- 6/2/2025
Every Christian Every Muslim Must Unite
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00:00The fourth year of the prophethood of Muhammad ibn Abdullah, peace be upon him, was a year of great persecution.
00:16The prophet had brought a message of Tawheed, of the oneness of God.
00:20He taught his people not to bow down to idols, not to disrespect their parents, not to torture and harm the innocent, not to base their society upon nationalism.
00:37But they refused to accept this message, and they began to torture him and his followers in the most horrible fashion.
00:45By the fifth year, the prophet, peace be upon him, said,
00:51If you were to go to Abyssinia, Al-Habasha, it would be better for you.
00:57The king will not tolerate injustice, and it is a land of truth.
01:03Go there till Allah relieves you from your distress.
01:08After this permission was given, a group of twelve men and four women left for Abyssinia.
01:18Among them was Uthman ibn Affan, radiallahu anh, and the daughter of the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, named Ruqayya.
01:26After having reached Abyssinia, and staying for at least a few months, they received a false report from Mecca,
01:37that all of the people of Mecca had embraced Islam.
01:41When they heard this, they were overjoyed, and they returned to Mecca to find that the persecution had intensified.
01:48So the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, again, sent his endangered Sahaba to the land of Ethiopia.
01:57This time, another group of eighty-three men and nineteen women left and crossed the Red Sea.
02:06They left Mecca in secret, and they crossed into the Red Sea and into Ethiopia.
02:15When they reached the land of Ethiopia, they found a people who were steeped in the original beliefs of Christianity.
02:28They found the land of justice, and they found a righteous king.
02:34Who was this righteous emperor, and what was this land?
02:38It is reported that the land of Ethiopia was a land with an ancient history.
02:49And the leader who had inherited the power of this ancient society was Ashamah ibn Abjar.
02:58The title given to him was An-Najashi, or the Nagus.
03:03He was the king and inheritor to a great empire called Aksum.
03:10This empire was founded long before Christ, but by the year, by the centuries, the third to the sixth century,
03:19it became the greatest market in northeast Africa.
03:23Merchants were trading with Aksum from all the way north on the Nile and from the Indian Ocean.
03:31The city of Aksum also claimed to contain the Ark of the Covenant,
03:38which had come from the Prophet Suleiman a.s. from Solomon and from Sheba,
03:45and was brought, according to their legends, to Ethiopia by their son Menelik.
03:50So when the Sahaba were safely living in Aksum,
03:57Quraysh sent two emissaries,
04:01Amr ibn al-As, who later became a famous Muslim,
04:05and Abdullah ibn al-Rabiya.
04:08They came representing the polytheists of Mecca,
04:12and they brought expensive gifts in order to bribe the generals and the army,
04:18and to bribe the king.
04:19They sought an audience with the king,
04:23and thereby stated that these people,
04:27who you have given shelter to, have forsaken their religion,
04:30and they have not accepted yours.
04:32But the Najashi replied to them and said,
04:37No, by God, I will not surrender them.
04:43No people who have sought my protection,
04:46settled in my country,
04:48and asked for protection,
04:51will be let loose.
04:53If they are as they are,
04:55I will give them up to them,
04:57and send them back to their own people.
04:59But if what they say is false,
05:02I will protect them,
05:04and see that they receive proper hospitality,
05:08while under my protection.
05:11The Nagis then, the Najashi,
05:15summoned the Muslims,
05:17and he asked them to represent themselves.
05:19What do you stand for?
05:21What is the basic teachings of your Prophet?
05:24And one of the famous companions of the Prophet Muhammad,
05:26peace be upon him,
05:27Jaffa ibn Abi Talib,
05:29he stood up and he addressed the king in the following words.
05:34O king,
05:35we were plunged in the depth of ignorance and barbarism.
05:38We worship idols.
05:40We lived in unclean life.
05:43We ate dead meat.
05:45We spoke abominations.
05:47We did not respect our neighbors.
