Abdullah bin Abbas, the nephew of
the Prophet, reported that the
Messenger of God (S.A.W) wrote to
Heraclius[the Emperor of Rome
(610–641)] and invited him to
Islam though a letter he sent with a
companion of his named Dihya al-
Kalbi. Dihya handed this letter to
the Governor of Busra who then
forwarded it to Heraclius
Heraclius, as a sign of gratitude to
God, had walked from Hims to Ilya
(i.e. Jerusalem) when God had
granted Him victory over the
Persian forces. When the letter of
the Messenger of God reached
Heraclius, he said after reading it,
”Seek for me any-one of his people,
(Arabs of the Quraish tribe) if
present here, in order to ask him
about the Messenger of God!” At
that time Abu Sufyan bin Harb was
in Shaam (States of Syria,
Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordon.)
with some men from Quraish who
had come as merchants during the
truce that had been concluded
between the Messenger of God and
the pagans of Quraish.
Abu Sufyan said,"Heraclius ’
messenger found us somewhere in
the Greater Syria area, so he took
me and my companions to Ilya and
we were admitted into Heraclius’
presence. We found him sitting in
his royal court wearing a crown,
surrounded by the senior Byzantine
dignitaries. He said to his translator.
’Ask them whom amongst them is a
close relation to the man who
claims to be a prophet.’ ”
Abu Sufyan added,“I replied: ’I am
the nearest relative to him.’ He
asked, ’What degree of relationship
do you have with him?’ I replied,
’He is my cousin,’ and there was
none from the tribe of Abd Manaf in
the caravan except myself. Heraclius
said, ’Let him come nearer.’ He then
ordered that my companions stand
behind me near my shoulder and
said to his transla-tor, ’Tell his
companions that I am going to ask
this man about the one who claims
to be a prophet. If he tells a lie, they
should contradict him immediately.’
”
Abu Sufyan added,“By God! Had it
not been for shame that my
companions brand me a liar, I
would not have spoken the truth
about him when he asked me. But I
considered it shameful to be called
a liar by my companions, so I told
the truth.”
“He then said to his translator, ’Ask
him what kind of family he belongs
to.’ I replied, ‘He belongs to a noble
family amongst us.’ He said, ’Has
anybody else amongst you ever
claimed the same before him?’ I
replied, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Have you ever
blamed him for telling lies before
he claimed what he claimed?’ I
replied, ’No.’ He said, ’Was anybody
amongst his ancestors a king?’
I replied, ’No.’ He said, ’Do the noble
or the poor follow him?’ I replied, ’It
is the poor who follow him.’ He
said, ’Are they increasing or
decreasing (daily)?’ I replied, ’They
are increasing.’ He said, ’Does
anybody amongst those who
embrace his religion become
displeased and then discard his
religion?’ I replied, ’No.’ He said,
‘Does he break his promises?’ I
replied, ’No, but we are now at
truce with him and we are afraid
that he may betray us.’
Abu Sufyan added,”Other than the
last sentence, I could not say
anything against him.”
”Heraclius then asked, ’Have you
ever had a war with him?’ I replied,
’Yes.’ He said, ’What was the
outcome of your battles with him?’
I replied, ’Sometimes he was
victorious and sometimes we.’ He
said, ’What does he order you to
do?’
I said, ’He tells us to worship God
alone, and not to worship others
along with Him, and to leave all
that our fore-fathers used to
worship. He orders us to pray, give
in charity, be chaste, keep promises
and return what is entrusted to us.’
”
”When I had said that, Heraclius
said to his translator, ’Say to him: I
asked you about his lineage and
your reply was that he belonged to
a noble family. In fact, all the
Messengers came from the noblest
lineage of their nations.
Then I questioned you whether
anybody else amongst you had
claimed such a thing, and your reply
was in the negative. If the answer
had been in the affirmative, I would
have thought that this man was
following a claim that had been
said before him.
When I asked you whether he was
ever blamed for telling lies, your
reply was in the negative, so I took
it for granted that a person who did
not tell a lie to people could never
tell a lie about God. Then I asked
you whether any of his ancestors
was a king.
Your reply was in the negative, and
if it had been in the affirmative, I
would have thought that this man
wanted to take back his ancestral
kingdom. When I asked you
whether the rich or the poor people
followed him, you replied that it
was the poor who followed him.
In fact, such are the followers of the
Messengers. Then I asked you
whether his followers were
increasing or decreasing. You
replied that they were increasing. In
fact, this is the result of true faith till
it is complete [in all respects].
I asked you whether there was
anybody who, after embracing his
religion, became displeased and
discarded his religion; your reply
was in the negative.
In fact, this is the sign of true faith,
for when its pleasure enters and
mixes in the hearts completely;
nobody will be displeased with it. I
asked you whether he had ever
broken his promise. You replied in
the negative. And such are the
Messengers; they never break their
promises.
