Ja'far Before the Negus

The envoys of Quraysh distributed their gifts, then made their case to the Negus: these runaways are foolish youths who abandoned the religion of their people without entering yours; their kin ask for their return. The generals advised handing them over. But the Negus was a just man, and would not surrender people unheard.

The Muslims were summoned, and Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (ra) spoke for them. O King, he said, we were a people of ignorance: worshipping idols, eating carrion, committing indecencies, severing kinship, mistreating neighbours, the strong among us devouring the weak. So we remained, until Allah sent us a messenger from among ourselves whose lineage, truthfulness, trustworthiness and chastity we knew. He called us to single out Allah and worship Him alone, to abandon the stones and idols our fathers worshipped; he commanded us to speak truly, fulfil trusts, keep the ties of kinship, honour the neighbour, and refrain from forbidden things and blood. So we believed him, and our people assaulted us for it.

The king asked: do you have anything of what he brought from Allah? Ja'far (ra) recited from the opening of Surah Maryam, the account of Zakariyya (as), Yahya (as), and Maryam (as) and her son. The Negus wept until his beard was wet, and his bishops wept onto their scrolls, and he said: this and what Musa (as) brought issue from one lamp. Go, for by Allah I will never surrender them.

The envoys had one arrow left. The next day they told the king: ask them what they say about 'Isa (as). It was the trap question, designed to ignite a Christian court. Ja'far (ra) answered with the revelation as it stood: we say about him what our Prophet ﷺ brought: he is the slave of Allah, His messenger, His spirit, and His word cast into Maryam (as) the virgin. The Negus picked a straw from the ground and said: by Allah, 'Isa (as) does not exceed what you have said by even this straw. The gifts were returned, the envoys humiliated, and the believers lived in his land in safety.