Letter of the Holy Prophet (sa) Inviting the Negus to Islam — Seal of the Prophets Vol. 3

15 Sep, 2026 Seal of the Prophets 0

The Life and Character of the Seal of the Prophets by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad

Table of Contents

Introduction

In this discourse from The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 3), Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) details the historical events and scholarly insights surrounding Letter of the Holy Prophet (sa) Inviting the Negus to Islam.

Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 3)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra)
Section: VI – All Races Invited to Islam
Pages: Book pp. 213–219 (PDF pp. 231–237)
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: [Letter of the Holy Prophet (sa) Addressed to Maqauqis of Egypt] | Next: [Letter of the Holy Prophet (sa) Addressed to the King of Ghassan] »

Historical Account

“I write this letter in the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, Ever Merciful. This letter is from Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allāh, to the Negus, King of Abyssinia. O King! May the Peace of God be upon you. After this, I praise God before you. There is none worthy of worship except Him. He is the true King of the heaven and earth; He is a compendium of all excellences and free from all defects; He grants peace to His creation and protects His creatures. I bear witness that Jesus, son of Mary, was raised by the word of God and came into existence through His command, which He revealed to the Virgin Mary…O King! I invite you towards the One God, Who has no partner, and I invite you to join me in obedience to God. I also invite you to follow me and thus believe in the word which has been revealed to me. For I am a Messenger of God, and call you and your subjects towards God in this very capacity. I have conveyed my message to you and have invited you towards the truth with sincerity and compassion; accept this sincerity and compassion of mine. I have (prior to this) already sent my paternal-cousin, Ja‘far along with a few other Muslims to you. May peace be upon him who follows the guidance of God.”
[Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 1, pp. 124-125, Dhikru Bi‘thati Rasūlillāhisa Ar-Rusula Bi-Kutubihī Ilal-Mulūki Yad‘ūhum Ilal-Islām, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, pp. 19-21, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was-Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)]

When this letter of the Holy Prophetsa reached the Negus, he raised it to his eyes. As an act of respect, he stepped down from his throne and said, “I bear witness that Muḥammadsa is the Messenger of God.” Then he called for a small ivory box and safeguarded the letter of the Holy Prophetsa in it saying, “I firmly believe that until this letter remains preserved by our dynasty, the people of Abyssinia shall continue to derive blessings from it.” The writer of Tārīkhul-Khamīs states that this letter is preserved by the Royal Family of

[Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 1, p. 125, Dhikru Bi‘thati Rasūlillāhisa Ar-Rusula Bi-Kutubihī Ilal-Mulūki Yad‘ūhum Ilal-Islām, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, p. 22, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was-Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)]

[Tārīkhul-Khamīs Fī Aḥwāli Anfasi Nafīs, By Ḥusain bin Muḥammad bin Ḥasan, Volume 2, p. 31, Kitābun-Najāshiyyi Ilan-Nabiyyi, Mu’assasatu Sha‘bān, Beirut * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, p. 23, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was-Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)]

Abyssinia to this day.

After this, the Negus sent the following response to the Holy Prophetsa:

یَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُ اللّٰهِ الَّذِیْ لَا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا ھُوَ الَّذِیْ ھَدَانِیْ لِلْاِسْ لَامِ۔ اَمَّا

ِبَعْدُ فَقَدْ بَلَغَنِیْ كِتَابُكَ یَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ فَمَا ذَكَرْتَ مِنْ اَمْرِ عِیْسٰی فَوَرَبِّ السَّ مَاءِ وَالْاَرْض

ْاِنَّ عِیْسٰی عَلَیْهِ الصَّ لَاةُ وَالسَّ لَامُ لَا یَزِیْدُ عَلٰی مَا ذَكَرْتَ ثَفْرُوْقًا اِنَّهُ کَمَا ذَکَرْتَ وَقَد

