NEGUS AND PROPHET MUHAMMAD (pbuh)
The Quraysh (of Mecca) intensified their persecutions against Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his followers. Even influential men who now followed the Prophet were not spared. They were boycotted and several of them were restrained in their own homes. Many of the Muslims with little or no influence were tortured publicly and repeatedly. Finding this continuing situation difficult to bear for his followers, the Prophet allowed some of them to emigrate to Abyssinia in 615 CE. Their total number was about eighty, not counting the small children. They did not all go at the same time. Their flight was secretly planned and carried out unobtrusively in small groups. The emigrants were well received in Abyssinia, and were allowed complete freedom of worship.
The leaders of Quraysh, however, were none the less determined that they should not be left in peace, to establish there, beyond their control, a dangerous community which might be increased tenfold if other converts joined them. So they speedily thought out a plan, and made ready a quantity of presents of a kind that the Abyssinians were known to value most. Leatherwork they prized above all, so a large number of fine skins were collected, enough to make a rich bribe for every one of the Negus's generals. There were also rich gifts for the Negus himself. Then they carefully chose two men, one of whom was 'Amr ibn al-'As, of the clan of Sahm. Quraysh told them exactly what to do: they were to approach each of the generals separately, give him his present, and say:
“Some foolish young men and women of our people have taken refuge in this kingdom. They have left their own religion, not for yours, but for one they have invented, one that is unknown to us and to yourselves. The nobles of their people have sent us to your king on their account, that he may send them home. So when we speak to him about them, counsel him to deliver them into our hands and have no words with them.”
The generals all agreed, and the two men of Quraysh took their presents to the Negus, asking that the emigrants should be given into their hands and explaining the reason as they had done to the generals, and finally adding: “The nobles of their people, who are their fathers, their uncles and their' kinsmen, beg thee to restore them unto them." The generals were present at the audience, and now with one voice they urged the Negus to comply with their request and give up the refugees, inasmuch as kinsmen are the best judges of the affairs of their kinsmen. But the Negus was displeased and said:
“Nay, by God, they shall not be betrayed - a people that have sought my protection and made my country their abode and chosen me above all others! Give them up I will not, until I have summoned them and questioned them concerning what these men say of them. If it be as they have said, then will I deliver them unto them, that they may restore them to their own people. But if not, then will I be their good protector so long as they seek my protection."
Then he sent for the companions of the Prophet, and at the same time assembled his bishops, who brought with them their sacred books and spread them open round about the throne. ‘Amr and his fellow envoy had hoped to prevent this meeting between the Negus and the refugees, and it was indeed in their interests to prevent it, even more so than they realized.
The Abyssinians were Christians, many of them devout; they had been baptized, they worshiped the One God, and they carried in their flesh the sacrament of Eucharist. As such they were sensitive to the difference between the sacred and the profane, and they were keenly conscious of the profanity of men like 'Amr. So much the more were they receptive - none more than the Negus himself - to the impression of holy earnestness and depth which was made on them by the company of believers who were now ushered into the throne room, and a murmur of wonderment arose from the bishops and others as they recognized that here were men and women more akin to themselves than to such of Quraysh as they had previously encountered. Moreover, most of them were young, and in many of them their piety demeanor was enhanced by a great natural beauty.
Not for all of them had the emigration been a necessity. ‘Uthman’s family had given up trying to make him (ra) recant, but the Prophet none the less allowed him to go and to take with him Ruqayyah (ra). Their presence was a source of strength to the community of exiles. Another couple very pleasing to look upon were Ja’far (ra) and his wife Asma' (ra). They were well protected by Abu Talib; but the refugees needed a spokesman and Ja'far was an eloquent speaker. He was also most winning in his person, and the Prophet said to him on one occasion: “Thou art like me in looks and character.” It was Ja'far he had chosen to preside over the community of exiles; and his qualities of attraction and intelligence were amply seconded by Musab of 'Abd ad-Dar (ra), a young man whom the Prophet was later to entrust with a mission of immense importance in virtue of his natural gifts.
