was their home, their families lived there, and the Ka'bah was there. But when harm became severe, remaining in Makkah was not easy for everyone.
The Prophet ﷺ did not send them to fight or escape faith. He directed them to a land where they could protect their religion and worship Allah with less fear. This was not abandoning the mission. It was preserving believers so the mission could continue.
Seerah reports mention that the Prophet ﷺ pointed them toward Abyssinia because its ruler did not allow people to be wronged. That ruler is known in the Seerah as the Negus, or al-Najashi.
Seerah reports in Ibn Hisham’s Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah and Ibn Sa'd’s Al-Tabaqat al-KubraAllah’s Earth Is Spacious
لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا فِي هَٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۗ وَأَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
Meaning: “For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account.”
Qur'an 39:10The First Migration
The first group was small. They left quietly, not as conquerors, but as believers protecting their faith.
A painful journey away from home
Seerah reports commonly place the first migration to Abyssinia around the fifth year of Prophethood. Reports mention a small group of believers, including Uthman ibn Affan رضي الله عنه and his wife Ruqayyah رضي الله عنها, the daughter of the Prophet ﷺ.
They left Makkah for Allah’s sake. Behind them were family ties, homes, memories, and a city they loved. Ahead of them was an unfamiliar land, a different language, and a Christian king they had not met.
This moment teaches that hijrah is not only movement of the body. It is when faith becomes more precious than comfort.
Seerah reports in Ibn Hisham and Ibn Sa'd; exact numbers in reports varyUthman and Ruqayyah رضي الله عنهما
Among those who migrated were Uthman ibn Affan رضي الله عنه and Ruqayyah رضي الله عنها. Their journey was a family sacrifice in the path of Allah.
Seerah reports mention them among the early migrants, and their migration shows how the Prophet’s ﷺ own household carried hardship with the believers.
Seerah reports in Ibn Hisham and Ibn Sa'dA second, larger migration
After the first migration, more believers later migrated to Abyssinia. Reports commonly mention a larger group, including men, women, and children. Exact counts differ between reports.
This second migration shows that Abyssinia became more than a temporary hiding place. It became a refuge where Muslims could live with faith while the pressure in Makkah continued.
Seerah reports in Ibn Hisham and Ibn Sa'd; exact counts varyThose Who Migrated After Being Wronged
وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا فِي اللَّهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا ظُلِمُوا لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً
Meaning: “And those who emigrated for Allah after they had been wronged, We will surely settle them in this world in a good place.”
Qur'an 16:41Quraysh Tried to Bring Them Back
Quraysh did not want the Muslims to find safety. Seerah reports mention that they sent envoys with gifts to the Negus and his court, hoping the migrants would be returned to Makkah.
The accusation was not that the Muslims had committed a crime. Quraysh’s anger was that they had left the religion of their people and followed a new message. The believers were now standing before a foreign king with their future in Allah’s hands.
This scene is important because Islam was no longer only being spoken inside Makkah. The message was now being explained before a Christian ruler outside Arabia.
Seerah reports in Ibn Hisham’s Al-Sirah al-NabawiyyahJa'far رضي الله عنه Speaks Before the Negus
Ja'far ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه did not hide the message. He explained what Islam changed in them.
From ignorance to revelation
According to the famous Seerah report, Ja'far رضي الله عنه described how they had lived before Islam: worshipping idols, breaking family ties, and allowing the strong to overpower the weak. Then Allah sent a Messenger ﷺ from among them, known for truthfulness and trustworthiness.
He explained that the Prophet ﷺ called them to worship Allah alone, speak truth, fulfil trusts, keep family ties, treat neighbours well, avoid evil, and leave idols. This was not a political rebellion. It was moral and spiritual transformation.
Ja'far رضي الله عنه spoke with clarity because the Qur'an had changed them from inside. He did not flatter Quraysh, and he did not hide Islam to please the court.
Famous Seerah report in Ibn Hisham; wording summarized, not quoted as hadithTruthfulness and Trust
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهَا
Meaning: “Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due.”
Qur'an 4:58Why Surah Maryam Was Recited
The Negus asked about what Islam says regarding Isa عليه السلام. Ja'far رضي الله عنه recited from Surah Maryam according to Seerah reports. This was a moment of extraordinary wisdom.
