HAZRAT JAFAR AND THE CHRISTIAN KING
THE SPEECH THAT MAKES HISTORY
HAZRAT JAFAR AND THE
CHRISTIAN KING
There have been many
biographies written and speeches given on Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)
that have provided a glimpse of his life, the role that he played as a
Messenger of God, and the message that he brought for mankind. However, the
speech delivered by Ja‘far bin Abi Talib to the Christian king of Abyssinia
(Ethiopia) in the 7th century to date is referenced as one of the most succinct
and eloquent speeches that captured the moments of that era, and expressed the
message of Islam concisely and clearly.
The speech was delivered in the fifth year of
Muhammad’s Prophethood. As we recall from the early days of Islam when Muslims
were tortured, persecuted, and humiliated in many ways by the arrogant Arabs, a
few Muslims emigrated to take refuge in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) that was ruled by
Ashamah Negus (also known as al-Najashi), a Christian king. The prophet had
known him as a fair ruler and thus had permitted the followers of Islam to take
refuge in his kingdom. Makkah’s Quraish, who at the time were amongst the
foremost in persecuting the new Muslims could not tolerate the Muslims living
peacefully in the Christian kingdom. Hence, they made a last ditch effort to
get those Muslims extradited to Makkah and sent two of their strongest envoys
to demand their extradition.
Those envoys were Amr bin Al-As and Abdullah
bin Abi Rabia (the two embraced Islam a few years later). The two envoys took
valuable gifts for the king and his clergy in the hopes of convincing the king
to return the new Muslims. The pagan envoys demanded the Muslims’ extradition
on grounds that they had abandoned the religion of their forefathers, and their
leader (Muhammad) was preaching a religion different from theirs and from that
of the king.
On
hearing the claims against Muslims that the envoys had presented, the Christian
king summoned the Muslims to his court. The Muslims selected Jafar bin Abi
Talib to speak on their behalf. With silence in the court, Jafar bin Abi Talib
stood up and addressed the king in the following words:
“O King! we were plunged in the depth of ignorance and
barbarism; we adored idols,
we lived in unchastity,
we ate the dead bodies,
and we spoke abominations,
we disregarded every feeling of humanity,
and the duties of hospitality and neighborhood were neglected;
we knew no law but that of the strong,
when Allah raised among us a man,
of whose birth, truthfulness, honesty, and purity we were aware;
and he called to the Oneness of Allah ,
and taught us not to associate anything with Him.
“He forbade us the worship of idols;
and he enjoined us to speak the truth,
to be faithful to our trusts,
to be merciful and to regard the rights of the neighbors and kith
and kin;
he forbade us to speak evil of women,
or to eat the substance of orphans;
he ordered us to flee from the vices,
and to abstain from evil;
to offer prayers,
to render alms, and to observe fast.
“We have believed in him,
we have accepted his teachings and his injunctions to worship
Allah, and not to associate anything with Him, and we have allowed what He has
allowed, and prohibited what He has prohibited.
“For this reason, our people have risen against us,
have persecuted us in order to make us forsake the worship of
Allah and return to the worship of idols and other abominations.
They have tortured and injured us, until finding no safety among
them; we have come to your country, and hope you will protect us from
oppression.”
[Reference:
Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum]
The Negus was impressed and was eager to hear more. He asked
Jafar, “Do you have with you something of what your Prophet brought concerning
God?” “Yes,” replied Jafar.
“Then read it to me,” requested the Negus. Jafar, in his rich,
melodious voice, recited for him the first portion of Surah
Maryam, which deals with the story of Jesus and his mother Mary.
Chapter of Mary (Maryam) from Holy Qur'an (16-23:19),
that speak of Maryam, Jesus, Yahiah and Zacharia (peace be upon them):
And mention Maryam in
the Book when she drew aside from her family to an eastern place. So, she took
a veil (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our Spirit, and there
appeared to her a well-made man. She said: Surely I fly for refuge from you to
the Beneficent God, if you are one guarding (against evil). He said: I am only
a messenger of your Lord: That I will give you a pure boy. She said: When shall
I have a boy and no mortal has yet touched me, nor have I been unchaste? He
said: Even so; your lord says: It is easy to me: and that We may make him a
sign to men and a mercy from us; and it is a matter which has been decreed. So,
she conceived him; then withdrew herself with a remote place and the throes (of
childbirth) compelled her to take herself to the trunk of a palm tree. She
said: Oh, would that I had died before this, and had been a thing quite
forgotten! Then (the child called out to her from beneath her): Grieve not,
surely your lord has made a stream to flow beneath you. And shake towards you
the trunk of the palm tree, it will drop on you fresh ripe dates. So, eat and
drink and refresh the eye. Then if you see any mortal, say: Surely I have vowed
a fast to the Beneficent God, so I shall not speak to any man today and she
came to her people with him, carrying him (with her). They said: O Maryam!
Surely you have done a strange thing. O Sister of Haroon! Your father was not a
bad man, nor was your mother an unchaste woman.
