Divine Succour

Their greatest strength was Islam In the face of unrelenting oppression by the Quraysh, a group of some eighty Muslims emigrated, under the leadership of Jaafar ibn abi-Talib, from Makkah to Abyssinia in the fifth year of the Prophet’s mission. The Quraysh sent their envoys to the Christian king of Abyssinia to seek the Muslims’ return, but the King had been so impressed by the Muslims’ way of speaking and behaving that he refused the Quraysh’s request, and promised the Muslims a safe refuge in his land. “If anyone insults you, he shall be punished,” he assured them. “I will not wrong anyone of you, even in return for a mountain of gold. “You can remain here as long as you please.” He gave orders for the Muslims to be provided with food and clothing, and asked them whether they were having to suffer any ill-treatment. When they said that they were, he issued a proclamation to the effect that anyone ill-treating a Muslim would have to pay him (the Muslim) a fine of four dirhams. “Is that sufficient?” he asked the Muslims. When they said that it was not, he doubled the sum. When the Muslims emigrated from Makkah to Madinah, the Muslims who had settled in Abyssinia also moved there; they were given mounts and provisions for their journey by the King.