05:49We knew no laws but that of the strong.
05:52And then Allah raised up among us a man
05:55whose birth, truthfulness, and honesty
05:58were well known to us.
06:01He called us to the oneness of Allah.
06:04He taught us to speak the truth,
06:06to be faithful to our trust,
06:08to be merciful,
06:09to regard the rights of our neighbors
06:12and our kith and kin.
06:12He forbade us from speaking evil to women
06:17and from eating the substances or the wealth of the orphan.
06:22He ordered us to stay away from evil
06:24and abstain from evil in all forms.
06:29He taught us to offer prayers,
06:31to give in charity,
06:33and to observe fasting.
06:34We believed in him
06:36and we accepted his teachings.
06:40He taught us not to associate partners with Allah
06:43and he taught us that we should live a good life.
06:49For this, we have been tortured and injured
06:52and not finding safety amongst our own people.
06:56We have come to your country
06:57seeking protection from oppression.
07:01The Nagus then asked Jaffa ibn Abi Talib
07:05to read something from the book of Allah.
07:10Read something from your scriptures.
07:12And Jaffa, being a very intelligent
07:15and well-trained companion,
07:18read from Surah Maryam.
07:20When he read from this beautiful chapter
07:23that told the story of Mary, of Maryam,
07:26may Allah be pleased with her,
07:28and the birth of Jesus,
07:31and the miracles happening at this time,
07:35Najashi, recognizing the presence of the Creator,
07:39wept.
07:40His bishops and all in the court also wept.
07:45And Najashi stated of a truth,
07:49this and what Jesus brought
07:51have come from the same place.
07:54You too may go.
07:56He sent away Quraysh.
07:57He said,
07:58By God,
07:59I will never give them up.
08:02They shall not be betrayed.
08:04And so Najashi
08:05gave a strong representation
08:10of a righteous king.
08:12But Amr ibn al-As,
08:14being very cunning at that point in his life,
08:17didn't give up.
08:18The next day,
08:19he returned to the Najashi
08:20and he stated,
08:22These people,
08:23they say that Jesus,
08:25the son of Mary,
08:26is a creation.
08:27He is not a God.
08:29He is not the son of God.
08:31Jaffa ibn Abi Talib,
08:32radiallahu anhu,
08:33was brought and he answered,
08:35We say about him,
08:37that which our prophet has brought us,
08:40that Jesus is the slave of God,
08:42his apostle,
08:44his spirit,
08:44and his word,
08:46which was cast into Mary,
08:49the blessed virgin.
08:51When Najashi heard this,
08:52he picked up a stick
08:53and he said,
08:54By God,
08:55Jesus,
08:56the son of Mary,
08:58does not exceed
08:59what you have said
09:01by the length of a stick.
09:04Then Najashi said,
09:05He who curses you
09:07will be fined.
09:09Not for a mountain of gold
09:11will I allow you,
09:13will I allow a man
09:14to hurt you.
09:16Go free
09:16and live within my lands.
09:19And so the Najashi,
09:21in accordance with the revelation
09:22that had come to the prophet,
09:24peace and blessings be upon him,
09:26who was guided by the creator
09:27of the heavens and the earth,
09:29was a righteous person.
09:30He would not allow anyone
09:32to be oppressed
09:33within his country.
09:36His land was a land of truth.
09:38And the Muslims were able
09:39to enjoy sanctuary
09:41in a Christian land.
09:44This is an important aspect
09:46of history
09:47that needs to be brought out.
09:49With misunderstandings
09:51concerning the entrance
09:52of Islam into Africa,
09:54this is the first contact.
09:56Muslims did not come
09:57as conquerors.
09:59They did not come
10:00as an imperialistic army,
10:02but they came as refugees,
10:04seeking the help
10:05of a righteous Christian king.
10:09After this,
10:11a rebellion broke out.
10:14The Sahaba hid
10:16and sent
10:18Azubayr ibn al-Awwam
10:20to see what had happened.