Al-Najashy wept. His tears flowed on his cheeks. The
priests and the monks wept humbly, too. Ja'far's voice was flowing humbly:
But she pointed to him. They said: How should we speak
to one who was a child in the cradle? He said: Surely I am Allah's servant; he
has given me the Book and made me a prophet, and has made me blessed wherever I
may be, and he has enjoined on me prayer and poor-rate so long as I live and
dutiful to my mother; and he has not made me insolent, unblessed and peace be
on me on the day I was born, and on the day I die, and on the day I am raised
to life.
Al-Najashy stood up for Allah's Words and said humbly:
Certainly this and what Jesus (Isa) had brought come
out of one niche.
He turned to the Quraishi delegates and said angrily:
I won't hand them to you and I'll defend them.
Then he ordered his soldiers to dismiss the delegation
and to return the gifts to them. He said:
They are bribes. I don't want to be bribed.
He turned to Ja'far and his Moslem group and said:
You're welcome; Your Prophet is welcome. I admit that
he is the Apostle whom Isa bin Maryam had given good news about. Live wherever
you like in my country.
Al-Najashy wanted to know something about the manners
of Islam. He asked Ja'far:
How do you greet each other?
Our greeting is to say Assalamu Alaikum.
Another Plot:
On the following day Amru bin al-Ass and Amarah
decided to go to the King's Palace.
On their way, Amru bin al-Ass said to Amarah:
This time, I,ll get my revenge on Ja'far. I'll tell
the kings that the Moslems have another idea about Isa.
Again the delegates came to al-Najashy and said:
Your majesty; the king, the Moslems say that Isa is a
slave.
Al-Najashy kept silent for a while then he said to the
guard:
Ja'far came and greeted the King and said:
Assalamu Alaikum.
The King asked him:
What's your point of view about Isa?
Ja'far answered calmly:
We say as Allah and His Apostle have said about him.
The King asked him:
What's your Prophet said?
Ja'far answered calmly:
He's Allah's slave, His Apostle, His Spirit, His Word
that He has given to the chaste, virgin Maryam.
Al-Najashy kept silent for a while, and then he drew a
line on the ground with his stick. So, he said:
Go to your friends. You're safe in my country.
Again the delegates' plot came to nothing. The
delegates hopelessly came back to Makkah. Since that meeting, the Moslems had
been happy in the land of the just King.
Our Master Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (saw) and the
Moslems rejoiced at Ja'far's victory and his stay in Habasha.
A letter to al-Najashy:
Amru bin Umayyah al-Dhimry our Master Muhammad's
delegate, arrived in Habasha carrying the letter of the Prophet of Islam.
The letter read:
From Muhammad, Allah's Apostle
To al-Najashy the King of Habasha
You are safe.
I thank Allah. There is no god but Him, the King, the
Holy, the Peace, the Believer; the Almighty.
I bear witness that Isa is Allah's Spirit, and His
word He has given to Maryam, the Virgin, the good, and the chaste. Allah created
him with His power as He created Adam before.
I am inviting you to worship Allah only, to obey Him,
to follow me, and to believe in what has come to me. I am Allah's Apostle. I am
inviting you and your soldiers to worship Allah, the Almighty. I have told and
advised you. So, accept my advice.
And peace upon him who follows guidance.
Ja'far accompanied our Master Muhammad's delegate on
his going to al-Najashy's palace. First they greeted the King of Habasha. Then
he received the Prophet's letter respectfully.
Al-Najashy read the letter. He came down the throne
and sat on the ground to show his humbleness and respect for Allah's Apostle,
our Master Muhammad (saw).
Al-Najashy put the letter on his eye to show his great
respect. Then he ordered his guards to get him an ivory box to put the letter
in. He said:
Habasha will be prosperous as long as its people keep
this letter.
The Prophet's delegate gave the King another letter.
The letter asked the King to allow the immigrants headed by Ja'far bin Abu
Talib to come back to their country.
The Moslems were very happy to hear about their
repatriation to their homeland. In the meantime, they thanked al-Najashy for
his good hospitality.
Al-Najashy ordered his guards to prepare some ships to
bring back the immigrants to the land of al-Hejaz. He sent his representative
with them.
The representative was carrying gifts and a letter of
greetings to our Master Muhammad (saw).
The sails of the ships were raised to start journey,
the Moslems set off. They rejoiced at Allah's victory.
It is quite obvious from the speech
that it has stood the test of time and delivers the message of Islam today just
as effectively as it did more than 1400 years ago. The eloquence of the speech
leaves no doubt regarding the strength of the faith and clarity of the new
Muslims’ understanding of Islam and the message brought by Allah’s messenger.
This speech also serves as a reminder not just for us Muslims but also for
those who are still struggling to get the message that Muhammad (peace be upon
him) brought for mankind.
The
question for Muslims today is whether they are living that message?
In the mean time, let’s gets the message to
whoever we can.
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