6 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD'"He then commanded that the present the two messengers had brought be
returned to them.
""Abd Allah b. Mascad hurried forth thereafter, and lived to take part in the
battle of Badr.
"'He claimed that the Prophet (SAAS) prayed for forgiveness for him (the
king) when news of his death reached him."'
The chain of authorities for this is excellent, and the narrative is good. It gives
evidence that Aba Masa was among those who migrated from Mecca to
Abyssinia, even though this hadith is not recorded by some authorities. But God
knows best.This event is related on the authority of Aha Ishaq alSabici from another
chain.
The hd.3 Abn Nu'aym stated in Daldlil (The Scgns), "Sulaymm b. Ahmad
related to us quoting from Muhammad b. Zakariyyal al-Ghul%bi, from 'Abd Allgh
b. Raja1 from Isr%'il. Also Sulaymm b. Ahmad related to us from Muhammad b.
Zakariyygl, from al-Hasan b. 'Alluwiyya alQa@n, from %ad b. Mass al-Khutuli,
from Ismcil b. Jacfar, from Isra'il.
"Also, Abii Ahmad related to us, from 'Abd Allah b. Muhammad b.
Shirawayh, from Ishaq b. Ibrahim, he being Ibn Rxhawayh, from 'Ubayd Allah
b. Mnsa, from Isra'il, from Aba Ishzq, from Abn Burda, from Aba Masa, who
said, 'The Messenger of God (SAAS) ordered us to depart with Jacfar b. Abii
Tdib, to the land of the Negus.'
"Quraysh heard of this and so they sent 'Amr b. alLcA~ and Wmaa b.
al-Walid, having obtained a gift for the Negus.
"They went in to the Negus with the present, which he accepted, and they
made obeisance before him.
"Then 'Amr b. alLcAs said, 'Certain people from our land have abandoned our
religion. They are here in your country.'
"'In my country?' the Negus asked.
"'Yes,' they replied.
"So he sent for us and Jacfar told us, 'Let none of you speak. I will be your
spokesman today.'
"And so we went to the Negus when he was seated on his throne, with 'Amr
b. alLCAs on his right, Wmzra on his left, and the priests seated in two ranks.
'Amr and 'Umara had told the king, LThey will not make obeisance to you.'
"When we arrived, some of his priests and monks there with him hurried to
us and told us to how down before the king. But Jacfar replied, 'We bow down
only before God, the Almighty and Glorious.'
"When we reached the Negus, he asked, 'What prevents you from bowing
down? '
"Jacfar replied, 'We how down only before God.'
"The Negus then asked him, 'Well, what is this all about?'