7- EMIGRATION TO ABYSSINIA
When tyranny reached its extreme limit the Prophetsa assembled his followers, and pointing to the west told them of a land across the sea where men were not murdered because of a change of faith, where they could worship God unmolested, and where there was a just king. Let them go there; maybe the change would bring them relief. A party of Muslim men, women and children, acting on this suggestion, went to Abyssinia. The migration was on a small scale and very pathetic. The Arabs regarded themselves as keepers of the Ka‘ba, and so they were. To leave Mecca was for them a great wrench, and no Arab could think of doing so unless living in Mecca had become absolutely impossible. Nor were the Meccans prepared to tolerate such a movement.
They would not let their victims escape and have the least chance to live elsewhere. The party, therefore, had to keep its preparations for the journey a close secret and to depart without even saying good-bye to their friends and relations. Their departure, however, became known to some and did not fail to impress them. ‘Umar(ra), subsequently the Second Khalifah of Islam, was still a disbeliever, a bitter enemy and persecutor of Muslims. By sheer chance, he met some members of this party. One of these was a woman, Ummi ‘Abdullah(ra). When ‘Umar(ra) saw household effects packed up and loaded on animals, he understood at once that it was a party leaving Mecca to take refuge elsewhere. “Are you going?” he asked. “Yes, God is our witness,” replied Ummi ‘Abdullah(ra). “We go to another land, because you treat us most cruelly here. We will not return now until Allah pleases to make it easy for us.” ‘Umarra was impressed and said, “God be with you.” There was emotion in his voice. This silent scene had upset him. When the Meccans got to know of it, they sent a party in chase. This party went as far as the sea but found that the Muslims had already embarked.
Not being able to overtake them, they decided to send a delegation to Abyssinia to excite the king against the refugees and to persuade him to hand them over again to Meccans. One of the delegates was ‘Amr bin al-‘Asra, who later joined Islam and conquered Egypt. The delegation went to Abyssinia, met the king and intrigued with his court. But the king proved very firm and, in spite of the pressure which the Meccan delegation and his own courtiers were able to put upon him, he refused to hand over the Muslim refugees to their persecutors. The delegation returned disappointed, but in Mecca they soon thought of another plan to force the return of Muslims from Abyssinia. Among the caravans going to Abyssinia they set afloat the rumour that all Mecca had accepted Islam. When the rumour reached Abyssinia, many Muslim refugees joyfully returned to Mecca but found on arrival that the rumour which had reached them was a fabrication. Some Muslims went back again to Abyssinia but some decided to stay. Among the latter was ‘Uthman bin Maz‘unra, son of a leading Meccan chief. ‘Uthmanra received protection from a friend of his father, Walid bin Mughira, and began to live in peace. But he saw that other Muslims continued to suffer brutal persecution. It made him very unhappy. He went to Walid and renounced his protection. He felt he should not have such protection while other Muslims continued to suffer. Walid announced this to the Meccans.
One day, Labid, poet-laureate of Arabia, sat among the chiefs of Mecca, reciting his verse. He read a line which meant that all graces must ultimately come to an end. ‘Uthmanra boldly contradicted him and said, “The graces of Paradise will be everlasting.” Labid, not used to such contradictions, lost his temper and said, “Quraish, your guests were not insulted like this before. Whence has this fashion begun?” To appease Labid, a man from among the audience rose and said, “Go on and take no notice of this fool”. ‘Uthman(ra) XE “Persecution to the Muslims: ‘Uthman bin Maz‘unra insisted that he had said nothing foolish. This exasperated the Quraishite, who sprang upon ‘Uthmanra and gave him a sharp blow, knocking out an eye. Walid was present at the scene. He was a close friend of ‘Uthman’sra father. He could not endure such treatment of his deceased friend’s son. But ‘Uthmanra was no longer under his formal protection and Arab custom now forbade him to take sides. So he could do nothing. Half in anger, half in anguish he turned to ‘Uthmanra, and said, “Son of my friend, you would have saved your eye, had you not renounced my protection. You have to thank yourself for it.”
‘Uthmanra replied,
“I have longed for this. I lament not over the loss of one eye, because the other waits for the same fate. Remember, while the Prophetsa suffers, we want no peace” (Halbiyya, Vol. 1, P. 348).
(Source: LIFE OF MUHAMMAD (pbuh))
BY HADRAT MIRZA BASHIRUDDIN MAHMUD AHMAD
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