A conversation amongst them:

Innocent youth from our king's land have strayed, it's said. They forsake the religion of their people but have not adopted ours. Instead, they brought a new religion that is unknown to us and to you. We sent people from their nobility to the king to return them to their fold. So when the king speaks to them, advise him to send them back to us without conversing with them. For their people look favorably upon them and know better what errors they have committed.

They say:

Indeed, we brought our gifts to the Negus, and he accepted them. Then we spoke to him saying, "Oh King, foolish youths from us have strayed to your land. They left their people's religion and have not adopted yours. They have come with a religion they invented that is unknown to us and to you. We were sent to you with their nobility, those who are their fathers, uncles and tribes, to return them. For they are favored by their people and their people know best what faults they have committed. Negus wasn't keen to hear Abdullah bin Abi Rabia and Amru bin Al-A'as speak, so she said:

The Negus speaks:

"Indeed, Oh King, their people favor them and know best what errors they've committed. So, surrender them to us. Allow them to return to their people and lands." The Negus became angry and said, "By Allah! I won't surrender them. I won't allow a people who chose to settle in my lands and chose me over others until I inquire them. I will ask them about what these two claim. If I find that they are as these two say, I will return them to their people. If not, I will protect them and treat them well as long as they are my guests."

The companions of the Prophet Mohammed are summoned:

Then he sent to the companions of the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, and called them. When the bishop's messenger came to them, they gathered together. They asked each other, "What will you say to the man when you meet him?" They replied, "By Allah, we will say what we know and what our Prophet, peace be upon him, taught us, whatever it is." When they came - and the Negus had summoned his bishops and spread their scriptures around him - he asked them, saying:

Ja'far ibn Abi Talib's Speech to the King of Abyssinia

"What is this religion for which you have forsaken your people, and which neither conforms to the religion of mine, nor the one followed by any other known communities?" The king questioned. Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, was the one to respond.

"O King," He began. "We were people of ignorance, worshipping idols, consuming cadavers, committing immorality, severing family ties, mistreating neighbors, and the stronger among us would devour the weaker. We remained in this state until Allah sent us a messenger from among ourselves. We knew his lineage, his honesty, his trustworthiness, and his abstinence.

He invited us to worship Allah alone, discarding the stones and idols our ancestors used to worship. He ordered us to speak truthfully, fulfill trust, maintain the ties of kinship, be good to neighbors, abstain from the forbidden, and refrain from shedding blood. He prohibited indecencies, bearing false narratives, usurping the wealth of orphans, and defamation of virtuous women.

He commanded us to worship Allah alone without associating partners with Him and instructed us to practice prayer, charity, and fasting."

Ja'far went on to elucidate the various teachings of Islam, stating: "We believed in him, affirmed his faith, followed him in what he received from Allah, worshipped Allah alone associating nothing with Him. We deemed as forbidden what he forbade, and regarded as permissible what he allowed."

Our own people, however, have turned against us, subjected us to trials and tribulations in order to make us revert from worshipping the one true God to worshipping idols and to lead us back to the immoralities we used to practice.

Upon their overpowering us, oppressing us, and restricting us, they attempted to deter us from our faith. Hence, we fled to your kingdom, choosing you above others, hoping to live under your protection and trusting that we would not suffer injustice in your dominion."

The king, known as Negus, then asked, "Do you have anything with you that your prophet brought from God?" "Yes," responded Ja'far.

The Negus then said, "Recite it to me." So, Ja'far recited a portion from the chapter of Mary (Kahf) in the Quran.

The Story of the Najashi

The Najashi began to weep, so much so that his beard was soaked with tears. His courtiers too broke into tears, moistening their copies of the Qur'an, when they heard what was recited to them. Then the Najashi said: "Indeed, this and what Jesus brought forth stem from the same source. Now, go; by Allah, I will not hand them over to you nor will they be oppressed."

A Challenge Raised

'Amr bin Al-'As said: "By Allah, tomorrow I will present a point against them that will uproot their safe haven." 'Abdullah bin Abi Rabia' (the more conscientious of the two men) said, "Don't do this; they have a kinship here. Despite our differences, don't compromise them." Nevertheless, 'Amr insisted, "By Allah, I will indeed inform him that they claim Jesus, son of Mary, is a slave of Allah." He then carried out his plan the following day.

The Inquiry of the Najashi

He said to the Najashi: "O King! They maintain a serious claim about Jesus, son of Mary. You should send for them and ask them about what they assert about him." The Najashi followed this advice and summoned them to ask about their belief regarding Jesus.

The Response to the Inquiry

The community gathered and discussed among themselves, "What will you say about Jesus, son of Mary, when he asks you about him?" They responded: "By Allah, we will declare what Allah has stated about Him and what our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, brought to us, regardless of the consequences." From among them, Ja'far bin Abi Talib replied to the Najashi, "We say about him what our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has told us. He is Allah's slave and messenger. He is His Spirit and His word bestowed upon the virgin Mary."

Najashi's Final Words

The Najashi smacked his hand on the ground picking up a small stick, then expressed: "By Allah, Jesus, son of Mary, did not exceed what you have said as this stick," he remarked.

Conflict and Resolution

They clashed in his presence, and when he said what he had to say, he remarked: 'Even if you object, by Allah, go forth. You are 'shioum' on my land - 'shioum' signifies the safe ones. Anyone who outruns you owes a debt.' He then said, 'Whoever outruns you owes a debt.' And he repeated this, 'Whoever outruns you owes a debt. I would not wish to have a monastery made of gold while I have harmed any of you.'

Ibn Hisham commented, 'It's been said a monastery made of gold, and also: you are 'shioum', and the word 'adbar' or mountain in the language of Abyssinia.

Gifts Returned, a Home Provided

'Return their gifts to them, for I have no need for them,' he told them. They left his presence disheartened and disappointed, their offerings refused. But we were offered a place to stay, in a fine house with a fine neighbor.

Challenge from Abyssinia

She said, 'By Allah, there was a time when a man from Abyssinia came disputing his rule. She said, 'By Allah, we never knew sorrow until that time; the sadness we felt then was heavier than any we had previously known. We were fearful that this man would outshine Al-Najashi, and that we would be under the authority of a man who knew nothing of our truth, as opposed to what Al-Najashi knew.'

She continued, 'Al-Najashi marched towards him, with the Blue Nile between them.'

The Witness

'Who will go and witness the dispute of the people, and then bring us the news?' the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, asked. To this, Zubair ibn Al-Awam responded, 'I will.' 'Then it will be you.' They told him. Zubair was one of the youngest amongst them.

They inflated a skin for him to use as a flotation device. He placed it under his chest and swam across to the bank of the Nile where the meeting was taking place, then proceeded until he was in their presence.

Prayers for Al-Najashi

We invoked Allah the Almighty for Al-Najashi to overcome his adversary and to empower him in his own land, she said.