THE FIRST EMIGRATION.

VERSE NO. 82- 86.

      Most of the commentators have narrated that these five verses revealed on the occasion of the first Emigration in which a group of Muslims were forced to depart from Mecca, their home town, and live in ABYSSINIA for several years. In the history of Islam this is called the First Emigration; the detail of which follows:-

      The opposition of the leading men of Mecca, made the life very difficult for the followers of Mohammad S.A. the Messenger of God.

      In Mecca there was no public judicial or police system to look after the safe living and security of the townsfolk. Crimes were kept in ckeck by the blood-wit for injuries to members. The head of each clan had unquestioned power and authority upon the individuals!

      Mohammad S.A. himself was under the support of his uncle; ABUTALIB, who was the chief of the most powerful clan of BANIHASHIM, and therefore he was to some extent immune of the attacks. But those converts who had no patronage, were bitterly persecuted, and were put to torture by the leading men of the clans.

      Mohammad S.A. who could neither suffer to see his faithful followers in that painful condition, nor had he enough apparent power to support them; had to do something to prevent the persecutions. In this respect, Gabriel brought him new instructions that those Muslims in danger may migrate to ABYSSINIA, a country that nowadays we call it ETHIOPIA. The country was then ruled by its, NEGUS - a title given to its sovereign - whose name was ASHAMEH which may mean the gift. He was indeed a fair, kind, pious gentleman, who ruled Ethiopia with justice. He was a truthful Christian too.

      With the permission of the prophet a group of 83 men, women and children emigrated to Abyssinia, and were all welcomed there, and started living a tranquil life. JAAFAR TAYYAR, a brother to Hazrat Imam Ali (AS), was leading the group of emigrants.

      The Meccans, and the bedoin idolaters were alarmed when they heard of the emigration of such a large group of their Muslim Citizens! They immediately sent two ministers with some valuable presents to the Negus of Abyssinia. These two ministers were among the most cunning diplomats of Arab, and were named:- AMR- IBN- طES and ABDULLAH- IBN- RABIEH. They were instructed to contact some of the courtiers before they visited the king, and by bribery influence them, so that they would persuade the king to hand over the fugitives. When the ministers reached the capital, they first of all contacted with some courtiers and army commanders, and offered to them some valuable presents such as the famous Arabian horses, and bribed them and befriended them.

      These bribed patrons, introduced them to the Negus and they offered to his majesty the presents which they had brought for that purpose. The Negus respected them, and asked them questions about their country and the situation of their people. In answer to the king AMR- IBN- طED said:-

      ``Your majesty! We were a people living in peace and happiness, but recently some agitators have disturbed our comfort and tranquility. A group of our foolish people among whom are some fugitive slave have been seduced by a magician who claims to be a prophet and the Messenger of God! These have renounced faith, and have given up the religion of our ancestor, ABRAHAM! They have converted to a religion which is neither like our father's religion, nor like that of your Christianity. Our people have all been arisen against them and their innovations. These rebels have now escaped to your country who will soon corrupt your majesty's religion too! Their fathers and families have sent us here to beg your majesty's permission to have their repatriation.''

      In a deep silence of those who were present, the king seemed to be thoughtful and considering what he had heard.

      Then one of the bribed courtiers took the lead and said:- ``Your Majesty! These representatives of the Arabs seem to be truthful, and they know their own people better than us. I am of opinion that if your majesty does not mind, we better have their fugitives repatriated and get rid of their future troubles.''

      The king who felt a little suspicious on what the courtiers said gazed at him for a moment and then said:-

      ``Not that! I am not going to take any decision until I see the refugees and have a chat with them. At present they are all my guests and no one should bother them the least.''

      The king then ordered his secretary to make an arrangement for the talk with the refugees.

 

MUSLIMS IN PRESENCE OF THE NEGUS

      In the appointed time, the Muslim refugees went to the court of Negus, where they found themselves in a glorious meeting. The king was on the throne and the bishops upon their seats at the right side of the king, and several courtiers at the left.

      When the Muslims entered, they greeted the king with their usual word of SALAM, without the least of bowing down or other sort of physical humilities, and the Negus too welcomed them warmly.

The Ethiopia king asked them why had they emigrated to his land, and in answer, JAAFAR TAYYAR (JAAFAR THE FLYER) said:-

      ``Your Majesty! We were a group of people living in ignorance and paganism, worshipping idols and other false gods - the gods that we made them with our own hands out of wood, stone and other materials. Our deeds were evil. We behaved our neighbour and parents badly. Our strong would transgress our weak. Adulteries, gamblings, female infanticide and theft, were something common and prevalent among us.

      We were so, and worse; until the Merciful God rouse a prophet of our own, whose ancestry we knew well, and whose truthfulness we all confirmed, so much so that, our community gave him the title of AMIN, when he was young. (AMIN= TRUSTWORTHY= TRUTHFUL)

      The prophet called us to leave worshipping idols, and to cease serving false gods; and enjoined us to believe and serve Allah, the only one God who is the Creator of all things. The prophet taught us to be truthful and trustee. He enjoined loyalty to kins and family, and hospitality to the strangers. He ordered us to avoid blood- feuds, vendetta, and adultery, and warned us severely not to damage the rights of the orphans. He has stirctly forbidden us not to devour usury, and has declared wine, and all intoxicants, unlawful for a Muslim to drink. We are strictly wanted to be good and to do good to our father and mother and be humble to both of them.

