The First Immigrant

The Muslims in Habasha asked our Master Muhammad [s] to send them a man to teach Islam.

Our Master Muhammad [s] found Mus'ab the best man to carry out that task. Therefore, he ordered him to get ready to immigrate to al-Habasha.

Mus'ab bin Umair obeyed the Prophet [s] and went with his Muslim brothers to al-Habasha.

Thus, Mus'ab was the first to immigrate to Habasha for Allah. He stayed with Saad bin Zarara, who was among the earlier Muslims.

Days passed. Mus'ab was with his Muslim brothers teaching them Islam and reading them the Qur'an.

The Spread of Islam

Saad bin Zarara wanted to spread Islam all over Makkah. He asked Mus'ab to go with him to Bani al-Ashal's and Bani Zafar's houses.

Saad bin Maadh and Usaid bin Khuzair were Bani al-Ashal's leaders. They were polytheists.

Saad bin Maadh said to Uzair bin Khuzair:

Go and scold those two men! Then dismiss them from our houses. Saad bin Zarara is my cousin. I'm shy of him.

Usaid bin Khuzair took his sword and headed for them. There were a group of people from Yathrib around them. They were listening to the verses of the Qur'an.

Saad bin Zarara saw Usaid coming towards them. He said to Mus'ab:

This is Usaid. He's the chief of the tribe. If he becomes Muslim, his tribe will become Muslim, too.

Usaid stopped near them. He said threateningly:

If you like life, then go away!

Mus'ab politely answered:

Please sit down for only a few minutes. Do listen to what we're reading. If you don't accept it, we'll go away.

Usaid said:

You have treated me with justice.

Usaid rammed his sword into the ground and sat down.

Mus'ab began reading some verses of the Holy Qur'an. Usaid felt faith began entering his heart.

His expression changed quickly. His anger disappeared. So, he said with a smile:

How sweet this is!

Mus'ab said:

It's the best religion. The truthful, trustworthy Prophet has brought it.

Usaid said:

What shall I do if I want to be a Muslim.

Mus'ab said:

Wash your body, perform the ritual ablution, say I confess that there's no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Apostle and His slave. Then pray two Raka'as.

Usaid got up and went home. He washed his body, performed the ritual ablution, came back to them and became Muslim. Then he said:

There's a man, who is my friend. If he becomes a Muslim, all his tribe will become Muslims, too. I'll send him to you.

Saad bin Maadh becomes Muslim

Usaid came back to his friend Saad. When Saad bin Maadh saw him in the distance, he said to his friends:

By Allah, Usaid has come to you with another face.

Namely, Usaid has changed.

Saad said to Usaid:

What have you done?

Usaid said:

I ordered them to go away. They said:

"We'll do what you like."

Saad said

Where are they now?

Usaid said:

At their place.

Saad said angrily:

You haven't done anything!

Saad stood up, took the sword from Usaid and headed for Mus'ab bin Umair.

When he arrived there, he cried stormily:

By whose permission have you come here?

Mus'ab smiled. He asked him to sit down and to listen. Then he said:

If our words annoy you, then we'll leave!

After Saad had rammed the sword into the ground, he sat down.

Mus'ab read him some verses of the Qur'an. Then, he told him about the Islamic good manners, friendship and brotherhood.

Saad felt that his heart inclined to Islam. So he said:

I confess that there's no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Apostle and His slave.

Saad kept his Islam a secret for he intended to do something.

Saad was Bani al-Ashal's chief and leader. They were waiting for his return. He and Mus'ab bin Umair came back to them. When Saad approached them, he stopped and said:

Bani al-Ashal, what am I?

They all answered:

Our leader and master!

Saad bin Maadh said:

I ask you to believe in Allah and His Apostle.

All Bani al-Ashal believed in Islam. Therefore, Mus'ab bin Umair began teaching them the principals of Islam.

Al-Akaba Second Homage

The time of the new pilgrimage started. Mus'ab bin Umair and a group of the Muslims went to Makkah. A group of the polytheists went there, too. The polytheists visited Makkah and had special ceremonies.

Mus'ab wanted to meet the Prophet [s] and tell him about spreading Islam in Yathrib.

A group of Muslims secretly visited our Master Muhammad [s]. They asked him to meet them at al-Akaba valley at night. They did not want the Quraish to know about their meeting.

When the polytheists slept, the Muslims went secretly to al-Akaba valley. The Muslims were seventy-three. Two of them were women. The first was Naseeba bint Kaab. She belonged to Bani al-Najjar. The second was Asmaa bint Amru. She belonged to Bani Salama.

Our Master Muhammad [s] came. His uncle al-Abbas, who kept his Islam a secret because he was afraid of the Quraish, came with him, too.

The Muslims paid homage to our Master Muhammad [s]. They assured him that they would defend Islam. Besides they showed him their stand against all his enemies. The Muslims said to Allah's Apostle [s]:

We've paid our homage! We'll be loyal to you. Then what will be our reward?

Our Master Muhammad [s] said:

The Paradise!