Chapter of the Delegation of Najran and the Testimony of the Bishops to Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he is the Prophet they were waiting for, and the Abstinence of Those who Abstained from Them Due to Excommunication and the Evidences of Prophethood that Appeared Therein

Abu Abdullah Al-Hafiz informed us, Abu Al-Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya’qub narrated to us, Ahmed ibn Abdul-Jabbar narrated to us, Yunus narrated from Ibn Ishaq, he said: A delegation of the Christians of Najran visited the Prophet in Medina.

Mohammed ibn Ja’far ibn Nadi narrated, he said: When the Najran delegation arrived at the Prophet's mosque after Asr prayer, and it was time for their prayer, they stood to pray in his mosque, and the people wanted to stop them. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Leave them and face the east and allow them to pray their prayer."

Abu Abdullah Al-Hafiz and Abu Saeed ibn Abi Amro said: Abu Al-Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya’qub narrated to us, Ahmed ibn Abdul-Jabbar narrated to us, Yunus ibn Bukair narrated from Ibn Ishaq, who narrated from Buraydah ibn Sufyan, from Ibn al-Baylamani, from Kurz ibn Alqama who said: [And see in the delegations of Najran: - ibn Hisham's Sirah (2:175), ibn Saad's Tabaqat (1:357), Baladhuri's Futuh Al-Buldan (70), Al-Bidayah wa An-Nihayah (5:52), Nahj Al-Arab (18:121), and the Sharh Al-Mawahib (4:41)].

Visit of the Christian Delegation from Najran

A delegation of sixty Christians from Najran, including twenty-four dignitaries, came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). They had three leaders among them: Al-Aqib, the chief of the people and their advisor; Abdul-Masih, their chief priest; and Al-Ayham, their leader. Abu Haritha, a respected member of the delegation, was instrumental in their affairs and had studied their scriptures until he excelled in their religion.

The Romans, who were Christians, also honored and supported Abu Haritha due to his dedication and efforts in their religion. They built churches for him and showed him great respect for his works and dedication.

Interaction during the Visit

During their visit to the Prophet Muhammad from Najran, Abu Haritha was riding a camel towards the Prophet, with his brother Khoz accompanying him. When Abu Haritha's camel stumbled, Khoz, his brother, said, "May the distant one perish," referring to the Prophet Muhammad. Abu Haritha replied, "No, may you perish." When asked why, Abu Haritha explained: "As the Prophet we awaited is indeed him." Khoz then asked why Abu Haritha, knowing this, did not accept Islam earlier. Abu Haritha responded, "These people (Romans) have honored, supported, and respected us. If I were to accept, they would oppose us and withdraw their honors. However, Khoz kept this in mind until he eventually embraced Islam afterwards.

Meeting with the People of Najran and the Jewish Scholars

It was narrated that Ibn Abbas said: The Christians of Najran and the Jewish scholars gathered in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and began to dispute with each other. The Jewish scholars claimed, "Abraham was only a Jew," while the Christians argued, "Abraham was only a Christian." This led Allah to reveal: "O People of the Scripture, why do you argue about Abraham while the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after him? Then will you not reason? Here you are – those who have argued about that of which you have [some] knowledge, but why do you argue about that of which you have no knowledge? And Allah knows, while you know not." (Quran, 3:65-66)

Dialogue with the People of Najran

When the Messenger of Allah invited them to Islam, a man from Najran who was a Christian monk known as al-Ra'bīs responded, "Do you desire, O Muhammad, that we worship you as the Christians worship Jesus, the son of Mary, and to whom you call?" The Prophet replied, "May Allah protect me from worshipping anyone other than Him or commanding the worship of anyone other than Him. That is not why I was sent or commanded. Thus, Allah revealed: 'It is not for a human [prophet] that Allah should give him the Scripture and authority and prophethood and then he would say to the people, 'Be servants to me rather than Allah.' But [instead, he would say], 'Be pious scholars of the Lord because of what you have taught of the Scripture and because of what you have studied.' Nor could he order you to take the angels and prophets as lords. Would he order you to disbelief after you had been Muslims?' (Quran, 3:79-80)."

