and that you are the Messenger of God, and tell him to seek forgiveness for me.”(1)

Jaʿfar continued: “We set out until we reached Madinah. The Messenger of God—peace and blessings be upon him—came out to meet me, embraced me, and said,

‘I do not know which gladdens me more: the conquest of Khaybar or the arrival of Jaʿfar.’(2)

This coincided with the fall of Khaybar. He then sat down, and the Negus’s envoy said, ‘This is Jaʿfar; ask him what our master did for him.’

I replied, ‘Indeed, he did such-and-such for us: he conveyed us, supplied us, bore witness that there is no god but God and that you are the Messenger of God, and he told me, “Ask him to seek forgiveness for me.”’

The Messenger of God—peace and blessings be upon him—thereupon rose, performed ablution, and prayed three times:

‘O Allah, forgive the Negus.’

The Muslims said, ‘Āmīn.’

Jaʿfar added, ‘I then said to the envoy, “Go and inform your master of what you have witnessed from the Messenger of God—peace and blessings be upon him.”’

Ibn ʿAsākir remarks: “Its chain is fair and uncommon.”

As for the narration of Umm Salamah, Yūnus ibn Bukayr reported from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq,(3) who said: al-Zuhrī related to me from Abū Bakr ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Hishām, from Umm Salamah—may God be pleased with her—who said:

“When Mecca became constricted for us, the companions of the Messenger of God—peace and blessings be upon him—were persecuted and tried, and they saw the affliction and tribulation that befell them in their religion while the Messenger of God—peace and blessings be upon him—was unable to shield them. The Messenger of God himself was protected by his people and by his uncle, so nothing of what his companions suffered could reach him. He therefore said to them:

‘In the land of Abyssinia there is a king under whom no one is wronged. Travel to his country until God grants you relief and a way out of what you face.’

We departed in small groups until we were all gathered there, settling in the best of abodes with the best of neighbors—secure in our religion and fearing no injustice.

When Quraysh realized that we had found both a refuge and safety, [they grew jealous of us](4) and agreed to send to the Negus so that he might expel us from his land and return us to them. They dispatched ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ and ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Rabīʿah, and they collected gifts for him and for his bishops; they left no bishop without preparing a separate present for him. They said to the two envoys:

‘Give each bishop his gift before you speak about them, then present the king with his gifts. If you can persuade him to send them back before he grants them audience, then do so.’

The envoys arrived, and there was not a bishop left without having received his gift. They then spoke to the king, saying:

‘We have come before this king concerning some foolish youngsters of ours who abandoned their people’s faith and have not entered your religion either. Our people have sent us so that the king may return them to them. When we address him, lend your support to our request that he do so.’

They answered, ‘We shall.’ They then presented the Negus with his gifts,