When we settled in the land of Abyssinia, we lived as neighbors to the best of hosts, the Negus. He gave us security to practice our religion, and we worshipped Allah without being harmed or hearing anything we disliked.When word of this reached Quraysh, they conspired to send two strong men to the Negus to deal with us, and to present the Negus with gifts of the most prized goods of Mecca. The most remarkable items that were brought to him from Mecca were leather goods, so they gathered a great quantity of leather for him, and they did not leave a single one of his bishops without preparing a gift for him as well. Then they sent all this with Abdullah bin Abu Rabia bin Mughira al-Makhzumi and Amr bin As bin Waail al-Sahmi. They instructed them on what to do and said to them, "Hand each bishop his gift before you speak to the Negus about them. Then present the Negus with his gifts and ask him to surrender these people to you before he speaks with them."So the two men set out and arrived before the Negus while we were with him in the best of homes and beside the best of neighbors. They did not leave a single bishop among his bishops without handing him his gift before they spoke to the Negus. Then they said to each bishop, "Some foolish young men of ours have taken refuge in the king's land. They have abandoned the religion of their people and have not entered your religion either, but have come with an invented religion that neither we nor you know. The nobles of their people have sent us to the king regarding them, that they may be returned to them. So when we speak to the king about them, advise him to surrender them to us and not to speak with them, for their own people know them best and are most aware of what they find objectionable in them."The bishops said to them, "Yes."Then the two men presented their gifts to the Negus, and he accepted them. Then they spoke to him, saying, "King, some foolish young men of ours have taken refuge in your land. They have abandoned the religion of their people and have not entered your religion, but have come with an invented religion that neither we nor you know. The nobles of their people, their fathers, uncles, and clansmen, have sent us to you regarding them, that you may return them to them, for they know them best and are most aware of what they find objectionable in them and what they reproach them for."Nothing was more hateful to Abdullah bin Abu Rabia and Amr bin As than that the Negus should hear the Muslims' words.The bishops around him said, "They have spoken truly, king. Their own people know them best and are most aware of what they find objectionable in them. So surrender them to these two men, that they may return them to their land and their people."The Negus became angry, then said, "No, by Allah, I will not surrender them to these two. I will not betray a people who have come to me as neighbors, settled in my land, and chosen me over all others, until I summon them and ask them what these two say about their case. If they are as these two describe, I will hand them over and return them to their people. But if they are otherwise, I will protect them from these two and treat them well as long as they remain my neighbors."Then he sent for the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and summoned them. When his messenger came to them, they gathered, and they said to one another, "What will you say to the man when you come before him?"They said, "By Allah, we will say what we know and what our Prophet ﷺ has commanded us, come what may."When they came to him, the Negus had summoned his bishops, who had spread out