When I asked you whether you
fought with him and he fought with
you, you replied that he did and
that sometimes he was victorious
and sometimes you.
Indeed, such are the Messengers;
they are put to trials and the final
victory is always theirs. Then I
asked you what he ordered you.You
replied that he ordered you to
worship God alone and not to
worship others along with Him, to
leave all that your fore-fathers used
to worship, to offer prayers, to
speak the truth, to be chaste, to
keep promises, and to return what
is entrusted to you.
These are really the qualities of a
prophet who, I knew [from the
previous Scriptures] would appear,
but I did not know that he would
be from amongst you.If what you
say is true, he will very soon occupy
the earth under my feet, and if I
knew that I would reach him
definitely, I would go immediately
to meet him; and were I with him,
then I would certainly wash his
feet.’ ”
Abu Sufyan added,“Heracliu s then
asked for the letter of the
Messenger of God and it was read.
Its contents were the following:
I begin with the name of God, the
most Beneficent, the most Merciful
[This letter is] from Muhammad, the
slave of God, and His Messenger, to
Heraclius, the Ruler of the
Byzantine. Peace be upon the
followers of guidance. I invite you
to Islam [i.e. surrender to God]).
Accept Islam and you will be safe;
accept Islam and God will bestow
on you a double reward. But if you
reject this invitation of Islam, you
shall be responsible for misguiding
the peasants [i.e. your nation].
"O people of the Scriptures! Come to
a word common be-tween you and
us, that we worship God, and that
we asso-ciate nothing in worship
with Him; and that none of us shall
take others as Gods besides God.
Then if they turn away, say: Bear
witness that we are they who have
surren-dered [unto Him]." (3:64)
Abu Sufyan added,“When Heraclius
had finished his speech, there was a
great hue and cry caused by the
Byzantine dignitaries surrounding
him, and there was so much noise
that I did not understand what they
said. So, we were ordered out of the
court.”
“When I went out with my
companions and we were alone, I
said to them, ‘Verily, Ibn Abi
Kabsha’s (i.e. the Prophet’s) affair
has gained power. This is the King
of the Romans fearing him.’ ”
Abu Sufyan added:“By God, I
became surer and surer that his
religion would be victorious till I
ended up accepting Islam.” (Bukhari
#2782) - Allah Knows Best.
the Prophet, reported that the
Messenger of God (S.A.W) wrote to
Heraclius[the Emperor of Rome
(610–641)] and invited him to
Islam though a letter he sent with a
companion of his named Dihya al-
Kalbi. Dihya handed this letter to
the Governor of Busra who then
forwarded it to Heraclius
Heraclius, as a sign of gratitude to
God, had walked from Hims to Ilya
(i.e. Jerusalem) when God had
granted Him victory over the
Persian forces. When the letter of
the Messenger of God reached
Heraclius, he said after reading it,
”Seek for me any-one of his people,
(Arabs of the Quraish tribe) if
present here, in order to ask him
about the Messenger of God!” At
that time Abu Sufyan bin Harb was
in Shaam (States of Syria,
Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordon.)
with some men from Quraish who
had come as merchants during the
truce that had been concluded
between the Messenger of God and
the pagans of Quraish.
Abu Sufyan said,"Heraclius ’
messenger found us somewhere in
the Greater Syria area, so he took
me and my companions to Ilya and
we were admitted into Heraclius’
presence. We found him sitting in
his royal court wearing a crown,
surrounded by the senior Byzantine
dignitaries. He said to his translator.
’Ask them whom amongst them is a
close relation to the man who
claims to be a prophet.’ ”
Abu Sufyan added,“I replied: ’I am
the nearest relative to him.’ He
asked, ’What degree of relationship
do you have with him?’ I replied,
’He is my cousin,’ and there was
none from the tribe of Abd Manaf in
the caravan except myself. Heraclius
said, ’Let him come nearer.’ He then
ordered that my companions stand
behind me near my shoulder and
said to his transla-tor, ’Tell his
companions that I am going to ask
this man about the one who claims
to be a prophet. If he tells a lie, they
should contradict him immediately.’
”
Abu Sufyan added,“By God! Had it
not been for shame that my
companions brand me a liar, I
would not have spoken the truth
about him when he asked me. But I
considered it shameful to be called
a liar by my companions, so I told
the truth.”
“He then said to his translator, ’Ask
him what kind of family he belongs
to.’ I replied, ‘He belongs to a noble
family amongst us.’ He said, ’Has
anybody else amongst you ever
claimed the same before him?’ I
replied, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Have you ever
blamed him for telling lies before
he claimed what he claimed?’ I
replied, ’No.’ He said, ’Was anybody
amongst his ancestors a king?’
