Historical perspective of Eid-e-Mubahila
Najran was a fertile land located in the Northern mountainous region of Yemen about 20 Kms from Sanaa. Between 40,000 to 70,000 Christians inhabited the land divided into 73 small towns. They were idol worshipers historically just like the Arabs but a priest named Femeon, a constructor by profession, preached Christianity in the area of Najran and soon all the population converted to Christianity and Najran became a powerful center of activities of Christians. They also constructed a church and named it 'Kaba-e-Najran'. They prayed and offered various offerings there which resulted in an annual income of about two hundred thousand Dinars which was used for the priest who lived and studied there.
After the conquest of Makkah when Islam started spreading rapidly and the warring groups came under the flag of Islam, the Holy Prophet(sawaw) starting sending emissaries to the tribes who had not yet accepted Islam. In 10 AH a similar message was sent to the Christians of Najran and they were offered either to accept the teachings of Islam or live in the protection of Muslims and give 'Jazia' - fee for protection services. When the bishop of Najran received this message, he invited all the scholars and influential people of Najran and asked them to brainstorm how to respond to this situation. This news spread rapidly among the masses and some people got infuriated as well but the bishop of Najran pacified them and advised them to be mindful of the military might of the Islamic regime and try to find a peaceful solution.
