Excerpts from "The Sealed Nectar"
Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), whose name was Ashamah bin Al-Abjar, received the Prophet's message which was sent with Amr bin Umaiyah Al-Damri. At-Tabari states that this took place either in 6th or early 7th A.H. Scrutiny of the letter shows that it was not the one that was sent after the event of Hudaibiyah. Rather, the wording of the letter indicates that it was sent to that king when Ja`far and his companions emigrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) during the Makkan period. One of it's sentences read :
"I have dispatched my cousin, Ja`far with a group of Muslims, to you, so be generous towards them and do not oppress them."
Al-Baihaqi, on the authority to Ibn Ishaq, gave the following narration of the Prophet's letter sent to Negus:
"The letter is sent from Muhammad, the Prophet to Negus al-Ashamah, the king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
Peace be upon him who follows true guidance and believes in Allah and His Messenger. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, alone with no associate. He has taken neither a wife nor a son, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. I invite you to enter Islam; if you embrace Islam, you will find safety:
قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ
"Say (O Muhammad): 'O people of Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.' Then, if they turned away, say: 'Bear witness that we are Muslims'." [3:64]
Should you reject this invitation, then you will be held responsible for all the evils of your Christian people."
Dr. Hameedullah (Paris), a reliable verifier, has presented a version of the above letter disclosed only a short term ago and identical to Ibn Al-Qayyim's narration. Dr. Hameedullah exerted painstaking effort and used all means of modern technology to verify the text of the letter, which reads as follows :
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad the Messenger of Allah, to Negus, the king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
Peace be upon him who follows true guidance. To proceed: I praise Allah, there is no God but He, the Sovereign, the Holy, the Source of peace, the Giver of peace, the Guardian of faith, the Preserver of safety. I bear witness that Jesus, the son of Mary, is the spirit of Allah and His Word which He cast into Mary, the virgin, the good, the poor, so that she conceived Jesus. So, she conceived him from Allah's spirit and breathing as He created Adam by His Hand. I call you to Allah alone with no associate and to His obedience and to follow me, and to believe in that which came to me, for I am the Messenger of Allah. I invite you and your men to Allah, the Glorious, the All-Mighty. I hereby bear witness that I have communicated my message and advice. I invite you to listen and accept my advice. Peace be upon him who follows true guidance."
The text to this letter is doubtlessly authentic, but to maintain that it was written after the events of Hudaibiyah is still a question that lacks definite evidence.
The version Al-Baihaqi reported from Ibn Ishaq resembles the letters to the kings and princes of the Christians after Hudaibiya, since in mentions with it :
قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ
"Say (O Muhammad): 'O people of Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.' Then, if they turned away, say: 'Bear witness that we are Muslims'." [3:64]
Similar to what is mentioned in the others. It also clearly mentions the name Ashamah. As for the text that Dr. Hameedullah, may Allah have mercy upon him, mentioned, it appears to me to be a letter that was written after the death of Ashamah, addressed to his successor, and this is why his name is not mentioned. This is my observation with no decisive proof other than the texts, but what is odd is that Dr. Hameedullah seems certain that the text mentioned by Al-Baihaqi from Ibn 'Abbas is the one written after the death of Ashamah, addressed to his successor, when the name of Ashamah is clearly mentioned in it. The truth of this is known to Allah.
When 'Amr bin Umaiyah Ad-Damri delivered to Negus, the latter took the parchment and placed it on his eye, descended to the floor, confessed his faith in Islam and wrote the following reply to the Prophet:
"In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
From Negus Ashamah to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.
Peace be upon you, O Prophet of Allah, and the mercy and blessing from Allah beside Whom there is no God. I have received your letter in which you have mentioned Jesus, and by the Lord of the heaven and the earth, Jesus is no more than what you say. We fully acknowledge that with which you have been sent to us and we have entertained your cousin and his companions. I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah, true and confirming (those who have gone before you). I pledge to you through your cousin and surrender myself through him to the Lord of the worlds."
The Prophet asked Negus to send Ja`far and his companions, the emigrants to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), back home. They came back to see the Prophet in Khaibar. Negus later died in Rajab 9 A.H., shortly after the invasion of Tabuk. The Prophet announced his death and observed his funeral prayer in absentia for him. Another king succeeded Negus to the throne and another letter was sent to him by the Prophet but whether or not he embraced Islam is still a question unanswered.