The Aksumite Kingdom (Abyssinia)

The Abyssinian kingdom was the Christian power that occupied Yemen twice, as The Sealed Nectar presents it. The first time was in 340 CE, with Roman help after the Romans entered Aden, lasting until 378 CE. The second was in 525 CE, with seventy thousand soldiers under Aryat, as revenge for what Dhu Nuwas had done to the Christians of Najran ^{1 2 3}.

In the time of Yemen's troubles the Romans entered Aden. With their help the Abyssinians occupied Yemen for the first time in 340 CE, exploiting the rivalry between the tribes of Hamdan and Himyar. Their occupation lasted until 378 CE ¹. In those days Christian missionary activity entered the regions of Yemen ⁴. See the first Abyssinian occupation.

The Roman emperors incited the Abyssinians and prepared a naval fleet for them. Seventy thousand soldiers landed, and under Aryat they occupied Yemen a second time in 525 CE. Aryat remained a governor on behalf of the king of Abyssinia until Abraha, one of his army commanders, assassinated him. Abraha then ruled in his place, after gaining the approval of the king of Abyssinia. It was this Abraha who raised the army to demolish the Ka'ba, and he and his soldiers became known as the People of the Elephant ². When Abraha consolidated his power he spread Christianity with great energy. He built a church in Yemen that was called the Yemeni Ka'ba, and he wanted to divert the Arabs' pilgrimage to it ⁵. See the second Abyssinian occupation.

After the Battle of the Elephant, the Yemenis called on the Persians. They resisted the Abyssinians until they expelled them from the country, and they gained independence in 575 CE ².

The first migration of Muslims to Abyssinia, and the Negus in the Prophet ﷺ's time, are presented at their own entries (see Abyssinia).