Hazrat Ja’far (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) then requested Najaashi to ask the second question saying, “Ask them whether we have fled after murdering someone. If we have come here after killing someone unjustly, then without any hesitation, you should hand us over to the family of the victim.”
Najaashi addressed ‘Amr bin ‘Aas and asked:
هل أهرقوا دما بغير حقه
Are these people guilty of shedding any person’s blood unjustly?
‘Amr bin ‘Aas replied:
لا قطرة من دم
No! They have not shed even a drop of blood.
Hazrat Ja’far (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) then requested Najaashi to place the third question before them asking “Have we fled after usurping someone’s wealth? If we are guilty of usurping someone’s wealth then we are prepared to pay back the money.”
Najaashi addressed ‘Amr bin ‘Aas saying, “If these people have fled after usurping someone’s wealth, then I am accountable and answerable for it, and I stand as guarantor to repay it.” ‘Amr bin ‘Aas replied:
ولا قيراط
They have not usurped even a single qeeraat (one-twelfth of a dirham)
Najaashi then asked the representatives of the Quraish, “In that case, what do you want?” ‘Amr bin ‘Aas replied, “All of us were following the same religion. At present, we still follow the same religion, but these people have renounced it and have chosen to follow a new religion.”
Najaashi then addressed the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) and asked, “What was the religion that you renounced, and what is this new religion that you now follow?” Hazrat Ja’far (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied:
أما الذي كنا عليه فدين الشيطان وأمر الشيطان نكفر بالله ونعبد الحجارة وأما الذي نحن عليه فدين الله عز وجل نخبرك أن الله بعث إلينا رسولا كما بعث إلى الذين من قبلنا فأتانا بالصدق والبر ونهانا عن عبادة الأوثان فصدقنا وآمنا به واتبعناه فلما فعلنا ذلك عادانا قومنا وأرادوا قتل النبي الصادق وردنا فى عبادة الأوثان ففررنا إليك بديننا ودمائنا ولو أقرنا قومنا لاستقررنا فذلك خبرنا
As for our previous religion, it was the religion of shaitaan and following whatever he wanted us to do. It was a religion wherein we rejected Allah Ta‘ala and worshipped stones. As for the religion that we now follow, it is the religion of Allah Ta‘ala. Allah Ta‘ala sent a Rasul to us, just as He had sent Ambiyaa and Rasuls to those before us. This Rasul brought truthfulness and righteousness to us and forbade us from idol-worship. We accepted him, brought imaan in him and followed him. The moment we did this, our people turned against us as enemies. They wish to kill this truthful Nabi and return us to idol-worship. Thus, we fled from our land and come to you in order to protect our lives and our religion. Had our people allowed us to remain with peace in our homeland, we would have certainly remained there. This is our situation.
(Extracted from Seeratul Mustafa 1/255-257)