Ashama ibn-Abjar

Aṣḥama ibn Abjar or al-Najashi (Arabic: النجاشي al-Najāshī) was an Emperor of Aksum. He is known to give refuge to numerous companions of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad in the Kingdom of Aksum. The term "al-Najashi" has the variant al-Negashi; it corresponds to the ancient Aksumite title Negus, with the variant Negash. The name "Ashama" seems to correspond to the original Ge'ez name Ella-Seham, variant Sahama. This is an Aksumite king known from coinage.[1] According to other authors, Ashama may have been the same person as king Armah, or his father or son.[2] Taddesse Tamrat records that the inhabitants of Wiqro, where he is known as Ashamat al-Negashi claim his tomb is located in their village.[3]

Islamic tradition

Due to persecution from the contemporary Arab leadership in Mecca, a number of Muslims emigrated to Aksum. In response, the Arab leaders sent Amr ibn al-Aas to bring them back. Amr was a friend of Ashama, and at the same time also had good relations with Abu Sufyan, the then leader of Quraish.

Sahama did not act in a hurry but showed patience and demanded the holy scripture of Muslims to be read. At this, Ja`far ibn Abi Talib recited some verses from the Quran from the chapter of Maryam (Mary). According to Ibn Hisham, al-Najashi and the Ethiopian Orthodox priests in his court were greatly affected by the touching verses that they began to shed tears. And so, Sahama firmly denied Amr's request to be handed the Muslim refugees.

The Sahabī Abu Huraira narrates that Muhammad announced the death of Sahama on the same day that he died, and even before any news became known about it for anyone in the city.

Amr bin Umayyah al-Damri sent as envoy to deliver letter

In a letter from Muhammad to Negus, king of Axum, Muhammad invites Negus and his men to follow his message and believe in Allah.[4] When this letter was presented to Negus, he took the parchment and placed it on his eye, descended to the floor, confessed his faith in Islam. He then responded to Muhammad acknowledging him as the Messenger of Allâh and surrendering himself "through him to the Lord of the worlds."[5]

Islamic scholar Al-Nawawi wrote in his Commentary on Sahih Muslim that Imam Shafi'i and those who agree to his doctrine in fiqh see in this hadith a proof for praying in absence over a dead Muslim. There is in the hadith an evident miracle of the Prophet's due to his proclamation of the Negus's death on the same day that the latter died in Axum. There is also in the hadith the desirability of proclaiming the death of someone, but not in the pre-Islamic fashion which means to glorify and so forth.[6]

Muhammad had asked the Negus to send Ja'far and his companions, the emigrants to Axum, back home. They came back to see Muhammad in Khaibar. Negus later died in Rajab 9, A.H. shortly after the Ghazwa of Tabuk. Muhammad announced his death and observed prayer in absentia for him.

See also

References

  1. ↑ See the article on Ellä Säham by Gianfranco Fiaccadori in the Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, vol. 2, Wiesbaden 2005
  2. ↑ Sergew Hable Sellassie. Ancient and Medieval Ethiopian History to 1270 (Addis Ababa: United Printers, 1972), p. 185.
  3. ↑ Taddesse Tamrat, Church and State in Ethiopia (1270 - 1527) (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972), p. 34.
  4. ↑ Ibn al-Qayyim - Zad al-Ma'ad 3/60.
  5. ↑ Ibn al-Qayyim - Zad al-Ma'ad 3/61
  6. ↑ Al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim (al-Mays ed.) 7/8:25-28.

External links

Regnal titles
Preceded by
Gersem
or possibly
Armah		 King of Axum Succeeded by
possibly
Kwestantinos
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, May 03, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.