َعَرَفْنَا مَا بَعَثْتَ بِهٖ اِلَیْنَا۔ فَاَشْ ھَدُ اَنَّكَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَ ادِقًا مُصَ دِّقًا وَقَدْ بَایَعْتُكَ وَبَایَعْتُ ابْن

عَمِّكَ وَاَسْ لَمْتُ عَلیٰ یَدَیْهِ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِیْنَ ۔۔۔ وَالسَّ لَامُ عَلَیْكَ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهٗ۔

“In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, Ever Merciful. This letter is addressed to Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allāh, peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him, from Aṣḥamah, the Negus. O Messenger of Allāh! Peace be upon you, and may the blessings of that God descend upon you, beside Whom there is none worthy of worship. It is He Who has guided me towards Islām. After this, O Messenger of Allāh! I have received your letter. By God, I do not believe Jesus, peace be upon him, to be any more than what you have mentioned, even by an iota. We have understood your message of truth. I bear witness that you are a truthful Messenger of God, whose advent has been foretold in scriptures of the past as well. Hence, I make an oath of allegiance through your paternal-cousin, Ja‘far, on your hand for the sake of God…May the peace of Allāh the Exalted be upon you, and may He shower his mercy and blessings upon you.”
[Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, pp. 22-23, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was-Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)]

The letter which was written by the Holy Prophetsa to the Negus, and his subsequent response both possess a tone which is not found in any other letter recorded above. Indeed, on the one hand, the words of the Holy Prophetsa in his letter seem replete of the hope that God-willing, the Negus would surely accept Islām through the preaching of the Holy Prophetsa. On the other

hand, the letter of the Negus bears witness that his soul was already sitting in anticipation to accept the truth. In any case, God the Exalted granted the Negus the ability to accept Islām. This is the same Negus who passed away in 9 A.H. The Holy Prophetsa lead his funeral prayer and said to the Companions, “A righteous brother in Islām, the Negus of Abyssinia, has passed away. Come, let us all supplicate for the salvation of his soul.”

[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Janā’iz, Bābuṣ-Ṣufūfi ‘Alal-Jināzah, Ḥadīth No. 1320 * Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Janā’iz, Bābu Fit-Takbiri ‘Alal-Jināzah, Ḥadīth No. 2208-2209 * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, p. 25, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was-Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)]

The Negus who took to the throne after the demise of this one has not been recorded in narrations by name. However, history states that the Holy Prophetsa wrote a letter inviting him to Islām as well. Unfortunately, he did not accept the invitation of the Holy Prophetsa and died as a follower of Christianity. It is perhaps due to this reason that Islām could not spread in Abyssinia.

[Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, p. 26, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was-Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, p. 64, Rusuluhūsa, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)]

At this instance, it should also be remembered that letters of invitation were sent one after the other to two Kings. In other words, one letter was addressed to the Negus named Aṣḥamah, who gave refuge to the Companions in the early days of Islām when they migrated; and who accepted Islām upon receiving the letter of the Holy Prophetsa; and died in 9 A.H. as a Muslim. The second letter was sent to the Negus who took the throne after him, and did not accept the invitation of the Holy Prophet; and died in a state of disbelief. It is for this reason that certain historians have committed an error in this respect and they have considered both of these Kings to be the same. However, as mentioned above, the Holy Prophetsa sent two different letters at different times to two different Kings. Therefore, a clear narration has been related in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim by Ḥaḍrat Anasra, which states that the Negus to whom a letter was sent afterwards was different from the one whose funeral prayer was led by the Holy Prophetsa. Zarqānī and Tārīkhul-Khamīs have also elaborately

[Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Jihādi Was-Siyar, Bābu Kataban-Nabiyyusa Ilā Mulūkil-Kuffāri Yad‘ūhum Ilallāhi ‘Azza Wa Jalla, Ḥadīth No. 4609]

discussed this issue and proven that both were different individuals.

