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The idolaters, unconsciously and with full compliance, prostrated themselves in absolute god-fearing
and stainless devotion. It was in fact the wonderful moment of the Truth that cleaved through the
obdurate souls of the haughty and the attitude of the scoffers. They stood aghast when they
perceived that Allâh's Words had conquered their hearts and done the same thing that they had
been trying hard to annihilate and exterminate. Their co-polytheists who had not been present on
the scene reproached and blamed them severely; consequently they began to fabricate lies and
calumniate the Prophet (Peace be upon him) alleging that he had attached to their idols great
veneration and ascribed to them the power of desirable intercession. All of these were desperate
attempts made to establish an excusable justification for their prostrating themselves with the
Prophet (Peace be upon him) on that day. Of course, this foolish and iniquitous slanderous
behaviour was in line with their life-consecrated practice of telling lies and plot hatching.
News of this incident was misreported to the Muslim emigrants in Abyssinia (Ethiopia). They were
informed that the whole of Quraish had embraced Islam so they made their way back home. They
arrived in Makkah in Shawwal of the same year. When they were only an hour's travel from Makkah,
the reality of the situation was discovered. Some of them returned to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), others
sneaked secretly into the city or went in publicly but under the tutelage of a local notable. However,
due to the news that transpired to the Makkans about the good hospitality and warm welcome that
the Muslims were accorded in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), the polytheists got terribly indignant and started
to mete out severer and more horrible maltreatment andtortures to the Muslims. Thereupon the
Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) deemed it imperative to permit the helpless creatures to
seek asylum in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) for the second time. Migration this time was not as easy as it
was the previous time, for Quraish was on the alert to the least suspicious moves of the Muslims. In
due course, however, the Muslims managed their affairs too fast for the Quraishites to thwart their
attempt of escape. The group of emigrants this time comprised eighty three men and nineteen or, in
some versions, eighteen women. Whether or not 'Ammar was included is still a matter of doubt.
QURAISH'S MACHINATION AGAINSTN THE EMIGRANTS:
Quraish could not tolerate the
prospect of a secure haven available for the Muslims in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), so they despatched two
staunch envoys to demand their extradition. They were 'Amr bin Al-'As and 'Abdullah bin Abi Rabi'a
— before embracing Islam. They had taken with them valuable gifts to the king and his clergy, and
had been able to win some of the courtiers over to their side. The pagan envoys claimed that the
Muslim refugees should be expelled from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and made over to them, on the
ground that they had abandoned the religion of their forefathers, and their leader was preaching a
religion different from theirs and from that of the king.
The king summoned the Muslims to the court and asked them to explain the teachings of their
religion. The Muslim emigrants had decided to tell the whole truth whatever the consequences were.
Ja'far bin Abi Talib stood up and addressed the king in the following words: "O king! we were
plunged in the depth of ignorance and barbarism; we adored idols, we lived in unchastity, we ate
the dead bodies, and we spoke abominations, we disregarded every feeling of humanity, and the
duties of hospitality and neighbourhood were neglected; we knew no law but that of the strong,
when Allâh raised among us a man, of whose birth, truthfulness, honesty, and purity we were
aware; and he called to the Oneness of Allâh, and taught us not to associate anything with Him. He
forbade us the worship of idols; and he enjoined us to speak the truth, to be faithful to our trusts, to
be merciful and to regard the rights of the neighbours and kith and kin; he forbade us to speak evil
of women, or to eat the substance of orphans; he ordered us to fly from the vices, and to abstain
from evil; to offer prayers, to render alms, and to observe fast. We have believed in him, we have
accepted his teachings and his injunctions to worship Allâh, and not to associate anything with Him,
and we have allowed what He has allowed, and prohibited what He has prohibited. For this reason,
our people have risen against us, have persecuted us in order to make us forsake the worship of
Allâh and return to the worship of idols and other abominations. They have tortured and injured us,
until finding no safety among them, we have come to your country, and hope you will protect us
from oppression."
The king was very much impressed by these words and asked the Muslims to recite some of Allâh's
Revelation. Ja'far recited the opening verses of
Sûrah Maryam
(Chapter 19— Mary) wherein is told
the story of the birth of both John and Jesus Christ, down to the account of Mary having been fed
with the food miraculously. Thereupon the king, along with the bishops of his realm, was moved to
tears that rolled down his cheeks and even wet his beard. Here, the Negus exclaimed: "It seems as
if these words and those which were revealed to Jesus are the rays of the light which have radiated
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