their scriptures around him. He asked them, "What is this religion for which you have parted from your people, neither entering my religion nor that of any of these other communities?"The one who spoke to him was Jafar bin Abu Talib. He said, "King, we were a people of ignorance. We worshipped idols, ate carrion, committed indecencies, severed family ties, mistreated our neighbors, and the strong among us devoured the weak. We were in this state until Allah sent us a messenger from among ourselves whose lineage, truthfulness, trustworthiness, and chastity we knew. He called us to Allah, to declare His oneness and worship Him, and to renounce what we and our fathers had worshipped of stones and idols besides Him. He commanded us to be truthful in speech, to fulfill trusts, to maintain family ties, to be good to neighbors, and to refrain from forbidden things and bloodshed. He forbade us from indecencies, false speech, consuming the property of the orphan, and slandering chaste women. He commanded us to worship Allah alone and not to associate anything with Him, and he commanded us to pray, give alms, and fast." He enumerated for him the matters of Islam."So we believed him, had faith in him, and followed him in what he brought from Allah. We worshipped Allah alone and associated nothing with Him. We forbade what He forbade us and made lawful what He made lawful for us. Then our people turned against us. They tortured us and tried to turn us from our religion to return us from the worship of Allah to the worship of idols, and to make us deem permissible the abominations we had once deemed permissible. When they overpowered us, oppressed us, made life difficult for us, and came between us and our religion, we left for your land and chose you over all others. We desired your protection and hoped that we would not be wronged in your presence, king."The Negus said to him, "Do you have any of what he brought from Allah with you?"Jafar said, "Yes."The Negus said, "Then recite it to me."So he recited to him the opening of Surah Maryam, "Kaf Ha Ya Ayn Sad." By Allah, the Negus wept until his beard was wet, and his bishops wept until their scriptures were wet, when they heard what he recited to them.Then the Negus said, "By Allah, this and what Musa brought come from a single lamp. Go, for by Allah, I will never surrender them to you, and I will not betray them."Umm Salama said, when the two men left him, Amr bin As said, "By Allah, tomorrow I will inform him of a fault in them by which I will uproot them entirely."Abdullah bin Abu Rabia, who was the more pious of the two men, said to him, "Do not do it, for they have ties of kinship with us, even if they have opposed us."Amr said, "By Allah, I will tell him that they claim Isa, son of Maryam, is a slave."The next morning he went to the Negus and said to him, "King, they say a serious thing about Isa, son of Maryam. Send for them and ask them what they say about him."So he sent for them to ask them about him. Nothing like this had befallen us before. The people gathered and said to one another, "What will you say about Isa when he asks you about him?"They said, "By Allah, we will say about him what Allah has said and what our Prophet brought, come what may."When they entered upon him, he said to them, "What do you say about Isa, son of Maryam?"Jafar bin Abu Talib said to him, "We say about him what our Prophet brought. He is the servant of Allah, His messenger, His spirit, and His word, which He cast into Maryam, the virgin, the chaste."The Negus struck his hand on the ground, took up a stick from it, and said, "Isa, son of Maryam, did