Christian delegation from Najran in Medina; the mubahala
631 – 632
Place: medina
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TRADITIONAL (Ibn Ishaq; tafsir). Linking it to the occasion of Sura 3 is exegetical tradition.
Tradition says Christian leaders of Najran came to Medina in 631 and argued about Jesus. Muhammad proposed a mutual invocation of God's curse (mubahala, Q 3:61), the Christians declined, and a tribute treaty followed. Exegetes connect the opening of Sura 3 on Jesus and Mary with this visit.
People named here
- Muhammad
- al-'Aqib
- al-Sayyid
- Abu Haritha (bishop)
Links
Place
In
Martyrdom of the Christians of Najran
A century later, Najran's Christian community sent a delegation to Medina.
same_place
traditional
People and office
In
Muhammad met the Najran Christians in Medina.
received
traditional
Sequence
Out
Qur'an, Sura 3 (Al 'Imran): Mary's family and Jesus
Exegetes link Sura 3's Jesus passages and the mubahala verse (3:61) to the visit.
occasion_for
traditional
Sources
- Wikipedia: Mubahala
Wikipedia contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah, trans. A. Guillaume, The Life of Muhammad (OUP 1955) — insider tradition, compiled c. 750, recension of Ibn Hisham d. 833
Internet Archive (lending record). Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Qur'an, Surat Al Imran (3), Arabic with translations
Quran.com. Accessed 2026-11-11.