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Envoys of Quraysh to Abyssinia
When the first group of Muslims migrated to Abyssinia, Quraysh hoped that their new home would not last. At first, the Meccan leaders thought the migration was a temporary move. But when they realized that the Muslims had found real safety under a just Christian king, an-Najashi, they became alarmed. The presence of Muslims in a stable, respected kingdom threatened Quraysh in more than one way. It provided the believers with security, a base where Islam could be practiced openly, and a place where the message of tawhid might spread beyond Arabia.
Because Quraysh could not stop the Muslims inside Makkah, they decided to try to bring them back from abroad. They chose two men well known for their intelligence and persuasive skills, ‘Amr ibn al-‘As and ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi‘ah, both at that time still upon disbelief. Quraysh loaded them with expensive gifts of leather, fine goods, and presents especially chosen for the bishops and courtiers around the king. Their plan was simple. They would win over the priests first, then use their influence to sway Najashi, then have the Muslims sent back to Makkah as prisoners.
The early historians such as Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, and others record the details of this journey. The Quraysh envoys travelled across the Red Sea, reached Abyssinia, and presented their gifts to the nobles around Najashi. To each bishop and leading figure they would say that some foolish youths from their people had abandoned the religion of their forefathers, had not accepted the religion of Najashi either, and had invented a new religion that was unknown. They would then ask these men to support them in convincing the king to expel the Muslims.
Najashi, however, was known for his justice. He refused to act against a people who had entered his land seeking protection without first listening to both sides. This was the first major sign that Allah had prepared for the Muslims a protector who would not be easily bribed or pressured.
The Case Against the Muslims
The envoys of Quraysh tried to shape the story from their own viewpoint. They said to Najashi, as reported in Ibn Ishaq’s Seerah: these people have abandoned the religion of their people and have not entered into your religion. They claimed that the Muslims sought to cause corruption and that their presence would disturb the peace. Their language was carefully chosen to make the Muslims sound like troublemakers who rejected every form of recognized religion.
Najashi summoned the Muslims to his court. The believers were afraid, not for their faith, but for the possibility of being forced back into the torture and oppression of Makkah. They gathered and chose Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه, the cousin of the Prophet ﷺ, as their spokesman. He was known for his wisdom, courage, and clarity of speech.
When they entered the royal hall, they refused to prostrate or bow as was the custom toward the king. This refusal was itself an early sign of their loyalty to pure tawhid and their respect for the limits of worship. They greeted Najashi with the greeting of Islam and stood calmly, without fear, because their trust was in Allah.
Najashi asked them directly about the accusations. He wanted to hear what religion they followed and why they had left their people. At this point, the attempt of Quraysh to control the story began to unravel. Instead of being silent, weak refugees, the Muslims had a clear narrative and a powerful explanation of their faith.
Ja‘far’s Speech and the Defense of Islam
Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه spoke on behalf of the Muslims. His speech is one of the most beautiful summaries of the early message of Islam, and it was the direct response to Quraysh’s attempt to extradite them. In the Seerah of Ibn Ishaq it is reported that Ja‘far said:
“O King, we were a people in ignorance. We used to worship idols, eat dead animals, commit shameful deeds, cut the ties of kinship, and the strong among us would devour the weak. We remained in that state until Allah sent to us a Messenger from among ourselves. We know his lineage, his truthfulness, his trustworthiness, and his chastity. He called us to Allah, that we should worship Him alone and not associate anything with Him. He commanded us to speak the truth, to fulfill trusts, to maintain family ties, to be good to our neighbors, and to refrain from what is forbidden and from shedding blood. He forbade shameful deeds, false testimony, consuming the property of orphans, and accusing chaste women. He ordered us to worship Allah alone, and not to associate anything with Him, and he commanded us to pray, give charity, and fast…”
Ja‘far then explained that when Quraysh opposed them, tortured them, and blocked them from practicing their religion, they chose Abyssinia because they had heard of the justice of its king. He said they hoped they would not be wronged under him.
The content of this speech reflected the Quranic description of the Prophet’s mission:
قَدْ جَاءَكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ نُورٌۭ وَكِتَـٰبٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ
يَهْدِى بِهِ ٱللَّهُ مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ رِضْوَٰنَهُۥ سُبُلَ ٱلسَّلَـٰمِ
“There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book. By it Allah guides those who seek His pleasure to the ways of peace.”
(Surat al Ma’idah 5:15–16)
The speech also mirrored the Prophet’s ﷺ own description of his mission:
عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ:
«إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ صَالِحَ الأَخْلاَقِ»
“I was only sent to perfect righteous character.”
(Ahmad)
Ja‘far’s words turned the accusation of Quraysh on its head. Instead of appearing as rebels who invented a new path, the Muslims appeared as people who had been reformed, elevated, and purified by the message of Islam. Their commitment to justice and mercy matched exactly what Najashi valued.
After this, Najashi asked Ja‘far if he had anything from what had been revealed to their Prophet. Ja‘far recited verses from Surat Maryam which mention the story of Maryam and ‘Isa عليهما السلام:
وَٱذْكُرْ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ مَرْيَمَ إِذِ ٱنتَبَذَتْ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا مَكَانًۭا شَرْقِيًّۭا
“And mention in the Book, Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east.”
