The first migration to Abyssinia

In Rajab of the fifth year of the mission, the first group of the Prophet ﷺ's companions set out for Abyssinia: twelve men and four women, led by Uthman ibn Affan, with him Ruqayya, the Prophet's daughter ¹.

They set out by night, secretly, so that Quraysh would not notice them. They made for the sea and the port of Shu'ayba. Providence arranged for them two merchant ships, which sailed them to Abyssinia. When Quraysh noticed, they went out in pursuit, but when they reached the shore they found that the emigrants had already set off, safe ^{1 2}. The Muslims stayed in Abyssinia in the best of neighbourhood ³.

A false report reached the people of Mecca that Quraysh had become Muslim, so some of the emigrants returned to Mecca in Shawwal of the same year. When they were an hour of daylight away from it, they learned the truth, and those who had returned went back to Abyssinia. None of the rest entered Mecca except in hiding or under the protection of a man of Quraysh ^{4 5}.

Quraysh then sent Amr ibn al-As and Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'a with gifts, first to the patriarchs of the Negus and then to him, asking that the emigrants be returned. The Negus returned the gifts and kept the Muslims with him. Ja'far ibn Abi Talib was their spokesman ^{6 5}.