Ḥāfiẓ al-Bayhaqī, through Abū'l-Qāsim ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, narrated from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān that: "A man from Sanʿāʾ said: One day, the Negus (al-Najāshī) sent word to Jaʿfar b. Abī Ṭālib and his companions, summoning them to his presence. When they entered his audience chamber, they saw him sitting on the ground in a room, dressed in old clothes. Jaʿfar said:
- When we saw him in this state, we became afraid of him. Seeing the look on our faces, he said:
- I bring you good news that will please you. A spy of mine has come from your land. He informed me that Allah has aided His Prophet, destroyed his enemies, that such-and-such people have been taken captive, and such-and-such people have been killed. It was as if I witnessed the scene myself. My spy said: 'I was herding the camels of my master, who is from the Banū Damrah.'
Jaʿfar said to him:
- What is the matter, O King? You are sitting on the ground, with no carpet beneath you, and you are wearing these old clothes?
- According to what we have seen in the verses (āyāt) Allah revealed to Jesus, when people are granted a blessing, they must show humility and mention this blessing. This is a right of Allah over them. Since Allah has aided His Prophet and granted us these blessings, I too must show humility and express this blessing."