الهجرة الثانية إلى الحبشة
The Second Migration to Abyssinia
Shawwal, 7 BH (615 CE)
Abyssinia (Ethiopia) الحبشة
A larger group of approximately 83 men and 18-19 women undertook the second migration to Abyssinia. When the Quraysh sent emissaries (Amr ibn al-As and Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'ah) to An-Najashi to demand the return of the Muslims, Ja'far ibn Abi Talib eloquently defended Islam before the king. He recited verses from Surah Maryam about Prophet Isa (Jesus), which moved An-Najashi to tears, and the king refused to hand them over.
Why this matters
Ja'far's speech before An-Najashi is one of the most powerful moments in early Islamic history. He described the pre-Islamic state of the Arabs and how Islam transformed them. An-Najashi's refusal to hand over the Muslims, despite pressure from the Quraysh, demonstrated the power of truth to move just hearts, regardless of religious background.
Quran references
وَٱذْكُرْ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ مَرْيَمَ
Surah Maryam, 16-36
And mention in the Book [the story of] Maryam... (the passage Ja'far recited before An-Najashi)