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Seerah / Persecution

Reviewed

Refuge in Abyssinia

Date
c. 615 CE onwards · approximate
Location
Abyssinia (Ethiopia)
People
Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (RA), An-Najashi (the Negus)

Persecuted Muslims found refuge with the Negus. Abu Musa (RA) describes meeting Ja'far (RA) there, and Jabir (RA) reports the Prophet ﷺ praying the funeral prayer for the Negus — both in Sahih al-Bukhari.

As it was narrated

The story, in the words of those who were there

Read slowly. These are the Companions' own words, from the verified hadith collections.

Hadith
Hadith collection

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا بُرَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى ـ رضى الله عنه ـ بَلَغَنَا مَخْرَجُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَنَحْنُ بِالْيَمَنِ فَرَكِبْنَا سَفِينَةً فَأَلْقَتْنَا سَفِينَتُنَا إِلَى النَّجَاشِيِّ بِالْحَبَشَةِ، فَوَافَقْنَا جَعْفَرَ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، فَأَقَمْنَا مَعَهُ حَتَّى قَدِمْنَا، فَوَافَقْنَا النَّبِيَّ …

Narrated Abu Musa:We received the news of the departure of the Prophet (to Medina) while we were in Yemen. So we went on board a ship but our ship took us away to An-Najashi (the Negus) in Ethiopia. There we met Ja`far bin Abi Talib and stayed with him till we came (to Medina) by the time when the Prophet (ﷺ) had conquered Khaibar. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O you people of the ship! You will have (the reward of) two migrations

Sahih al-Bukhari · Hadith 3876 · Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar)
Translation: Sahih al-Bukhari — English. Hadith data: fawazahmed0/hadith-api (numbering and gradings as published there).

Grading information unavailable in source data · from a collection regarded as sahih

Open source
Hadith
Hadith collection

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حِينَ مَاتَ النَّجَاشِيُّ ‏ "‏ مَاتَ الْيَوْمَ رَجُلٌ صَالِحٌ، فَقُومُوا فَصَلُّوا عَلَى أَخِيكُمْ أَصْحَمَةَ ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Jabir:When Negus died, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Today a pious man has died. So get up and offer the funeral prayer for your brother Ashama

Sahih al-Bukhari · Hadith 3877 · Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar)
Translation: Sahih al-Bukhari — English. Hadith data: fawazahmed0/hadith-api (numbering and gradings as published there).

Grading information unavailable in source data · from a collection regarded as sahih

Open source

Lessons

  • A just ruler is a refuge, whoever he is.
  • Leaving for safety can be part of faith, not a lack of it.

Lessons are editorial reflections drawn from the event and its sources.

Pause for a moment

Which moment of your own life does this remind you of? Sit with it for a minute, then send salawat on the one who lived it ﷺ.

Send salawat ﷺ

Bibliography

  • Sahih al-Bukhari 3876–3877 · primary source
  • Ibn Hisham, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (further reading)
  • Ibn Kathir, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (further reading)
  • Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum (further reading)

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