When they were all assembled, the Negus spoke to them and said:
"What is this religion wherein ye have become separate from your people, though ye have not entered my religion nor that of any other of the folk that surround us?"
Ja'far answered him saying:
"O King, we were people steeped in ignorance, worshiping idols, eating unsacrificed carrion, committing abominations, and the strong would devour the weak. Thus we were, until Allah (The One True God) sent us a Messenger from out of our midst, one whose lineage we knew, and his veracity and his worthiness of trust and his integrity. He called us unto God, that we should testify to His Oneness and worship Him and renounce what we and our fathers had worshiped in the way of stones and idols; and he commanded us to speak truly, to fulfil our promises, to respect the ties of kinship and the rights of our neighbors, and to refrain from crimes and from bloodshed. So we worship God alone, setting naught beside Him, counting as forbidden what He hath forbidden and as licit what He hath allowed. For these reasons have our people turned against us, and have persecuted us to make us forsake our religion and revert from the worship of God to the worship of idols. That is why we have come to thy country, having chosen thee above all others; and we have been happy in thy protection, and it is our hope, O King, that here with thee we shall not suffer wrong."
The royal interpreters translated all that he had said. The Negus then asked if they had with them any Revelation that their Prophet had brought them from God and, when Ja'far answered that they had, he said: "Then recite it to me," whereupon Ja'far recited a passage from the Surah of Mary, which had been revealed shortly before their departure:
And make mention of Mary in the Book, when she withdrew from her people unto a place towards the east, and secluded herself from them; and We sent unto her Our Spirit, and it appeared unto her in the likeness of a perfect man. She said: I take refuge from thee in the Infinitely Good, if any piety thou hast. He said: I am none other than a messenger from thy Lord that I may bestow on thee a son most pure. She said: How can there be for me a son, when no man hath touched me, nor am I unchaste? He said: Even so shall it be; thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me. That We may make him a sign for mankind and a mercy from Us; and it is a thing ordained. (Qur'an 19:16-21)
The Negus wept, and his bishops wept also, when they heard him recite, and when it was translated they wept again, and the Negus said:
"This hath truly come from the same source as that which Jesus brought."
Then he turned to the two envoys of Quraysh and said:
“Ye may go, for by God I will not deliver them unto you; they shall not be betrayed."
But when they had withdrawn from the royal presence, 'Amr said to his companion: “Tomorrow I will tell him a thing that shall tear up this green growing prosperity of theirs by the roots. I will tell him that they aver that Jesus the son of Mary is a slave.” So the next morning he went to the Negus and said:
“O King, they utter an enormous lie about Jesus the son of Mary. Do but send to them, and ask them what they say of him."
So he sent them word to come to him again and to tell him what they said of Jesus, whereupon they were troubled, for nothing of this kind had ever yet befallen them. They consulted together as to what they should reply when the question was put to them, though they all knew that they had no choice but to say what God had said.
So when they entered the royal presence, and it was said to them: "What say ye of Jesus, the son of Mary?" Ja’far answered:
"We say of him what our Prophet brought unto us, that he is the slave of God and His Messenger and His Spirit and His Word which He cast unto Mary the blessed virgin."
The Negus took up a piece of wood and said:
“Jesus the son of Mary exceedeth not what thou hast said by the length of this stick."
And when the generals round him snorted, he added: "For all your snorting." Then he turned to Ja'far and his companions and said: "Go your ways, for ye are safe in my land. Not for mountains of gold would I harm a single man of you"; and with a movement of his hand towards the envoys of Quraysh, he said to his attendant: "Return unto these two men their gifts, for I have no use for them." So ‘Amr and the other man went back ignominiously to Mecca.