The Covenant with the Prophets

Then the Prophet mentioned the covenant that the prophets and their people had regarding the truth and their acknowledgment of it when it came to them, saying: "And [mention, O Muhammad], when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], 'Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a Messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him.' [Allah] said, 'Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?' They said, 'We have acknowledged it.' He said, 'Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.' (Quran, 3:81)"

Translation of Classical Arabic Text

Abu Abdullah added in his narration: Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Sahl ibn Abi Umamah informed me that when the people of Najran came to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, asking about Jesus son of Mary, the Opening of the Family of Imran was revealed concerning them, eighty verses of it.

Abu Abdullah Al-Hafiz and Abu Saeed Muhammad ibn Musa ibn Al-Fadl narrated: Abu Al-Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya'qoub informed us, who narrated from Ahmad ibn Abd Al-Jabbar, who narrated from Yunus ibn Bukayr, from Salamah ibn Abd Yashua, from his father, from his grandfather, Yunus said, who was a Christian then embraced Islam, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, wrote to the people of Najran before Surah Ta-Ha was revealed: "In the name of Allah, the God of Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, and Jacob, from Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah, to the bishop of Najran and the people of Najran. If you embrace Islam, then I praise before you the God of Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac. But if you refuse, then pay the Jizya. If you reject, I've already called you to war and peace."

When the bishop read the letter, he was frightened. He passed it to a man from Najran called Shurahbil ibn Wada'ah, a Hamedanite, and none was called with a confusing name before him, neither al-Ayham, nor al-Sayyid, nor al-Aqib. The bishop gave the Prophet's letter to Shurahbil, who read it and said to the bishop: "O Abu Maryam, what do you think?" Shurahbil replied: "You know what God promised to Abraham," the first verse of Surah An-Naml. Ibn Al-Qayyim commented in Zad Al-Ma'ad, saying, "The mistake in this narration is that it is wrong to say 'before Surah Ta-Ha was revealed' because this Surah is Meccan by consensus, and the letter to Najran was sent after the return from Tabuk."

Translation of Classical Arabic Text

In the lineage of Ishmael, concerning prophethood, he believes that this man is the one, I have no input in prophethood. If it was a worldly matter, I would have pointed you to it and strived for you. The bishop then told him, "Step back and sit down," so Sharhabil stepped aside and sat to the side. The bishop then sent for a man from the people of Najran known as Abdullah ibn Sharhabil, who was from the tribe of Himyar. He read to him from the book and asked for his opinion, to which he responded similar to Sharhabil. The bishop then ordered him to step back, and he did so, sitting to the side.

The bishop then sent for a man from the people of Najran by the name of Jabbar ibn Fayd from the tribe of Harith ibn Ka'b, one of the tribes of Himas. He read to him from the book and asked for his opinion, and he responded similarly to Sharhabil and Abdullah. The bishop instructed him to step back, and he sat to the side. When they all agreed on that matter, the bishop called for the "naqoos" and struck it, raising the flag in churches as they did when in distress, both in the daytime and at night, striking the "naqoos" and raising flags of fire in churches. When the "naqoos" was struck and flags were raised, people from the valley, both high and low, gathered.

They were two groups: those who were stricken with "naqoos" and those with raised flags. The valley stretched a day's journey for a swiftly riding horse, and it contained seventy-three villages and one hundred and twenty thousand fighters. He recited to them the book of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and asked for their opinion. They collectively decided to send Sharhabil ibn Wada'ah al-Hamdani, Abdullah ibn Sharhabil al-Asbahani, and Jabbar ibn Fayd al-Harithi to convey the news of the Messenger of Allah. The delegation set out until they arrived in Medina.

Upon reaching Medina, they changed from their travel attire into garments of honor and adorned themselves with gold, then went to meet the Messenger of Allah. They greeted him, but he did not respond, speaking to them at length during the day without addressing them. They continued following Uthman ibn Affan and Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf, who were known to them. They used to take the reins of the camels to Najran during the pre-Islamic era, buying goods, fruits, and products for them. They found them among some of the emigrants and helpers...

