Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (2/208)

and the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said to his Companions, “Go out and perform the funeral prayer for a brother of yours who has died away from your land.” They asked, “Who is he?” He replied, “The Negus.”

The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—went to al-Baqīʿ, and some transmitters add that the distance from Madinah to Abyssinia was unveiled for him so that he could see the Negus’s bier. He prayed over him, pronouncing four takbīrs, sought forgiveness for him, and told his Companions, “Ask Allah to forgive him.”

The hypocrites scoffed: “Look at him—he is praying over an Abyssinian infidel, a Christian, whom he has never even seen and who is not upon his religion!” Thereupon Allah the Exalted revealed:

“Among the People of the Book are those who truly believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down to them, humbling themselves before Allah. They do not barter Allah’s verses for a trifling gain. Such people shall have their reward with their Lord. Indeed, Allah is swift in reckoning.” (Āl ʿImrān 3:199)

A group of scholars held that the verse was revealed about those who had remained on the religion of Jesus—peace be upon him—until Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him—was sent and then believed in him, as transmitted from ʿAṭāʾ. Another group maintained that it applies to all believers among the People of the Book.

رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - لِأَصْحَابِهِ اخْرُجُوا فَصَلُّوا عَلَى أَخٍ لَكُمْ مَاتَ بِغَيْرِ أَرْضِكُمْ قَالُوا: مَنْ هُوَ؟ قَالَ: النَّجَاشِيُّ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - إِلَى الْبَقِيعِ وَزَادَ بَعْضُهُمْ: وَكُشِفَ لَهُ مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ إِلَى أَرْضِ الْحَبَشَةِ فَأَبْصَرَ سَرِيرَ النَّجَاشِيِّ وَصَلَّى عَلَيْهِ وَكَبَّرَ أَرْبَعَ تَكْبِيرَاتٍ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُ وَقَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ: اسْتَغْفِرُوا لَهُ فَقَالَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ: انْظُرُوا إِلَى هَذَا يُصَلِّي عَلَى عِلْجٍ حَبَشِيٍّ نَصْرَانِيٍّ لَمْ يَرَهُ قَطُّ وَلَيْسَ عَلَى دِينِهِ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَاشِعِينَ لِلَّهِ لَا يَشْتَرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا أُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ} [آل عمران: ١٩٩] » وَقَدْ ذَهَبَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ إِلَى أَنَّهَا نَزَلَتْ فِيمَنْ كَانَ عَلَى دِينِ الْمَسِيحِ - عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ - إِلَى أَنْ بُعِثَ مُحَمَّدٌ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فَآمَنَ بِهِ كَمَا نُقِلَ ذَلِكَ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ. وَذَهَبَتْ طَائِفَةٌ إِلَى أَنَّهَا نَزَلَتْ فِي مُؤْمِنِي أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ كُلِّهِمْ.