2 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD"Qatada stated to us, 'The first man to emigrate to God Almighty along with his
family was 'Uthma b. 'Affa, God be pleased with him.'
"I heard al-Nadr b. Anas state, 'I heard Aba Hamza (by whom he meant
Anas b. Malik) say, "Wthm b. 'Affq along with his wife Ruqayya, daughter
of the Messenger of God (SAAS), left for Abyssinia. A long time elapsed with-
out the Messenger of God (SAAS), having news of them, until a Quraysh
woman came to him and said, '0 Muhammad, I saw your son-in-law with his
wife in his company.' 'In what state did you see them?' he asked.
'""She replied, 'I saw him leading a decrepit old donkey on which his wife
was mounted.'
"' "The Messenger of God (SAAS), exclaimed, 'May God be with them both!
Wthman is the first man since Lot, upon whom be peace, to take himself and his
family into exile.'""'
Ibn Ishaq stated, "And (they also included) Aha Hudhayfa b. 'Utba and his
wife Sahla, daughter of Suhayl h. 'Amr; and in Abyssinia she bore him a son,
Muhammad h. Aba Hudhayfa.
"And there were al-Zubayr b. alLCAwwam, Mus'ab h. 'Umayr, 'Abd
al-RaMn b. 'Awf, Aba Salama h. 'Abd al-Asad, along with his wife Umm
Salama, daughter of Aha Umayya b. al-Mughira, to whom Zaynah was horn
there. Also travelling were Wthman h. Mq'an, and 'Amir b. Rabi'a, who was
allied to the al-Khactab fmily; he was from the tribe of 'Anz b. Walil. His wife
was Lay$, daughter of Aba Hathma. Then there was Abii Sabra b. Ahii Ruhm
al-'Amiri, with his wife Umm Kulthm, daughter of Suhayl b. 'Amr; the latter
is also known as Abii HXhb b. 'Amr b. 'Ahd Shams h. 'Abd Wudd b. Nqr b.
Mdik h. His1 h. 'Kmir. He is also said to have been the first to arrive there.
"Also there was Suhayl h. Baydiil.
"These ten men, so I have been told, were the first Muslims to leave for
Abyssinia."
Ibn Hishm stated, " Wthmm b. Macan was in command of them, according
to some scholars."
Ibn Ishaq stated, "Then Ja'far b. Aha Talib left, accompanied by his wife
Asmx', daughter of Wmays. 'Abd All& b. Jacfar was born to him in Abyssinia."
The Muslims followed on after one another, eventually being reunited in
Abyssinia.
Mnsa b. Wqba has claimed that the first migration to Abyssinia occurred when
Aha Talib and those who had allied with him in support of the Messenger of
God (SAAS), went into the shiCb.' There are differing views on this. But God
knows best.
He also claimed that the departure of Ja'far h. Ahii Tzlib came only in the
second migration to Abyssinia, after the return of some of those who had gone
- The defile in Mecca where he was permitted by Quraysh to take up residence.