The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent us to the Negus, and we were about eighty men.He recounted the story of the migration of the Muslims to the land of Abyssinia, in which it was said that the Negus picked up a stick from the ground and said, "People of Abyssinia, priests, and monks, by Allah, they do not add anything to what we say about him beyond the length of this stick. Welcome to you, and welcome to the one from whom you have come. I bear witness that he is the Messenger of Allah. He is the one we find mentioned in the Gospel, and he is the Messenger whom Isa son of Maryam foretold. Settle wherever you wish. By Allah, were it not for the kingdom I am bound to, I would go to him myself until I were the one carrying his sandals and pouring water for his ablutions."He then ordered that the gifts of the others be returned to them.The hadith continues.
بعثنا رسول الله ﷺ إلى النجاشي، ونحن نحو من ثمانين رجلا… وذكر حديث هجرة المسلمين إلى أرض الحبشة، وجاء فيه: فرفع النجاشي عودا من الأرض، ثم قال: يامعشر الحبشة والقسيسين والرهبان، والله ما يزيدون على الذي نقول فيه ما يسوى هذا؟ مرحبا بكم، وبمن جئتم من عنده، أشهد أنه رسول الله، فإنه الذي نجد في الإنجيل، وإنه الرسول الذي بشر به عيسى ابن مريم، انزلوا حيث شئتم، والله لو لا ما أنا فيه من الملك لأتيته حتى أكون أناأحمل نعليه، وأوضوه. وأمر بهدية الآخرين فردت إليهما… الحديث.
Ahmad (4400), Hakim (2/623), and Bayhaqi in Dalail (2/298) all narrated it through the route of Khadij bin Muawiya, from Abu Ishaq, from Abdullah bin Utbah, from Ibn Masud, who said, then he mentioned it. Its isnad is hasan because of Khadij bin Muawiya, for he is hasan al-hadith. The discussion of it is detailed in the book Sirat al-Nabi ﷺ.