Instead of arguing with anger, he let revelation speak. Surah Maryam tells the story of Maryam عليها السلام, the birth of Isa عليه السلام, his honour as a servant and Messenger of Allah, and the purity of his mother.
The Qur'an did not insult Maryam عليها السلام or Isa عليه السلام. It honoured them while correcting false belief. This is why the recitation deeply moved the Negus and those around him in the Seerah report.
Surah Maryam 19:16-36; Seerah reports in Ibn HishamIsa عليه السلام Speaks as a Servant of Allah
قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا
Meaning: “He said, ‘Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet.’”
Qur'an 19:30The Negus Refused to Hand Them Over
In the Seerah report, the Negus listened to both sides and refused to return the Muslims to Quraysh. He recognized that what Ja'far رضي الله عنه recited was close to the truth he knew from revelation.
This protection was a mercy from Allah. The believers had no army, no wealth to match Quraysh’s envoys, and no political power. What they had was truth, patience, and Allah’s care.
Seerah reports in Ibn Hisham and Ibn Sa'dA Refuge, Not a Final Home
Some Muslims remained in Abyssinia for years. Others returned at different times. The migration gave the early community breathing space while the Prophet ﷺ continued calling in Makkah.
Later, when Islam had strength in Madinah, the migrants of Abyssinia would reunite with the Muslim community. Their patience became part of the larger story of Islam.
Seerah reports in Ibn Hisham and Ibn Sa'dWhat This Migration Teaches
The migration to Abyssinia teaches that protecting faith can sometimes require leaving what is familiar. It also teaches that Muslims should recognize justice wherever Allah places it.
The Prophet ﷺ chose Abyssinia not because its people shared every belief with Islam, but because its ruler was known for justice. The believers were not told to become careless with their faith. They were told to seek safety where they would not be wronged.
It also teaches the power of speaking Islam clearly and beautifully. Ja'far رضي الله عنه did not hide tawhid, but he spoke with wisdom, dignity, and truth.
Do not call it escape from Islam
They migrated because of Islam, not away from it. Their goal was to preserve worship and faith.
Do not force exact numbers
The first and second migration numbers are reported in Seerah works, but exact counts can differ, so the page uses careful wording.
Do not turn Seerah into hadith
Ja'far’s رضي الله عنه speech and the court scene are famous Seerah reports, so they are labelled as Seerah reports.
Dua for a Good Exit and a Good Entrance
رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِجْنِي مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ وَاجْعَل لِّي مِن لَّدُنكَ سُلْطَانًا نَّصِيرًا
Meaning: “My Lord, cause me to enter a sound entrance and to exit a sound exit, and grant me from Yourself a supporting authority.”
Qur'an 17:80What This Stage Led To
Abyssinia gave relief to some believers, but Quraysh’s pressure in Makkah continued and later became more organized.
Pressure did not stop
Even after some Muslims found safety in Abyssinia, the Prophet ﷺ and many believers remained in Makkah under pressure.
The migrants were protected
The Negus refused to surrender them to Quraysh according to Seerah reports, and the believers found a place to worship.
Boycott and years of pressure
Quraysh would later place severe social and economic pressure upon Banu Hashim and those protecting the Prophet ﷺ.
References Used in This Chapter
Major claims are tied to Qur'an or named Seerah reports.
- Qur'an 39:10: Allah’s earth is spacious and the patient are rewarded without account.
- Qur'an 16:41: those who migrated for Allah after being wronged.
- Qur'an 4:58: command to fulfil trusts.
- Qur'an 19:30: Isa عليه السلام speaking as the servant of Allah.
- Qur'an 17:80: dua for a truthful entrance and exit.
- Surah Maryam 19:16-36: passage connected in Seerah reports to Ja'far’s رضي الله عنه recitation before the Negus.
- Seerah reports: the first and second migrations to Abyssinia, Uthman and Ruqayyah رضي الله عنهما, Ja'far’s رضي الله عنه speech, Quraysh’s envoys, and the Negus refusing to hand over the Muslims are recorded in early Seerah works such as Ibn Hisham’s Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah and Ibn Sa'd’s Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra.
- Content note: exact numbers of migrants and some detailed wordings differ between reports, so this page uses careful wording and does not force one disputed count.