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Ethiopia - The King Who Granted Asylum to the Family of the Prophet Mohammad

06/24/08

Permalink 02:18:05 pm, by nazret.com, 480 words, 3055 views   English (US)
Categories: Ethiopia, Religion

Ethiopia - The King Who Granted Asylum to the Family of the Prophet Mohammad

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Scholar Reveals New Findings About the Christian Ethiopian Emperor Who Granted Asylum to the Family of the Prophet Mohammad[pbuh]

By Tadias Staff

Published: Tuesday June 24, 2008

New York (Tadias) - This past Sunday, at Harlem's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a panel discussion entitled "Ethiopia: The Three Faiths" attracted a diverse and large audience. The event hosted by Beta Israel of North America foundation began with cultural dances from the Indian subcontinent and an Ethiopian dance troupe called Keremela.

The panel included Dr. Ephraim Isaac, Director of the Institute of Semitic Studies at Princeton University; Dr. Ayele Bekerie, Professor of Africana Studies at Cornell University, Dr. Said Samatar, Professor of African History at Rutgers University; and Dr. Yohannes Zeleke, an archaeologist, anthropologist, and historian as well as the former curator of the National Museum of Ethiopia.

Dr. Said Samatar described Ethiopia's historic role in providing sanctuary for the earliest Muslims. He shared the story of King Armah (Negash) and his decision to grant refuge to the family of the Prophet Mohammad [pbuh], who arrived at Aksum while fleeing from their pagan persecutors.

"Negash held court and asked both the Quraish tribal members and the family of Mohammad to state their case" he notes. Sharing the exchange of words between the Ethiopian Christian King and those in the court, Samatar described how a Christian King refused bribes and granted sanctuary to the fleeing Muslims in Aksum.

"Mohammad didn't forget the generosity of the Negash," he said, "and in the sayings (hadith) of the Prophet that have been recorded and passed on for generations, it is noted that 'Abyssinia is a land of justice in which no one is oppressed.'"

"In effect," Samatar said "that meant that no jihad could be waged against the Kingdom of Abyssinia."

Samatar also pointed to the presence of the Islam's oldest mosque, located in Aksum. "Islam may well have come to Ethiopia before the new religion flourished in Mecca" he said. Samatar mentioned that Ethiopia's King had read the Prophet's letter himself, and turning to the Schomburg's audience, he asked the question:

"Did the King read Arabic?"

New Findings About King Armah
Dr. Ayele Bekerie then expounded on the relations between King Armah and his Meccan counterparts, noting new findings that King Armah had been born in Mecca after his father, Atse (Emperor) Gebre Mesqel, the son of Atse Caleb, had been taken to Arabia as a military commander and had been captured as a slave by Persians and sold in Mecca. Armah was born to a Meccan woman and he later bought his freedom, returned to Ethiopia, and replaced his brother as King of Aksum.

"So it is likely that he was familiar with the Prophet Mohammad[pbuh] as well as being able to speak Arabic" Bekerie points out. Read the rest of the story and view photos from the Schomburg at Tadias.com.

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msg Comment from: halgan [Visitor]
what we see in ETHIOPIA today is the reverse of what the history is telling us.. Ethiopian leaders have joined the LUCRATIVE BUSsINES called WAR ON TERROR, VICTIMIZING millions of MUSLIMS IN oromia,ogadenia,somalia. All these people see daily MYHEM,SANCTION,BOMBARDMENT done by the CROSS BELIEVERS.....peace to east_afrika
PermalinkPermalink 06/25/08 @ 06:49

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msg Comment from: abdi [Visitor]
all ISLAM in the world now about this about the king. We admire the king. the CHRISTIANITY that existed during the time of the KING and the oNE believed by the current leaders are absolutly differen. The rel i geon of our current leaders is that of the SAT ON..
PermalinkPermalink 06/25/08 @ 07:10

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msg Comment from: Hope [Visitor]
'Abyssinia is a land of justice in which no one is oppressed.'"

This is the word from Mohammed from a geatful holy man. look Eritreans, egzihaber yestelegn yemayaku. u guys need to learn from a great person how to say thank you. it's true we give a sheltor and protection regardless of the relegion, color and cultural diffrence even if we are poor. we are a people with a good heart and our history no one will take it away. I'm proud to be an Ethiopian always.
Egeziabeher Ethiopian yetebekal
PermalinkPermalink 06/25/08 @ 07:57

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msg Comment from: lekim [Visitor]
I don’t believe that Emperor Negash was born in Mecca. I read the history of the migration of the family & followers of the prophet Mohamed and this historical fact is also confirmed by the teaching of Islam. Emperor Negash didn’t speak Arabic but he had educated traders in his court who spoke and read Arabic. Emperor Negash open minded approach demonstrated the culture of acceptance in Ethiopia is as long as our history. Unfortunately I also know that from the time of the feudal lords and the emperor of pile of rocks at Magdala to the time of the street thugs of the Mengistu regime, our deep rooted culture of acceptance has been hijacked by tribal bandits who destroyed the very foundation of our beliefs and history.
PermalinkPermalink 06/25/08 @ 09:18

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msg Comment from: Wiil_degahbour [Visitor]
It is the interest of all the ethiopians{MUSLIN& CHRISTIANS} to learn from the HISTORY and stand togeather in brotherhood in the sight of their creater,and encourage one another in FAITHFULNESS and good DEEDS. But as muslims we are mourning many of the deeds of ethiopian leaders. To our sorrow we see many ethiopian_christians trusting,supporting,abeting,and following policy_makers of ADDISS whose guiding principle seems to be "let us do evil that good may come of it". Unlike the other ethio regions, the entire eastern{islam populated} regions is BURNING from man_mad and natural disasters.the man made is the sanction on OGADEN and the natural is the starvation. PEACE CAN ONLY REIGN IN ETHIOPIA,WHEN PEAPLE GO BACK TO CONSTITUTIONS GIVEN TO MAN BY GOD. to the muslim people of OGADEN may the almighty give you more strength and get you FREED to live without any opperessors. AMIIN,AMIIN
PermalinkPermalink 06/25/08 @ 09:22

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msg Comment from: Voiceout [Visitor]
'Abyssinia is a land of justice in which no one is oppressed.'"

We can make Ethiopia be,
if we all want to and change our mindset.
PermalinkPermalink 06/25/08 @ 10:58

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msg Comment from: Aweke [Visitor]
What a liar Dr.??!! I know Dr. Ayele Bekerie is a silly person. King Armah had never spoken arabic and had never been in Mecca. Ancient ethiopian histories claim that the king was born and raised in his motherland and he was a decent christian till his death.

Granting asylum shouldn't bring a meaning that he want to be islam. I know this is a groundless claim from muslims to consider Ethiopia an islam country. Completely a false and suspicious claim!!

Hey you muslims, why do you announce Jihad through somalia while prophet Mohammed didn't forget the generosity of the Negash and promised no Jihad to Ethiopia??!!
PermalinkPermalink 06/25/08 @ 11:41

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msg Comment from: ARADAW [Visitor]
despite the good deed the Ethiopian emperor and people done to the Muslim brothers & sisters,I do not think we are getting back a positive attitude in return specially from the Arab world.if not Ethiopia the Muslim religion wouldn't get this far today and both religions are living in harmony in Ethiopia, but I don't get why all this animosity toward us from that corner of the world.
PermalinkPermalink 06/25/08 @ 12:15

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msg Comment from: Tesfaye [Visitor]
The history of Prophets. ISAIAH, the prophet, the son of Amos was an Ethiopianwho proheted unto Egypt and Ethiopia. ZEPHANIAH, an EThiopian.The GENERATION OF JACOB, Jacob is the son of Issac and the founder of Jewish nation was born , A.M. 2167. Jacob's wife is Rachel and Leah, the doughters of Laban (Gen.28/2). The somns of Jacobs were 12, and the son of Jacob and himself came out of Canaan into Egypt.The Canaanites called by teh Greeks, Phoenicians and Ethiopians. And the Childerens of Israel increased abundantly, and waxed exceedingly mighty, they married the doughters of Egypt and Ethiopia (Genesis and Exodous). The son of Judah, by the dougter of Shuah, a canaanite or Ethiopian woman, the grand doughter of ABRHAM and Keturah (Canaanite and Ethiopian have the same father Ham and brothers and sisters and have the same face, black). The sons of Josephand their families(1745 B.C)by Asenath the doughter of Potipherah, priest of On, an Egyptian [Ethiopian orgin}, because there are a lot of Ethipians living in Egypt (Remember Egypt (Mesriat) and Cush had the same father HAM). They are brother s and sisters (Gen. 10). The sons of Moses, the man of God and their famiilies by Zipporah the doughter of Reuel, Jethro or Raguel, an Ethiopian woman, wereGershom and Elizaerwho was the tribe of Levi (1 Chronic.23; Ex.3/18, Num.10/29. Finally I want say and put the above statment is that The sons of Phares, the twin brother of Zerah, the Ethiopian, were Hezron, or Esrom and Humul, and among their descendents was Joseph the husband of Mary, unto whom was born JESUS, whose called Christ the lord(Math. 1/2). Therfore Jesus Christ is black. (Rev. 1/14,)and Jews people never been White people and they are the descent of black (Ethiopian, Egyptan, and Cannanite)people. God send Mary and his children Jesus unto Egypt because they have the same color (black) and they hide them. If they are white it is easy distinguish them. The real Jew are black people and Prpohet Isaiah 19, they shall cry to the Lord,and the children of Judah, and the children of Egypt and Ethiopia, ye have sold, . Behold I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompense upon your own heads (Joil.3/7). The song of Solomon, the wise man, the words of Solomon, the son of David, to his friends, "I am black". Then the white fox now in Israel are not the real Jewish people. They are Kazak Jews or they converted by their king around 800 AD. THey have no blood line to Judaha, and to be Jewesh you must born Black. The white people are the seed of Issah, the brother of Jacob. God hate Issah, but love Jacob. When you read the birth of Issah and Jacob you can understand that no color"white" people in this earth. Ther is black or Red people. Isah is the father of all red(white ) people. Therfore, JESUS CHRIST and GOD is BLACK.
Thank you
PermalinkPermalink 06/25/08 @ 13:24

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msg Comment from: Shewarega [Visitor]
Ethiopians have never called themselves Abyssinians. That was part of the wild imaginations of medival European monks. All you have to do is read some of the letters and scriptures that have survived from the middle ages. I for one know a letter written by Atse Zeraa Yacob, in the fifteenth century to the religious gathering in Florence, Italy. It clearly states, "Negusa Negest Ze Ethiopia", not Abyssinia. Those who use this word are the same people who have beef against Ethiopia for one reason or another, their main aim being to eventually, divide and destroy her.

The Prophet has spoken the truth. Ethiopia has been a very tolerant society. There have been times of great uphevals. We have gone thru mad leaders, and some religious fanatics. But the underlying truth remained Ethiopians have always put their country first, they have always band together when their nation was threatened from outside. That unity even existed during the reign of terror by the Dergue, which is probably the most brutal ever to sit in power in the country. But having said that, the single most challenge for Ethiopia's unity comes from the current regime in power. Its ethnic divisions, its complete lack of interest in putting the nation before the region.The very foundations of Ethiopians are being destroyed . People who used to live peaceably, married, and survived hardships are divided, on ethnic, religious etc lines. Even traditional institutions, like Ekub, eder, etc have been divided by ethnic. Everyone is concerned about his little turf, the country completely left to its miserable fate. The government has totally ignored repeated pleas to change course. Instead of that, it has chosen the path, like the days of Derge, to redicule and mock the citizens it professes to administer.
PermalinkPermalink 06/25/08 @ 14:10

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msg Comment from: bro [Visitor]
DON'T MIX TWO THING

WAR ON TERROR

Doesn't Means war on Muslim. it mean war on Terror.

if those terrorist happend to be Muslims they are not representing Muslim as a whole. They can't Killing, rape and murder in the name of Muslim and hide under Islam... Islam never say KILL OR RAPE OR MURDER if you do that you are no longer a muslim...

get with the action... if you remove your cover you are simple crimials end of story... so or latter one billion of peaceful Mulism will know what you are up too!
PermalinkPermalink 06/25/08 @ 16:09

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msg Comment from: Tesfaye [Visitor]
THE HISTORY OF MAN: The creation takes place 4004 years before the Christian era, according to Jewish computation. And God took the man, and put him in the Garden of Eden. The location of this Garden was east ward from Canaan, and north from the River Ghion (Nile), the land of Ethiopia (Gen.2/3). The soil of Eden was very rich and BLACK. It produced the richest fruit and trees OF ALL THE EARTH (Lewis, 1844).
THE SONS OF NOAH: The sons of Noah, who went forth out of the ark, were Shem, Ham, and Japheth-and of them the whole earth peopled. To the descents of Ham, the general name given the name of Ethiopians (Lewis, 1884). They are blacks with frizzled or curly hair. The descents of Shem (where Abraham came from) were dominated Assyrians and Syrians.-black with long with straight hair. Shem has five sons-Elam, Ashour, Arphaxed, Aram and Laud- who inhabited the land from the Euphrates to the Indian Ocean and Abyssinia.
THE TWO NATIONS OF ISSAC: Isaac the son of Abraham, was forty years of old , when he took Rebecca to wife, the daughter of Bethel the Syrian (old time the land of Ethiopia or the land of Cush Gen.10/8). The father of Bethel is one of Abraham’s brothers (Gen. 11/26, 30/47). And the sister to Laban the Syrians, of Padanaram. The Syrian was blacks, with long, straight hair- (Herodotus, Gen. 30).Rebecca pregnant and the children struggled together within her, and she said, if it so, why is I thus? And she went inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said unto her; two nations are in thy womb, and two manners of people shall be separated from the bowels. And when her days to delivered to fulfilled, behold there were twins in her womb, and the firstborn was red (white person) *Remember no white color person in this world. White means the color of paper) all over, like a hairy garment, and they called him Esau-(Gen. 25). His brother name is Jacob (Black), because if he is red they called him another red man, but it is clear that Esau is the only red (white) person. This is generation of Jews people or the 12 tribes of Israel (Jacob) came from. The Black race and Mary and Jesus are the black race and their blood line is from the Ethiopians, Canaanite and Egyptian (the sons of Ham) and the sons of Shem, where they migrated to the south of Canaan and to Ethiopia and Egypt. They married with these people and still waiting the prophecy. Are you not as the children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel, said Lord-(Amos 9/7). Because they are the same family or seed they from and equal to our beloved God. God is not the father of Israel it also the father of Ethiopia.
Thank you
PermalinkPermalink 06/25/08 @ 17:52

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msg Comment from: ayele bekerie [Visitor]
According to Bilata Mersea Hazen Wolde Qirqos, the great church trained Ethiopian scholar, what the Arab sources called el-Najashi and what the Ethiopian sources called King Armah, did offer sanctuary to the first followers of the Prophet Mohammed.

Again, based on Bilata Mersea Hazen extensive scholarly writings, Wosen Seged was the father of King Armah. Wosen Seged was taken to Mecca from Yemen by Persians. Wosen Seged was a military commander in Yemen on behalf of his father, Emperor Gebre Mesqel. Wosen Seged, who was defeated by Persians, lived in Mecca as an enslaved person. While in Mecca, Wosen Seged had a child whom he called Armah.

Ultimately, Wosen Seged and Armah returned to Ethiopia. First Wosen Seged replaced his brother as a king. Later his son Armah ruled Ethiopia from 714 to 730 Amete Mehret.

Bilata Mersea Hazen further writes, "not only Armah's mother was an Arab, but he was also born in Mecca." (Text in Amharic and translation is mine)

Thank you.

Ayele
PermalinkPermalink 06/25/08 @ 19:59

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msg Comment from: NUBIA [Visitor]
Did the King speak Arabic? Or maybe did Mohammad write in Geez? A friend and teacher once pointed out to me the undeniable resemblances of Geez and Arabic, Geez and Hebrew and last but not least Geez and Aramaic. Isn't it logical to say that these languages came out of Geez than to to say Geez came out of all of them? Geez is the WORD of GOD.Father of all languages.
PermalinkPermalink 06/25/08 @ 22:10

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msg Comment from: Truth 2000 the Lion of Judah [Visitor]
What surprised me is that why moselims have turned out to be a very hostile race while the very religion was meant " Salem- Shalom- peace?"
PermalinkPermalink 06/26/08 @ 12:43

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msg Comment from: Wadani [Visitor]
I think, before that events, there was a trades that going between the Arabs and the ppls of the horn of Africa,back & forth.So,normally there are interpretors in every city and in every society.

Thus, the most probability was that the king had his own Arabic interpreter or the guest had their own Tigranya/Amharic interpreter’s.
So, the human communications never had been their major obstacle, so what is the big issue here. We, already knew that history and it was written in Holy books of Muslims and hopefully as well the religious ppl of Christ knew too and there is nothing here to wonder but the questions is, what is the motives of prof and his researches and what is the importance's of prof's article msg? To me it’s a bridging between the Mecca and Makele, the capital of Tigray. Simply its, creating a new business's and the researcher has to do some work to get his commissions.

Even though to some ppls, could see with little errors, such as "that the king was born in Mecca" which is not true at all, but again its good
Nevertheless, its good project and it might creates and strength the relations of the two nations



PermalinkPermalink 06/27/08 @ 10:54

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msg Comment from: GADE [Visitor]

the story is talling us abut Abissnan then not Ethiopian created in 1880 s by minilek.
yes Nagash is hero for a lot of muslim ppl but Ethiopian historyan
coblietle egnor our past histry.
Ethiopans have there own sulitan and king be for concared by minilek in 1880s.
king tona
hareren--- sulitan
gurage sulitan
oromoians gada sistem.they have there own king and sulitan.

what we are seeing on RH-2003 is not new for that land. there unsaster did that same kind of tactec on all of Ethiopan in the name of Christinty.

that why so many off us our histre is shame and one sided histry.it is better for many off us think we do not have not with this kind off shit.
PermalinkPermalink 06/28/08 @ 12:08

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