Islam and Christianity are the two major religions and have co-existed for hundreds of years. Many diverse forms of Islam are practised in Ethiopia. Muslims arrived in the Axumite Empire during the Hijarat as early disciples from Mecca, persecuted by the ruling Quraysh tribe.

Aug 1, 2024 · Ethiopia, one of the world’s oldest Christian states and the oldest independent country in Africa, has been home to a significant Muslim population for many centuries. Key developments shaping Islam in Ethiopia include early mercantile settlements, religious migrations, and political movements.

Islam in Ethiopia dates back to the founding of the religion; in 615, when a group of Muslims were counseled by Muhammad to escape persecution in Mecca and travel to Ethiopia via modern-day Eritrea, which was ruled by Ashama ibn Abjar, a pious Christian king.

Jul 24, 2018 · Encyclopedia article on the geographical distribution of Islam in Ethiopia and Eritrea; the processes of Islamization of the region; and the main cultural, religious, and social characteristics of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Muslim communities.

Abstract: This chapter considers the case of Ethiopian Muslims, who make up approximately one third of the population (according to disputed statistics) and are spread over the eastern half of the country. Islam is also the common religion, albeit in significantly varying forms, of several of Ethiopia’s neighbours.

Nov 11, 2024 · Ethiopia’s engagement with Islam has been ambivalent. Many Muslims will be familiar with the stories of Prophet Muhammad’s companions seeking refuge there for more than a decade, including the future caliph, Uthman.

Islam in Ethiopia has a long history, rich in both oral and written source material; it is no disposable adjunct but an integral part of any 3 In James Kritzeck and William H. Lewis (eds.), Islam in Africa (New York, 1969),

Nov 10, 2024 · Islam first arrived in Ethiopia in the early 7th century, just a few years after the religion was founded by Prophet Muhammad in Arabia. The spread of Islam in Ethiopia was not only influenced by religious factors but also by trade and cultural exchanges with the Arab world.

Islam in Ethiopia is as ancient as the Arab peninsula itself. It reached Ethiopia before it was a religion of much of Arabia, its birth place.1 It 1 Hussein Ahmed , "Reflections on Historical and Contemporary Islam in Ethiopia and Somalia: A Comparative and Contrastive Overview",

Mar 22, 2025 · Islam arrived in Ethiopia even before it reached Madinah. When the persecution of the early Muslims in Mecca intensified, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) instructed his companions to seek refuge in Ardul-habash (present-day Ethiopia), under the just and compassionate rule of King Nejashi.