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They said, "Your Majesty, you well know that a group of fools have turned renegade and have taken
asylum in your country. They did not embrace your religion, but rather invented their own religion that
neither of us know. We are people of high rank who are related to their fathers, uncles, and tribes, so that
you would surrender those wretched renegades to us.
An-Najaashii addressed the Muslims saying, "What is that religion that made you abandon your
people's religion and refuse to embrace our religion?" Ja'afar stood to perform the task for which he had
been chosen by mutual consultation immediately before this meeting. Ja'far stood up slowly and
gracefully, looked with appreciation at the hospitable king and said, "O your Majesty, we used to be a
people of ignorance. We worshipped idols, ate dead animals, committed great sin, severed family
relations, and acted according to the law of the jungle. We used to believe that survival was only for the
fittest until Allah sent from among us a Prophet (PBUH) who was known for his noble descent, honesty,
trustworthiness, and chastity. He invited us to worship Allah alone and abstain from worshipping stones
and idols. He ordered us to speak nothing but the truth and to render back our trusts to those whom they
are due. Moreover, he ordered us to keep our ties of kinship intact, be good to our neighbors, and abstain
from what is forbidden. He also ordered us not to commit evil, nor to say false statements, nor to eat up
the property of orphans, nor to accuse chaste women of wrong-doing without proof or witness. Hence,
we believed in him and in Allah's message to him. We worshipped Allah alone. We rejected that which
we used to associate with Him as His partners. We allowed as lawful what is halaal and prohibited as
unlawful what is haraam. Consequently, we were harassed and abused by our people, who tried to turn us
away from what Allah had sent down to the Prophet (PBUH) so that we may return to idol worshiping
and the evil and unlawful deeds we used to do. We were oppressed, abused and straitened in a way that
prevented us from the proper worship of Allah. They even tried to force us to turn apostate. Therefore,
we fled to your country and asked for asylum to escape oppression and tyranny.
When Ja'far finished his glorious words which were as clear as daylight, An-Najaashii was gripped
by compassion and grace. He addressed Ja`far saying, "Do you have a scroll on which you have written
the words of your Prophet?" Ja'far replied, "Yes." An Najaashii ordered, "Read it aloud." Ja'far recited a
number of verses from Surat Maryam in such a slow, sweet, subdued, and captivating voice that it made
An-Najaashii and all his bishops cry.
When he wiped his tears he swiftly said to the Quraish delegates, "These words, of what had
descended on `lisaa (Jesus), come from the very same source as that of `Iisaa. You are free men in a free
land. By Allah, I will never surrender you to them."
The meeting was over. Allah had helped the Muslims and made their feet firm; whereas the Quraish
delegates were bitterly defeated. Yet `Amr Ibn Al-'Aas was a resourceful, crafty man who could neither
accept defeat nor despair easily. Therefore, no sooner had he returned to their residence than he sat
turning the matter over in his mind. Then he addressed his comrade saying, "By Allah, I will go to An-
Najaashli tomorrow and I will pluck the Muslims out from this land once and for all." His comrade
replied, "You must not do that, for despite their disobedience, they are still related to us." `Amr said, "By
Allah, I will tell An-Najaashii that they claim that `Iisaa Ibn Maryam is a slave like the rest of Allah's
slaves." Thus the web was spun by the shrewd delegate so as to lead the Muslims unawares right into the
trap. The Muslims were put in a fight corner, for if they said that `Iisaa was Allah's slave, they would
incite the king and bishops against them, and if they denied the fact that he was human, then they would
turn from their religion.
On the following day, `Amr hastened to meet the king and said, "Your Majesty, those Muslims utter
an awful saying against `lisaa." At once, the bishops were agitated by this short but fatal sentence. They
asked the Muslims once again to meet the king so as to clarify their religious standpoint concerning
`lisaa.
When the Muslims found out about the new plot, they discussed the possibilities, then agreed to say
nothing but the truth as said by the Prophet (PBUH), regardless of the consequences. Once again, the
audience was held and An-Najaashii started it by asking Ja'far, "What does your religion say about
Iisaa?" Ja'far, stood once again like a gleaming lighthouse and said, "We say what has descended on our