It is also worthy of mention that when the Holy Prophetsa sent a letter to the Negus inviting him to Islām and he accepted, the Holy Prophetsa sent him another letter of a personal nature at that time as well, in which he stated two matters. Firstly, the Holy Prophetsa asked the Negus to announce the marriage of Ummi Ḥabībah, daughter of Abū Sufyān, with the Holy Prophetsa. Secondly, he asked the Negus if arrangements could be made for Ḥaḍrat Ja‘far bin Abī Ṭālibra and his Companions, who had been in Abyssinia for quite some time now, to be sent back to Arabia. This was around the same era when the Holy Prophetsa was returning from the victory of Khaibar. It is related that the Holy Prophetsa was so happy to see Ḥaḍrat Ja‘far that he said, “I cannot say whether I am more pleased by the victory of Khaibar, or more jubilant upon the arrival of Ja‘far and his Companions. It is unfortunate, however, that the life of Ḥaḍrat Ja‘far did not remain for very long, and he was martyred shortly thereafter in the Battle of Mautah.

[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Maghāzī, Bābu Ghazwati Mu’tata Min Ardish-Sha’mi, Ḥadīth No. 4261 * Usdul-Ghābah Fī Ma‘rifatiṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By ‘Izzuddīn Ibnul-Athīr Abul-Ḥasan ‘Alī bin Muḥammad, Volume 1, pp. 391-392, Ja‘far-abnu Abī Ṭālibin, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon (2003) * Tārīkhur-Rusuli Wal-Mulūk (Tārīkhuṭ-Ṭabarī), By Abū Ja‘far Muḥammad bin Jarīr Aṭ-Ṭabarī, Volume 3, p. 162, Dhikru Mā Fil-Khabari ‘Anil-Kā’ini Kāna Minal-Aḥdāthil-Madhkūrati Fī Sanati Thamānim-Min Sinil-Hijrati/Dhikrul-Khabari ‘An Ghazwati Mu’tah, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002) * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 3, p. 299, Ghazwatu Khaibar, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 3, p. 350, Bābu Ghazwati Mu’tah, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)]

Ummi Ḥabībah, who married the Holy Prophetsa on this occasion, was the daughter of Abū Sufyān bin Ḥarb, the Head-Chieftain of Makkah, and the sister of Amīr Mu‘āwiyyah. She was from among the early Muslims and her husband ‘Ubaidullāh bin Jahash, was the paternal-cousin of the Holy Prophetsa, who passed away in Abyssinia. After his demise, the Holy Prophetsa considered it appropriate to take Ummi Ḥabībah in to a bond of matrimony

himself. The two-fold purpose in this was perhaps so that firstly, Abū Sufyān may become inclined towards Islām; and secondly, since she was the widow of the paternal-cousin of the Holy Prophetsa, so that her heart could be consoled. Ummi Ḥabībahra, whose name was Ramlah, passed away in 44 A.H. Prior to announcing this Nikāḥ, the Negus officially sought permission from her, and then a near relative named Khālid bin Sa‘īd acted as her guardian and this marriage was settled with a dowery of 400 dinar. At this instance, if anyone wishes to study the discussion relevant to the issue of polygamy, reference can be made to Volume 2 of this book.

[Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 8, p. 292-293, Dhikru Azwāji Rasūlillāhisa/ Ummi Ḥabībah, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 4, pp. 403-405, Ummu Ḥabībata Ummul-Mu’minīn, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * Usdul-Ghābah Fī Ma‘rifatiṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By ‘Izzuddīn Ibnul-Athīr Abul-Ḥasan ‘Alī bin Muḥammad, Volume 6, p. 323, Ummu Ḥabībata bintu Abī Sufyāna, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon (2003)]

