The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 2 of 4

IMAM ABU AL-FIDA' ISMA'IL IBN KATH~R 11
their views. They are a group who have taken refuge in my land and have chosen
my company above that of all others. If they are indeed as your people say, I will
return them to them. But if they are otherwise, I will protect them, give their
people no access to them and no satisfaction."'
Miisa b. Wqha related that his generals indicated to him that he should return
them to their people, but the king refused, saying, "No! By God, I will not, not
until I hear what they have to say and what their position is."
Umm Salama went on, "When the exiles came before him, they greeted him
by saying, 'Peace be upon you', but they did not bow down before him. He
addressed them, 'Will you not tell me why you do not greet me in the same
manner as others of your people who have come to me? And teU me what it is
you say about Jesus and what your religion is. Are you Christians?'
"'No,' they replied.
"'Are you Jews then?'
"'No.'
"'Do you worship in your people's religion?'
"'No.'
"'What is your religion? '
"'It is Islam.'
"'What is Islam?'
"'We worship God,' they replied, 'and we associate no other god with
Him.'
"'Who was it brought you this faith?'
"'A man from among ourselves, whose face and genealogy we know. God sent
him to us as He sent messengers to those who came before us. He ordered us to
behave with kindness, honesty, trustworthiness and good faith. He forbad us to
worship idols and ordered us to worship God alone who has no associate. We
believed him and recognised God's words. We realized that what he presented
came from God. But when we did all this our people behaved with enmity
towards us and towards the truthful Prophet; they disbelieved in him and wanted
to kill him. They wanted us to worship idols, and so we fled to you, bringing our
faith and our blood to you away from our own people.'
"'By God,' he exclaimed, 'this is the very niche from which Moses' affair
emerged! '
"'And regarding our greeting,' Jacfar explained, 'the Messenger of God
(SAAS) told us that the people of paradise greet one another with a wish for
peace and he ordered us to do the same. We greeted you the same way we greet
one another.
"'And regarding Jesus, son of Mary, he was the servant and messenger of
God, His word that He cast to Mary and also His spirit. He was the son of the
chaste Virgin.'
"The king then picked up a stick and said, 'By God, Mary's son did not add
to this the weight of this stick more!'