10:24But by the will of Allah,
10:26the creator of the heavens
10:27and the earth,
10:28Najashi prevailed.
10:30Ibn Ishaq,
10:32the great biographer
10:34of the Prophet
10:35peace be upon him,
10:36reports,
10:37and he speaks
10:38about the Sahaba.
10:39And this is a very
10:39interesting report
10:41because he shows
10:42the Sahaba now,
10:44companions of the Prophet
10:45Muhammad peace be upon him,
10:47making a prayer
10:48for the Christian emperor.
10:50And he writes
10:52that the Sahaba said,
10:55we prayed to Allah
10:56to give Najashi
10:58victory over his enemies
10:59and to establish him
11:01in his country.
11:02As they were making
11:03their dua,
11:05while they were praying,
11:06Azubayr ibn al-Awwam
11:08radhiallahu anhu,
11:09return with the news
11:11of the victory
11:12of Najashi.
11:13And so they stayed
11:15in Al-Habasha
11:17until
11:18the second hijrah,
11:21the major migration
11:23that was made
11:25from Mecca
11:26to Medina.
11:28This is a powerful story.
11:31This is a powerful
11:32coming together
11:34of monotheism
11:36where the teachings
11:37that came to Jesus,
11:39Isa alayhi salam,
11:41and the teachings
11:41that came to Muhammad
11:42peace be upon him,
11:45manifest themselves
11:46within their followers
11:47and the followers
11:48go beyond
11:49the distance
11:51of prophets.
11:52They go beyond
11:53the fact
11:53that they were
11:54from different tribes
11:55and they unite
11:56under the oneness
11:57of God.
11:58Muhammad peace and blessings
11:59be upon him,
12:01sent a very important letter
12:03with his companions.
12:05In this,
12:06he stated the following,
12:09in the name of Allah,
12:10the beneficent,
12:11the merciful,
12:11from Muhammad,
12:13the messenger of Allah,
12:14to the great
12:15Najashi of Abyssinia.
12:18Peace be upon
12:19he who follows
12:20the guidance.
12:21As to what follows,
12:23verily for you
12:24I praise Allah,
12:25the one whom
12:26there is no deity
12:27except him,
12:28the sole king,
12:30the holy,
12:31the source of peace,
12:33the protector,
12:34and the guardian.
12:34I bear witness
12:37that Jesus,
12:38the son of Miriam,
12:39is the spirit
12:40belonging to Allah
12:41and his word
12:43which he cast
12:44into the chaste
12:45and excellent
12:46virgin Miriam.
12:47She thus became
12:48pregnant
12:49by means of his spirit
12:51and his inspiration
12:52with Jesus.
12:55She became pregnant
12:56in the same manner
12:57as he created Adam
12:59with his hand.
13:00Verily I invite you
13:03to Allah,
13:04the one who has
13:05no partner
13:05and to friendship,
13:07continuity,
13:08and government
13:09in obedience to him.
13:11I invite you
13:12to follow me
13:13and to have
13:14absolute certainty
13:15with what I have
13:16come with.
13:17Verily I am
13:18the messenger of Allah
13:19and I invite you
13:21and your government
13:21forces to Allah,
13:23the mighty,
13:24the majestic.
13:25Thus I have delivered
13:26the message
13:27and given you counsel.
13:28Therefore accept my counsel.
13:30Peace be upon he
13:31who follows the guidance.
13:34This is a very
13:35important letter
13:35because not only
13:37does it express
13:38the message of Islam
13:41and conveys
13:42the prophethood,
13:44but you don't find
13:45other letters
13:46written by the prophet
13:47Muhammad,
13:48peace be upon him,
13:49to the great kings
13:49in such a format.
13:51It was a brotherly letter.
13:53It was a letter
13:54in which the prophet
13:55Muhammad,
13:56peace be upon him,
13:57gives proof
13:59of the scriptures.
