{"id":4822,"date":"2021-06-12T07:28:16","date_gmt":"2021-06-12T06:28:16","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2021-06-12T07:28:16","modified_gmt":"2021-06-12T06:28:16","slug":"hadrat-jafar-al-tayyar-the-leader-muslim-immigrants-in-habasha-ethiopia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/4822\/hadrat-jafar-al-tayyar-the-leader-muslim-immigrants-in-habasha-ethiopia\/","title":{"rendered":"Hadrat Jafar al-Tayyar, the Leader Muslim Immigrants in Habasha (Ethiopia)"},"content":{"rendered":"

al-Tayyar, the Leader Muslim Immigrants in Habasha (Ethiopia)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Beginning<\/strong>
\nAbu Talib, Shaikh al-Bat-ha, missed his nephew our Master Muhammad [s]. So, he went to look for him. He was not alone. His son Ja\u2019far aged twenty was with him. Shaikh al-Bat-ha and his son went to the hills near Makkah. They found him there.
\nOur Master Muhammad [s] was praying humbly. Ali, the young man of Islam, was praying on his right. They were not afraid of anyone but Allah. They were praying for Allah, the Creator of the skies and the earth, the Creator of creatures, While they were praying, their number was a pitiful sight. Abu Talib turned to his son and said:<\/p>\n

Join your cousin\u2019s wing<\/strong>
\nNamely, stand on his left hand, for Ali has stood on his right hand. The bird can\u2019t fly but with two wings. This means that Abu Talib, the Prophet\u2019s uncle, did not want our Master Muhammad [s] to stay with one wing. Since then, Ja\u2019far\u2019s name has appeared in the bright history of Islam.
\nJa\u2019far bin Abu Talib was born about 25 years after the Year of the Elephant. He was 10 years older than his brother Ali. He was about 20 years younger than our Master Muhammad [s].
\nJa\u2019far bin Abu Talib looked like our Master Muhammad [s]. He lived with his cousin al-Abbas. Abu Talib had a big family. Our Master Muhammad [s] wanted to relieve his worries. So, he took Ali to his house. Al-Abbas took Ja\u2019far to his house.
\nThe light of Islam illuminated the sky of Makkah. Our Master Muhammad [s] invited the bewildered to the New Light. He invited the defeated and the oppressed to the religion of salvation and freedom. He invited the drowning in the darkness of ignorance to the light of Islam.
\nBut the Quraishi tyrants did not listen to the voice of Islam and the Call of the Sky. So, they began fighting our Master Muhammad [s] and those who believed in him. They wreaked their wrath upon the weak Muslims. They whipped Bilal al-Habashy, Summayya, Yasir, and other Muslims. They whipped them for no sin but because they said: Our Lord is Allah.<\/p>\n

The Immigration to Habasha<\/strong>
\nOne night the Muslims met Allah\u2019s Apostle. He was sad to hear that the Muslims were suffering from torture So, he said to them: There\u2019s a just King in Habasha. Immigrate to his country. Stay there till Allah drives away your worries.
\nThe idea of immigration shone in the believers\u2019 hearts as the sun shone to fill the earth with light and warmth.
\nAt midnight, a small group crept into the land of Habasha (Ethiopia), via the Red Sea. The Muslim immigrants stayed there.
\nIn the meantime, the Quraish increased their torture against the Muslims who stayed in Makkah. So, they were in a fix.
\nAt that critical time, our Master Muhammad [s] ordered his cousin Ja\u2019far to lead a bigger group of Muslims to Habasha.
\nThe number of the new group was over 80 Muslims. Ja\u2019far began leading the immigrating caravan towards the coasts of the sea.
\nThe sea was calm. The wind was gentle. The immigrants reached the coasts of the sea. Allah, the Almighty, wanted a ship to pass by them. The ship was going from Jeddah to Habasha. Ja\u2019far asked her Captain to take them there. The Captain accepted.
\nThe ship set out plowing the sea. The Muslims thanked Allah, who turned their fear into safety to worship Him only.
\nJa\u2019far himself was visiting the immigrants, especially the children. His wife Asmaa bint Umayys was visiting the women.
\nDays and nights passed. The ship anchored at the coasts of Habasha. The Muslims reached the land where our Master Muhammad [s] had ordered them to immigrate.
\nThe Muslims were always praying to Allah freely. No one prevented them from that. During their prayers, they were always asking Allah to grant our Master Muhammad [s] and his Muslim brothers victory over the unjust Quraishi tyrants.
\nBut the news that reached them was sorrowful. Yasir and Summayyah became martyrs under torture, They were in pain to hear about the torture that was happening to their brothers. But they firmly increased their belief.<\/p>\n

