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Abyssinia (Aksum)

الحبشة

The Aksumite kingdom across the Red Sea: twice occupier of Yemen (340 and 525), patron of Abraha’s elephant campaign, and later refuge of the first Muslim emigrants.

Depth

At a glance

Era
Pre-Islamic Arabia
Region
East Africa & Swahili coast
Review
Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it

Overview

Abyssinia (Axum): the kingdom beyond the Red Sea; Yemen's occupier twice, author of the Elephant campaign, and later shelter of the Muslim emigrants.

The place

The Abyssinians first occupied Yemen in 340 CE, exploiting the rivalry between Hamdan and Himyar, and their occupation lasted until 378 CE 1.

Then they occupied it again in 525 CE with seventy thousand soldiers under Aryat and a Roman fleet; among their governors was Abraha, author of the Elephant campaign against Mecca 2.

For young visitors

Abyssinia is a great African kingdom facing Yemen; it ruled Yemen for a time, and from it came the famous Elephant campaign.

Connections

Explore the connections

Site of
Alqama ibn Mujazziz's expedition against Abyssinia (20 AH)

People and things also explored

Alqama ibn Mujazziz al-Mudliji· Umar ibn al-Khattab· Alqama ibn Mujazziz's expedition against Abyssinia (20 AH)

Sources

  1. Tafhim al-Quran — Abu al-A'la al-Mawdudi
  2. al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri
  • Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Abyssinia (Aksum)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/place/abyssinia/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-25.

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Wing

Place

Cities, sites and routes on a map that moves through time. Related

Alqama ibn Mujazziz al-Mudliji

A companion whom the Prophet sent in Rabi' al-Akhir 9 AH with three hundred men against Abyssinian raiders gathered for piracy near the Jeddah coast; he crossed the sea to their island and they fled before him.