The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) – Volume III — Page 215
VI - All Races Invited to Islām 215 Abyssinia to this day. After this, the Negus sent the following response to the Holy Prophet sa : َ بِسْم ِ اللّٰه ِ الرَّحْمٰن ِ الرَّحِیْمِ. اِلی ٰ مُحَمَّد ٍ رَسُوْل ِ اللّٰه ِ مِن َ النَّجَاشِی ِّ اَصْحَمَة ِ سَلَام ٌ عَلَیْك ذِی ْ ھَدَانِی ْ لِلْاِسْلَامِ. اَمَّا َّ یَا رَسُوْل َ اللّٰه ِ وَرَحْمَة ُ اللّٰه ِ وَبَرَكَات ُ اللّٰه ِ الَّذِی ْ لَا اِلٰه َ اِلَّا ھُو َ ال ِ بَعْد ُ فَقَد ْ بَلَغَنِی ْ كِتَابُك َ یَا رَسُوْل َ اللّٰه ِ فَمَا ذَكَرْت َ مِن ْ اَمْر ِ عِیْسٰی فَوَرَب ِّ السَّمَاء ِ وَالْاَرْض ْ اِن َّ عِیْسٰی عَلَیْه ِ الصَّلَاة ُ وَالسَّلَام ُ لَا یَزِیْد ُ عَلٰی مَا ذَكَرْت َ ثَفْرُوْقًا اِنَّه ُ کَمَا ذَکَرْت َ وَقَد َ عَرَفْنَا مَا بَعَثْت َ بِه ٖ اِلَیْنَا. فَاَشْھَد ُ اَنَّك َ رَسُوْل ُ اللّٰه ِ صَادِقًا مُصَدِّقًا وَقَد ْ بَایَعْتُك َ وَبَایَعْت ُ ابْن عَمِّك َ وَاَسْلَمْت ُ عَلی ٰ یَدَیْه ِ لِلّٰه ِ رَب ِّ الْعَالَمِیْن َ. . . وَالسَّلَام ُ عَلَیْك َ وَرَحْمَة ُ اللّٰه ِ 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. ” 1 The letter which was written by the Holy Prophet sa 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 Prophet sa in his letter seem replete of the hope that God-willing, the Negus would surely accept Islām through the preaching of the Holy Prophet sa. On the other 1 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)