Sunan Sa'id

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent us to Najashi. We were about eighty men, among whom were Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Sayyiduna Ja'far bin Abi Talib, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Arfatah, Sayyiduna Uthman bin Maz'un, and Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with them). We reached Najashi. The Quraysh sent Amr bin Al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) and Amarah bin Walid with gifts. When both of them reached Najashi, they prostrated before him and then stood on his right and left sides. Then they said: "Some people from our tribe have come to your land; they have abandoned our religion." Najashi asked: "Where are they?" They said: "They are in your land." So Najashi summoned them. Sayyiduna Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Today I will speak on your behalf." Thus, everyone followed him. Sayyiduna Ja'far greeted (with salam) but did not prostrate. The courtiers of Najashi said: "Why did you not prostrate to the king?" He replied: "We do not prostrate to anyone except Allah, the Mighty and Majestic." He was asked: "Why is that?" He said: "Allah Almighty has sent a Messenger among us and commanded us to prostrate only to Allah and to establish prayer and give zakat." Upon this, Amr bin Al-As said: "These people hold an opinion about Isa ibn Maryam and his mother that is contrary to yours." Najashi asked them: "What do you say about Isa and Maryam?" They said: "We say only what Allah Almighty has said: He is the Word of Allah and His Spirit, which He cast into Maryam, the virgin, the pure woman, whom no man touched, nor did she conceive from anyone." Hearing this, Najashi picked up a straw from the ground and said: "O people of Abyssinia, O priests and monks! By Allah, what these people say about Isa does not differ from us even as much as this straw." Then he said: "Welcome to you and to the One from whom you have come. I bear witness that he is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the very one whose mention we find in the Gospel, and the very one whose glad tidings were given by Sayyiduna Isa ibn Maryam. Live wherever you wish. By Allah, if it were not for the necessity of kingship, I would have gone myself to serve him, carried his sandals, and provided water for his ablution." Then he returned the gifts of Amr bin Al-As and Amarah bin Walid. Later, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) returned home quickly and participated in Badr. And Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that when news of his (Najashi's) death reached the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he prayed for his forgiveness.