Early Muslim accounts say a Christian king in Ethiopia refused gifts from the Quraysh and protected Muslim refugees fleeing persecution.
This is the Al Nejashi Mosque, in the village of Negash, in Tigray, Ethiopia. It is named for that king, whom Arabic sources call the Najashi, from the title negus.
The biography of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, by Ibn Ishaq tells how Muslim refugees reached the king's court around the year 615. Ja'far ibn Abi Talib recited verses from Surat Maryam, and the king listened.
Muslim accounts say he accepted Islam. When he died, in 630, the Prophet, peace be upon him, is reported to have prayed the funeral prayer for him, from Medina.
Tradition places the graves of some of those first refugees at Negash, and the mosque is said to be the first in Africa. According to the Oman Observer, a path called Companions Street leads from the mosque to the tombs.
But no date has been published for the mosque, and a University of Warsaw project in 2024 reported the remains of an older mosque on hilltops in the area.
The building you see today is recent. The Turkish agency Tika renovated it, with the work finished in 2018, and after damage in the war it was restored again, with work completed in 2025.
It has one dome and one slender minaret, beside white tomb buildings on the hillside.
The mosque was established after 615 CE, when the first Muslims are said to have migrated to Abyssinia during the reign of Najashi. It is named after Najashi, a King of Aksum and Christian leader, who provided refuge for Muslim fleeing persecution.
In 2018, the mosque was renovated with funds from Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA). Accommodations, visitor center and toilets were built around the mosque building that were completed by September 2018. In 2021, the mosque was damaged by fighting during the Tigray War. The minaret was destroyed, its dome partially collapsed and its façade was ruined. Soon afterwards, the Government of Ethiopia vowed to repair the building; and in 2024, TIKA announced further funding to complete the final stages of restoration. The restoration was completed during 2025.
More to know
The mosque complex features a tomb behind the main mosque building. There are 15 tombs attributed to the first immigrants in Islam to Ethiopia.
The History, Architecture and later sections are adapted from the Wikipedia article “Al Nejashi Mosque”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article. Text has been shortened.
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