Meantime the news of what the Negus had said about Jesus spread among the people, and they were troubled and came out against him asking for an explanation, and accusing him of having left their religion. He thereupon sent to Ja'far and his companions and made ready boats for them and told them to embark and be ready to set sail if necessary. Then he took a parchment and wrote on it:
“He testifieth that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger and that Jesus the son of Mary is His slave and His Messenger and His Spirit and His Word which He cast unto Mary."
Then he put it beneath his gown and went out to his people who were assembled to meet him. And he said them: "Abyssinians, have I not the best claim to be your king?" They said that he had. “Then what think ye of my life amongst you?" “It hath been the best of lives," they answered. "Then what is it that troubleth you?" he said. "Thou hast left our religion," they said, "and hast maintained that Jesus is a slave." “Then what say ye of Jesus?” he asked. “We say that he is the son of God," they answered. Then he put his hand on his breast, pointing to where the parchment was hidden and testified to his belief in “this”, which they took to refer to their words. So they were satisfied and went away, for they were happy under his rule, and only wished to be reassured; and the Negus sent word to Ja'far and his companions that they could disembark and go back to their dwellings' where they went on living as before, in comfort and security.
In 628 CE, a few months before Hudaybiyah, news had come from Abyssinia of the death of 'Ubayd Allah ibn Jahsh. His wife Umm Habibah (ra) was Abu Sufyan's daughter. When four months had elapsed after the death of her husband, the Prophet sent a message to the Negus, asking him to stand proxy for himself and to ratify a marriage between him and the widow, if she were willing. To her the Prophet sent no message directly; but she had a dream in which someone came to her and addressed her as "Mother of the Faithful", and she interpreted this as meaning that she would become the wife of the prophet. The next day she received the message from the Negus which confirmed her dream, whereupon she chose her kinsman Khalid ibn Sa'id to give her in marriage, and he and the Negus solemnized the pact between them in the presence of Ja’far and others of the brethren. Then the Negus held a wedding feast in his palace, and all the Muslims were invited.
The Prophet’s letter to Negus inviting him to proclaim Islam was sent at this time. The Prophet had also sent word to Ja'far that it would please him if he and his community would now come to live in Medina. Ja'far forthwith set about making preparations for the journey, and the Negus gave them two boats. It was decided that Umm Habibah should travel with them....
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The Death of Najashi - The Grand Negus
CHAPTER 4. A man who informs the relatives of the deceased person (of his death) by himself. 638. عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ: أَنّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَعى النّجَاشِيّ في الْيَوْمِ الّذِي ماتَ فِيهِ, خَرَجَ إِلَى المُصَلّى, فَصَفّ بِهِمْ, وَكَبّرَ أَرْبَعًا. رواه البخاري: 1245
638. Narrated Abu Huraira رضى الله عنه : Allâh's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم informed (the people) about the death of AnNajâshi on the very day he died. He went towards the Musalla (praying place) and the people stood behind him in rows. He said four TakbIrs (i.e. offered the funeral prayer). (2:337O.B.)
638. Narrated Abu Huraira رضى الله عنه : Allâh's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم informed (the people) about the death of AnNajâshi on the very day he died. He went towards the Musalla (praying place) and the people stood behind him in rows. He said four TakbIrs (i.e. offered the funeral prayer). (2:337O.B.)
Chapter 4 – Chapter of the man who conveys the news of the death of the deceased to the family himself.
These are notes from Lesson 164 where Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq commented on Hadeeth 638. This chapter deals with the permissibility of announcing to people of the death of their loved one. In Arabic, the word na’ee is used to refer to informing people of their loved one’s death. The reason why Imam Bukhari (رحمة الله عليه) addresses this topic with the chapter heading is because the word na’ee has been used in a couple of hadeeth in terms of prohibition. In one hadeeth, Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) refers to it as being a part of jahiliya. In another hadeeth, Hudaifah (رضى الله عنه) tells people not to inform others of his death because he heard the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) say it is impermissible. Due to these narrations, a few scholars of the very early generations said it was impermissible. Later, the majority said it was permissible. It should be noted that the Arabs would do na’ee in a very melodramatic fashion e.g. by hiring people to simulate wailing etc. It is this type of na’ee which is impermissible. Na’ee which is just informing loved ones of the deceased in a responsible manner is allowed. It should be done with the intention of informing people so that they will take part in the Jinazah salah and will pray for the forgiveness of the deceased.
