Mubahala

The Event of Mubahala was a meeting between the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a Christian delegation from Najran (present-day Yemen), in the month of Dhu'l-Hijja, 10 A.H. (March, 632 A.D.), where Muhammad invoked a curse attempting to reveal who was lying about their religious differences.

The initial effort was to invite the Najrani Christians to Islam and acknowledgement of Muhammad as a prophet. During religious discussions of similarities and differences, the topic of Isa's (Jesus) divinity arose. The Christians refused to accept Muhammad's teachings about Christ and refused denying their beliefs. Muhammad invoked a mubahala (prayer curse) regarding their refusal, and included his children and wives in the call to invoke a curse.

After deliberations, the Christians decided not to invoke a curse on Muhammad and the others, and instead asked for peace, offering Muhammad tribute in return for protection. Islamic sources offer various explanations of this outcome. Some of them suggest that the Christians would have perished by the end of the year if they had entered into the imprecations. According to Islamic tradition, this event is considered a victory over Christianity.

The event is commemorated annually on 24 Dhu al-Hijjah and is an inceptual argument for Shia Muslims in proving they are the "Ahl al-Bayt" mentioned in the Quran.

Al-Mubahalah' (Arabic: المباهلة‎‎) is derived from the Arabic word 'Bahlah' (curse). Bahala is a root verb meaning to curse. Al-bahl (the curse) also means a scarcity of water. The term 'mubahala' can also mean withdrawing mercy from one who lies or engages in falsehood.

In the Quran, al-mubahala (invocation of God's curse) was mentioned as a decisive solution to the dispute over Jesus between the Christians of Najran and Muhammad. Allah ordered Muhammad to call on the Christians to invoke God's curse (mubahala – verse 3.61) in order to determine who was telling the truth.

The Quran's mubahala verse is one of the most controversial verses due to the debate with Christianity and more-so the Shia and Sunni division within Islam. Praying for God to curse the liar regarding religious disputes is an ancient Arabic tradition. Mubahala was common among Semitic tribes, being found in pre-Islamic writings.

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