[Machine] We sent the messenger of Allah ﷺ to the Negus, and we were about eighty men, including Abdullah bin Mas'ood, Ja'far, Abdullah bin Urfutah, Uthman bin Mazh'un, and Abu Musa. They went to the Negus, and Quraysh sent Amr bin al-As and Amarah bin al-Walid with a gift. When they entered upon the Negus, they prostrated to him and then sat on his right and left. They said to him, "Some of our relatives have settled in your land and turned away from us and our religion." He asked, "Where are they?" They replied, "They are in your land, so please send for them." He sent for them, and Ja'far said, "I am your speaker today, so follow me." He greeted the Negus and did not prostrate. They asked him, "Why don't you prostrate to the king?" He replied, "We only prostrate to Allah, the Almighty. He sent His Messenger ﷺ to us and commanded us to prostrate only to Him. He also commanded us to pray and pay zakah." Amr bin al-As said, "But they differ from you regarding Jesus, son of Mary." The Negus asked, "What do you say about Jesus, son of Mary and his mother?" They replied, "We say as Allah, the Almighty, says; Jesus is Allah's word and a spirit from Him. He cast it upon the chaste virgin and she became pregnant without a man touching her, and she did not give birth to a son." He then raised a stick from the ground and said, "O people of Abyssinia, priests, and monks, by Allah, they do not differ from what we say about Jesus. They welcome us and the one who has come with us. I bear witness that he is the Messenger of Allah. He is the one we find in the Injeel (Gospel) and the one whom Jesus, son of Mary, gave glad tidings about. Go wherever you like, for Allah, if it were not for the kingdom that I have, I would go to him, carry his slippers, wash his feet, and bring gifts to him." The Negus returned their gifts to them. Abdullah bin Mas'ood hurried until he reached Badr, claiming that the Prophet ﷺ sought his forgiveness when he heard about his death.
بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى النَّجَاشِيِّ وَنَحْنُ نَحْوٌ مِنْ ثَمَانِينَ رَجُلًا فِيهِمْ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ وَجَعْفَرٌ وَعَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عُرْفُطَةَ وَعُثْمَانُ بْنُ مَظْعُونٍ وَأَبُو مُوسَى فَأَتَوْا النَّجَاشِيَّ وَبَعَثَتْ قُرَيْشٌ عَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِ وَعُمَارَةَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَا عَلَى النَّجَاشِيِّ سَجَدَا لَهُ ثُمَّ ابْتَدَرَاهُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَعَنْ شِمَالِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَا لَهُ إِنَّ نَفَرًا مِنْ بَنِي عَمِّنَا نَزَلُوا أَرْضَكَ وَرَغِبُوا عَنَّا وَعَنْ مِلَّتِنَا قَالَ فَأَيْنَ هُمْ؟ قَالَ هُمْ فِي أَرْضِكَ فَابْعَثْ إِلَيْهِمْ فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ جَعْفَرٌ أَنَا خَطِيبُكُمُ الْيَوْمَ فَاتَّبَعُوهُ فَسَلَّمَ وَلَمْ يَسْجُدْ فَقَالُوا لَهُ مَا لَكَ لَا تَسْجُدُ لِلْمَلِكِ؟ قَالَ إِنَّا لَا نَسْجُدُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ﷻ قَالَ وَمَا ذَاكَ؟ قَالَ إِنَّ اللهَ ﷻ بَعَثَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولَهُ ﷺ وَأَمَرَنَا أَنْ لَا نَسْجُدَ لِأَحَدٍ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ﷻ وَأَمَرَنَا بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ قَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ فَإِنَّهُمْ يُخَالِفُونَكَ فِي عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ قَالَ مَا تَقُولُونَ فِي عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمِّهِ؟ قَالُوا نَقُولُ كَمَا قَالَ اللهُ ﷻ هُوَ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ وَرُوحُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَى الْعَذْرَاءِ الْبَتُولِ الَّتِي لَمْ يَمَسَّهَا بَشَرٌ وَلَمْيَفْرِضْهَا وَلَدٌ قَالَ فَرَفَعَ عُودًا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا مَعْشَرَ الْحَبَشَةِ وَالْقِسِّيسِينَ وَالرُّهْبَانِ َاللهِ مَا يَزِيدُونَ عَلَى الَّذِي نَقُولُ فِيهِ مَا يَسْوَى هَذَا مَرْحَبًا بِكُمْ وَبِمَنْ جِئْتُمْ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ فَإِنَّهُ الَّذِي نَجِدُ فِي الْإِنْجِيلِ وَإِنَّهُ الرَّسُولُ الَّذِي بَشَّرَ بِهِ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ انْزِلُوا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ وَاللهِ لَوْلَا مَا أَنَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْمُلْكِ لَأَتَيْتُهُ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَنَا أَحْمِلُ نَعْلَيْهِ وَأُوَضِّئُهُ وَأَمَرَ بِهَدِيَّةِ الْآخَرِينَ فَرُدَّتْ إِلَيْهِمَا ثُمَّ تَعَجَّلَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ حَتَّى أَدْرَكَ بَدْرًا وَزَعَمَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ اسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُ حِينَ بَلَغَهُ مَوْتُهُ