الهجرة الأولى إلى الحبشة
The First Migration to Abyssinia
Rajab, 7 BH (615 CE)
From Makkah to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) من مكة إلى الحبشة
When persecution became unbearable, the Prophet ﷺ instructed a group of Muslims to migrate to Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia), under the rule of the just Christian king, An-Najashi (Negus). The first group comprised twelve men and four women, led by Uthman ibn Affan and his wife Ruqayyah, the Prophet's ﷺ daughter.
Why this matters
This was the first migration in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ chose Abyssinia because of the justice of its ruler, demonstrating that Muslims could seek refuge with just non-Muslims. It also established the principle that when practicing the faith becomes impossible in one land, migration to a place of safety is not just permitted but can be obligatory.