In Makkah<\/strong>
\nAbu Jahal, who had a spite against our Master Muhammad [s], was always planning to destroy Allah\u2019s religion. He wanted to put out the candle of Islam so that people would live in darkness and ignorance.
\nBut Allah\u2019s religion spread as the scent of roses did. It made happiness enter hearts as spring did.
\nOne day, the Quraishi leaders held a meeting in Darul Nadwa. They were thinking about a way to extinguish the light of Islam. Umayyah said: I\u2019ll make Bilal a lesson for slaves so that they\u2019ll not think about entering Muhammad\u2019s religion.
\nAbu Jahal said: We\u2019ll go on banning Bani Hashim till they die of hunger or they give us Muhammad to kill him.
\nAbu Sufyan said: But what shall we do for those who escape from Makkah and go to Habasha?
\nAbu Jahal said: We\u2019ll bring them back.
\nHow?
\nWe\u2019ll send our friend al-Najashy lots of gifts. So, he\u2019ll accept our request.
\nWho will go?
\nWe\u2019ll send a clever man to negotiate with al-Najashy.
\nAfter several weeks, they decided to send a delegation to bring back the runaway persons.<\/p>\n

In al-Najashy\u2019s Presence<\/strong>
\nIn the morning, Amru bin al-Ass and Amarah bin al-Waleed headed for the sea holding gifts to al-Najashy, the King of Habasha.
\nThe delegates crossed the sea with a ship. They reached the land of Habasha. They came to the King\u2019s palace.
\nAmru bin al-Ass said to the guards of the palace: We\u2019re the Quraishi delegates holding gifts to the King.
\nAl-Najashy greeted the delegates and accepted the gifts of the Quraish. The priests received their gifts, too. The King asked them about the purpose of their visit.
\nThe delegates said: Some foolish persons have taken refuge in the land of Habasha. They\u2019ve abandoned their fathers\u2019 and grandfathers\u2019 religion. They haven\u2019t accepted the King\u2019s religion. Rather; they\u2019ve brought a new religion. Neither you nor we have known it. We, the Quraishi noblemen, have come to bring them back and to educate them.
\nThe King of Habasha was just and wise man. So, he said: How can I hand you the people who have chosen my country and asked me for help? But I\u2019ll ask them some questions. If their thoughts are corrupt; if they are deviated, I\u2019d hand them to you. Otherwise, I\u2019d leave them to live in my country.
\nAl-Najashy sent for the immigrants. They came. Ja\u2019far bin Abu Talib was in advance. They came into the palace and stood in front of the King.
\nThe Habashian people bowed when they met the King. So the Habashian and the delegates bowed to the King. The Muslims did not bow; their heads remained high raised.
\nAl-Najashy asked the Muslims: Why don\u2019t you bow to me?
\nJa\u2019far answered: We don\u2019t bow to anyone but Allah.
\nThe King said: What do you mean?
\nJa\u2019far answered: Your Majesty; the King, Allah has sent us an Apostle. The Apostle has ordered us not to bow to anyone but Allah. He has also ordered us to pray and to pay zakat.
\nAmru bin al-Ass said evilly: They\u2019re breaking the King\u2019s religion!
\nAl-Najashy asked him to keep silent; and asked Ja\u2019far to go on. Ja\u2019far politely said: Your Majesty, the King, we were ignorant people. We worshipped the idols. We ate dead animals. We did bad actions and abandoned our relatives. We mistreated our neighbors. The strong oppressed the weak. So Allah has sent us an Apostle. We know his ancestors and his truthfulness. We know that he is pure and trustworthy So, he has invited us to worship the Only Allah. He has ordered us to avoid what we and our fathers had worshipped. He has ordered us to be truthful and to give the trusts to their owners. He has ordered us to visit our relatives, to be good neighbors, to stop bad actions and shedding blood. He has prevented us from atrocities, falsehood taking the orphan\u2019s money and speaking evil of the married women. He has ordered us to worship Allah only and not to be polytheists. He has ordered us to pray, to give alms, and to fast.
