Abyssinia (Aksum)
الحبشة
The Aksumite kingdom across the Red Sea: twice occupier of Yemen (340 and 525), patron of Abraha’s elephant campaign, and later refuge of the first Muslim emigrants.
At a glance
- Era
- Pre-Islamic Arabia
- Region
- East Africa & Swahili coast
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
Abyssinia (Axum): the kingdom beyond the Red Sea; Yemen's occupier twice, author of the Elephant campaign, and later shelter of the Muslim emigrants.
The place
The Abyssinians first occupied Yemen in 340 CE, exploiting the rivalry between Hamdan and Himyar, and their occupation lasted until 378 CE 1.
Then they occupied it again in 525 CE with seventy thousand soldiers under Aryat and a Roman fleet; among their governors was Abraha, author of the Elephant campaign against Mecca 2.
For young visitors
Abyssinia is a great African kingdom facing Yemen; it ruled Yemen for a time, and from it came the famous Elephant campaign.
Sources
- Tafhim al-Quran — Abu al-A'la al-Mawdudi
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Abyssinia (Aksum)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/place/abyssinia/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-12.