Event of the mubahala
meeting between the Islamic prophet Muhammad and Najranite Christians
The Event of the mubahala (Arabic: مُبَاهَلَة, romanized: mubāhala, lit. 'Mutual cursing') was a religious encounter between the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a delegation of Christians from Najran, which took place in Medina around 631 CE (9 AH). The event is associated with Quran 3:61, known as the Verse of Mubahala, which calls upon both sides to invoke God's curse upon those who are lying in a dispute over whether Jesus is divine or a human being. After discussions failed to resolve the dispute, Muhammad proposed that both sides invoke God's judgment through mubahala. The Christians declined to participate and instead agreed to a peace treaty with the Muslims.
The event of Mubahala is particularly important in Shia Islam because it is seen as evidence of the exceptional spiritual status of Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn. Muhammad brought them for the event, and they are therefore regarded as the people referred to as “our sons,” “our women,” and “ourselves” in Quran 3:61. Shia scholars particularly emphasize the inclusion of Ali under the expression “ourselves”, interpreting this as evidence of his unique closeness and spiritual position alongside Muhammad. The event is commemorated by Muslims, particularly Shia Muslims, on 24 Dhu al-Hijjah, known as the Day of Mubahala.
Etymology
The word mubahala (مُبَاهَلَة) is derived from the Semitic root ب ه ل (B-H-L), meaning 'to curse', while the noun al-bahl can mean either 'the curse' or a scarcity of water. The word mubahala can also mean 'withdrawing mercy from one who lies or engages in falsehood'.
“Event of the mubahala” enters the record as meeting between the Islamic prophet Muhammad and Najranite Christians. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Event, mubahala and meeting can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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This entry incorporates text from “Event of the mubahala” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.