Hadeeth 638 records the incident when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) personally announced the death of An-Najashi. Najashi was the Abyssinian king at the time of Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Abyssinia is present-day Sudan , Ethiopia and Eritrea Abyssinia was a major empire at the time. Najashi was the generic title used to refer to the grand ruler of Aksoum (a major state of Abyssinia ). The rulers of all other states paid homage to Najashi, the Grand Negus (King of Kings). The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) told the sahabah to do hijrah from Makkah to Abyssinia as he told them that there is a just king ruling there. The Quraish also visited Najashi and had an audience with him trying to convince him that the Muslims should be expelled from his land. On the first day, they failed to convince him. So, on the second day they tried to provoke Najashi, and told him to ask the Muslims of their viewpoint on Isa (عليه السلام), as Christianity was the official religion and the Abyssinians believed in the trinity. The believers who were present, namely Jafar ibn Abu Talib (رضى الله عنه), recited verses of the Quran which state that Isa (عليه السلام) is not the son of God. These words had a huge impact on Najashi and he wept and affirmed that Isa (عليه السلام) is not the son of God.
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and the sahabah had held Najashi is high esteem because he was a person of the book but he had onot been invited to Islam till the 6th year of Hijrah when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) sent him a letter inviting him to embrace Islam. He was on his throne when he received the letter, and upon receiving it he fell to his knees and kissed the letter and then placed it on his eyes. He then embraced Islam at the hands of Jafar ibn Abu Talib (رضى الله عنه). Najashi wrote back to Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) saying that he had embraced at the hands of Jafar ibn Abu Talib (رضى الله عنه) but was unable to visit Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) so he was sending his son and 80 prominent Abyssinians. A great tragedy occurred and most of this group drowned in the red sea. Najashi’s nephew and the messenger who delivered the letter survived and made it safely to Madinah. The nephew of Najashi remained in Madinah as one of the sahabah.
Different companions left Abyssinia at different times. Jafar ibn Abu Talib (رضى الله عنه) remained till the 7th year of Hijrah. It is most likely that Najashi passed away in the 8th year of Hijrah. Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was informed by Jibril (عليه السلام) and Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) made an announcement in the Masjid. He told the sahabah that ‘your pious brother Najashi has passed away in a land other than yours’. The sahabah were instructed to go the the musallah (see book of Eid notes for definition of the musallah) where the Jinazah of Najashi was performed. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrates a hadeeth in his musnad in which it is mentioned that the sahabah said that they felt the body was in front of them. Allah removed all barriers between Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and Najashi.
Some points of note/questions from this hadeeth are:
- Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) prayed Jinazah in the musallah and not the masjid. Is it permissible to perform the Jinazah salah in the masjid?
- Is Salat-al-Jinazah permissible when the body is absent?
- The sahabah stood in rows for the salah.
- How may takbirs in Jinazah salah? There are 4 according to the 4 schools of fiqh similar to this hadeeth.
The Hanafi and Maliki scholars say it is not permissible to pray Jinazah over someone whose body is not present. The Hanbai and Shafi scholars say it is permissible but there are conditions e.g. only within one month of the person passing away according to the Hanbali school of fiqh.
The Hanafi and Malike scholars say it is Makruh Tanzih (not close to haraam like Makruh Tahrim but better if avoided) to pray Salat-al-Jinazah in a masjid. The Shafi and Hanbali scholars say it is permissible.
