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A Just King in a Time of Tyranny
When the small Muslim community in Makkah could no longer bear the cruelty and torture of Quraysh, the Prophet ﷺ directed some of his followers to migrate across the Red Sea to Abyssinia. He told them, as authentically reported in the books of Seerah:
إِنَّ بِأَرْضِ الْحَبَشَةِ مَلِكًا لَا يُظْلَمُ عِنْدَهُ أَحَدٌ
“Indeed, in the land of Abyssinia there is a king under whom no one is wronged.”
This king was al‑Najāshī, known in English as the Negus. His personal name, according to many reports, was Aṣḥamah. His role in the early history of Islam is one of protection, justice, and quiet faith, at a moment when Muslims had almost no worldly power.
Najashi was a Christian ruler of Abyssinia, in the Horn of Africa. The Prophet ﷺ trusted his fairness, even though he was not a Muslim at the time the migrants first arrived. This trust itself shows the Prophet’s appreciation for justice wherever it is found, and sets the scene for the special place Najashi would occupy in the Seerah.
Najashi is a key example of how Allah supports His religion through just people, even if they are outside the immediate Muslim community.
Receiving the Muslims as Refugees
The first group of Muslims, including Uthman ibn Affan and his wife Ruqayyah the daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, crossed to Abyssinia seeking safety. When they arrived, Najashi granted them permission to settle in his land and to worship Allah freely.
He did this without being pressured by any earthly power, and without expecting payment or reward from Quraysh. In a time when tribal loyalty and political calculations dominated decisions, he showed moral courage by placing justice above alliances. He granted them asylum simply because they were oppressed and he saw no crime in their beliefs.
The Quraysh found this deeply troubling. A safe place for Muslims threatened their efforts to suffocate the new faith. They decided to intervene directly with Najashi to reverse his decision.
Facing Quraysh’s Delegation
Quraysh chose two skilled envoys, ‘Amr ibn al‑‘Āṣ and ‘Abdullah ibn Abī Rabī‘ah, and sent them to Abyssinia with valuable gifts. Their plan was to win Najashi and his bishops with flattery and wealth, then convince him to expel the Muslims back to Makkah.
They first presented their case to the courtiers, trying to bias them against the Muslims. Then they appeared before Najashi and said, as reported in the Seerah books:
“These people have abandoned the religion of their people, but they have not entered your religion either. They have brought a new faith, unknown to us and to you. The nobles of their people have sent us to you, to return them, for they know best their faults and errors.”
They also accused the Muslims of causing division and trouble in Makkah. Under many kings, this type of pressure and accusation would have been enough to hand the weak refugees back to their persecutors. Najashi, however, refused to judge in their absence.
He responded with the principle that defines his role in the Seerah:
لَا، وَاللَّهِ، لَا أُسْلِمُهُمْ إِلَيْهِمَا، وَلَا أَكِيدُ قَوْمًا جَاوَرُونِي حَتَّى أَدْعُوهُمْ فَأَسْأَلَهُمْ عَمَّا يَقُولُ هَذَانِ فِيهِمْ
“No, by Allah, I will not hand them over, nor will I plot against a people who have sought my protection, until I call them and ask them about what these two say concerning them.”
With this, he established two key values: hearing both sides and protecting those who seek refuge under his care.
Listening to Ja‘far’s Testimony
Najashi summoned the Muslims. They chose Ja‘far ibn Abī Tālib, the cousin of the Prophet ﷺ, as their spokesman. Here Najashi’s fairness becomes most visible, because he gives them a full opportunity to explain their faith and situation.
Ja‘far described their life before Islam and the message of the Prophet ﷺ. He said, in a famous report:
“O King, we were a people living in ignorance. We worshipped idols, ate carrion, committed shameful acts, cut ties of kinship, and the strong among us devoured the weak. Then Allah sent to us a Messenger from among ourselves, whose lineage, truthfulness, trustworthiness, and chastity we already knew. He called us to Allah to worship Him alone and abandon what we and our fathers used to worship besides Him, of stones and idols…”
He continued to describe the basic teachings of Islam and the persecution they suffered when they believed in the Prophet ﷺ. Ja‘far concluded by saying that they chose Abyssinia because they had been told:
“… that in your land is a king under whom no one is wronged. So we came to your land, hoping we would not be wronged under you, O King.”
