One might ask why Abyssinia had been selected for immigration, yet there are several reasons behind this choice..

At your Service O' Prophet Mohammad (18)

What did King Negus said upon hearing Quran verses

One might ask why Abyssinia had been selected for immigration, yet there are several reasons behind this choice, the most important are the following:

First, it was the place where people used to live naturally and deal with others honestly and clearly. That was proved by the quote of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) when he described it as "a land where a king rules without injustice. A land of truthfulness where the king treats his neighbors well." Thus, the oppressed Muslim immigrants can live with that new people safely, and can practice worship and religious rites freely without accountability or persecution from anyone.

Second, reviewing the political situation that was prevailing in the Arabian Peninsula and neighboring areas in that time, like the Levant, Iran and Yemen, would reveal that none of them were suitable for Muslims' immigration, since Arabian countries were inhabited by infidels and people worshipping idols, and certainly they would refrain from accepting Muslims in their own land, not to mention the influence of Quraish over them.

On the other hand, immigration to the Roman state or to the Levant was also impossible for the same reasons.

Neighboring countries were not safe refuges for First Muslims

The migration to Iran and its king Khosrow was not a guaranteed option as well, because the Persian king at the time used to despise and hate Arabs. This means the Persian regime wouldn't accept Muslims escaping the oppression of the Quraish, especially if he realized that the call of that Arab man might penetrate into his country and affect his privileges and interests.

Thus, it was decided that First Muslims migrate to Abyssinia, far from the influence of the Romans and the Persians, as well as far from the influence of Quraish, i.e. a place where infidels cannot easily reach.

After immigrant Muslims settled in Abyssinia, Quraish felt that their secured presence will enable them to preach for Islam, so it decided to send emissaries - Omar bin al-Aas and Abdullah bin Otba - to the king of Abyssinia to reclaim "its immigrants".

When the two men arrived, they said to the king: "Boys from our land came to you. They are fools who left the religion of their parents and their people and did not accept yours. They came with a new religion they created, which neither you nor we know. The esteemed figures of their people have sent us to you to reclaim them."

Negus listens to Muslims, refuses to hand them over to Quraish

The Negus refused to expel the immigrant Muslims until he himself call them and question them about what they had been accused of.

"If what these two men (Omar bin al-Aas and Abdullah bin Otba) have said is true, then I will hand them over to you. If however it is not so, then I shall protect them so long as they desire to remain under my protection," he said.

The Negus then summoned the Muslims to meet him. When they entered the hall, the king turned to them and asked:

"What is this religion which you have introduced for yourself and which has served to cut you off from the religion of your people? You also did not enter my religion nor the religion of any other community."

Ja'far ibn Abi Talib - the Prophet Mohammad's cousin - then advanced and made a speech which is still one of the most compelling descriptions of Islam. He said:

"O King, we were a people in a state of ignorance and immorality, worshipping idols and eating the flesh of dead animals, committing all sorts of abomination and shameful deeds, breaking the ties of kinship, treating guests badly and the strong among us exploited the weak.

We remained in this state until Allah sent us a Prophet, one of our own people whose lineage, truthfulness, trustworthiness and integrity were well-known to us.
He called us to worship Allah alone and to renounce the stones and the idols which we and our ancestors used to worship besides Him.

He commanded us to speak the truth, to honor our promises, to be kind to our relations, to be helpful to our neighbors, to cease all forbidden acts, to abstain from bloodshed, to avoid obscenities and false witness, not to appropriate an orphan's property nor slander chaste women."

Then, he stated the principles of Islam, and continued:

"We believed in him and what he brought to us from Allah, and we follow him in what he has asked us to do, and we keep away from what he forbade us from doing.

Thereupon, O King, our people attacked us, visited the severest punishment on us to make us renounce our religion and take us back to the old immorality and the worship of idols.

They opposed us, made life intolerable for us and obstructed us from observing our religion. So we left for your country, choosing you before anyone else, desiring your protection and hoping to live in justice and in peace in your midst."

The Negus was greatly impressed and asked Ja'far: "Do you have something of what your Prophet brought concerning Allah?"

"Yes," replied Ja'far, and recited for him the first portion of Surah Maryam:

So she pointed to him. They said, "How can we speak to one who is in the cradle a child?" - [Jesus] said, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allah . He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet - And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and zakah as long as I remain alive - And [made me] dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant - And peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive." Surat Maryam (29-33)

On hearing those verses, the Negus was moved to tears, and said to the Muslims: "The message of your Prophet and that of Jesus came from the same source.... ''

Then he said to Quraish emissaries: "Go. For, by Allah, l will never surrender them to you."

Therefore, Quraish attempts to affect Muslims in Abyssinia and reclaim them had failed, and immigrant Muslims remained honored under the rule of the Negus, practicing their religion freely.