Ethiopia, the Place of First Migration of the Companions of the Prophet

 

Muslimcreed.com – Ethiopia formerly known as Habasya became the place of the first Hijrah of the Companions of the Prophet SAW.

In this country that was hit by famine, Islam ranks second after Orthodox Christianity.

The city of Makkah, in the month of Rajab in the seventh year Before Hijriyah (SH)/615 AD, in the midst of a gripping darkness, 12 men and four women of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad sneaked out of Makkah.

Two boats floating in Shuaibah Harbor are ready to take them to a land to escape the wrath and savagery of the Quraysh.

The country they are going to is called Habasyah or Abyssinia and is now known as the country of Ethiopia – an empire on the mainland of the African continent. The companions migrated to Habasyah on the advice of the Prophet Muhammad.

The appointment of Habasyah as a refugee camp because the King Negus (Najasyi) who is in power in the country is known as a just person, generous, and likes to receive guests.

Prior to the migration to Medina, the first Muslim migration was to Ethiopia, and the companions who emigrated were Usman bin Affan and his wife Ruqayyah.

Arriving there, the King of Ethiopia welcomed the friends and placed them in Negash which is located in the north of the Tigray Province and this was the first time the teachings of Islam came to Africa.

After three months of living in Ethiopia and receiving protection from the king, the companions tried to return to their hometown in Mecca. However, at that time the situation in Mecca was not safe from the threat of the Quraish infidels.

The Prophet also advised his companions to respect and protect Ethiopia and ordered other Muslims to return to Ethiopia for the second time. The number of friends who migrated in the second wave consisted of 80 friends.

Amr bin Ash and Abdullah bin Abi Rabi’ah al-Makhzumi, who became envoys from the Quraysh infidels to appear before King Najashi and asked to expel the Muslims from the land of Ethiopia.

King Najasyi refused the request of the Quraish infidels and allowed the companions to stay until the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) went to migrate to Medina. Then they spread Islam in the east.

Slowly, Islam was accepted and began to develop in Ethiopia. At first, it developed in the southern coastal areas of Africa, especially Somalia.

After that, many Ethiopians decided to embrace Islam. The rapid development of Islam in Ethiopia did not run smoothly and met resistance from local people in the northern region of Ethiopia.

Although the people of the northern region practice the Waaqa tradition which is influenced by Islamic culture, they actually do not like Islam to develop in the Ethiopian area and most of the Muslims in Ethiopia are in Somalia, Afar, and Oromo.

Islam reached its glory in this predominantly Christian country, when it was able to establish a Muslim sultanate.

Among the sultanates that once ruled in Ethiopia include the Harar Sultanate in eastern Ethiopia; Ifat Sultanate in eastern Ethiopia; and the Shewa Sultanate in central Ethiopia.

wallohua’lam.