Migration
to Abyssinia
When the disbelievers of Makkah did
not refrain from causing harm to Muslims, rather, there was further increase in
their oppression, the Final Messenger of Allah (صَلَّى
اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) permitted his devoted companions to
migrate to Abyssinia.³,⁴
Najashi, the king of Abyssinia, was
the follower of the Christian faith, and was a just and a soft-hearted person.
Therefore, in the fifth year of the declaration of Prophethood, a caravan
consisting of eleven men and four women migrated to Abyssinia, leaving their
beloved motherland.
Referance:
³ Some areas of the current Ethiopia situated in the African
continent, were referred to as Abyssinia by the people of Arab. The king of
Abyssinia, Najashi who later was privileged to embrace Islam, was in rule
there. His shrine is located in Ethiopia.
⁴ Sharh Zurqaani Alal-Mawahib, vol. 1, p. 502
It is called the First Migration.
After a few days, many more male and female companions migrated to Abyssinia,
to the extent that the number of those who migrated to Abyssinia rose to 82.¹
Having seen this, the Quraysh sent a
delegation to the king of Abyssinia, which insisted for the king to hand over
the Muslims to Quraysh, but these efforts of the disbelievers were
unsuccessful.²
Map of the route of
migration to Abyssinia Makkah, Egypt, Red Sea, The Arabian peninsula, Yemen,
Abyssinia, Uksoum, Khaleej Yemen
Masjid al-Najashi in
Abyssinia
Referance:
¹ Sharh Zurqaani ‘alal-Mawahib, vol. 2, p. 31
² Sharh Zurqaani ‘alal-Mawahib, vol. 1, p. 506
Siege
of Shi’b Abi Taalib
The disbelievers of Makkah were
under the illusion that they would either terminate or weaken the movement of
Islam by their savage brutality and oppression, but despite all their efforts,
the number of Muslims continued to rise. Due to this situation, Quraysh became
absolutely infuriated.
All the chiefs of Quraysh and the
other disbelievers of Makkah made a plan that they would completely boycott the
Final Messenger of Allah (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ
وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) and his family. Therefore, according to this plan, all the
tribes of Quraysh made the following agreement: “No one will marry into the
family of Banu Hashim, no one will do any kind of trade with them, and no one
will socialise or converse with them or greet them or meet them, until the
family of Banu Hashim hands the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى
اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) over to us. No one should let any food
provisions reach them.”
Mansoor Bin ‘Ikramah wrote the
agreement, all the chiefs of Quraysh signed it and hung it inside the Ka’bah.
Except Abu Lahab, all the people of
Banu Hashim were besieged in the ravine of Abu Taalib, which is now called the
Shi’b of Abi Taalib. Non-Muslims were also among them who were with the Beloved
Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم)
only because of their family relation.¹
All the people of Banu Hashim
remained in that ravine for three years. These three years were so tough that
Banu Hashim would eat leaves and cook dried skin to eat. Due to hunger, small
children would cry so loudly that their voices could be heard at a far
distance, but the stone-hearted disbelievers had placed guards over the ravine
on all sides so that no food provision could reach inside the ravine.²
Referance:
¹ Sharh al-Zurqaani ‘alal Mawahib, vol. 2, pp. 12 to 14
² Seerat-e-Mustafa, p. 139
When three years passed by in the
same state, Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) gave His Beloved
Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم)
the news: “Termites have eaten and destroyed the agreement in a way that
nothing has been left on it except for the name of Allah.”
The Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) gave this news to
Abu Taalib and Abu Taalib went to the disbelievers of Quraysh, and said: “O the
group of Quraysh! My nephew has given me the news in this way. Bring your
agreement! If this news is true, then refrain from this oppression, and if this
news is not true, then I will hand my nephew over to you.”
