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Dar Al-Arqam 
First, the Prophet began using the house of Arqam bin Abi 
Al-Arqam as a secret centre for prayer, preaching, education and 
training. Arqam’s house was ideally located at the foot of Mount 
Safa, only a short walk away from the Ka’bah and its bustling 
crowds. The pagans who lived in the area, therefore, did not take 
notice of the many people who gathered in Arqam’s house. 
The Prophet would meet his Companions there and recite 
verses of the Qur’an to them which they would then memorise. 
These arrangements allowed the early Muslims to learn the 
essential tenets of Islam and perform prayers in secret without 
incurring the wrath of their neighbours or other family members 
who had not converted. 
As for the Prophet , he continued to perform his prayers in 
the open for all to see. In the face of persecution, insults, and 
harrassment, he kept preaching the message of Islam to everyone 
he met. It was the wisdom and mercy of Allah that the Prophet
never refrained from carrying on with his mission, even under 
extremely adverse conditons. Because of his efforts, no soul will 
be able to argue on the Day of Judgment that Allah did not send a 
messenger to warn those who were astray and to show them the 
straight path. 
Migration to Abyssinia 
The next step the Prophet took was aimed at preserving 
the Muslim community from increasing belligerance. He had 
heard much about the King of Abyssinia, who was known to be a 
just Christian ruler, one who would allow no persecution in his 
land. The Prophet directed the Muslim community to migrate 
to Abyssinia and to take shelter. 

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The first batch of Muslims migrated in the month of Rajab, 
five years after Muhammad had become a Prophet. Twelve 
men and four women made the journey across the red sea. 
Uthman bin Affan was the leader of the group, accompanied 
by his wife, one of the Prophet’s daughters. Their voluntary exile 
marked the first instance of a family migrating for religious 
reasons since the time of Ibraheem and Lut (Lot) (Peace be upon 
them both). 
Late one night the small group of immigrants slipped out of 
Makkah and made their way to Sha’iba, a port south of Jeddah. 
Fortunately, two cargo ships were present there. The group 
boarded the ship and sailed to Abyssinia. There they found the 
refuge they needed until Allah made it safe for them to return to 
Makkah. 
When the Quraysh found out that a group of Muslims had 
fled, they erupted in anger. They swiftly sent some men to bring 
them back to teach them such a lesson that they would recant 
their faith. However, the Quraysh reached the coast too late – the 
Muslims had already made their way out to sea. Tired and 
disappointed, the Quraysh returned to Makkah to begin plotting 
their next move.