Meeting with the Prophet's Companions

In a sitting, they said: "O Uthman and O Abd al-Rahman! Your Prophet wrote to us in a letter, and we responded to him immediately. We came to him, greeted him, but he did not respond to our greeting. We debated with him for a long day, hoping he would speak to us. What do you think we should do, return or stay?"

Ali ibn Abi Talib's Advice

Ali ibn Abi Talib, among the group, asked, "O Abu al-Hasan, what do you think of these people?" Ali replied to Uthman and Abd al-Rahman, "I suggest they remove their ornaments and wear their travel clothes, then return to him."

The Visit of the Delegation

Following Ali's advice, the delegation from Najran removed their ornaments, donned their travel attire, and went back to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. They greeted him, to which he replied with his own greeting.

Discussion on Jesus

They continued to discuss with the Prophet until they asked, "What do you say about Jesus, son of Mary? We shall return to our people, and being Christians, we would be pleased if you were a Prophet so that we may know your views on him."

The Revelation

The Prophet replied, "I have nothing on him today. Stand firm until I receive revelation concerning Jesus." The next day, Allah revealed the verse: "Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam. He created him from dust; then He said to him, 'Be,' and he was." (Quran, Ali Imran: 59-61)

Interpretation of the Revelation

The verse illustrates the unique creation of Jesus and Adam. Jesus, like Adam, was created without a father but through the command "Be," he was brought into existence. The reality is from your Lord, so do not be among the doubters.

Dialogue between the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Companions

In the morning of the following day, after informing them of the news, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) walked embracing Hasan and Hussain. Fatimah was walking beside him. On that day, he had a group of women with him.

The Conversation

Sharhabil said to his companions, "You know that when the valley unites, its highest and lowest points do not prevent or hinder them except for an opinion. By Allah, I see a matter coming. If this man is a sent king, we, the closest Arabs to them, will attack him, and his people will retaliate against us. It will not depart from his chest or theirs until they afflict us with a disaster. If this man is a sent prophet, leave him. There will not remain a single hair or fingernail on us on the face of the earth."

The companions asked Sharhabil for his opinion, as he had a clear understanding of the situation. Sharhabil decided to embrace the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and informed him that his judgment was acceptable from day to night, and his night belonged to the morning. Whatever the Prophet decided concerning them, it was permissible. The Prophet warned Sharhabil that there might be someone behind him plotting against him, to which Sharhabil responded by asking his companions. They reiterated that it was Sharhabil's opinion that guided their decisions.

Response and Conclusion

After the companions returned, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) recited verses to them, but they refused to listen. The narrative recounts the Prophet's demand for a mubahala (mutual curse) with the people of Najran, as they disagreed with the message of Allah. In response to their refusal, Allah's words were quoted, highlighting the importance of firmly standing by one's beliefs and principles.

The Treaty of Najran

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is what Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah, wrote to the people of Najran when he had authority over them in every type of fruit, yellow, white, black, and thin; and he favored them. He left all of that for them on two thousand armors from the armors of the storehouse, in every Rajab a thousand armors, and in every Safar a thousand armors. With each armor, a silver piece is attached, and if the total exceeds the tax or falls short of the armors, there will be an accurate calculation.

They paid for my messengers in Najran, and their provision is for twenty days, no more. My messengers should not be detained for more than a month. They are obliged to provide thirty armors, thirty horses, and thirty camels when there is a necessity or a war. Whatever is lost from what they provided for my messengers of armors, horses, or camels, it will be a debt until they pay it back. Najran and its suburbs are under the protection of Allah and the guarantee of Muhammad, the Prophet, upon themselves, their religion, their land, their wealth, their absentees, their present ones, their families, and their merchandise. They should not alter what they were upon, nor change any of their rights or religion.

They should not change their bishops or monks, nor burn fire in their places of worship. They will not be subjected to coercion or coercion. No army will march through their land. If anyone seeks justice among them, the truth will prevail and no injustice will be done to the people of Najran.

