We shall remain with the Negus; being under his authority is dearer to us than being under Muhammad’s, and if Quraysh should prevail, they know full well who we are.
They replied, “That is indeed the right course.”
I said, “Then gather together something suitable to present to him.” The gift he loved most from our land was tanned leather, so we collected a large quantity of it and set out until we arrived before the Negus. By Allah, while we were in his court, ‘Amr ibn Umayyah al-Ḍamrī came in. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had sent him with a letter arranging his marriage to Umm Ḥabībah bint Abī Sufyān. He entered, delivered the letter, and then took his leave.
I turned to my companions and said, “That is ‘Amr ibn Umayyah. If I were to go back in to the Negus, ask him to hand the man over to me, and he agreed, I could strike off his head. By doing so I would delight Quraysh and fully discharge my duty to them by killing Muhammad’s envoy.” I therefore went in to the Negus and prostrated before him as was my custom.
He said, “Welcome, my friend. Have you brought me any gift from your country?”
I answered, “Yes, O King, I have brought you much leather.” I presented it, and it pleased him; he distributed part of it among his bishops, ordered the rest to be stored, and had it recorded.
When I saw that he was well-disposed, I said, “O King, just now a man left your presence who is the messenger of an enemy that has wronged us and killed our nobles and chiefs. Hand him over to me so that I may kill him.” The Negus grew angry, raised his hand, and struck my nose a blow that I thought had broken it. Blood poured from my nostrils and I caught it in my clothes. I felt such humiliation that, had the earth opened beneath me, I would gladly have hidden in it for fear of him.
I then said, “O King, had I known you would dislike my request, I would never have made it.”
He grew ashamed and said, “O ‘Amr! You ask me to hand over the messenger of a man to whom the Greatest Bearer of Revelation—the one who came to Moses and to Jesus—comes, so that you might kill him?”
Allah thereupon changed my heart from what it had been. I said to myself, “Arabs and non-Arabs alike have recognized this truth—will you alone oppose it?”
Then I asked, “Do you testify to this, O King?”
He replied, “Yes, I testify before Allah, O ‘Amr. Obey me and follow him. By Allah, he is upon the truth, and he will surely prevail over those who oppose him, just as Moses prevailed over Pharaoh and his hosts.”
I said, “Will you accept my pledge to him for Islam?”
He answered, “Yes.” He stretched out his hand and I pledged allegiance to him for Islam. Then he called for a basin, washed the blood from me, and clothed me in garments, for my own clothes were soaked with blood and I had cast them aside. I then went out to my companions.
When they saw that I wore robes from the Negus they were delighted and asked, “Did you obtain from your host what you desired?”
I replied, “I did not wish to press him on my very first visit; I shall go back to him.”
They said, “Whatever you think best.”
I left them as though attending to some errand and made my way to the harbour, where I found a ship fully laden and about to sail. I boarded and we set off until we reached al-Shuʿaybah. After disembarking with some money, I bought a camel and set out for Madinah. I passed through Marr al-Ẓahrān, continued on, and when I reached al-Haddah I saw two men who had not arrived much before me, looking for a place to camp. One had already entered the tent while the other was holding both mounts.
I looked more closely and—it was Khālid ibn al-Walīd.
I asked, “Where are you heading?”
He replied, “To Muhammad. People have entered Islam, and no one with any sense is left outside it. By Allah, if I stay, they will seize us by the necks the way a hyena is dragged from its den.”
I said, “By Allah, I too have set out for Muhammad, intent on Islam.” Just then ʿUthmān ibn Ṭalḥah came out, greeted me warmly, and we all lodged together that night. We then travelled as companions until we reached Madinah.
I shall never forget the cry of a man we met at Biʾr Abī ʿAnabah calling out, “O Rabāḥ…"