44. The Book of the Merits of the Companions
٤٤۔ كتاب فضائل الصحابة ؓ م
The news of the migration of the Prophet (from Mecca to Medina) reached us while we were in Yemen. So we set out as emigrants towards him. We were (three) I and my two brothers. I was the youngest of them, and one of the two was Abu Burda, and the other, Abu Ruhm, and our total number was either 53 or 52 men from my people. We got on board a boat and our boat took us to Negus in Ethiopia. There we met Jaʿfar bin Abi Talib and stayed with him. Then we all came (to Medina) and met the Prophet ﷺ at the time of the conquest of Khaibar. Some of the people used to say to us, namely the people of the ship, "We have migrated before you." Asma' bint 'Umais who was one of those who had come with us, came as a visitor to Hafsa, the wife the Prophet ﷺ . She had migrated along with those other Muslims who migrated to Negus. ʿUmar came to Hafsa while Asma' bint 'Umais was with her. ʿUmar, on seeing Asma,' said, "Who is this?" She said, "Asma' bint 'Umais," ʿUmar said, "Is she the Ethiopian? Is she the sea-faring lady?" Asma' replied, "Yes." ʿUmar said, "We have migrated before you (people of the boat), so we have got more right than you over Messenger of Allah ﷺ " On that Asma' became angry and said, "No, by Allah, while you were with Messenger of Allah ﷺ who was feeding the hungry ones amongst you, and advised the ignorant ones amongst you, we were in the far-off hated land of Ethiopia, and all that was for the sake of Messenger of Allah ﷺ . By Allah, I will neither eat any food nor drink anything till I inform Messenger of Allah ﷺ of all that you have said. There we were harmed and frightened. I will mention this to the Prophet ﷺ and will not tell a lie or curtail your saying or add something to it."
بَلَغَنَا مَخْرَجُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَنَحْنُ بِالْيَمَنِ فَخَرَجْنَا مُهَاجِرِينَ إِلَيْهِ أَنَا وَأَخَوَانِ لِي أَنَا أَصْغَرُهُمْ أَحَدُهُمَا أَبُو بُرْدَةَ وَالآخَرُ أَبُو رُهْمٍ إِمَّا قَالَ بِضْعٌ وَإِمَّا قَالَ فِي ثَلاَثَةٍ وَخَمْسِينَ أَوِ اثْنَيْنِ وَخَمْسِينَ رَجُلاً مِنْ قَوْمِي فَرَكِبْنَا سَفِينَةً فَأَلْقَتْنَا سَفِينَتُنَا إِلَى النَّجَاشِيِّ بِالْحَبَشَةِ فَوَافَقْنَا جَعْفَرَ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ فَأَقَمْنَا مَعَهُ حَتَّى قَدِمْنَا جَمِيعًا فَوَافَقْنَا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ حِينَ افْتَتَحَ خَيْبَرَ وَكَانَ أُنَاسٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ يَقُولُونَ لَنَا يَعْنِي لأَهْلِ السَّفِينَةِ سَبَقْنَاكُمْ بِالْهِجْرَةِ وَدَخَلَتْ أَسْمَاءُ بِنْتُ عُمَيْسٍ وَهْىَ مِمَّنْ قَدِمَ مَعَنَا عَلَى حَفْصَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ زَائِرَةً وَقَدْ كَانَتْ هَاجَرَتْ إِلَى النَّجَاشِيِّ فِيمَنْ هَاجَرَ فَدَخَلَ عُمَرُ عَلَى حَفْصَةَ وَأَسْمَاءُ عِنْدَهَا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ حِينَ رَأَى أَسْمَاءَ مَنْ هَذِهِ قَالَتْ أَسْمَاءُ بِنْتُ عُمَيْسٍ قَالَ عُمَرُ الْحَبَشِيَّةُ هَذِهِ الْبَحْرِيَّةُ هَذِهِ قَالَتْ أَسْمَاءُ نَعَمْ قَالَ سَبَقْنَاكُمْ بِالْهِجْرَةِ فَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْكُمْ فَغَضِبَتْ وَقَالَتْ كَلاَّ وَاللَّهِ كُنْتُمْ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُطْعِمُ جَائِعَكُمْ وَيَعِظُ جَاهِلَكُمْ وَكُنَّا فِي دَارِ أَوْ فِي أَرْضِ الْبُعَدَاءِ الْبُغَضَاءِ بِالْحَبَشَةِ وَذَلِكَ فِي اللَّهِ وَفِي رَسُولِهِ ﷺ وَايْمُ اللَّهِ لاَ أَطْعَمُ طَعَامًا وَلاَ أَشْرَبُ شَرَابًا حَتَّى أَذْكُرَ مَا قُلْتَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَنَحْنُ كُنَّا نُؤْذَى وَنُخَافُ وَسَأَذْكُرُ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَأَسْأَلُهُ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَكْذِبُ وَلاَ أَزِيغُ وَلاَ أَزِيدُ عَلَيْهِ