Negash is a historically significant tiny town in Ethiopia's northwestern region. It is a popular tourist destination in Ethiopia since it is home to the continent's first mosque.

The mosque was built in the 7th century AD, indicating that it is historic and significant. It was founded by Muslim refugees fleeing persecution in Mecca.

Being Africa's first mosque is significant enough to be considered a national treasure and a popular tourist destination, but what makes it even more remarkable is the mosque's unique story of love, unity, and loyalty.

The mosque is noteworthy because it has a history of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians.

Because the inhabitants of Mecca were adamant idol worshippers, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his followers had a difficult time in the early years of Islam. People in Mecca resisted Prophet Mohammed's (S.A.W) teachings and ideology, and as a result, Prophet Muhammad and the few followers of him were persecuted.

As a result, Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) had to consider what he might do to safeguard his followers, so he sought sanctuary in the Christian Kingdom of Aksum, in the area of Abyssinia, which is now Ethiopia. The realm of a ruler who, according to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), "does not wrong anyone."

According to Ibn Ishaq'a Sira, the earliest surviving account:

“When the Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) realized he couldn't protect his followers from the attacks, he told them to move to Habesha, where there was a Christian ruler. In his dominion, there is justice. The land of truth is Habesha. As a result, go there till we attain victory with Allah's help.”

Negash Amedin Mesgid, the Abyssinian king at the time, welcomed Prophet Mohammed's (S.A.W) disciples and regarded them as his own. Despite the Quraysh inhabitants of Mecca's attempts to bribe and cajole him into handing over the disciples, he refused and pledged to defend them.

This was the site of the first Muslim colony and peaceful cohabitation between Muslims and Christians. Later, when Prophet Mohammed's (S.A.W) followers required a place to worship, they built the Al Nejashi mosque, which was named for the King (Negash Amedin Mesgid). The mosque is claimed to be one of the world's oldest mosques, as well as Africa's first.

It is significant in Islamic history because it serves as a reminder of the gracious reception accorded to the early Muslims, because it is often regarded as the second most sacred location of Islamic prayer, and because it was the site of Islam's first hijra (migration).

This is how religions are supposed to coexist, in peace and unity, yet most Muslims don't act peacefully toward Christians, and they are constantly at odds with them. Why?