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TheNajashi (Arabic:ٱلنَّجَاشِيّ,romanized: al-Najāshī) is an Arabic term, aloanword from the wordnegus (Ge'ez:ንጉሥ,lit. 'king'), and refers to the ruler of theKingdom of Aksum who reigned from 614 to 630.[1] It is agreed by Muslim scholars that Najashi gave shelter to early Muslim refugees fromMecca, around 615–616 atAksum.[2][3]
The Najashi and the early Muslimmigration to Abyssinia, also known as the First Hijra, are not explicitly mentioned in the Quran but several passages are traditionally connected to the story through thehadith andsīrah texts. According to theSirat Rasul Allah byIbn Ishaq, in 615 CE,Muhammad told his followers who were facing persecution in Mecca:
“If you were to go to Abyssinia (it would be better for you), for the king will not tolerate injustice and it is a friendly country, until such time as Allah shall relieve you from your distress.[4][a]
Ibn Ishaq recounts howJa'far ibn Abi Talib, acompanion andcousin of Muhammad, led a delegation of Muslims includingUthman ibn Affan on a migration to Habesha (Abyssinia).[6][7][8] A larger group of Muslims moved to the land on a second migration after which, according toTafsir Ibn Kathir, the followers of Muhammad who lived in what is present-day Ethiopia numbered three times more than those that remained in Mecca.[8] Abd Allah b. Abi Rabi'a b. al-Mughira and Amr bin al-As bin Wa'il, twoQurayshite leaders opposed to the Muslims, bearing gifts for the Najashi and his generals, were sent to Abyssinia to petition the Najashi to expel the Muslims from his land.[6][9]
Despite the advise by his generals who had received their gifts earlier, the Najashi refused to immediately expel the Muslims and invited the Muslims to his court to respond.[6][10] According to Ibn Ishaq, the Najashi asked the Muslims about their religion and Ja'far ibn Abi Talib responded by saying that before Islam they "were an uncivilized people, worshipping idols, eating corpses, committing abominations, breaking natural ties, treating guests badly, and our strong devoured our weak."[10] He recitedSurat Maryam (19:16-36) to the Najashi.
According to Muslim accounts, the Najashi converted to Islam.[11] When he died in 630, those sources indicate that Muhammad prayed an absenteefuneral prayer[12] (Arabic:صَلَاة الْغَائِب,romanized: Ṣalāt al-Ġāʾib) inal-Baqi Cemetery,Medina[13] which is performed for the departed soul of a Muslim.[14]
Not much is known about his personal life and reign of the Najashi[13] other than that during his reign,Muslims migrated to Abyssinia and met its ruler.[citation needed]
Arabic sources state the king's name was "Ella-Seham", occasionally written as variant names "Ashama", "Asmaha", "Sahama" and "Asbeha".[15]Ethiopian regnal lists record multiple kings named "Saham" or "Ella Saham", but all of them reigned beforeKaleb (r. early 6th century) and are too early in the chronology for any of their reigns to coincide with the migration to Abyssinia.[16][17] Ethiopian sources instead state that a different king named Adriaz was a contemporary of prophet Muhammad.[15] An unpublished manuscript dates his reign to 603–623E.C.[15] According toAlaqa Taye Gabra Mariam, the Muslim migration took place in 620E.C. and coincided with the reign of Aderaz.[18]
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