When news of Najashi's death arrived, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Pray over him."They said, "Messenger of Allah, are we to pray over an Abyssinian slave?"So Allah revealed, "And among the People of the Book there are those who believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down to them, humbling themselves before Allah. They do not trade the verses of Allah for a small price. They shall have their reward with their Lord. Indeed Allah is swift in reckoning." [Al Imran 3:199]
لما جاء نعي النجاشي قال رسول الله ﷺ: صلوا عليه قالوا: يا رسول الله، نصلي على عبد حبشي؟ فأنزل الله عز وجل: {وإن من أهل الكتاب لمن يؤمن بالله وما أنزل إليكم وما أنزل إليهم خشعين لله لا يشترون بءايت الله ثمنا قليلا أوليك لهم أجرهم عند ربهم إن الله سريع الحساب}.
No references are available.
It was narrated by Nasai in Kubra (11022), Bazzar in Kashf Astar (832), Wahidi in Asbab Nuzul (p. 135), Tabarani in Awsat (5147), and Diya in Mukhtarah (61/6), all of them through routes going back to Humayd, from Anas, and he mentioned it. The wording given is Nasai's.In one version it reads, "How do we pray for an uncouth man from Abyssinia?" Its isnad is sahih.Mujahid and others said it was revealed concerning the believers among the People of the Book.