(Surat Maryam 19:16)
The Quran describes ‘Isa عليه السلام with pure and respectful words:
إِنَّمَا ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَىٰهَآ إِلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌۭ مِّنْهُ
“The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, is only a messenger of Allah and His word that He cast to Mary, and a spirit from Him.”
(Surat an Nisa 4:171)
Hearing these verses, Najashi and those around him were moved to tears. According to authentic reports, Najashi said that what he heard and what was revealed to Musa came from a single source. The honest presentation of Islam, supported by the recitation of Quran, exposed the weakness of the Quraysh accusations.
The attempt of Quraysh to extradite the Muslims failed at its core because the believers remained truthful, clear, and firm, and because the justice of Najashi responded to the light of the Quran.
The Second Day: The Question about ‘Isa عليه السلام
The Quraysh envoys did not give up after Najashi refused to hand over the Muslims on the first day. ‘Amr ibn al ‘As suggested a new plan. He knew that the belief of the Muslims about ‘Isa عليه السلام would differ from the doctrines of the bishops. He hoped that if Najashi learned of this difference, he would become angry and expel them.
The next day Najashi called the Muslims again and asked them clearly what they believed about Jesus son of Mary. This was a test because the Muslims could have tried to soften or hide their beliefs to protect themselves. Instead, they spoke exactly as their Prophet ﷺ had taught them.
Ja‘far replied, as narrated in the Seerah:
“We say about him what our Prophet has brought to us. He is the servant of Allah, His messenger, His word which He cast into Maryam the virgin, and a spirit from Him.”
This response was in line with the Quran:
إِنَّمَا ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَىٰهَآ إِلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌۭ مِّنْهُ
“The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, is only a messenger of Allah and His word that He cast to Mary, and a spirit from Him.”
(Surat an Nisa 4:171)
Najashi took a stick from the ground and said, as is reported in authentic narrations, that the difference between his belief and theirs about ‘Isa was no more than the thickness of that stick. He refused the demands of Quraysh and declared clearly that he would never hand over the Muslims to them.
He returned the gifts to the Meccan envoys and sent them away disappointed. Their diplomatic mission, built upon bribery and false accusations, had failed. The justice of Najashi and the honest, courageous speech of the Muslims had overcome their scheming.
Protection Granted and Quraysh’s Failure
With Najashi’s public refusal, the Muslims in Abyssinia gained a recognized status under the protection of a sovereign king. They were no longer just refugees. They were honored guests whose rights had been affirmed. Quraysh had hoped to close off this escape route, but instead their attempt actually strengthened the position of the believers.
The Hadith literature confirms the special justice of Najashi. When news reached the Prophet ﷺ that Najashi had died, he led the companions in the first known absentee funeral prayer. It is reported in Sahih al Bukhari:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ نَعَى النَّجَاشِيَّ فِي الْيَوْمِ الَّذِي مَاتَ فِيهِ، وَخَرَجَ بِهِمْ إِلَى الْمُصَلَّى فَصَفَّ بِهِمْ، وَكَبَّرَ عَلَيْهِ أَرْبَعًا
“Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ informed the people of the death of Najashi on the day he died, went out with them to the prayer area, lined them up, and offered four takbirs for him.”
(Sahih al Bukhari)
This shows how deeply the Prophet ﷺ appreciated the justice that Najashi had shown to the persecuted Muslims when Quraysh tried to reclaim them.
Quraysh’s attempt to extradite the believers also highlights how far the Meccan leaders were willing to go in order to stop Islam. They crossed seas, spent large amounts of wealth, and tried to manipulate another ruler against their own people. Yet Allah says:
يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِـُٔوا۟ نُورَ ٱللَّهِ بِأَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَٱللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِۦ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ
“They wish to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, even if the disbelievers dislike it.”
(Surat as Saff 61:8)
This verse perfectly fits the scene in Abyssinia. While Quraysh tried to silence the Muslims by force and by diplomacy, the light of Islam reached new hearts, including Najashi himself.
Quraysh failed in Abyssinia because Allah protected the believers, raised the word of truth through Ja‘far’s speech and Quranic recitation, and placed their fate in the hands of a king whose heart recognized the same light that had come to Musa and ‘Isa.
Aftermath and Continuing Refuge
After the failed embassy, the Muslims continued to live in Abyssinia in relative peace. Some of them stayed there for years. The early Islamic community now had two centers, Makkah under persecution and Abyssinia under protection. The Quraysh could not reach those who had migrated, no matter how hard they tried.
The experience in Abyssinia also prepared the believers for life in a land with people of another faith. They lived among Christians, maintained their Islamic identity, and yet respected the justice and goodness they saw. The Prophet ﷺ never allowed any hostility toward Najashi or his people. Instead, he described Abyssinia as a land where a king ruled in which no one was wronged.
The episode of Quraysh’s attempt to extradite the Muslims from Abyssinia shows a pattern that would repeat throughout the Seerah. The enemies of Islam would plan and spend, but Allah would turn their plots back upon them and use events to strengthen the believers. The Quran summarizes this pattern:
وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَـٰكِرِينَ
“They plan, and Allah plans, and Allah is the best of planners.”
(Surat al Anfal 8:30)
In Abyssinia, Quraysh’s plan resulted not in the return of the Muslims, but in the public recognition of Islam by a just king, the establishment of a secure refuge for the oppressed, and the exposure of the injustice of the Meccan leaders before their own envoys.