If you are one of those whom circumstances have forced—willingly or unwillingly—to leave your country to start a new life in a new land, you need to read carefully between the lines of the migration to Abyssinia. When considering which country to migrate to, you should deeply reflect on the reasons that led the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, to choose Abyssinia over others.
The Purpose of Migration
Be careful not to make travel or immigration an end in itself. The migration to Abyssinia was not an adventure into the unknown. The Prophet (peace be upon him) established clear criteria that contributed to his choice of that land, based on his prior knowledge about Abyssinia through his foster mother, Umm Ayman. He learned from her about the nature of its land, its society, and its rulers. Umm Ayman lived there for such a long time that she could not change her Abyssinian accent, often saying, "Peace be upon you," which led the Prophet (peace be upon him) to permit her to say "as-salam" (peace). According to Al-Zuhri’s narration, Abyssinia was the land most beloved to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) for migration.
Security
The first of those criteria that our noble Messenger, peace be upon him, relied upon is security. At that stage, there was no safe place within the Arabian Peninsula where Muslims could seek refuge, as Quraysh maintained its control over Mecca and its surroundings. Quraysh had significant commercial influence because it controlled trade caravans, as well as religious influence through the presence of the Kaaba. Consequently, Abyssinia was far from the power of Quraysh, and the Muslims' refuge there provided them with security and peace from the tyranny of Quraysh.
Stability and Strength of the Political System
The second criterion that must be met is the stability and strength of the political system, which ensures the independence of the decisions of the host country and its commitment to protecting those who seek refuge from persecution. Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia) was a powerful and independent kingdom. Although it was under the religious authority of the Egyptian church in Alexandria, this was a religious dependency rather than a political one. At that time, Abyssinia had significant power, which made it difficult for the country to respond to political pressures. It also made it unlikely that Quraysh would launch an invasion of Abyssinia to pursue the migrants as they did during the Battle of the Confederates (Ghazwat al-Ahzab). The strength of Abyssinia, along with the power of its king, combined with the great distance and the barrier of the sea, prevented such thoughts. The most that Quraysh could do was to send envoys and officially request the handover of the refugees, which was later rejected.
Capability to Bear Consequences
The third criterion for choosing a place of migration is the physical and psychological capability to bear the consequences of alienation. The first migration to Abyssinia, which occurred in the fifth year of the prophetic mission, included 11 men and 4 women. The second migration came a few months after the first and included 97 men, 19 women, and 6 children. Upon examining closely and analyzing the information pertaining to each individual who migrated to Abyssinia, we can conclude the following:
- Personal Sacrifice:
- We do not find in the list of the names of the migrants anyone from the Companions who suffered at the hands of Quraysh like Ammar and Bilal, may Allah be pleased with them. In fact, when we examine the list of those who undertook the first migration, we find that they were among the influential and esteemed individuals of Quraysh. Consequently, we conclude that the main objective of the migration was not merely to ensure personal safety. If that had been the case, the weakest and most vulnerable Muslims would have been the ones to migrate. However, the Messenger, peace be upon him, was keen on preserving the emerging religion by maintaining a reserve of Muslims who might be needed for the mission at a later stage, in addition to the important and necessary role of spreading the message of Islam in new areas of the earth.
- Demographics:
- The proportion of youth and adults aged 20 to 50 years was approximately two-thirds of the total number of migrants, while the percentage of seniors over fifty years old did not exceed 3%. The youth stage is more capable of enduring the hardships of the journey and facing the expected dangers in exile. The number of migrant women reached 19, accounting for 18% of the total number of migrants, which is a reasonable number considering the expected difficulties and challenges of travel and living abroad. All the women migrated with their husbands when they were young, and some of them gave birth in Ethiopia, marking the arrival of a new generation that was raised and grew up in the land of exile.
Justice
The fourth criterion adopted by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is justice. The Prophet indicated the justice of the Negus (king of Abyssinia) by saying to his companions: "If you go to the land of Abyssinia, there is a king under whom no one is wronged." Some sources indicate that the justice of the Negus reached a level that the Quraysh would refer to in their disputes. Perhaps the well-known stance of the Negus when he rejected the bribe from the Quraysh to expel the Muslims is related to the historical injustice he experienced from the Abyssinians. At that time, he made his famous statement after the meeting with the Quraysh delegation led by Amr ibn al-As: "What God has taken from me as a bribe when He restored my kingship, I will not take as a bribe for it, and if people do not obey me, I will not obey them."
The Story of the Negus
This saying has a long and strange story that was detailed by Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). The Najashi was the only son when his father ascended to the throne of Aksum. The Najashi had an uncle who had twelve sons, and a group conspired to kill the king and install his brother in hopes of continuing their lineage. As a result, the Najashi grew up with his uncle and was raised under his care. The second conspiracy was to abduct him from his uncle and sell him in the slave market. Fate had it that his uncle died when he was struck by lightning on the same day. None of his uncle’s sons were able to take the throne, so the people searched for the Najashi until they found the man who had bought him, and they took the Najashi from him and crowned him as king. The merchant then said, "Either you give me my money, or I will speak to him about this." They replied, "We will not give you anything." He said, "Then, by God, I will speak to him." They said, "Go ahead." He approached the Najashi and sat before him, saying, "O King, I bought a young man from a group in the market for six hundred dirhams, they entrusted me with my slave and took my dirhams. When I had gone some distance with my slave, they caught up with me, took my slave, and denied me my dirhams." The Najashi said to them, "You must return his dirhams, or he will place his hand in my hand, and he may go with me wherever he wishes." They replied, "Very well, we will give him his dirhams." And from this incident, the saying of the Najashi came: "God did not take a bribe from me when He restored my kingship, so how can I take a bribe for it? And if people obey me, then I will obey them in this matter." This reflects the other side of the Najashi's character after he went through numerous experiences that greatly affected his life and shaped him into a strong and just leader.
Before you think about leaving your homeland, you should remember these three criteria that the Prophet, peace be upon him, made a reference when choosing a country for migration. Set specific goals for yourself and look for a country that is safe, economically and politically stable, and where the value of justice is paramount. You must also ensure your psychological readiness to endure the consequences of travel and estrangement, as all of this greatly contributes to the success of your experience in the diaspora and achieving your aspirations.