The Meeting in Najran

Upon their arrival in Najran, the delegation was received by the bishop, and they traveled through the night towards Najran. Accompanying the bishop was his brother, Bashir ibn Mu'awiya, known as Abu Alqamah. The delegation presented the letter of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to the bishop, who was reading it aloud while Abu Alqamah stood by. Suddenly, Bashir's camel knelt down towards Madinah. Despite this, Bashir continued his loyalty to the Prophet and refused to dismount, indicating his strong belief in the Prophet's message. The bishop commented on this, recognizing Bashir's unwavering faith in the Prophet's mission. Bashir emphasized his steadfastness, refusing to deviate from his course until he reached the Prophet himself.

Conversion of Bashir and Abu Alqamah

Bashir's journey continued until he finally met the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and embraced Islam, remaining by the Prophet's side until Abu Alqamah was martyred. Following this, the delegation from Najran sought out Monk Layth bin Abi Shamir, who was residing in a monastery. They informed him of the Prophet Muhammad's mission and the unanimous decision of the valley's people to send Sharahbeel bin Wada'ah, Abdullah bin Sharahbeel, and Habbar bin Fayd to meet the Prophet and convey their message. Arriving at the Prophet's presence, they declined the invitation for mutual cursing and opted for arbitration. Sharahbeel ultimately made the judgment, and a written agreement was reached. The delegation returned the document to the bishop, who was reading it with Abdullah bin Abu Bakr's witness confirmed by Uthman ibn Affan and Thaqeeqib. Ali bin Abi Talib is mentioned in other sources as the scribe of this document.

Footnote Explanation

The term "Alwadeen" refers to the saddle-stitched strap used to tighten the saddle on a camel during travel, resembling a girth for a horse's saddle.

Abu Al-Harith, the Bishop

When his camel tripped and Abu Al-Harith fell, the Bishop witnessed the incident and proclaimed that Muhammad was a sent prophet. Abu Al-Aqamah then headed towards him seeking Islam. The monk demanded to be left alone and threatened to throw himself off the cliff. Upon being persuaded to descend, he took a gift to the Messenger of Allah, including a cloak worn by caliphs. The monk resided for years, listening to revelations of the Quran and Islamic laws, yet he did not embrace Islam despite Allah's will. He sought the Prophet's permission to return to his people, which was granted. The Prophet assured him that his needs were valid even though he had not accepted Islam. The monk eventually left and did not return until after the Prophet had passed away.

Abu Al-Harith meets the Messenger of Allah

Abu Al-Harith, along with his companions, visited the Messenger of Allah to hear the words revealed to him. The Messenger recorded a letter for Abu Al-Harith and the bishops of Najran, ensuring that their rights and religion would be protected as long as they fulfilled their obligations without transgressing against the laws of Allah and His Messenger. The document was also signed by Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah.

Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

The Sayyid and the 'Aqib came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and he intended to curse them. One of them said to his companion, "Do not curse him, for if he is a Prophet and you curse him, we will be ruined, and our descendants after us." They said to him, "We will give you what you ask. Send with us an honest man and do not send anyone with us except an honest man." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "I will send with you a truly honest man." His companions looked around and said, "Stand up, Abu 'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah." When he stood up, they said, "This is the trustworthy one of this Ummah." This was confirmed by 'Ubaydullah ibn Musa from Isra'il, and a similar narration is reported from Yunus ibn Abi Is'hak from Abu Is'hak.

Authenticity

This hadith is narrated in Sahih Bukhari by 'Abbas ibn al-Husayn from Yahya ibn Adam from Isra'il from Abu Is'hak from Jabir from Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman. It is also reported by Sufyan, Shu'bah, and others from Abu Is'hak in summarized form.

Rasulullah's Mission to Najran

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent me to Najran. They asked: "For what reason?" I replied: "Have you not read what is in your scriptures, 'O sister of Aaron!' While between Jesus and Moses, things you knew not." I then went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and informed him. He said: "Why did you not inform them that they used to name their prophets and the righteous ones who came before them?" This hadith was narrated by al-Susi in Sahih Muslim from Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah.