The handful of Muslim refugees including men and women under...

The handful of Muslim refugees including men and women under the leadership of Ja'fer crossed the Red Sea. This is known to be the first migration in the history of Islam, which occured in the fifth year after the Prophet had proclaimed Islam in 615 A.D. They were joined by more immigrants who had become the victims of the enemies of Islam. The number of the refugees rose to eighty-two men and eighteen women.

On arrival at the capital of Abyssinia, Ja'fer and his companions paid a visit to the Emperor Negus. The Emperor was very much impressed with the knowledge, behaviour and the politenes of Ja'fer and he received him with much honour and entertained him as a respected guest. When the non-believers of Quraish in Mecca came to know of this, Abdulla Bin Rabia and Amr Bin 'Aas together with some other people took some expensive gifts and arrived at the court of the Emperor Negus.

On entering the court, they prostrated (bowed in sajda) before the Emperor and presented him with the gifts. Then they said, "Someone in our country has invented a new religion and some people have joined him. We tried to stop this, but some of his followers have taken refuge in your country.

Now, we appeal to you to throw them out and hand them over to us." The Emperor replied that he had already given protection to them and would not throw them out of the country, but he would ask them to come there before them. So saying, the Emperor called in the Muslim refugees. Hazrat Ja'fer took with him some close companions and arrived at the court. But he did not prostrate (bow in sajda) before Negus.

People in the court criticised him for this and asked him why he had not bowed down before the Emperor as was customary. Hazrat Ja'fer promptly retorted, "We do not bow down before anybody except God." The Emperor knew that this was the true and basic teaching of divine religions. He called Ja'fer and gave a respectful place near him.

He then informed Ja'fer that some people from his country of origin had come there with a complaint that he had deserted his old religion and started a new one which rejected the original idol-worship. Hazrat Ja'fer in very impressive language, replied: "O King! We were in deep ignorance and barbarism; we adored idols, we lived in unchastity; we ate dead animals, we disregarded the duties of hospitality and neighbourhood; At that time, God raised among us a man, who is pure, truthful and honest.