Najashi then asked a specific and remarkable question. He said: “Do you have with you anything from what he (your Prophet) has brought from Allah?”
Ja‘far replied that he did, and he recited verses from Sūrat Maryam, including the story of Maryam and the birth of ‘Īsā عليه السلام:
> ذَٰلِكَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ۚ قَوْلَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي فِيهِ يَمْتَرُونَ
> مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَ مِنْ وَلَدٍ ۖ سُبْحَانَهُ ۚ إِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ
> “That is ‘Īsā, the son of Maryam, the statement of truth about which they are in doubt.
> It is not befitting for Allah to take a son. Glorified is He. When He decrees a matter He only says to it: ‘Be,’ and it is.”
> (Quran 19:34–35)
The Christian king and his bishops were moved to tears by these verses. Reports mention that their beards became wet with tears as they listened to the description of ‘Īsā and his mother Maryam in the Quran.
His Judgment in Favor of the Muslims
After hearing both the accusations of Quraysh and the explanation of the Muslims, Najashi gave his decisive judgment. He said to the envoys of Quraysh, regarding the revelation about ‘Īsā:
إِنَّ هَٰذَا وَالَّذِي جَاءَ بِهِ عِيسَى لَيَخْرُجُ مِنْ مِشْكَاةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ
“Indeed, this and what ‘Īsā came with both emerge from a single source of light.”
He then declared that he would not hand the Muslims over. To the Qurayshi envoys he said, in meaning:
“Go back, for by Allah I will never surrender them to you, nor will I plot against them.”
He returned their gifts, refusing any bribe, and ordered that the Muslims should remain under his protection.
This is where Najashi’s role becomes clear. At a moment when Muslims had no power to defend themselves, he used his authority to secure their safety. He became the guardian of the first Muslim community outside Arabia.
His stance reflects the Quranic praise for justice, even with those of other faiths:
> وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا ۚ اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى
> “Let not the hatred of a people lead you to not be just. Be just. That is nearer to righteousness.”
> (Quran 5:8)
Although this verse was revealed later, Najashi’s behavior fits its meaning perfectly.
Najashi chose justice over political pressure, protection over betrayal, and truth over gifts and bribes.
The Second Day and the Question of ‘Īsā عليه السلام
The envoys of Quraysh, realizing they had failed, tried another tactic. They told Najashi the next day that the Muslims say something “terrible” about ‘Īsā. They hoped this would anger him as a Christian king.
Najashi summoned the Muslims again and asked Ja‘far directly about what they believed regarding ‘Īsā. Ja‘far replied with complete clarity and honesty, without bending the truth to please the king:
“We say about him what our Prophet has brought to us. He is the slave of Allah, His Messenger, His word which He cast to Maryam, and a spirit from Him.”
This is based on the Quranic description:
> إِنَّمَا الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِنْهُ
> “The Messiah, ‘Īsā son of Maryam, is only a Messenger of Allah, His word that He conveyed to Maryam, and a spirit from Him.”
> (Quran 4:171)
Najashi responded by taking a stick from the ground and saying, as reported in authentic narrations:
مَا عَدَا عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مِمَّا قُلْتَ هَٰذَا الْعُودَ
“By Allah, ‘Īsā son of Maryam is no more than what you have said about him, not even as much as this twig.”
He confirmed again that he recognized the truth in the Muslim belief about ‘Īsā. He then publicly reaffirmed that the Muslims would remain safe in his land.
This scene captures Najashi’s integrity as a Christian scholar and ruler who recognized the purity and consistency of the Islamic view of ‘Īsā, and refused to be manipulated by Quraysh.
Quiet Acceptance of Islam
While Najashi’s justice is clear in his public decisions, his personal faith unfolded more privately. Authentic hadith show that he later accepted Islam and believed in the Prophet ﷺ.
Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه reported:
> أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ نَعَى النَّجَاشِيَّ فِي الْيَوْمِ الَّذِي مَاتَ فِيهِ، وَخَرَجَ إِلَى الْمُصَلَّى فَصَفَّ بِهِمْ وَكَبَّرَ أَرْبَعًا
> “The Prophet ﷺ informed (the companions) of the death of Najashi on the day that he died. He went out to the prayer area, lined them up, and said four takbirs.”
> (Sahih al‑Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)
The Prophet ﷺ performed the funeral prayer in absentia (Ṣalāt al‑Janāzah al‑Gha’ib) for Najashi, even though he was far away in Abyssinia. This was a special honor he did not show for non‑Muslim rulers, and it indicates that Najashi had become a believer.
Other narrations mention that Najashi wrote back to the Prophet ﷺ, secretly affirming his Islam and testifying that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger. Although the details differ across reports, the overall picture in the authentic sources confirms that he died as a Muslim.
The Quranic principle about the People of the Book who recognize the truth fits his case:
> الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ
> “Those to whom We gave the Scripture recognize him (the Prophet) as they recognize their own sons.”
> (Quran 2:146)
Najashi used his knowledge of previous revelation to recognize the final Messenger when the message reached him.
Protection of Islam’s First Foreign Base
Najashi’s most obvious contribution to the Seerah is his protection of the first Muslim community outside Arabia. Abyssinia became a safe base at a critical time when:
The weak of the Muslims could live and worship without fear.
The Quraysh realized that their control over the believers was no longer total.
The message of Islam began to be seen by neighboring peoples.
Najashi did not simply tolerate the Muslims, he actively shielded them from Quraysh. This frustrated the Makkan leaders and broke their illusion that they could suffocate Islam within their own borders.
Although the migrants eventually left Abyssinia later and rejoined the Prophet ﷺ in Madinah, the years under Najashi’s protection were a mercy and a turning point in the early struggle.
Without Najashi’s protection, the first migration could have failed, and the persecution might have crushed many of the earliest believers.
His Relationship with the Prophet ﷺ
Even though they never met in person, Najashi and the Prophet ﷺ had a close spiritual and moral connection. The Prophet ﷺ trusted him enough to send some of his most beloved family members and companions to his land.
In return, Najashi honored that trust, cared for the refugees, and later embraced their faith. The Prophet ﷺ acknowledged his unique position through:
His praise of Najashi’s justice.
His reliance on him as a safe refuge.
His performance of the funeral prayer when Najashi died.
The Prophet ﷺ said regarding the people of previous scriptures who believe in him:
> مَنْ شَهِدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، لَا يَلْقَى اللَّهَ بِهِمَا عَبْدٌ غَيْرُ شَاكٍّ فَيُحْجَبَ عَنِ الْجَنَّةِ
> “Whoever testifies that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, no servant meets Allah with these two without doubt, except that he will be admitted to Paradise.”
> (Sahih Muslim)
Najashi’s inclusion among the believers is made evident by the Prophet’s own actions for him at his death.
A Model of Justice Beyond Borders
Najashi’s role in the Seerah illustrates several lasting lessons about character and justice that echo through Islamic teaching.
He is a non‑Arab African king who becomes a supporter and then believer in Islam.
He is a Christian scholar who recognizes the truth in the Quran about ‘Īsā and Maryam.
He is a sovereign who refuses bribes and chooses protection of the oppressed.
He is a ruler who judges by fairness after hearing both sides, not by anger or prejudice.
Allah praises this type of response in the People of the Book:
> وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ تَرَىٰ أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا مِنَ الْحَقِّ
> “When they hear what has been sent down to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they recognize of the truth.”
> (Quran 5:83)
The scene of Najashi and his bishops weeping at the recitation of Sūrat Maryam exemplifies this verse in a very concrete way.
In the story of the migration to Abyssinia, the Muslims were oppressed, Quraysh were the aggressors, and Najashi was the just outsider who chose the path of truth. His role shows that support for Islam and justice is not limited by ethnicity, geography, or previous religious background.
Through Najashi, the Seerah teaches that Allah may raise up protectors and allies for the believers in places they do not expect, and that sincere search for truth can guide a person from previous scripture to the final revelation of the Quran.