      The prophet has commanded all Muslims to perform regular daily prayer, and to Fast all the month of Ramazan in the year, and to pay alms and tithe in charity.

      GOREISH have been our enemy for obeying our prophet in the said commandments; for leaving their idols and worshipping the only one God. They tortured us for our belief, and persecuted us for saying there is only one God! We endured their barbarious persecutions for a long time, but when our prophet felt that we could no more bear the pains of their torture; he ordered us to emigrate to ABYSSINIA, because he believed that the country is ruled by a fair, just and godly Christian king.

      Now they have come here after us, to take us back and under wild torture and barbarious persecutions compel us to renounce Allah, and the Truthful creed of ABRAHAM and rejoin in worshipping their devilish idols and gods!''

      After a relatively long pause and silence, the king asked JAAFAR:- ``Has anything of a book or Scripture been revealed to your prophet?'' And can you tell me what is exactly the views and ideas of your prophet about Jesus Christ''

      In answer to the Negus JAAFAR TAYYAR said:-

      ``Yes your Majesty! There has a Divine Book been revealed to our prophet which is named QURطN. In our Holy Quran, there are so many verses about Jesus Christ, and there is a whole Chapter too, in our Book which is named after MARY, the mother of your prophet, and I have committed that Chapter into my memory.''

      Negus said:- ``Then let us hear that'' And JAAFAR began to rehearse the verses of the Chapter of Mary from the Glorious Quran as follows:-

 

      And relate in the Book (THE STORY OF) Mary, when she left her family for a place in the east. She then screened herself from them; and We sent to her our Spirit that appeared to her as a man! She said to him:- `May the Merciful God defend me if you fear not the Lord! He said:- `I am only a Messenger from your Lord, and have come to grant you a holy son!''

      She said to him:- `How am I to bear a son, and no man has ever touched me?! And I am not unchaste.''

      He said; so has said your Lord, and that is easy for him. He is to appoint him as a sign unto man, and a Mercy too: That is a matter so decreed. There upon she conceived and retired to a remote place. Then the pain of child- birth drove her to the trunk of a palm- tree. She cried (IN HER ANGUISH); ``O, would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten!''

      But a voice from below cried out to her:- ``Grieve not! Your Lord has provided a rivulet beneath you! Then shake towards yourself the palm- tree; and fresh, ripe dates will drop down in your lap! So eat and drink and rejoice! And should you meet anyone, tell them that you have vowed a fast to the most Merciful, and you will not speak to anyone today.''

      Then Mary took the child to her family! They said:- ``This is indeed a strange thing! O, you sister of Aaron! Your father was not a man of evil, nor your mother was an unchaste woman!''

      She pointed out to the bab. (i. e. ask the baby!) They said: ``how can we ask a child in cradle?'' But the baby did speak, saying:- ``I am the servant of God. He has given me the Gospel, and ordained me a prophet. He has made me a blessing wherever I be. God has commanded me to be stead fast in prayer, and to give alms to the poor, so long as I live, and to do good to my mother. God has purged me away from all sorts of tyranics, and peace was upon me the day I was born, and peace is with me the day I die and the day I rise again.''

      Such was Jesus the son of Mary. It is a statement of truth about which they dispute. It is not becoming to the majesty of God to beget a son! Glory be to Him! When he determines a matter, He only says to it `BE!' and it will `BE'   QURAN S 19: 16-39

      The fair and just Negus of ABYSSINIA listened very carefully to the verses of Quran rehearsed by JAAFAR, and tears covered his eyes! He then addressed the emigrants and said:- `What your prophet has received is of the some root and source that was revealed to our prophets, and in particular to Jesus Christ. So you need not to worry any more, and you may live a peaceful life here among your Christian brothers as long as you wish. You are welcome to us, and you will never be repatriated.''

      The bishops didn't like the reaction of their king to the verses of Quran, for differing from TRINITY, but they dared not to say anything against the king's will. AMIR- IBN- AAS and his friend too, who were put to shame and disgrace, did not utter a word more. The Negus gave them back their bribing presents, and ordered them to leave the land at once. The emigrant lived in Ethiopia in peace and freedom, until the conquest of KHAIBAR, when all of them returned to Medina and joined the prophet and Muslims.

 

THE JEWISH MALICE AND CHRISTIAN'S AMITY

VERSE NO. 82- 86

      The history of Islam is a good proof that the Jews have always shown ill will of themselves towards Muslims, and have been the most violent of people in enmity against us! On contrary, Christians have behaved more friendly and have almost always showed a good- will and friendliness to Islamic nations.

      In the battle waged against Islam, the Jews have always had a hand, while the less were Muslims confronted with Christians in their battlefields; with the exception of the crusades, which were nine military expeditions undertaken by Christian power in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims.