Najashi (Ashama ibn Abjar)

Ashama ibn Abjar — known ke kaum Muslimin as al-Najashi ( Negus, meaning 'king' di Ge'ez language) — adalah Christian king dari Abyssinia (modern Etiopia) yang received first Muslim emigrants dan played pivotal role di survival dari early Islam. When persecution di Mekkah became unbearable, Nabi ﷺ directed group dari companions ke emigrate ke Abyssinia, saying: 'There adalah seorang king there yang wrongs tidak one.' This first emigration (5 tahun ke dalam prophethood) took place under leadership dari Uthman ibn Affan dan Ruqayyah bint Muhammad. The Quraysh sent two envoys — Amr ibn al-As dan Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'ah — ke convince Najashi ke return kaum Muslimin. Najashi refused ke hand them over tanpa hearing their case. Jafar ibn Abi Talib eloquently presented Islam ke Najashi, reciting opening dari Surah Maryam. Najashi wept dan said: 'By Allah, difference between what Jesus said dan what this says adalah tidak thicker than this' — dan drew line. He refused ke extradite kaum Muslimin. This act dari justice preserved seed group dari earliest kaum Muslimin. Years later, letter dari Nabi ﷺ reached Najashi inviting him ke Islam, dan Najashi responded oleh accepting. He professed Islam secretly, as revealing it publicly mungkin memiliki led ke civil war di his kingdom. When Najashi wafat di 9 AH / 630 M, Nabi ﷺ informed companions dari wafatnya dan said: 'A righteous man died today — shalat untuk your brother Ashama.' He then performed funeral shalat di absentia (salat al-gha'ib) — hanya time Nabi ﷺ adalah known ke memiliki done this. This established permissibility dari funeral shalat di absentia.