Chief of the Prophets — Page 63
Chapter Four 63 “What is the matter? What is this new religion that you have invented?” Ja‘far bin Abī Ṭālib ra , representing the Muslims said: O King! We were an ignorant people, we worshipped idols, we ate the flesh of dead animals, we were engaged in adultery and fornication, we severed ties of kinship, we dealt with our neighbours in dishonesty and the powerful among us usurped the rights of the weak. In this state of affairs, Allah sent His messenger to us, whose nobility, truthfulness, and honesty was known to all. He taught us the Unity of God, forbade us from idol worship and gave us teachings of truthfulness in speech, honesty, and kind treatment to kith and kin. He taught us to treat our neighbours well and stopped us from adultery, lying, and the usurpation of the wealth of orphans, and he held us from bloodshed. He instructed us to worship Allah. We believed in him and followed him, but for this reason our people were displeased with us and subjected us to misery and hardship, and tortured us and desired that we abandon our faith by coercion, until we finally left our homeland, saddened, and took refuge in your sovereignty. O King! We hope that under your rule we shall not be subjected to brutality. 1 Negus was deeply moved by this discourse. He said to Ja‘far ra to read before him the revelation from God. Ja‘far ra recited a few verses of Chapter Maryam of the Qur’ān in a very melodic voice. The verses brought Negus to tears. He said in a sobbing voice: By God, this revelation and the words of our Messiah seem to be the rays originating from the same source of light. Negus said to the delegation of the Quraish: 1 Bukhārī