They agreed to this. When they went
there and saw it, they were absolutely amazed, because it was exactly the same,
word to word, as the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ
عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) had stated.¹
Referance:
¹ Sharh Zurqaani ‘alal-Mawahib, vol. 2, p. 37, summarised
The
Year of Grief
In the 10th year of the declaration
of Prophethood, a short while after the end of the siege of the Shi’b of Abi
Taalib, Abu Taalib, the uncle of the Final Messenger of Allah (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم), passed away. The
Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ
وَسَلَّم) was greatly grieved over the death of Abu Taalib.²
Not even a week had passed since the
death of Abu Taalib, his wife, Sayyidatuna Khadija (رَضِیَ
اللهُ عَنْهَا), also passed away. In Makkah, these two personages were the
ones who were very close to him. They supported and helped him on every step.
When the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) kindled the flame of
monotheism [Tawheed] in the darkness of disbelief and polytheism [Kufr and
Shirk], the disbelievers showed great insolence towards him; during these
testing times, it was both these personages who became his support and shelter.
Their deaths occurred in the same
year within a very short span of time, which deeply saddened and grieved the
Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم).
He (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم),
therefore, called this year ‘Aam-ul-Huzn’, i.e. ‘The Year of Grief’.
An old picture of Shi’b Abi Taalib.
Now this place has been included in Masjid al-Haraam.
An old picture of the blessed shrine
of Sayyidatuna Khadija al-Kubra (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا)
Referance:
² Sharh Zurqaani ‘alal-Mawahib, vol. 2, p. 38
Events
of the Journey of Taif
After the death of Sayyidatuna
Khadija (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا) and Abu Taalib, the
oppression and tyranny of the disbelievers increased even further. Due to this
behaviour of theirs, the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ
عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) thought that if he goes to Taif and
propagates Islam there, and if their chiefs embrace Islam, then it would give
power and strength to the Muslims. Having thought this, he intended to travel
to Ta`if.
He set out for Taif on foot. Only
Sayyiduna Zaid Bin Harithah (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُ),
his slave, was accompanying him. After reaching Taif, he (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) rested for a few
days and then met the chiefs of Ta`if.
He (صَلَّى
اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) invited three chiefs—Abd Yaleel and his
two brothers, Mas’ood and Habib—to Islam, but rejecting his invitation, not did
they only ridicule him, but also made the wicked and mischievous people of
Ta`if chase after him, who gathered in the form of a procession and started
pursuing him.
They would make taunting remarks,
utter immoral sentences, and chase after him raising the slogans of their
idols, and they even started throwing stones at him.
They aimed at his blessed feet and
threw so many stones at him that his blessed feet were wounded and started
bleeding. His blessed feet bled so heavily that his blessed sandals were
covered in blood. His slave, Sayyiduna Zaid Bin Harithah (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُ), put himself in front of him in order to
guard him and take the stones upon his own body, due to which, he was also
covered in blood.
When the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) would sit down due
to the intensity of the pain, one of the mischievous people would move forward,
and make him stand up by shaking him mercilessly, forcing him to walk. When he
(صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم)
would start walking, those cruel people would start stoning him again, abusing
him, clapping and making fun of him.
Finally, he (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) took shelter with
Zaid Bin Harithah (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُ)
in a nearby grape orchard. It was the orchard of Utbah Bin Rabee’ah, a famous
disbeliever and enemy. Seeing the condition of the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم), even he looked at
him with a merciful gaze. He sent a bunch of grapes through his slave, which
the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ
وَسَلَّم) accepted.
After listening to the Beloved
Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم),
the Christian slave ‘Addaas, who brought the grapes, embraced faith upon him
and started kissing his blessed hands and feet.¹
This is Masjid ‘Addaas, situated in
Taif. It is said that it is the same place where the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) took rest after
being wounded. Remember, Taif is a city located at a distance of approximately
91 kilometres from Makkah. It is situated approx. 5,500 feet above the sea
level. The weather is very pleasant here, and it is not as hot as the other
areas of Arabia. The grapes and honey of Ta`if are very famous. It is the first
city of Arabia which was surrounded by walls.
Referance:
¹ Sharh al-Zurqaani alal-Mawahib, vol. 2, p. 49 to 56
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