\nYour majesty; the king, we\u2019ve believed him and followed what he has brought from Allah. So, we\u2019ve worshipped Allah only- we\u2019re not polytheists.
\nBut our people have aggressed against us. They\u2019ve tortured us. They\u2019ve prevented us from our religion to worship the idols again.
\nAfter they had persecuted us, we came to your country. We\u2019ve preferred you to others. We want to live in your country. Thus, your majesty, the king, we ask you to treat us justly.
\nAl-Najashy said politely: Have you anything of what your Prophet has brought?
\nJa\u2019far politely said: Yes.
\nAl-Najashy said: Read me something.
\nJa\u2019far began reading some verses of the Chapter of Maryam: And mention Maryam in the Book when she drew aside from her family to an eastern place. So, she took a veil (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our Spirit, and there appeared to her a well-made man. She said: Surely I fly for refuge from you to the Beneficent God, if you are one guarding (against evil). He said: I am only a messenger of your Lord: That I will give you a pure boy. She said: When shall I have a boy and no mortal has yet touched me, nor have I been unchaste? He said: Even so; your lord says: It is easy to me: and that We may make him a sign to men and a mercy from us; and it is a matter which has been decreed. So, she conceived him; then withdrew herself with a remote place and the throes (of childbirth) compelled her to take herself to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: Oh, would that I had died before this, and had been a thing quite forgotten! Then (the child called out to her from beneath her): Grieve not, surely your lord has made a stream to flow beneath you. And shake towards you the trunk of the palm tree, it will drop on you fresh ripe dates. So, eat and drink and refresh the eye. Then if you see any mortal, say: Surely I have vowed a fast to the Beneficent God, so I shall not speak to any man today and she came to her people with him, carrying him (with her). They said: O Maryam! Surely you have done a strange thing. O Sister of Haroon! Your father was not a bad man, nor was your mother an unchaste woman.
\nAl-Najashy wept. His tears flowed on his cheeks. The priests and the monks wept humbly, too. Ja\u2019far\u2019s voice was flowing humbly: But she pointed to him. They said: How should we speak to one who was a child in the cradle? He said: Surely I am Allah\u2019s servant; he has given me the Book and made me a prophet, and has made me blessed wherever I may be, and he has enjoined on me prayer and poor-rate so long as I live and dutiful to my mother; and he has not made me insolent, unblessed and peace be on me on the day I was born, and on the day I die, and on the day I am raised to life.
\nAl-Najashy stood up for Allah\u2019s Words and said humbly: Certainly this and what \u2018Isa had brought come out of one niche.
\nHe turned to the Quraishi delegates and said angrily: I won\u2019t hand them to you and I\u2019ll defend them.
\nThen he ordered his soldiers to dismiss the delegation and to return the gifts to them. He said: They are bribes. I don\u2019t want to be bribed.
\nHe turned to Ja\u2019far and his Muslim group and said: You\u2019re welcome; Your Prophet is welcome. I admit that he is the Apostle whom \u2018Isa bin Maryam had given good news about. Live wherever you like in my country.
\nAl-Najashy wanted to know something about the manners of Islam. He asked Ja\u2019far: How do you greet each other?
\nOur greeting is to say Assalamu Alaikum.<\/p>\n