I replied, ’No.’ He said, ’Do the noble
or the poor follow him?’ I replied, ’It
is the poor who follow him.’ He
said, ’Are they increasing or
decreasing (daily)?’ I replied, ’They
are increasing.’ He said, ’Does
anybody amongst those who
embrace his religion become
displeased and then discard his
religion?’ I replied, ’No.’ He said,
‘Does he break his promises?’ I
replied, ’No, but we are now at
truce with him and we are afraid
that he may betray us.’
Abu Sufyan added,”Other than the
last sentence, I could not say
anything against him.”
”Heraclius then asked, ’Have you
ever had a war with him?’ I replied,
’Yes.’ He said, ’What was the
outcome of your battles with him?’
I replied, ’Sometimes he was
victorious and sometimes we.’ He
said, ’What does he order you to
do?’
I said, ’He tells us to worship God
alone, and not to worship others
along with Him, and to leave all
that our fore-fathers used to
worship. He orders us to pray, give
in charity, be chaste, keep promises
and return what is entrusted to us.’
”
”When I had said that, Heraclius
said to his translator, ’Say to him: I
asked you about his lineage and
your reply was that he belonged to
a noble family. In fact, all the
Messengers came from the noblest
lineage of their nations.
Then I questioned you whether
anybody else amongst you had
claimed such a thing, and your reply
was in the negative. If the answer
had been in the affirmative, I would
have thought that this man was
following a claim that had been
said before him.
When I asked you whether he was
ever blamed for telling lies, your
reply was in the negative, so I took
it for granted that a person who did
not tell a lie to people could never
tell a lie about God. Then I asked
you whether any of his ancestors
was a king.
Your reply was in the negative, and
if it had been in the affirmative, I
would have thought that this man
wanted to take back his ancestral
kingdom. When I asked you
whether the rich or the poor people
followed him, you replied that it
was the poor who followed him.
In fact, such are the followers of the
Messengers. Then I asked you
whether his followers were
increasing or decreasing. You
replied that they were increasing. In
fact, this is the result of true faith till
it is complete [in all respects].
I asked you whether there was
anybody who, after embracing his
religion, became displeased and
discarded his religion; your reply
was in the negative.
In fact, this is the sign of true faith,
for when its pleasure enters and
mixes in the hearts completely;
nobody will be displeased with it. I
asked you whether he had ever
broken his promise. You replied in
the negative. And such are the
Messengers; they never break their
promises.
When I asked you whether you
fought with him and he fought with
you, you replied that he did and
that sometimes he was victorious
and sometimes you.
Indeed, such are the Messengers;
they are put to trials and the final
victory is always theirs. Then I
asked you what he ordered you.You
replied that he ordered you to
worship God alone and not to
worship others along with Him, to
leave all that your fore-fathers used
to worship, to offer prayers, to
speak the truth, to be chaste, to
keep promises, and to return what
is entrusted to you.
These are really the qualities of a
prophet who, I knew [from the
previous Scriptures] would appear,
but I did not know that he would
be from amongst you.If what you
say is true, he will very soon occupy
the earth under my feet, and if I
knew that I would reach him
definitely, I would go immediately
to meet him; and were I with him,
then I would certainly wash his
feet.’ ”
Abu Sufyan added,“Heracliu s then
asked for the letter of the
Messenger of God and it was read.
Its contents were the following:
I begin with the name of God, the
most Beneficent, the most Merciful
[This letter is] from Muhammad, the
slave of God, and His Messenger, to
Heraclius, the Ruler of the
Byzantine. Peace be upon the
followers of guidance. I invite you
to Islam [i.e. surrender to God]).
Accept Islam and you will be safe;
accept Islam and God will bestow
on you a double reward. But if you
reject this invitation of Islam, you
shall be responsible for misguiding
the peasants [i.e. your nation].
"O people of the Scriptures! Come to
a word common be-tween you and
us, that we worship God, and that
we asso-ciate nothing in worship
with Him; and that none of us shall
take others as Gods besides God.
Then if they turn away, say: Bear
witness that we are they who have
surren-dered [unto Him]." (3:64)
Abu Sufyan added,“When Heraclius
had finished his speech, there was a
great hue and cry caused by the
Byzantine dignitaries surrounding
him, and there was so much noise
that I did not understand what they
said. So, we were ordered out of the
court.”
“When I went out with my
companions and we were alone, I
said to them, ‘Verily, Ibn Abi
Kabsha’s (i.e. the Prophet’s) affair
has gained power. This is the King
of the Romans fearing him.’ ”
Abu Sufyan added:“By God, I
became surer and surer that his
religion would be victorious till I
ended up accepting Islam.” (Bukhari
#2782) - Allah Knows Best.
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