Among the gifts he prized most from Mecca were fine leather hides—and Mūsā ibn ʿUqbah adds that they also presented him with a horse and a robe of brocade. When their offerings were set before him they said:
“Your Majesty, some heedless youths of ours have abandoned the religion of their people without entering yours. They have brought a novel creed unknown to us and have sought refuge in your land. Their clans—fathers, uncles and kinsfolk—have sent us so that you might return them, for their people are the ones who care for them most (1).”
[His courtiers said, “They have spoken the truth, O King. If you send them back, their people will indeed be the ones most content with them.” (2)]
“They will never accept your faith,” the envoys continued, “for you to keep them on that account.” (3)
The Negus grew angry and declared, “No, by God! I shall not hand them over until I summon them, speak with them, and see what their affair truly is. They have taken refuge in my country and chosen my protection over that of others. If matters are as you claim, I will return them; but if not, I shall shield them, allow no one to harm them, and I will not rest easy otherwise.”
[Mūsā ibn ʿUqbah narrates that his governors urged him to send the Muslims back. He replied, “No, by God! Not until I hear their words and find out what they stand for.”]
When the Muslims entered, they offered greetings but did not prostrate before him. He asked, “People, why do you not greet me in the manner those of your nation usually do? Tell me: what do you say about Jesus, and what is your religion? Are you Christians?”
They answered, “No.”
He said, “Are you Jews?”
They said, “No.”
He said, “Then are you upon the faith of your people?”
They said, “No.”
He said, “What, then, is your religion?”
They replied, “Islam.”
He asked, “And what is Islam?”
They said, “We worship God alone and associate nothing with Him.”
He asked, “Who brought this message to you?”
They replied, “A man from among ourselves whose face and lineage we know. God sent him to us just as He sent messengers to those before us. He commanded us to show kindness, give charity, fulfill promises, and discharge trusts. He forbade us to worship idols and ordered us to worship God alone, without partner. We believed him, recognized God’s words, and knew that what he brought is from God. When we did so, our people opposed us, opposed the truthful Prophet, denied him, sought to kill him, and tried to force us back to idol-worship. So we fled to you with our religion and our lives.”
The Negus said, “By God, this comes from the same lamp that brought forth Moses’s mission.”
Jaʿfar said, “As for our greeting, the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—informed us that the greeting of the people of Paradise is ‘Peace,’ and he commanded us to use it; we have therefore greeted you with the greeting we offer one another. As for Jesus son of Mary, he is God’s servant and messenger, His word that He cast into Mary, a spirit from Him, the son of the chaste, virgin mother.”
The Negus picked up a twig and said, “By God, the son of Mary has not exceeded what you have said by the weight of this twig.”
The Abyssinian nobles exclaimed, “By God, if the Abyssinians hear of this they will depose you!”
He answered, “By God, I shall never say anything about Jesus other than this. God did not comply with the people concerning me when He restored my kingdom to me—shall I then comply with people in disobeying God regarding His religion? God forbid!”
Yūnus reports from Ibn Isḥāq that … (5)
The Negus then sent for the Muslims and gathered them together, and nothing was more hateful to ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ and ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Rabīʿah