14:01He speaks to the emperor
14:03in a language
14:04that he could understand.
14:06He shows him
14:07that the message
14:07of Islam
14:08is a consistent message
14:10and it is a message
14:11of all of the prophets.
14:14Later,
14:16Najashi wrote back
14:17to the prophet,
14:18peace be upon him.
14:20The books of Seerah,
14:22of the biography
14:22of the prophet
14:23Muhammad,
14:23Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam,
14:24record that Najashi replied,
14:28from Nagus Najashi
14:29Ibn Abjar,
14:33peace be upon you,
14:34O prophet of Allah,
14:35and mercy and blessings.
14:40In the name of Allah,
14:42besides whom there is no God,
14:44who has guided me to Islam,
14:46I have received your letter
14:49in which you mention
14:50the matter of Jesus
14:52and the Lord of the heavens
14:54and the earth.
14:56He is not one bit more
14:58than what you say.
15:00We know that with which
15:02you were sent to us
15:04and we have entertained
15:05your cousin
15:06and his companions.
15:07I testify
15:09that you are Allah's apostle,
15:12true and confirming
15:13those before you.
15:14I have given my pledge
15:16to you
15:16and to your cousin
15:18and I have surrendered myself
15:20through him
15:21to the Lord of the worlds.
15:24I have sent to you
15:25my son, Arha.
15:27I have control
15:28only over myself
15:29and if you wish me
15:31to come to you,
15:32I will do so.
15:33I bear witness
15:34that what you say
15:36is true.
15:38Najashi testified
15:40to the oneness of God.
15:42Najashi showed
15:43his relationship
15:45with the Prophet Muhammad
15:45peace be upon him.
15:47From that time,
15:49his relationship
15:51with the creator
15:52of the heavens
15:52and the earth changed.
15:54But a great rebellion
15:56broke out
15:56within his land.
16:00The Sahaba
16:00at that point
16:02took
16:04a special hiding place
16:07and they were prepared
16:09to leave the country.
16:11But Najashi
16:12held out
16:13and he was able
16:15to
16:15put down
16:16the rebellions
16:17as they came up
16:19within his country.
16:21He was able
16:22to continue
16:22his belief
16:23and his story
16:25is a crucial story
16:27to Muslims
16:29and to those
16:31who believe
16:31in one God.
16:32the Prophet Muhammad
16:34peace and blessings
16:35be upon him
16:36was the seal
16:38of the Prophets
16:38and Messengers
16:39and
16:40his love
16:42for his companions
16:43continued
16:46throughout his life.
16:47it is reported
16:49that when
16:50the Najashi
16:51passed away
16:52and the word
16:54came to the Prophet
16:55Muhammad
16:55peace and blessings
16:56be upon him
16:57he prayed
16:58a special
16:59funeral prayer
17:00for Najashi.
17:01This is now known
17:03as
17:03Salat al-Janaza
17:04and it is the first
17:06time
17:07in history
17:08that a Janaza
17:09prayer was made
17:10for an absent
17:11person.
17:13And so
17:13through the example
17:15of Najashi
17:15this special
17:17Salat al-Janaza
17:18this prayer
17:19for the funeral
17:20of a person
17:21was established
17:22that if the person
17:24who dies
17:24is not within
17:25your location
17:26and it appears
17:27that there is nobody
17:28to pray upon
17:29that person
17:30then you are
17:31compelled to make
17:32the Janaza Salat.
17:34The Prophet
17:36peace be upon him
17:36made a special
17:38dua
17:39a special prayer
17:40to the creator
17:41of the heavens
17:42and the earth.
17:43He prayed
17:44for Najashi
17:44and he prayed
17:46that Islam
17:46would spread
17:47in his land.
17:48This story
17:49shows us
17:50the closeness
17:52between
17:53the teachings
17:54of the Prophet
17:55Muhammad
17:56alayhi salatu
17:57wasalam
17:57and the teachings
17:59of Isa
17:59alayhi salam
18:00which was still
18:01existing
18:02along the Nile.