With regards to point 2, Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) only did this for Najashi and it was as if the body was before Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) so this must be regarded as an exception. There is also one disputed narration about another sahabi, Muawiyah ibn Muawiyah (رضى الله عنه) - Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was in Tabuk when Muawiyah ibn Muawiyah (رضى الله عنه) passed away in Madinah. Jibril (عليه السلام) visited the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and informed him of the death. The distance between Tabuk and Madinah is approximately 900 miles. Jibril (عليه السلام) asked Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) whether he wished to pray Jinazah over Muawiyah ibn Muawiyah (رضى الله عنه). Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) replied affirmatively. It is narrated that 70,000 angels participated in the Jinazah salah. Jibril (عليه السلام) beat the earth with his wings and levelled it so there was no barrier between Tabuk and Madinah. Jibril (عليه السلام) told Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that Muawiyah ibn Muawiyah (رضى الله عنه) had received this honour due to his great love of Surah Ahad. The majority of scholars do not accept da’eef (weak) narrations for determination of Islamic law but for encouragement, virtues etc, da’eef hadeeth are accepted.
May Allah preserve the Shaykh. I seek forgiveness for any errors I made have
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Muhammad (pbuh) and Negus - The King of Abyssinia
The Best Role Model
Prophet of Mercy Team
Throughout history, without a doubt, we find that the king’s role was vital in shaping the society, which he ruled over. Those kings whom history has not branded with any form of infamy, those that are fondly remembered, have been remembered by the isolation of certain qualities which they possessed; intellect, wealth and power. Such qualities served as a means for betterment for the people which they ruled over and earned them a place in history. Whilst discussing the life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) it would only serve as prudent to make mention of his interaction with one of the greatest kings of his time, one whose piety served as a greater source of prosperity for his people than any kind of wealth, privilege or power; Ashama bin Al-Abjar otherwise known as Negus (نجاشي) – Ruler of Abyssinia.
It may come as a surprise to some that although there was mutual respect on behalf of both the Prophet r and Negus, neither of the two actually met, their interaction was formed by means of a third party or through written messages which the Prophet r dictated for one of his follower’s to write. In order for one to understand the interaction between Muhammad r and Negus t we must first understand the condition of the early Muslims, for it was in fact the condition of the early Muslim which lead to Negus being permanently remembered within the realm of Islamic history.
In the middle of the fifth year of Prophethood, the Muslims, the followers of Muhammad r sought ways in which to rid themselves of the painful torture meted out to them by their idolatrous persecutors. In this grim period Surat Az-Zumar (Chapter 39 — The Crowds) was revealed, it directed the Muslims towards the concept of migration outside of Makkah and away from the violence, which they suffered:
"Good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world, and Allah’s earth is spacious (so if! Only those who are patient shall receive their rewards in full without reckoning." [39:10].
Muhammad r permitted those of his followers that did migrate to seek asylum in Abyssinia, he knew it’s king, Negus, a Christian, was a just ruler, one that would do no wrong to those that lived in his kingdom. The Muslims sneaked out of Makkah in the darkness of the night and headed for the sea where two boats were to sail to Abyssinia. News of their intended departure reached the ears of the Makkah idol worshippers, orders were made to bring them back, such efforts, however, were unsuccessful.
Some time after this migration Negus received a message from the Prophet’s r, according to historians it was either late in the sixth year or early in the seventh year A.H. One of its sentences read: "I have dispatched my cousin, Ja‘far with a group of Muslims, to you. Do be generous towards them and give up haughtiness." Negus, being the fair-minded king that he was, answered the call for aid giving Ja’far and the Muslims that accompanied him, the security which they required.
This development, however, did not go unnoticed, the idol worshippers of Makkah detested the very prospect of a secure haven available for the Muslims, they sent two envoys from amongst themselves to demand their return. The envoys had taken with them valuable gifts and had won over some of his clergy, they claimed that those Muslim living in kingdom should be handed over to them because they had abandoned the religion of their forefathers, and their leader was preaching a religion different from their own and of that of the king.
