Significance of Migration to Abyssinia
The migration of the Holy Prophet PBUH companions to Abyssinia was a significant event which can be described as the first major political move taken by the Holy Prophet PBUH When the companions went on their long trip to Abyssinia, each one of them had in his mind only one tie of allegiance was also strengthened among those Muslims who remained in Makkah. They were now weaker than before and if was this weakness that brought them even closer.
Thus, the migration to Abyssinia made the feelings of unity among Muslims stronger. whether they were among the emigrants or those who stayed behind.
The emigration to Abyssinia gave the Muslims a chance to carry the message of Islam further and out of Arabia. They were able to establish a close community that conducted its affairs on the basis of Islamic teachings that they had learnt from the Holy Prophet PBUH. It also became clear to them that it was possible to establish a Muslim society that implemented Islam without the presence of Allah s messenger to supervise that society and conduct its affairs. The migration provided practical training during the Holy Prophet PBUH lifetime for the establishment of a Muslim society in which the Prophet did not live.
The migration of the Holy Prophet’s PBUH companions to Abyssinia took place in the fifth year of the prophethood. When the last of the Holy Prophet’ s companions who went to Abyssnia came back, they joined the Holy Prophet PBUH and his army at the conquest of Khyber when the battle was already over. The Holy Prophet PBUH gave the new arrivals equal share of the spoils of war as of those who took part in the battle of Khyber. This shows that he considered them to have been on a mission of Jihad.
These migrations also convinced the Quraish of the sincerity of the Muslims who were ready to undergo loss and hardship rather than give up the faith of Islam.
The most important result was that the Muslims came to know that there were places where they could seek shelter and protection from the persecution of the Quraish. It ultimately gave birth to the idea of a greater migration to Yatrib.
The immediate result of the migration was increased trouble for the Muslims in Makkah the leaders of the Quraish were very angry at their failure in Abyssinia.