Although the other Negus who took his seat on the throne in 9 A.H. did not accept Islām, the first Negus became a Muslim and the Companions of the Holy Prophetsa took refuge in Abyssinia for a long time and lived lives of peace and security. The Muslims repaid the generosity of this country in such a manner that although their victorious marches planted the banner of the Islāmic state in all the four corners of the earth, no marches were lead against Abyssinia. They wielded their swords in the north and south, and in the east and west. From the boundaries of China and India to the ends of Marrakech and Spain, the sound of the thundering hooves of Muslim horses shook the face of the earth. Magnificent Kings such as the Caesar and Chosroes, fell before them like a heap of dust. However, in this universal wave of triumph, if there was any country against which the Muslims did not raise their swords, it was this very small Kingdom of Abyssinia. The region surrounding it in all four directions had come under the rule of the Muslims, but whenever they would happen to close in on Abyssinia, they would divert to other paths and did not even raise a finger at them. At the depth of this existed the very same highly moral sentiment that even at the pinnacle of their triumph, when hundreds of years had passed, the Muslims did not wish to forget the small act of benevolence, which the Negus of Abyssinia exhibited towards the early Muslims by granting refuge to a few Companions of the Holy Prophetsa. This is a very excellent moral example, which can serve as an example for the nations of the world.

Letter of the Holy Prophetsa Addressed to the King of Ghassān The fifth letter of invitation was sent to the Ruler of the kingdom of Ghassān, whose name was Ḥārith bin Abī Shamir. This is the same Ḥārith who has already been mentioned in relation to the letter sent to Caesar. The kingdom of Ghassān was situated adjacent to Arabia in the northern front and its King was subservient to the Caesar. The Holy Prophetsa dispatched this letter with a Companion named Shujā‘ bin Wahab. In this letter, the Holy Prophetsa invited Ḥārith to Islām and also wrote that if he accepted Islām, his kingdom would receive a long life. At the time, Ḥārith was preparing to celebrate the victory of Caesar. Prior to meeting Ḥārith, Shujā‘ bin Wahab met with his attendant. The attendant was a good man who testified to the message of the Holy Prophetsa as conveyed by Shujā‘ on the whole, but told Shujā‘ that he should not hold any high hopes from Ḥārith, because he fears the Caesar, and will not take any step without his approval. After waiting for a few days, Shujā‘ bin Wahab, gained access to the royal court of the King of Ghassān, and presented the letter of the Holy Prophetsa before him. Upon reading the letter, he became enraged and threw away the letter saying, “Who possesses the power to snatch my kingdom from me? In fact, I shall myself march against this claimant and even if I must go to Yemen, then I shall go and apprehend him.” Then, he ordered his mounted contingent to begin preparations. On the other hand, he wrote a letter to the Caesar informing him that he had received such and such letter from a claimant in Ḥijāz and I am about to march out against him. The Caesar responded to this letter instructing him not to take military action, and that he should meet him in Īlyā or Jerusalem for royal court. After this, the accounts that unfolded in Īlyāh with Diḥyah Kalbī, the emissary of the Holy Prophetsa have already been mentioned with reference to the letter sent to Caesar. The incident of the King of Ghassān comes to an end at this juncture. He did not accept Islām. However, it is ascertained from Ḥadīth and history that apprehension of an attack against the Muslims by the Ghassān tribes prevailed in Madīnah for some time.

[Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, pp. 46-47, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was-Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * Tārīkhul-Khamīs Fī Aḥwāli Anfasi Nafīs, By Ḥusain bin Muḥammad bin Ḥasan, Volume 2, pp. 38-]

[Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, p. 65, Rusuluhūsa, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)]

[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābun-Nikāḥ, Bābu Mau‘idhatir-Rajuli Ibnatahū Li-Ḥāli Zaujihā, Ḥadīth No. 5191]

Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 3)
Section: VI – All Races Invited to Islam | Navigation: « Previous: [Letter of the Holy Prophet (sa) Addressed to Maqauqis of Egypt] | Next: [Letter of the Holy Prophet (sa) Addressed to the King of Ghassan] »

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Introduction

Historical Account