The Illustrious Sahaabah The Illustrious Sahaabah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam)
When the disbelievers observed that day-by-day, more and more people were entering into the fold of Islam, and Islam and the Muslims were getting stronger, they unanimously resolved to increase their persecution of the Muslims.
They began to torture the Muslims and mercilessly beat them. They also imprisoned them and starved them. Some of them would make the Muslims lie on the blistering hot sand of Makkah Mukarramah to swelter and burn under the midday sun. All of this was done by the kuffaar only in order to try and force the Muslims to leave Islam. (Rowdh-ul-Unuf 1/83-84)
When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) saw the severe torture and oppression which the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) were undergoing, and that they were not allowed to practice their deen in peace, he permitted them to migrate to the land of Habshah (Abyssinia).
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) addressed the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) saying:
تفرقوا في الأرض فإن الله سيجمعكم
Disperse from this land and go to another land, for Allah Ta‘ala will certainly gather you all (and bring you together one day)!
The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) enquired:
إلى أين نذهب
To which land should we go?
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) gestured towards Abyssinia with his blessed hand and said:
إلى هاهنا
Go towards that direction! (Sharhuz Zurqaani 1/503)
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) also said to the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum), “You should go to the land of Abyssinia, for in that land is a king by whom no person is oppressed. It is a land where justice prevails. You should go there so that Allah Ta‘ala may grant you an escape from the difficulty you are undergoing.” (Rodh-ul-Unuf 2/90)
It was then that the first group of Sahaabah set out for Abyssinia in the month of Rajab of the year 5 AH. This group consisted of eleven men and four women whose names are mentioned below:
- Hazrat Uthmaan bin Affaan and his wife, Hazrat Ruqayyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma)
- Hazrat Abdur Rahmaan bin Awf (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)
- Hazrat Zubair bin Awwaam (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)
- Hazrat Abu Huzaifah bin Utbah and his wife, Hazrat Sahlah bint Suhail (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma)
- Hazrat Mus’ab bin Umair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)
- Hazrat Abu Salamah bin Abdil Aas and his wife, Hazrat Ummu Salamah (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma)
- Hazrat Uthmaan bin Maz’oon (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)
- Hazrat Aamir bin Rabee’ah and his wife, Hazrat Layla bint Abi Hathamah (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma)
- Hazrat Suhail bin Baydaa (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)
- Hazrat Abu Sabrah bin Abi Ruhm Aamiri and his wife, Hazrat Ummu Kulthoom bint Suhail bin Amr (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma)
- Hazrat Haatib bin Amr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)
(Fat-hul Baari 7/188)
These eleven men and five women departed from Makkah Mukarramah in secret, traveling towards the port of Jeddah. Some set out alone, while others set out with their families. Some of them were mounted on conveyances while others travelled on foot.
The First People to Set Out on the Hijrah to Abyssinia
The first people to set out on this hijrah were Hazrat Uthmaan and his respected wife, Hazrat Ruqayyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma).
Before Hazrat Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) set out on the journey to Abyssinia, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) advised him to take his respected wife with. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) addressed him saying, “Take Ruqayyah with you. I feel that you both will be a support for each other.”
After Hazrat Uthmaan and Hazrat Ruqayyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) had departed, there was no news forthcoming regarding their whereabouts and condition. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) became worried and concerned and asked the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) to see if they could acquire any information regarding them.
In the state of concern and worry, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) would come out of Makkah Mukarramah and seek information regarding them, until eventually, a woman from the Quraish came to him and informed him of their condition.
She addressed Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and said, “O Muhammed! I saw your son-in-law, Uthmaan, with his wife, Ruqayyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma).” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) asked her, “In what condition did you find them?” She replied, “I saw that he had mounted his wife onto a conveyance, while he walked on foot.”
Hearing that they were well and unharmed, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) felt relieved and happy. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then made dua for them saying, “May Allah Ta‘ala be with them!” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) also said, “Indeed, Uthmaan and his respected wife are the first people to perform hijrah for the sake of Allah Ta‘ala after Nabi Lut (‘alaihis salaam) made hijrah.” (Majma’uz Zawaa’id #14498, Mustadrak Haakim #6849, Bidaayah wan Nihaayah 3/65)
In some reports, it is mentioned that sometime after their departure, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) asked Hazrat Asmaa (radhiyallahu ‘anha), the respected daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), to find out about Hazrat Uthmaan and Hazrat Ruqayyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma). After making enquiries, she came to inform Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) regarding their condition.
When she reached Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), she found him with her respected father, Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), and she said, “O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! I received information that Hazrat Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) is presently travelling in the direction of the sea in the condition that his respected family, Hazrat Ruqayyah (radhiyallahu ‘anha), is seated on a saddled donkey.”
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) became pleased and said, “O Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)! They are the first people in the world to perform hijrah in the path of Allah Ta‘ala after the two Ambiyaa, Nabi Lut (‘alaihis salaam) and Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam), performed hijrah.” (Mustadrak Haakim #6849)
After Hazrat Uthmaan and Hazrat Ruqayyah (radhiyallahu ‘anha), other Sahaabah also began to leave Makkah Mukarramah, until they all met at the port of Jeddah. On arriving in Jeddah, they were fortunate to find that a merchant ship was about to depart for Abyssinia. They all boarded the ship for a fee of just half a dinaar. (Fat-hul Baari 7/232, Sharhuz Zurqaani 1/505)
As soon as the disbelievers of Makkah Mukarramah learnt of their secret departure, they sent a search party to pursue them and bring them back. However, by the time the search party reached the port, the ship had already departed and the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) had escaped. (Uyoon-ul-Athar 1/136)
When Hazrat Sa’eed bin Zaid (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) passed away, then Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqqaas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) were among the people who gave him ghusal. After the ghusal, the janaazah was carried by the people from Aqeeq to Madinah Munawwarah to be buried in Baqi’, the graveyard of Madinah Munawwarah. When the janaazah passed the home of Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), he (Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) entered his home to take a quick bath before joining the people in the burial. Before leaving his home, he addressed his family and said, “I did not take a bath because I participated in the ghusal of Sa’eed (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). Rather, I only took a bath due to the heat.” (Majmauz Zawaaid #14880)