18:04It also showed
18:06that Najashi
18:07had accepted
18:08Islam.
18:10It also showed
18:12a strong solidarity
18:14between believers
18:16and that Islam
18:18itself
18:18is not confined
18:20only to the
18:21Arabian Peninsula
18:22but it is the religion
18:24of all of the Prophets.
18:26It confirmed
18:27the fact
18:28that the Prophet
18:29Muhammad
18:29peace be upon him
18:30came as the seal
18:32of the Prophets
18:33and Messengers.
18:37It is reported
18:38by Urwa
18:39Ibn al-Zubayr
18:40on the authority
18:42of Aisha
18:43that she said
18:46when Najashi
18:47died
18:48it used to be said
18:51that a light
18:52was constantly
18:53seen
18:54over his grave.
18:55This is an important
18:58statement
18:59and Ibn Ishaq
19:01the great
19:02biographer
19:03of the life
19:05of the Prophet
19:05Muhammad
19:05peace be upon him
19:06reports the name
19:08of at least
19:09fifteen
19:10of the companions
19:11of the Prophet
19:12who died
19:14in Abyssinia.
19:16These graves
19:17are located
19:19today
19:19in the high mountains
19:22in the Tigray
19:23province
19:24in Ethiopia.
19:26Here we find
19:27the graves
19:28of the Sahaba
19:29and the graves
19:31of Najashi.
19:32It is a peaceful
19:34place
19:34and it is a place
19:36where people
19:37remember the relationship
19:38between believers.
19:41It is a place
19:42that is of
19:43the greatest importance
19:44to the history
19:46of Islam
19:46and the history
19:48of Africa
19:49itself.
19:49What this is
19:51showing us
19:52and it is so
19:53important for us
19:54to reflect upon
19:55this
19:56what it shows
19:57us
19:57is the relationship
19:59between the
20:00Arabian Peninsula
20:01and what is now
20:03known as the
20:04African continent.
20:06In actuality
20:07the Red Sea
20:08is not really
20:10a barrier
20:10between the two.
20:12In actuality
20:13there was always
20:14a connection
20:15between the people
20:16and the people
20:17of Ethiopia
20:18were migrating
20:19to Yemen
20:20to the northern
20:22part of Arabia
20:23from earliest times.
20:27Also we know
20:27in studying language
20:29that the Semitic
20:31languages
20:32were spoken
20:33by the peoples
20:35not only
20:36in the Arabian Peninsula
20:37but Semitic languages
20:39were spoken
20:40all over Ethiopia.
20:43And so
20:43a strong relationship
20:45existed between
20:47these countries
20:47and for people
20:48who really
20:49look at the history
20:50of this part
20:50of the world
20:51we need to
20:54reflect upon
20:55the whole concept
20:57of nation states.
20:59Does Asia
20:59begin
21:00with the Red Sea?
21:02Is to the right
21:03of the Red Sea
21:03Asia
21:04and to the left
21:05of the Red Sea
21:06Africa?
21:07What is the real
21:08reality?
21:09From an Islamic
21:10perspective
21:11perspective
21:12it is all part
21:13of the same
21:13territory.
21:15From an Islamic
21:16perspective
21:16and then looking
21:17at history
21:18itself
21:19we find
21:20that this
21:21contact
21:22was part
21:23of a long
21:24series
21:25of relationships
21:26that developed
21:27between the people
21:28of the Arabian Peninsula
21:29and those
21:30who were living
21:31in the mountains
21:32and valleys
21:33of Ethiopia.
21:34Another important
21:37aspect
21:38that comes out
21:39of the life
21:39of Najashi
21:40is that
21:42the relationship
21:43between Muslims
21:44and African people
21:46has always been
21:48one of solidarity.