not exceed by so much as this stick what you have said."His bishops around him snorted in disapproval when he said what he said.He said, "Even if you snort, by Allah. Go, for you are safe in my land. Whoever insults you will be fined, then whoever insults you will be fined. I would not wish for a mountain of gold and that I should harm a single man among you," and dabr in the language of Abyssinia means mountain. "Return their gifts to these two, for I have no need of them. By Allah, Allah did not take a bribe from me when He restored my kingdom to me, that I should take a bribe in this matter, and the people did not obey me in my decision, that I should obey them in this."The two men left his presence disgraced, with what they had brought returned to them, and we remained with him in the best of homes alongside the best of neighbor.By Allah, while we were in this state, someone came to challenge his rule. By Allah, we never knew a sorrow more severe than the sorrow we felt at that time, fearing that this man would prevail over the Negus and that someone would come who did not recognize our rights as the Negus had recognized them.The Negus marched out, with the width of the Nile between him and his enemy.The companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Who will go out to witness the battle and bring us news?"Zubayr bin Awwam said, "I will." He was among the youngest of the group.So they inflated a waterskin for him, which he placed against his chest, and he swam on it until he reached the side of the Nile where the two armies were to meet. Then he went on until he was present at the battle.We prayed to Allah for the Negus to prevail over his enemy and to be firmly established in his land. The affairs of Abyssinia were settled in his favor, and we remained with him in the best of dwellings until we returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was in Mecca.
حدثنا يعقوب حدثنا أبي عن محمد بن إسحاق حدثني محمد بن مسلم بن عبيد الله بن شهاب عن أبي بكر بن عبد الرحمن بن الحارث بن هشام المخزومي
لما نزلنا أرض الحبشة جاورنا بها خير جار النجاشي أمنا على ديننا وعبدنا الله لا نؤذى ولا نسمع شيئا نكرهه فلما بلغ ذلك قريشا ائتمروا أن يبعثوا إلى النجاشي فينا رجلين جلدين وأن يهدوا للنجاشي هدايا مما يستطرف من متاع مكة وكان من أعجب ما يأتيه منها إليه الأدم فجمعوا له أدما كثيرا ولم يتركوا من بطارقته بطريقا إلا أهدوا له هدية ثم بعثوا بذلك مع عبد الله بن أبي ربيعة بن المغيرة المخزومي وعمرو بن العاص بن وائل السهمي وأمروهما أمرهم وقالوا لهما ادفعوا إلى كل بطريق هديته قبل أن تكلموا النجاشي فيهم ثم قدموا للنجاشي هداياه ثم سلوه أن يسلمهم إليكم قبل أن يكلمهم قالت فخرجا فقدما على النجاشي ونحن عنده بخير دار وعند خير جار فلم يبق من بطارقته بطريق إلا دفعا إليه هديته قبل أن يكلما النجاشي ثم قالا لكل بطريق منهم إنه قد صبا إلى بلد الملك منا غلمان سفهاء فارقوا دين قومهم ولم يدخلوا في دينكم وجاءوا بدين مبتدع لا نعرفه نحن ولا أنتم وقد بعثنا إلى الملك فيهم أشراف قومهم ليردهم إليهم فإذا كلمنا الملك فيهم فتشيروا عليه بأن يسلمهم إلينا ولا يكلمهم فإن قومهم أعلى بهم عينا وأعلم بما عابوا عليهم فقالوا لهما نعم ثم إنهما قربا هداياهم إلى النجاشي فقبلها منهما ثم كلماه فقالا له أيها الملك إنه قد صبا إلى بلدك منا غلمان سفهاء فارقوا دين قومهم ولم يدخلوا في دينك وجاءوا بدين مبتدع لا نعرفه نحن ولا أنت وقد بعثنا إليك فيهم أشراف قومهم من آبائهم وأعمامهم وعشائرهم لتردهم إليهم فهم أعلى بهم عينا وأعلم بما عابوا عليهم وعاتبوهم فيه قالت ولم يكن شيء أبغض إلى عبد الله بن أبي ربيعة وعمرو بن العاص من أن يسمع النجاشي كلامهم فقالت بطارقته حوله صدقوا أيها الملك قومهم أعلى بهم عينا وأعلم بما عابوا عليهم فأسلمهم إليهما فليرداهم إلى بلادهم وقومهم قال فغضب النجاشي ثم قال لا ها الله ايم الله إذن لا أسلمهم إليهما ولا أكاد قوما