Having given a chance for the envoys to explain their objections, the king summoned the Muslims to the court and ordered them to explain the teachings of their religion. Ja‘far, the cousin of the Prophet r stood up and addressed the king in the following words: “O king! we were plunged in the depth of ignorance and barbarism; we adored idols, we lived in unchastity, we ate the dead bodies, and we spoke abominations, we disregarded every feeling of humanity, and the duties of hospitality and neighbourhood were neglected; we knew no law but that of the strong, when Allah raised among us a man, of whose birth, truthfulness, honesty, and purity we were aware; and he called to the Oneness of Allah, and taught us not to associate anything with Him. He forbade us the worship of idols; and he enjoined us to speak the truth, to be faithful to our trusts, to be merciful and to regard the rights of the neighbours and kith and kin; he forbade us to speak evil of women, or to eat the substance of orphans; he ordered us to fly from the vices, and to abstain from evil; to offer prayers, to render alms, and to observe fast. We have believed in him, we have accepted his teachings and his injunctions to worship Allah, and not to associate anything with Him, and we have allowed what He has allowed, and prohibited what He has prohibited. For this reason, our people have risen against us, have persecuted us in order to make us forsake the worship of Allah and return to the worship of idols and other abominations. They have tortured and injured us, until finding no safety among them, we have come to your country, and hope you will protect us from oppression.”
As a Christian, the king was very much impressed by these words and asked the Muslims to recite something from their holy book, the Qur’an. As a response Ja‘far recited the opening verses of Surat Maryam (Chapter 19 — Mary), a chapter which relates the story of the birth of both John and Jesus Christ (peace be upon them both) as well as a remembrance of how Mary, out of her piety, was miraculously fed with food. Upon hearing the recital, the king, along with the bishops of his realm, were moved to tears, so much so that tears rolled down his cheeks, wetting his beard, he exclaimed: "It seems as if these words and those which were revealed to Jesus are the rays of the light which have radiated from the same source." Turning to the two envoys from Makkah, he said, "I am afraid, I cannot give you back these refugees. They are free to live and worship in my realm as they please."
On the very next day, the two envoys again went to the king again with the same goal as the day before, the expulsion of Muslims from Abyssinian lands, they aimed to spark enmity in the heart of the king by claiming that Muhammad r and his followers blasphemed against Jesus Christ u. Again the Muslims were summoned and asked were asked, this time over what they claimed of Jesus. Ja‘far, the very man who had spoken on behalf of the Muslims the day before, stood up again and replied: “we speak about Jesus as we have been taught by our Prophet (peace be upon him) , that is, he is the servant of Allah, His Messenger, His spirit and His Word breathed into Virgin Mary.” Upon hearing this reply, the king at once remarked, “even so do we believe. Blessed be you, and blessed be your master.” He then turned to the envoys, whose hopes had been agitated once more saying: “you may fret and fume as you like but Jesus is nothing more than what Ja‘far has said about him.” The gifts which the envoys had brought with them were returned and they were sent away. Thus, the Muslims lived in Abyssinia undisturbed for a number of years till they returned to Madinah.
The discourse which took place between Ja’far and Negus is but an example of the teachings which were revealed to the Prophet r: "Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)): ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.’ Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.” [3:64]
Eventually, the Prophet r invited Negus to Islam through a messenger, ‘Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Damari. As a response, Negus took the parchment and placed it on his eye, he descended to the floor, confessed his faith in Islam and wrote the following reply to the Prophet r:
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
From Negus Ashama to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah! and mercy and blessing from Allah beside Whom there is no god. I have received your letter in which you have mentioned about Jesus and by the Lord of heaven and earth, Jesus is not more than what you say. We fully acknowledge that with which you have been sent to us and we have entertained your cousin and his companions. I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah, true and confirming (those who have gone before you), I pledge to you through your cousin and surrender myself through him to the Lord of the worlds.”