21:50From the beginning
21:51Islam
21:52did not enter
21:53into the African
21:54continent
21:54as an imperialistic
21:56force.
21:58There were no
21:58soldiers
21:59forcing people
22:00to accept
22:01Islam
22:01taking slaves
22:03in Africa
22:04and bringing
22:05them back
22:06in the name
22:06of Islam.
22:08Yes
22:09slavery
22:09did exist
22:10and many
22:12of the companions
22:12of the Prophet
22:13Muhammad
22:13peace be upon
22:14him
22:14were slaves
22:15but these
22:16slaves
22:17came from
22:18Persia
22:18from Europe
22:21from Arabia
22:23from Ethiopia
22:25and from
22:26all parts
22:27of the neighboring
22:28countries
22:29and so
22:30slavery
22:30was an
22:31institution
22:31not particular
22:33to Arabia
22:34but slavery
22:35was an institution
22:36that was practiced
22:37by people
22:38all over the planet
22:39and so
22:40the contact
22:41that came
22:42with Islam
22:42opened up
22:44a new chapter.
22:46Muslims
22:47were able
22:48to break
22:49the bonds
22:50of slavery
22:50that slavery
22:52should not
22:53be to human
22:54beings
22:54but slavery
22:56should be
22:56to the creator
22:57of the heavens
22:58and the earth
22:58and so
23:00the contact
23:00that was made
23:02initially
23:03between the companions
23:04of the Prophet
23:05Muhammad
23:05peace be upon him
23:06and the people
23:08of Al-Habasha
23:09Abyssinia
23:09present day
23:11Eritrea
23:11and Ethiopia
23:12was one
23:13of solidarity.
23:15The Arab
23:16Muslims
23:16came into
23:18Abyssinia
23:19not as conquerors
23:21they came
23:22as refugees
23:23they found
23:25sanctuary
23:26they found
23:27friendship
23:28and brotherhood
23:29from a Christian king
23:31this is a lesson
23:33from the ancient times
23:35but it is a lesson
23:36that is of
23:37utmost important
23:39today in the world
23:41when tensions
23:42have developed
23:44between the great
23:45monotheistic religions
23:46if we return
23:48to the people
23:48who followed
23:49the original teachings
23:51of the great prophets
23:52and messengers
23:53we find
23:54that the message
23:56is fundamentally
23:57the same
23:58and I believe
24:00that if Jesus
24:01and Moses
24:01and Muhammad
24:02peace be upon them
24:03all were here today
24:04they would embrace
24:06one another
24:06and not look
24:07for differences
24:08between each other
24:09such it was
24:11with the followers
24:12of Muhammad
24:13peace be upon him
24:14who went to Ethiopia
24:15the prophet Muhammad
24:17had stated
24:18to his followers
24:18go to Ethiopia
24:21it is a land
24:22wherein
24:23the king
24:24will not
24:25tolerate injustice
24:26it is a land
24:28of truth
24:28go there
24:32until Allah
24:33decides for you
24:35and relieves you
24:36from distress
24:37and so the companions
24:39went forward
24:40across the Red Sea
24:41and they met
24:43love
24:43friendship
24:44and solidarity
24:46this is an important
24:48story
24:48of the relationship
24:50of Islam
24:51to the rest
24:53of the world
24:53and so therefore
24:55we remember
24:55the name of Najashi
24:56and we pray
24:58that almighty God
24:59Allah
25:00will give him
25:02the best
25:02in the hereafter
25:03and bless him
25:05for his striving
25:06I leave you
25:07with this thought
25:08wasalaamu alaykum
25:09wa rahmatullahi
25:10wa barakatuh
25:14as the rest
25:17of the world
25:17wasalaamu alaykum
25:18a
25:18that o'
25:22the
25:22i
25:23wasalaamu alaykum
25:23well
25:24and so the
25:24the
25:25the
25:26the
25:26the
25:28the
25:28the
Recommended
3:14
0:15
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4:51
5:27
5:30