جاوروني ونزلوا بلادي واختاروني على من سواي حتى أدعوهم فأسألهم ماذا يقول هذان في أمرهم فإن كانوا كما يقولان أسلمتهم إليهما ورددتهم إلى قومهم وإن كانوا على غير ذلك منعتهم منهما وأحسنت جوارهم ما جاوروني قالت ثم أرسل إلى أصحاب رسول الله ﷺ فدعاهم فلما جاءهم رسوله اجتمعوا ثم قال بعضهم لبعض ما تقولون للرجل إذا جئتموه قالوا نقول والله ما علمنا وما أمرنا به نبينا ﷺ كائن في ذلك ما هو كائن فلما جاءوه وقد دعا النجاشي أساقفته فنشروا مصاحفهم حوله سألهم فقال ما هذا الدين الذي فارقتم فيه قومكم ولم تدخلوا في ديني ولا في دين أحد من هذه الأمم قالت فكان الذي كلمه جعفر بن أبي طالب فقال له أيها الملك كنا قوما أهل جاهلية نعبد الأصنام ونأكل الميتة ونأتي الفواحش ونقطع الأرحام ونسيء الجوار يأكل القوي منا الضعيف فكنا على ذلك حتى بعث الله إلينا رسولا منا نعرف نسبه وصدقه وأمانته وعفافه فدعانا إلى الله لنوحده ونعبده ونخلع ما كنا نعبد نحن وآباؤنا من دونه من الحجارة والأوثان وأمرنا بصدق الحديث وأداء الأمانة وصلة الرحم وحسن الجوار والكف عن المحارم والدماء ونهانا عن الفواحش وقول الزور وأكل مال اليتيم وقذف المحصنة وأمرنا أن نعبد الله وحده لا نشرك به شيئا وأمرنا بالصلاة والزكاة والصيام قال فعدد عليه أمور الإسلام فصدقناه وآمنا به واتبعناه على ما جاء به فعبدنا الله وحده فلم نشرك به شيئا وحرمنا ما حرم علينا وأحللنا ما أحل لنا فعدا علينا قومنا فعذبونا وفتنونا عن ديننا ليردونا إلى عبادة الأوثان من عبادة الله وأن نستحل ما كنا نستحل من الخبائث فلما قهرونا وظلمونا وشقوا علينا وحالوا بيننا وبين ديننا خرجنا إلى بلدك واخترناك على من سواك ورغبنا في جوارك ورجونا أن لا نظلم عندك أيها الملك قالت فقال له النجاشي هل معك مما جاء به عن الله من شيء قالت فقال له جعفر نعم فقال له النجاشي فاقرأه علي فقرأ عليه صدرا من كهيعص قالت فبكى والله النجاشي حتى أخضل لحيته وبكت أساقفته حتى أخضلوا مصاحفهم حين سمعوا ما تلا عليهم ثم قال النجاشي إن هذا والله والذي جاء به موسى ليخرج من مشكاة واحدة انطلقا فوالله لا أسلمهم إليكم أبدا ولا أكاد قالت أم سلمة فلما خرجا من عنده قال عمرو بن العاص والله لأنبئنهم غدا عيبهم عندهم ثم أستأصل به خضراءهم قالت فقال له عبد الله بن أبي ربيعة وكان أتقى الرجلين فينا لا تفعل فإن لهم أرحاما وإن كانوا قد خالفونا قال والله لأخبرنه أنهم يزعمون أن عيسى ابن مريم عبد قالت ثم غدا عليه الغد فقال له أيها الملك إنهم يقولون في عيسى ابن مريم قولا عظيما فأرسل إليهم فاسألهم عما يقولون فيه قالت فأرسل إليهم يسألهم عنه قالت ولم ينزل بنا مثله فاجتمع القوم فقال بعضهم لبعض ماذا تقولون في عيسى إذا سألكم عنه قالوا نقول والله فيه ما قال الله وما جاء به نبينا كائنا في ذلك ما هو كائن فلما دخلوا عليه قال لهم ما تقولون في عيسى ابن مريم فقال له جعفر بن أبي طالب نقول فيه الذي جاء به نبينا هو عبد الله ورسوله وروحه وكلمته ألقاها إلى مريم العذراء البتول قالت فضرب النجاشي يده إلى الأرض فأخذ منها عودا ثم قال ما عدا عيسى ابن مريم ما قلت هذا العود فتناخرت بطارقته حوله حين قال ما قال فقال وإن نخرتم والله اذهبوا فأنتم سيوم بأرضي والسيوم الآمنون من سبكم غرم ثم من سبكم غرم فما أحب أن لي دبرا ذهبا وأني آذيت رجلا منكم والدبر بلسان الحبشة الجبل ردوا عليهما هداياهما فلا حاجة لنا بها فوالله ما أخذ الله مني الرشوة حين رد علي ملكي فآخذ الرشوة فيه وما أطاع الناس في فأطيعهم فيه قالت فخرجا من عنده مقبوحين مردودا عليهما ما جاءا به وأقمنا عنده بخير دار مع خير جار قالت فوالله إنا على ذلك إذ نزل به يعني من ينازعه في ملكه قال فوالله ما علمنا حزنا قط كان أشد من حزن حزناه عند ذلك تخوفا أن يظهر ذلك على النجاشي فيأتي رجل لا يعرف من حقنا ما كان النجاشي يعرف منه قالت وسار النجاشي وبينهما عرض النيل قالت فقال أصحاب رسول الله ﷺ من رجل يخرج حتى يحضر وقعة القوم ثم يأتينا بالخبر قالت فقال الزبير بن العوام أنا قالت وكان من أحدث القوم سنا قالت فنفخوا له قربة فجعلها في صدره ثم سبح عليها حتى خرج إلى ناحية النيل التي بها ملتقى القوم ثم انطلق حتى حضرهم قالت ودعونا الله للنجاشي بالظهور على عدوه والتمكين له في بلاده واستوسق عليه أمر الحبشة فكنا عنده في خير منزل حتى قدمنا على رسول الله ﷺ وهو بمكة