Explaining Islam to a Ruler

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Before the hijrah to Madina, some Muslims made the first hijrah to Abyssinia, and were granted asylum.  When the Quraysh sent envoys to have them expelled, they pled their case before the Negus, Sayyidina Aswhamah ibn Abjar an-Najashi (r.a.). 

Sayyidina Ja’far ibn ‘Abu Thalib ath-Thayyar (k.w.) addressed the Negus (r.a.), “We were a people in a state of ignorance and immorality, worshipping idols, and eating the flesh of dead animals, committing all sorts of abomination, and shameful deeds, breaking the ties of kinship, treating guests badly, and the strong among us exploited the weak.  We remained in this state until Allah (s.w.t.) Sent us a prophet, one of our own people, whose lineage, truthfulness, trustworthiness, and integrity were well-known to us.”