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 news and returned to their
country. On approaching Mecca, they learnt that the rumor was false and the
persecutions were 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 eighty-three 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 and, 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:
"O,
king! A few foolish lads of our community have re-nounced 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. Ja`far (Radhiyallaho anho) rose and addressed the king thus:
"O,
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 (SaltaIlaho alaihe wasallam) for our reforniation.
His noble descent, upright 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 stone worship. He enjoined upon us right
conduct, and for-bade 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
neighbors. From him we learnt to observe Salaat, Fasting, Zakaat and good
con-duct; and to shun everything foul, and to avoid blood-shed. 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 wonderful 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 wa-sallam)."
The
king said:
"Let
us hear something of the Qur'an that your Prophet (Sal lallaho alaihe wasallam)
has taught you."
Hadhrat
ja`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 (`Alayhis Salam) and did
not believe in his Divinity. The Muslims were again summoned to the court. They
were much more dis-tressed this time. When the king inquired about their belief
in 'Isa ('Alayhis Salam). they said:
"We
believe in what Allah has revealed about him to our Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam), i.e. he is a servant and Prophet of Allah, and is His word, which He
conveyed to the virgin and pure Maryam."
Negus
said: "'Isa ('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 subsection 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 much 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, O wayfarer, that you will not reach the Ka'aba because the path that
you are following goes (in the opposite direction) to Turkistan.'
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