The First Hijrah

As the persecution in Mecca intensified, the Prophet ﷺ felt pain for the suffering of his companions. He pointed towards the west and said, 'If you were to go to the land of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), for there is a king there who does not wrong anyone.' Following his advice, a group of Muslims, twelve men and four women, slipped away at night and sailed across the Red Sea. This was the first Hijrah (migration) in Islam. They found safety and freedom of worship under the protection of the Negus (Najashi), a just Christian king. Later, a larger group joined them, bringing the total to over eighty migrants.