The Migration to Ethiopia and the Hijra to Madinah

As the persecution in Mecca intensified, the Prophet, peace be upon him, directed his Companions to seek refuge in the land of the Abyssinian king, the Negus, known in Arabic as al-Najashi. He described the Negus as a just ruler in whose kingdom no one was wronged. Two waves of emigration followed. The first was a small group; the second was larger, eventually numbering over eighty men along with women and children.

The Quraysh sent two emissaries — Amr ibn al-As and Abd Allah ibn Abi Rabi'ah — with gifts for the Negus and his courtiers, intending to persuade him to return the Muslims as fugitives. The Negus assembled his bishops and summoned the Muslims. Jafar ibn Abi Talib served as their spokesman, and he recited verses from Surah Maryam describing the birth of Isa, upon him be peace. The Negus wept, as did the bishops, and he declared that the difference between what the Muslims said about Isa and what the Christians said was no wider than the line he drew on the ground. He returned the Quraysh emissaries' gifts and refused to hand over the refugees. The Muslims remained in Abyssinia, safe and protected, for years.

Back in Mecca, perhaps the most dramatic individual conversions occurred during this period. Hamzah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the Prophet's uncle and a formidable warrior, learned that Abu Jahl had insulted the Prophet, and his tribal and personal loyalty ignited into something deeper: he embraced Islam, and his conversion added real strength to the community. Shortly after, Umar ibn al-Khattab — at the time one of Islam's most fierce opponents — was on his way to kill the Prophet when he encountered his sister and brother-in-law reciting Quran. When he heard Surah Ta-Ha, something broke open in him. He went instead to the Prophet and declared his Islam. The Prophet and his Companions rejoiced.

The year known as the Year of Sorrow, approximately the tenth year of prophethood, brought devastating personal loss. Khadijah died. Then Abu Talib died. With Abu Talib gone, the Prophet's protection within Mecca's tribal system collapsed. He traveled to Ta'if seeking a new base of support, but its leaders rejected him and sent the street children to throw stones at him until his feet bled. At his lowest point, the divine response came.

The Night Journey and Ascension — Isra wal-Mi'raj — took the Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem, where he led the previous prophets in prayer at al-Aqsa, then ascended through the heavens, encountering the prophets at each level, until he reached a station no created being had reached. The five daily prayers were made obligatory during this ascension.

In the eleventh and twelfth years of prophethood, delegations from Yathrib — later called Madinah — came to Mecca during the pilgrimage season. First a small group at the first pledge of Aqabah, then seventy-three men and two women at the second, pledging to protect the Prophet as they would protect their own families. The Hijra — the migration to Madinah — followed. The Prophet and Abu Bakr traveled together by night, hiding in the Cave of Thawr for three days while the Quraysh searched for them. They arrived in Madinah to a reception of joy and song, inaugurating a new chapter in the history of Islam.