Negus later died in Rajab 9 A.H. The Prophet r announced his death and observed prayer in absentia for him. He died not being able to see the spread of Islam into other nations or even seeing it flourish within his own. The lessons one may be able to learn from his association with Prophet r are beneficial. One finds it quite touching that a sovereign of a country, an individual who has complete power over his subjects can be moved by the message of a single man, even without meeting him in person. It is said that it was not only Negus who was moved to tears by the words of the Qur’an, but also those bishops who were in his company. This, in itself, is worthy of contemplation. The fact that a learned king willingly humbles himself to a parchment in public, speaks volumes of not only the message but the messenger.
Prophet of Mercy Team
Throughout history, without a doubt, we find that the king’s role was vital in shaping the society, which he ruled over. Those kings whom history has not branded with any form of infamy, those that are fondly remembered, have been remembered by the isolation of certain qualities which they possessed; intellect, wealth and power. Such qualities served as a means for betterment for the people which they ruled over and earned them a place in history. Whilst discussing the life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) it would only serve as prudent to make mention of his interaction with one of the greatest kings of his time, one whose piety served as a greater source of prosperity for his people than any kind of wealth, privilege or power; Ashama bin Al-Abjar otherwise known as Negus (نجاشي) – Ruler of Abyssinia.
It may come as a surprise to some that although there was mutual respect on behalf of both the Prophet r and Negus, neither of the two actually met, their interaction was formed by means of a third party or through written messages which the Prophet r dictated for one of his follower’s to write. In order for one to understand the interaction between Muhammad r and Negus t we must first understand the condition of the early Muslims, for it was in fact the condition of the early Muslim which lead to Negus being permanently remembered within the realm of Islamic history.
In the middle of the fifth year of Prophethood, the Muslims, the followers of Muhammad r sought ways in which to rid themselves of the painful torture meted out to them by their idolatrous persecutors. In this grim period Surat Az-Zumar (Chapter 39 — The Crowds) was revealed, it directed the Muslims towards the concept of migration outside of Makkah and away from the violence, which they suffered:
"Good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world, and Allah’s earth is spacious (so if! Only those who are patient shall receive their rewards in full without reckoning." [39:10].
Muhammad r permitted those of his followers that did migrate to seek asylum in Abyssinia, he knew it’s king, Negus, a Christian, was a just ruler, one that would do no wrong to those that lived in his kingdom. The Muslims sneaked out of Makkah in the darkness of the night and headed for the sea where two boats were to sail to Abyssinia. News of their intended departure reached the ears of the Makkah idol worshippers, orders were made to bring them back, such efforts, however, were unsuccessful.
Some time after this migration Negus received a message from the Prophet’s r, according to historians it was either late in the sixth year or early in the seventh year A.H. One of its sentences read: "I have dispatched my cousin, Ja‘far with a group of Muslims, to you. Do be generous towards them and give up haughtiness." Negus, being the fair-minded king that he was, answered the call for aid giving Ja’far and the Muslims that accompanied him, the security which they required.
This development, however, did not go unnoticed, the idol worshippers of Makkah detested the very prospect of a secure haven available for the Muslims, they sent two envoys from amongst themselves to demand their return. The envoys had taken with them valuable gifts and had won over some of his clergy, they claimed that those Muslim living in kingdom should be handed over to them because they had abandoned the religion of their forefathers, and their leader was preaching a religion different from their own and of that of the king.
