Footnotes

Provenance:
Property from a private collection, Alexandria
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner,
Originally commissioned by the Museum of Artist's Self-Portrait, Florence

Literature:
Sobhy El Sharouny, Dar El Shorouk, Hussein Bikar, Cairo 2002, illustrated on page 72 & 73

Notes:
Accompanied by a handwritten explanatory note by the artist

AN IMPORTANT DEPICTION OF THE MIGRATION TO ABYSSINIA (ALSO KNOWN AS "THE FIRST HIJRA")

"The Muslims were brought in front of the Negus and his bishops. Ja'far ibn Abī Tālib, who acted as the leader of the exiles, spoke in their defense. He described to the King how they lived before Islam, Muhammad's prophetic mission, and what he had taught them. He also spoke of the persecution they had faced at the hands of the Quraysh.

The king asked if they had with them anything which had come from God. When Ja'far confirmed, the king commanded him to read it. Ja'far then recited a passage from the Surah of Mary. When the king heard it, he wept and exclaimed: "verily, this and what Jesus brought has come from the same source of light (miškāt)". He then affirmed that he would never give up the Muslims."
- Ibn Ishaq, The First Hijra


Powerful and ornate, "The First Hijra" is perhaps Hussein Bicar's most deep and meaningful historical depiction. Mixing his signature flowing, silhouetted anatomy with an opulent, almost Orientalist aesthetic, Bicar portrays one of the most important episodes in the history of early Islam.
The Migration to Abyssinia , also known as the First Hijra, was an episode in the early history of Islam, where Prophet Muhammad's first followers (the Sahabah) fled from the persecution of the ruling Quraysh tribe of Mecca. They sought refuge in the Christian Kingdom of Abyssinia, present-day Ethiopia (613 CE). The Abyssinian monarch who received them is known in Islamic sources as the Negus Ashama ibn Abjar.

Among the refugees to Abyssinia, there was Jafer Ibn Ali Talib, the cousin of the Prophet himself. Known for his eloquence, he was chosen to persuade the Negus to give the Muslims refuge.

After reciting verses from the Quran in praise of Jesus and Mary, the King was convinced of the unity and co-existence of the two faiths, and gave the Muslims the refuge they sought.

The episode is often quoted as a shining example of a peaceful cohabitation and compatibility of monotheistic religions and the mutual respect that exists between these belief systems

The significance of the First Hijra and in its emphasis on tolerance is particularly pertinent in the case of Egypt and Hussein Bicar's life in particular. Not only was Bicar himself a Baha'I, a persecuted sect of Islam, but as a country with a significant Coptic Christian population, the advent of Nasserism in the 1950's saw the increasing marginalisation of the Christian community in Egypt followed by decades of discriminatory and restrictive government policies.

Bicar's work is a reminder of the common bonds that unify monotheistic religions and in particular the acceptance and friendship which existed in the formative years of Islam between it and Christianity. Its message could not be more relevant in age where extreme interpretations of the religion have overlooked the tolerance and veneration with which Jesus and Mary are characterized in the Quran

Depicting the Negus on the "Lion Throne", the followers of the Prophet can be seen on the left in Arabian garb as guards and courtiers fill the remainder of the throne room. On the far left the outstretched palm of Jafer Ibn Ali Talib mirrors the similar hand motion from the Negus, and it is this subtle gesture of acceptance which characterises the overall mood of the composition.

The present work is the only recorded example of Bicar' painting a scene from Islamic history, with the majority of his historical compositions focusing on the Pharaneoic era. Accompanied by a handwritten note from the artist, and published in his major monograph, it is one of the most unique and historically significant works by Bicar ever to come to market.

The Negus of Abyssinia refuses to give up Muslim refugees, Jāmiʿ al-Tawārīkh, Of Rashid-Al Din Hamadani, 14th Century

The Prophet Muhammad's Letter to the King of Abyssinia

I entertain Allah's praise, there is no God but He, the Sovereign, the Holy, the Source of peace, the Giver of peace, the Guardian of faith, the Preserver of safety.

I bear witness that Jesus, the son of Mary, is the spirit of Allah and His Word which He cast into Mary, the Virgin, the good, the pure, so that she conceived Jesus.

Allah created him from His spirit and His breathing as He created Adam by His Hand. I call you to Allah Alone with no associate and to His obedience and to follow me and to believe in that which came to me, for I am the Messenger of Allah. I invite you and your men to Allah, the Glorious, the All-Mighty. I hereby bear witness that I have despatched my cousin, Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) with a group of Muslims, to you. Do be generous towards them"

- The Za'd Al-Ma'ad 3/60, 61 by Ibn Al-Qayyim