Another Plot<\/strong>
\nOn the following day Amru bin al-Ass and Amarah decided to go to the King\u2019s Palace.
\nOn their way, Amru bin al-Ass said to Amarah: This time, I,ll get my revenge on Ja\u2019far. I\u2019ll tell the kings that the Muslims have another idea about \u2018Isa.
\nAgain the delegates came to al-Najashy and said: Your majesty; the king, the Muslims say that \u2018Isa is a slave.
\nAl-Najashy kept silent for a while then he said to the guard: Go to Ja\u2019far to hear his point of view
\nJa\u2019far came and greeted the King and said: Assalamu Alaikum.
\nThe King asked him: What\u2019s your point of view about \u2018Isa?
\nJa\u2019far answered calmly: We say as Allah and His Apostle have said about him.
\nThe King asked him: What\u2019s your Prophet said?
\nJa\u2019far answered calmly: He\u2019s Allah\u2019s slave, His Apostle, His Spirit, His Word that He has given to the chaste, virgin Maryam.
\nAl-Najashy kept silent for a while, then he drew a line on the ground with his stick. So, he said: Go to your friends. You\u2019re safe in my country.
\nAgain the delegates\u2019 plot came to nothing. The delegates hopelessly came back to Makkah. Since that meeting, the Muslims had been happy in the land of the just King.
\nOur Master Muhammad [s] and the Muslims rejoiced at Ja\u2019far\u2019s victory and his stay in Habasha.<\/p>\n

The Good Stay<\/strong>
\nDays, months, and years passed.
\nJa\u2019far and the Muslims heard news. When they heard good news, they became happy. When they heard bad news, they became sad.
\nThey became happy when the ban the Quraish imposed on Banu Hashim was over.
\nThey became sad when they heard about the death of Abu Talib, the protector of the Prophet [s] and Khadijah\u2019s death, our Master Muhammad\u2019s wife, who stood by him and spent her wealth for Islam.
\nThe Muslims in Habasha heard about our Master Muhammad\u2019s migration to Madina and the establishment of the first Islamic State, where the flag of monotheism was hoisted. They were filled with happiness.
\nThe news of the decisive Battle of Badr, and the victory of Islam over polytheism and idols arrived to them. They heard about the news of the Battle of Uhud. They were sad to hear about the Prophet\u2019s wounds in the battle.
\nThey were happy to hear the news of the Muslims\u2019 victories over the polytheists and the Jews. Their happiness was great when they heard about the Prophet\u2019s letters to the Kings all over the world.
\nThe Prophet [s] sent letters to Hercules, the Emperor of Rome, Kossra, the King of Iran, and al-Mokawkas, the Pharaoh of Egypt.<\/p>\n

A letter to al-Najashy<\/strong>
\nAmru bin Umayyah al-Dhimry our Master Muhammad\u2019s delegate, arrived in Habasha carrying the letter of the Prophet of Islam.
\nThe letter read: From Muhammad, Allah\u2019s Apostle To al-Najashy the King of Habasha You are safe.
\nI thank Allah. There is no god but Him, the King, the Holy, the Peace, the Believer; the Almighty.
\nI bear witness that \u2018Isa is Allah\u2019s Spirit, and His word He has given to Maryam, the Virgin, the good, and the chaste. Allah created him with His power as He created Adam before.
\nI am inviting you to worship Allah only, to obey Him, to follow me, and to believe in what has come to me. I am Allah\u2019s Apostle. I am inviting you and your soldiers to worship Allah, the Almighty. I have told and advised you. So, accept my advice.
\nAnd peace upon him who follows guidance.
\nJa\u2019far accompanied our Master Muhammad\u2019s delegate on his going to al-Najashy\u2019s palace. First they greeted the King of Habasha. Then he received the Prophet\u2019s letter respectfully.
\nAl-Najashy read the letter. He came down the throne and sat on the ground to show his humbleness and respect for Allah\u2019s Apostle, our Master Muhammad [s].
\nAl-Najashy put the letter on his eye to show his great respect. Then he ordered his guards to get him an ivory box to put the letter in. He said: Habasha will be prosperous as long as its people keeps this letter.
\nThe Prophet\u2019s delegate gave the King another letter. The letter asked the King to allow the immigrants headed by Ja\u2019far bin Abu Talib to come back to their country.
\nThe Muslims were very happy to hear about their repatriation to their homeland. In the meantime, they thanked al-Najashy for his good hospitality.
\nAl-Najashy ordered his guards to prepare some ships to bring back the immigrants to the land of al-Hejaz. He sent his representative with them.
\nThe representative was carrying gifts and a letter of greetings to our Master Muhammad [s].
\nThe sails of the ships were raised to start journey, the Muslims set off. They rejoiced at Allah\u2019s victory.\n<\/p>\n

What is the need to face the Qiblah in prayers?<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n