Having given a chance for the envoys to explain their objections, the king summoned the Muslims to the court and ordered them to explain the teachings of their religion. Ja‘far, the cousin of the Prophet r stood up and addressed the king in the following words: “O king! we were plunged in the depth of ignorance and barbarism; we adored idols, we lived in unchastity, we ate the dead bodies, and we spoke abominations, we disregarded every feeling of humanity, and the duties of hospitality and neighbourhood were neglected; we knew no law but that of the strong, when Allah raised among us a man, of whose birth, truthfulness, honesty, and purity we were aware; and he called to the Oneness of Allah, and taught us not to associate anything with Him. He forbade us the worship of idols; and he enjoined us to speak the truth, to be faithful to our trusts, to be merciful and to regard the rights of the neighbours and kith and kin; he forbade us to speak evil of women, or to eat the substance of orphans; he ordered us to fly from the vices, and to abstain from evil; to offer prayers, to render alms, and to observe fast. We have believed in him, we have accepted his teachings and his injunctions to worship Allah, and not to associate anything with Him, and we have allowed what He has allowed, and prohibited what He has prohibited. For this reason, our people have risen against us, have persecuted us in order to make us forsake the worship of Allah and return to the worship of idols and other abominations. They have tortured and injured us, until finding no safety among them, we have come to your country, and hope you will protect us from oppression.”
As a Christian, the king was very much impressed by these words and asked the Muslims to recite something from their holy book, the Qur’an. As a response Ja‘far recited the opening verses of Surat Maryam (Chapter 19 — Mary), a chapter which relates the story of the birth of both John and Jesus Christ (peace be upon them both) as well as a remembrance of how Mary, out of her piety, was miraculously fed with food. Upon hearing the recital, the king, along with the bishops of his realm, were moved to tears, so much so that tears rolled down his cheeks, wetting his beard, he exclaimed: "It seems as if these words and those which were revealed to Jesus are the rays of the light which have radiated from the same source." Turning to the two envoys from Makkah, he said, "I am afraid, I cannot give you back these refugees. They are free to live and worship in my realm as they please."
On the very next day, the two envoys again went to the king again with the same goal as the day before, the expulsion of Muslims from Abyssinian lands, they aimed to spark enmity in the heart of the king by claiming that Muhammad r and his followers blasphemed against Jesus Christ u. Again the Muslims were summoned and asked were asked, this time over what they claimed of Jesus. Ja‘far, the very man who had spoken on behalf of the Muslims the day before, stood up again and replied: “we speak about Jesus as we have been taught by our Prophet (peace be upon him) , that is, he is the servant of Allah, His Messenger, His spirit and His Word breathed into Virgin Mary.” Upon hearing this reply, the king at once remarked, “even so do we believe. Blessed be you, and blessed be your master.” He then turned to the envoys, whose hopes had been agitated once more saying: “you may fret and fume as you like but Jesus is nothing more than what Ja‘far has said about him.” The gifts which the envoys had brought with them were returned and they were sent away. Thus, the Muslims lived in Abyssinia undisturbed for a number of years till they returned to Madinah.
The discourse which took place between Ja’far and Negus is but an example of the teachings which were revealed to the Prophet r: "Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)): ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.’ Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.” [3:64]
Eventually, the Prophet r invited Negus to Islam through a messenger, ‘Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Damari. As a response, Negus took the parchment and placed it on his eye, he descended to the floor, confessed his faith in Islam and wrote the following reply to the Prophet r:
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
From Negus Ashama to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah! and mercy and blessing from Allah beside Whom there is no god. I have received your letter in which you have mentioned about Jesus and by the Lord of heaven and earth, Jesus is not more than what you say. We fully acknowledge that with which you have been sent to us and we have entertained your cousin and his companions. I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah, true and confirming (those who have gone before you), I pledge to you through your cousin and surrender myself through him to the Lord of the worlds.”
Negus later died in Rajab 9 A.H. The Prophet r announced his death and observed prayer in absentia for him. He died not being able to see the spread of Islam into other nations or even seeing it flourish within his own. The lessons one may be able to learn from his association with Prophet r are beneficial. One finds it quite touching that a sovereign of a country, an individual who has complete power over his subjects can be moved by the message of a single man, even without meeting him in person. It is said that it was not only Negus who was moved to tears by the words of the Qur’an, but also those bishops who were in his company. This, in itself, is worthy of contemplation. The fact that a learned king willingly humbles himself to a parchment in public, speaks volumes of not only the message but the messenger.
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