İslam tarihinde muhalifler ve düzeni bozanlar çeşitli şekillerde cezalandırılmıştır. Bu cezalardan biri de sürgün olmuştur. Sürgün amacıyla kullanılan yerlerden biri de Arapların muhayyilesinde çetin şartları ve uzaklığıyla yer edinen ve şiirlere dahi konu olan Dehlek adaları olmuştur. Doğu Afrika’da Masavva limanı açıklarında yer alan Dehlek adalar topluluğuna, en büyükleri olan Dehlek el-Kebîr adını vermiştir. Bu adalar stratejik konumları sebebiyle tarih boyunca askerî, siyasî ve ticarî açıdan önemli bir yere sahip olmuştur. Arapların İslâm öncesinde ticaret sebebiyle bildiği anlaşılan ada ve civarı, Habeşistan’a ilk hicretler ve Râşid Halifeler döneminde bölgeye düzenlenen akınlarla daha iyi tanınmaya başlamıştır. Emevîler döneminde gerek Kızıldeniz’in ticarî güvenliğini sağlamak gerekse Doğu Afrika’ya yönelik askerî hamleler çerçevesinde Dehlek adası ele geçirilmiştir. Böylece Müslümanların hakimiyetine giren ada, Emevîler ve Abbâsîler döneminde çeşitli sebeplerle farklı sınıflardan kişi ve grupların sürgün yeri olarak kullanılmıştır. Makalede bunlar arasında yer alan şair Ahvas el-Ensârî, kadı Irâk b. Mâlik el-Medenî, şair Ömer b. Ebî Rebîa el-Mahzûmî, bazı Kaderiyye mensupları ve Abbâsî valisi Abdülcebbâr b. Abdurrahman el-Ezdî’nin ailesinden bahsedilecektir. Emevî valisi Yezîd b. Mühelleb el-Ezdî ve Ali b. Abdullah el-Abbâsî ise adaya sürgün kararı çıkarıldığı halde sürgünlerinden vazgeçilen önemli kişiler arasında yer alır. Ayrıca bazı kaynaklarda Dehlek’e sürgün edildiği rivayet edilen kimi kimseler de zikredilir. Ancak bunların sürgün edilme ihtimalleri mümkün olmayıp bahse konu rivayetler zayıf ve sorunludur. Bu çalışmada, kaynaklardaki kısıtlı bilgiler ışığında adanın İslâm hakimiyetine girişi ve sürgün yeri olma vasfıyla ilgili rivayetler değerlendirilecektir.
In Islamic history, it is observed that those in power and authority have imposed vari- ous penalties for different crimes. Among these, exile punishment, also practiced in the pre-Islamic period, was primarily used to isolate opponents and criminals. Different cities were chosen for the punishment of exile, and, as was the case in other civilizati- ons, islands with harsher conditions were generally used for this purpose. One of the places of exile in the Islamic period was the Dahlak Archipelago in the Red Sea, which had already become notorious because of its harsh conditions and remoteness, as of- ten reflected in poetry. Located off the coast of Massawa in East Africa, the Dahlak Archipelago has an ancient history, covering an area of 1350 km² and comprising 125 large and small islands. It takes its name from its largest island, Dahlak Kabir. The is- land's natives are Ethiopians, but over time, it has also become home to the Dankalis, Sudanese, Somalis, and Yemeni Arabs. The population speaks Tigre, a language of Ethi- opian origin. The strategic location of the island, evidenced by archaeological remains, is an obvious indication of its significance in trade throughout history, dating back 2,000 years. The Arabs had known the island and its surroundings for trade purposes before the advent of Islam. The region became better known with the first migrations to Abyssinia and raids organized during the First Rightly Guided Caliphal era. The island came under Is- lamic rule during the Umayyad period, followed by a period under Abbasid control. The decline in Abbasid authority from the second century onwards was also felt in Dahlak. In the 9th century, Dahlak came under the rule of the local Ziyadid dynasty ba- sed in the Yemeni city of Zabid, later fluctuating between the control of Christian kings in Abyssinia and Muslim sultans in Egypt. From the 12th century, the island was gover- ned by its rulers. In the early 16th century, the island was invaded by the Portuguese. Still, it was liberated by Özdemir Pasha in 1557 during the reign of Suleiman the Magni- ficent and remained under Ottoman rule until it was invaded by the Italians in 1885. Although it was later affiliated with Ethiopia, it is now part of Eritrea, which gained in- dependence in 1993. The spread of Islam in Dahlak was swift after its coming under Umayyad rule, and the island played a significant role in the Islamization of the region. Despite being used as a place of exile for various reasons, it also served as a refuge amid conflicts. The exact time and details of when and how Dahlak came under Islamic rule must be determi- ned, as various sources repeat unclear information without citing the main references of Islamic history. This article will address these problematic aspects and analyze the limited information available on the subject. Exile punishment, besides creating an environment for self-reflection and correction of the behaviors of the exiled individual, also serves as a measure to prevent their com- fort and ease. From this perspective, exile punishment aims to deter opponents or criminals from those in power and authority. The Umayyads and Abbasids had punis- hed criminals and opponents for various reasons. However, for crimes that did not warrant the death penalty, they generally resorted to the punishment of exile. Altho- ugh exile punishment was applied in many other places, the island of Dahlak holds a critical position for this type of punishment. Various individuals were exiled to the is- land in both periods for multiple reasons. The island's selection was due to its distance from the caliphate centers, its humid, stifling, and hot climatic conditions, and crimi- nals could be effectively isolated and easily controlled there.
