Notes from Chapter 10 of Adil Salahi's book 'Muhammad – Man and Prophet' (published by Islamic Foundation): Moving Out (5th year of Prophethood).

1. 10. Moving Out
(5th year of Prophethood)

2. 
 The Prophet realised that no amount of persuasion
or negotiation would make the leaders of Makkah
change their hostile attitude to Islam
 Always a far-sighted and well-informed leader, the
Prophet advised his companions to emigrate to
Abyssinia where the Christian king, Negus, was
known for his abhorrence of injustice
 Abyssinia was be to a second home for the Islamic
call
Moving out

3. 
 The first party of Muslim emigrants to Abyssinia
consisted of 16 people, 4 of whom were women
 Among the emigrants was Uthman ibn Affan and his
wife, Ruqayyah, daughter of the Prophet
 Other parties of emigrants followed at frequent
intervals
Moving out

4. 
 The emigrants constituted a large section of the
Muslim community
 This was a shrewd tactical move by the Prophet since
the Muslims who stayed behind in Makkah no
longer constituted a threat to its social order
 This was bound to weaken the argument of the hard
liners, who advocated a strong-fisted approach to the
problem represented by Islam
Moving out

5. 
 The Quraysh were utterly displeased that the
Muslims should be able to escape its tyranny and
find peace and security in their new place of abode
 A meeting was called to discuss the situation, and it
was resolved to send a delegation to Negus
requesting him to deport the Muslims and send
them back home
 Amr ibn Al-Aas and Abdullah ibn Rabi’ah were
chosen for the mission
An appeal for extradition

6. 
 Amr in particular was well known for his diplomatic
skills
 He carried with him many gifts with which he
sought to make the atmosphere at Negus’s court
favourable when he made his request
 Amr’s plan was to present every one of the
patriarchs who attended Negus’s court with a fine
gift of animal hide
An appeal for extradition

7. 
 Feeling that he could rely on the help of the
patriarchs, Amr explained his mission
 The patriarchs promised Amr and his friend their
support and the ground was prepared for a quick
decision by Negus in favour of Amr and Abdullah
 When the two were admitted into court, they
presented the king with a precious gift of superb
camel hide
An appeal for extradition

8. 
 Nothing was more loathsome to the Quraysh
delegation that that Negus should call the Muslims
in to present their case
 They stressed that they were making their request on
behalf of the fugitives’ own parents and uncles, who
could not be expected to subject them to any harm
 As they made their case, the patriarchs supported
them
An appeal for extradition

9. 
 Negus was angry. He said, “A group of people who
have sought my shelter, preferring me over everyone
else, will not be summarily judged. I shall call them
in first and give them a chance to answer what these
two have alleged about them. Should I find these
allegations true, I will extradite them. Otherwise,
they will certainly enjoy my protection.”
An appeal for extradition

10. 
 The Makkan delegation were very disappointed at
the Negus’s decision, but they could do nothing
about it
 The Muslims consulted with one another when the
king’s messenger delivered to them an order to
appear at court
 They were unanimous that they would answer any
question put to them truthfully, regardless of what
results it might produce
An appeal for extradition

11. 
 When they were admitted to the king’s presence, he
came straight to the point and asked them, “What is
this new religion over which you are in dispute with
your own people and which is at variance with my
own religion and with all other known religions?”
An appeal for extradition

12. 
 The Muslims had chosen Ja’far ibn Abi Talib, the
Prophet’s own cousin, as their spokesman and he
put their case forward with a most eloquent
summary of the Islamic call
 Negus asked Ja’far to read a passage of the Qur’an
 Ja’far chose the opening of Surah 19, entitled Mary,
which speaks about Prophet Zachariah and his son
John before it goes on to relate the story of the virgin
birth of Jesus
An appeal for extradition

13. 
 Negus and his patriarchs were in tears and he said,
“What I have just heard comes from the same source
as Jesus’s revelations.”
 He then dismissed the Quraysh delegation and
assured the Muslims that they would have his full
protection
 Having failed, the Quraysh delegation began to
think of some other, more devious ways to achieve
their purpose
An appeal for extradition

14. 
 The following day Amr went back to Negus and said
to him: “These people make a very wild claim about
Jesus. You may wish to question them about that.”
 When the Muslims realised the reason for their
second summons to attend the king’s court, they
were alarmed
 They resolved, however, to stick to the truth and put
their case frankly and clearly
An appeal for extradition

15. 
 Ja’far, the Muslims’ spokesman, answered Negus’s
question about their view of Jesus without hesitation:
“Our view is that taught to us by our Prophet: Jesus
is God’s servant and messenger. He is His spirit and
His word delivered unto virgin Mary.”
 Negus picked up a little stick from the floor and said,
“What you have just said about Jesus does not go
beyond the truth by the width of this stick.”
An appeal for extradition

16. 
 To the jeers and sneers of the patriarchs, Negus
replied, “It is true, no matter what you say.”
 He then said to the Muslims, “You are safe in my
land. Whoever harms you will be brought to justice. I
would not harm any one of you for a mountain of
gold.”
 He then ordered his patriarchs to return the gifts of
the Quraysh delegation
An appeal for extradition

17. 
 The emigration of the Prophet’s companions to
Abyssinia was a highly significant event and the first
major political move taken by the Prophet
 A close examination of the list of people who
travelled shows that hardly any of the weak or
vulnerable members of the community took part
 On the other hand, one finds that the list of travellers
includes names of many prominent people who
belonged to famous clans
A shrewd plan

18. 
 The emigrants belonged to most, if not all, the clans
of the Quraysh
 The Prophet was keen to emphasise the very concept
which the Quraysh wanted to block
 He wanted his followers to realise that belonging to
Islam meant that they no longer belonged to a
particular clan and that their only tie of allegiance
was to their faith; they were simply Muslims
Realignment of loyalties

19. 
 Before the emigration to Abyssinia, those who heard
of Islam outside of Makkah did not pay much
attention to it, considering it an internal matter
which only concerned the Quraysh
 It was necessary, therefore, for Islam to break out of
this imposed confinement and to broaden the scope
of its efforts of advocacy
 The emigration to Abyssinia gave the Muslims a
chance to carry their message further afield
A new Muslim community

20. 
(Source: ‘Muhammad – Man and Prophet’ by Adil Salahi)
End