Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 9844

Umayr bin Ishaq narrates: Sayyiduna Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah! Permit me to go to a land where I may worship Allah without fearing anyone." The narrator says: He was given permission for this, and he went to the Negus. The narrator Umayr says: Sayyiduna Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) told me: When I saw Ja'far and his companions living in safety in the land of Abyssinia, I felt envious of them. I said: "He and his companions will not get this chance in future." I came to the Negus and said (to the doorkeeper): "Ask permission for Amr bin al-As to enter." He gave me permission and I went in. I said: "In our land there is a cousin of this man who claims that people have only one God. By Allah! If you do not relieve us of this man and his companions, then neither I nor any of my companions will ever again cross this sea water to come to you." The Negus asked: "Where is this man?" I replied: "He will come with your messenger; he will not come with me." So the Negus sent his messenger with me. I found Ja'far sitting among his companions. The Negus had summoned him, and he came. When I came to the door, I said: "Ask permission for Amr bin al-As to enter." Ja'far called out loudly from behind me: "Ask permission for the party of Allah to enter." The Negus heard his voice and gave him permission to enter before me. He went in, and then I went in. The Negus was sitting on a couch. Sayyiduna Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I went forward and sat in front of the Negus. I put Ja'far behind me, and I placed every two of his companions behind one of my companions. The Negus said: "Begin speaking." I said: "In your land there is a man whose cousin lives in our land, and he claims that people have only one God. If you do not kill him and his companions, then neither I nor any of my companions will ever again cross this sea water to come to you." Sayyiduna Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "My cousin has spoken the truth, and I am upon his religion." Then he (the Negus) let out a cry and said: "Oh!", so much so that I thought: "What has happened to the son of the Abyssinian woman that he is not saying anything?" Then he asked: "Is this the same angel who came to Sayyiduna Musa?" Then he asked: "What do you people say about Sayyiduna Isa bin Maryam?" Sayyiduna Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: "I say that he was the spirit of Allah and His word." The Negus picked something up from the ground and said: "He has not erred concerning him even by as much as this (twig). By Allah! Were it not for the affairs of my rule, I would go along with you." Then the Negus said to me: "I do not care if neither you nor any of your companions ever comes to me again." (Then he said to Sayyiduna Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him):) "You will live in my land in safety. Whoever strikes you, I will have him killed, and whoever speaks ill of you, I will impose a fine on him." Then he said to his doorkeeper: "Whenever this man asks your permission to enter, give him permission, except when I am with my wife." Sayyiduna Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) says: From there we dispersed. It was my wish to meet Ja'far. One day he met me on the road. I looked behind him and saw no one; I looked behind me and saw no one. I drew near to him and said: "Do you know that I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Sayyiduna Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger?" Sayyiduna Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Allah Almighty has granted you guidance; remain steadfast." Then he left me and went away. I came to my companions, and it seemed as though they had been present with me at that time (that is, they had already learned of my accepting Islam). They took a sheet or a cloth, put it over me and smothered me in it. I would push my head out on one side at one time and on the other side at another, until, when I escaped from them and fled, there was not a single shred of clothing on my body. I came to an Abyssinian woman, took her wrap, covered my private parts with it and then came to Ja'far. He asked: "What has happened to you?" I said: "They have taken everything of mine and have not left even a shred on my body. Then I came to an Abyssinian woman, took her wrap and tied it over my private parts." Then he went, and I went with him, until we came to the king's door. Ja'far said to the doorkeeper: "Ask permission for me to enter." The doorkeeper said: "The king is with his wife." Then the king gave him permission. I said (or Sayyiduna Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) said): "Amr has followed me in my religion." He said: "Certainly not." I said: "Yes indeed." He said to a man: "Go with him; if he has done so, then say nothing, just note it down." Then he came and said: "Yes." Then I began to speak and he began to write, until he had written everything, even the cup. Sayyiduna Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) says: Had I wanted to take anything from their wealth, I could have done so.
Al-Tabarani and al-Bazzar recorded it. He recorded the opening part of the report, and at its end he added these words: "After that I was among those who came in the ships as Muslims." The narrator Umayr bin Ishaq was declared thiqah (trustworthy) by Ibn Hibban and others; some criticism has been made of him which does no harm. The remaining narrators of this report are the narrators of the Sahih. Abu Ya'la recorded part of this report and then stated: "Then the narrator mentioned the lengthy hadith."