Before the Court of the Negus – A Glimpse into Islam’s Early Light
Ja‘far ibn Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه) stood with unwavering dignity in the court of the Christian king of Abyssinia, the Negus, to defend the nascent Muslim community that had sought refuge from persecution. In a speech filled with wisdom, clarity, and truth, he said:
"O King! We were a people steeped in ignorance and darkness..."
◈ We worshipped idols made of stone.
◈ We consumed the flesh of dead animals.
◈ We engaged in shameful acts and immoral behavior.
◈ We mistreated our neighbors.
◈ The strong among us oppressed the weak.
◈ Brothers wronged one another.
◈ The powerful crushed the powerless.
Then, Allah raised a man from among us…
A man whose noble lineage, truthfulness, and trustworthiness we were already well acquainted with. He called us to:
✔ Worship Allah alone, abandoning all idols and stones.
✔ Speak the truth.
✔ Refrain from shedding blood.
✔ Safeguard the wealth of orphans.
✔ Treat our neighbors with kindness.
✔ Shun slander against chaste women.
✔ Establish prayer.
✔ Observe fasting.
✔ Give in charity (Zakāh).
We accepted his call to Islam.
We distanced ourselves from polytheism and all forms of wrongdoing. But for embracing this truth, our own people turned against us. They persecuted us, seeking to force us back into the darkness we had left behind.
This profound testimony is preserved in the Musnad of Ahmad (Ḥadīth no. 21460), delivered by Ja‘far ibn Abī Ṭālib (RA) before the Negus of Abyssinia, on behalf of the first Muslim emigrants.
Ja‘far ibn Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه) stood with unwavering dignity in the court of the Christian king of Abyssinia, the Negus, to defend the nascent Muslim community that had sought refuge from persecution. In a speech filled with wisdom, clarity, and truth, he said:
"O King! We were a people steeped in ignorance and darkness..."
◈ We worshipped idols made of stone.
◈ We consumed the flesh of dead animals.
◈ We engaged in shameful acts and immoral behavior.
◈ We mistreated our neighbors.
◈ The strong among us oppressed the weak.
◈ Brothers wronged one another.
◈ The powerful crushed the powerless.
Then, Allah raised a man from among us…
A man whose noble lineage, truthfulness, and trustworthiness we were already well acquainted with. He called us to:
✔ Worship Allah alone, abandoning all idols and stones.
✔ Speak the truth.
✔ Refrain from shedding blood.
✔ Safeguard the wealth of orphans.
✔ Treat our neighbors with kindness.
✔ Shun slander against chaste women.
✔ Establish prayer.
✔ Observe fasting.
✔ Give in charity (Zakāh).
We accepted his call to Islam.
We distanced ourselves from polytheism and all forms of wrongdoing. But for embracing this truth, our own people turned against us. They persecuted us, seeking to force us back into the darkness we had left behind.
This profound testimony is preserved in the Musnad of Ahmad (Ḥadīth no. 21460), delivered by Ja‘far ibn Abī Ṭālib (RA) before the Negus of Abyssinia, on behalf of the first Muslim emigrants.