The Prophet allowed some of the early Muslims to move to Abyssinia. Write about the events of this migration.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2016). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [10] (a) Good answers should be able to narrate the story of the migration to Abyssinia with considerable detail, being able to name the main Muslims involved. The Muslims in Makka, mainly those without tribal protection and slaves, were being persecuted by the Quraysh; an ayat was revealed about the earth being spacious for believers (39.10); the Prophet allowed some followers to go to Abyssinia to seek protection from its king, Negus, in the 5th year of prophethood (614/615); 'Uthman and Ruqayya went in the first migration of 12 men and 4 women, whereupon the Quraysh chased them but the migrants managed to board a boat before the Quraysh got to them; some came back from Abyssinia when they falsely heard that the Quraysh had accepted Islam; the persecutions increased and later the second delegation, of 83 men and 19 women, was led by the Prophet's cousin, Ja'far Ibn Abi Talib; 'Amr ibn al-'As and Abdullah bin Abi Rabi'a followed them and asked the king to return the Muslims; the Negus called the Muslims to give their account; Ja'far told him of the way they lived before Islam, and also recited verses from Sura Maryam; this moved the Negus to tears and he allowed the Muslims to stay in Abyssinia in peace and freedom; the Quraysh envoys were given their gifts back and sent away. The Muslims lived here in peace until they moved to Madina. Excellent answers will give in-depth details of the story, name the Muslims who migrated, and elaborate on any points mentioned.
2. [4] (b) Muslims around the world are facing persecution, such as in Syria, and are migrating to other countries like Jordan and Turkey, where they are being allowed to live in freedom. However, it is not like the migration to Abyssinia as the current migrants usually live in refugee camps, where resources are limited. The migration to Abyssinia can also be compared to Muslims migrating to non-Muslim countries, where they are given freedom to live and work, but sometimes not everyone welcomes them. It may be said it is not comparable to migration of Muslims now, e.g. economic migration. Many Muslims now move for work and financial reasons, so it is not similar. These are just examples of what could be said; candidates can give any number of answers but must expand on their points with reasons.