The Verse of Mubahala — Christians of Najran Dispute About Jesus
asbab
Level: intermediate
madani-rulings
as-016
فَقُلۡ تَعَالَوۡاْ نَدۡعُ أَبۡنَآءَنَا وَأَبۡنَآءَكُمۡ وَنِسَآءَنَا وَنِسَآءَكُمۡ
— آل عمران 61
Occasion of Revelation (Sahih — Muslim & Tirmidhi):
A delegation from the Christians of Najran came to the Prophet ﷺ in Medina (9 AH) disputing about Jesus ﷺ and claiming his divinity or sonship to God. After lengthy debate, Allah revealed the refutation: "The likeness of Jesus before Allah is that of Adam" (3:59). When they persisted, the mubahala verse was revealed: "Say: Come, let us call our sons and your sons..."
What is Mubahala?
A mutual invocation of Allah's curse on the lying party. When the delegation saw the Prophet ﷺ coming with Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn, their leader said: "I see no people who should engage in mubahala with this man without being destroyed!" They withdrew and agreed to pay jizyah.
Significance: Among the strongest proofs of the Prophet's truthfulness — he was willing to invoke Allah's curse on himself and his family, while the Christians withdrew out of fear.
Source: Sahih Muslim (2404); Tirmidhi (2999) — Sahih; Al-Wahidi, Asbab Al-Nuzul
Question: What is mubahala, and what made the Najran Christians withdraw from it?
Answer: Mubahala: invoking Allah's curse on the lying party. The Christians withdrew when they saw the Prophet come with his family in certainty — they feared his truthfulness and confidence.