Writing to Kings

With trustful hands scattering the good
seeds on the land, the Prophet of Mercy r
started to invite kings and emperors: Chosroes, Heraclius, Negus, and every
king, to the King of all kings.

In his letter to Negus,
the Messenger of Allah
r wrote1:

In the Name of
Allah, the Most Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of
Allah, to Negus the great of Abyssinia. Peace
be upon him who follows guidance. Then after:

I praise to you
Allah, other
than Whom there is no god, the King, the Holy, the One Free from all
imperfection, the Giver of security, the Watcher over His creatures. I testify
that ‘Isa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), is Allah’s (created) soul and His
Word
(“Be!” - and he was( which He bestowed on Maryam, the virgin,
the good, the chaste. So she conceived ‘Isa from the soul created and breathed
by Him, as He created Adam with His Hand. I am inviting to Allah, Alone, Who
has no partner, and to adherence to His obedience; that you follow me and
believe in what has come to me, for I am the Messenger of Allah. I am inviting
you and your soldiers to Allah, the Exalted and the Glorious. I have announced
(the Message) and advised, so accept my advice. Peace be upon him who follows
guidance.

In his letter to Muqawqas,
the Messenger r wrote2:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the
Ever-Merciful. From Muhammad, the Slave of Allah and
His Messenger, to Muqawqas the great of the Copts. Peace be upon him who
follows guidance. Then after:

I am inviting you
with the Call of Islam. Submit yourself (to Allah), you will be safe. Submit
yourself (to Allah), Allah will give you your reward twice over. But if you turn
away, upon you shall rest the sin of the Copts. (“O
people of the Scripture, come to a word that is just between us and you, that
we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that
none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah. Then, if they turn away,
say, ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims (i.e. we submit to Allah).’”)3

In his letter to Chosroes,
the Messenger of Allah r
wrote4:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the
Ever-Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah,
to Chosroes the great of Persia.
Peace be upon him who follows guidance, believes in Allah and His Messenger,
and testifies that there is no god but Allah Alone, with no partners or
associates, and that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger. I am inviting
you with the Call of Allah; for I am the Messenger of Allah to all mankind, to
warn whoever is alive and justify the word against the disbelievers. Submit
yourself (to Allah), you will be safe. But if you turn away, upon you shall
rest the sin of the Magi.

In his letter to Heraclius,
the Messenger of Allah r wrote5:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the
Ever-Merciful. From Muhammad, the Slave of Allah and
His Messenger, to Heraclius the great of Byzantium. Peace be upon him who follows
guidance. Then after:

I am inviting you
with the Call of Islam. Submit yourself (to Allah), you will be safe. Submit
yourself (to Allah), Allah will give you your reward twice over. But if you
turn away, upon you shall rest the sin of the Arisiyin (all your subjects). (“O
people of the Scripture, come to a word that is just between us and you, that
we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that
none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah. Then, if they turn away,
say, ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims (i.e. we submit to Allah).’”)

After reading the letter, Heraclius ordered to seek for him any
of his people (Arabs of the Quraish tribe) present there, to ask them about the
Messenger of Allah r.

At that time Abu Sufyan bin Harb t was in Syria along with
some men from the Quraish, who had come as merchants during the truce that had
been concluded between the Messenger of Allah r and the infidels of
Quraish.

Heraclius’s messenger found them somewhere in Syria and set
out with Abu Sufyan and his companions until they reached Iliya.

They were admitted into Heraclius’s court to find him sitting
in his royal council, wearing a crown and surrounded by the senior Roman
dignitaries.

Heraclius said to his translator, “Ask them who among them
is the nearest relative to this man who claims to be a prophet.”

Abu Sufyan said, “I am the nearest relative to him.”

Heraclius asked, “How close is the relationship between you
and him?”

I (Abu Sufyan) replied, “He is my cousin,” and on that
day there was none of Banu ‘Abd Manaf in the caravan except myself.

Heraclius said, “Let him approach.”

He then gave orders, and my companions were made to stand
behind my back, near my shoulder. He then said to his translator, “Tell his
companions that I am going to ask this man (Abu Sufyan) about the man who
claims to be a prophet. If he lies, they must contradict him.”

By Allah, had it not been for the shame on that day that my
companions would impute falsehood to me, I would have lied to him when he asked
me about him. But I was ashamed lest lying should be imputed to me. So I told
the truth about him.

He then said to his translator, “Ask him what kind of
lineage he has among you.”

I replied, “He is of noble lineage (family) among us.”

He said, “Has anybody else among you ever claimed the same before
him (i.e. prophethood)?”

I replied, “No.”

He said, “Have you ever accused him of lying before he
claimed what he claimed?”

I replied, “No.”

He said, “Were any of his forefathers a king?”

I replied, “No.”

He said, “Do the notables among people follow him or the
weak?”

I replied, “Rather, the weak among them.”

He said, “Are they increasing or decreasing?”

I replied, “They are increasing.”

He said, “Does anyone renounce their religion (i.e. Islam)
after embracing it, being displeased with it?”

I replied, “No.”

He said, “Does he (Muhammad) betray?”

I replied, “No, but we are now in a truce with him and we
are afraid lest he should betray us.”

I was not able to interpolate into my speech a word other than
this with which to disparage him without being afraid of it being imputed to me
(as a lie).

Heraclius then asked, “Have you fought him or has he fought
you?”

I replied, “Yes.”

He said, “What was the outcome of his battles and your
battles?”

I replied, “Ups and downs (i.e. alternate victory and
defeat); one time he defeats us and the other we defeat him.”

He said, “What does he order you to do?”

I said, “He orders us to worship Allah Alone and associate
nothing with Him, and forbid us from worshiping what (the idols) our
forefathers used to worship. And he orders us to offer prayer, give charity, be
chaste, keep our promises, and return trust.”

After I had said this to him, Heraclius asked his translator to
tell me the following:

I asked you about his lineage among you and you said that he is
of noble lineage. Similarly, all the messengers are sent from the noblest
lineage among their people.

I asked you whether anybody else among you had claimed such a
thing before him, and you said, “No.” If someone else among you had
claimed such a thing before him, I would have thought that this was a man
following a claim alleged before him.

I asked you whether you have ever accused him of lying before
saying what he said, and you said, “No.” Therefore, I learned that he
could not abstain from lying
to people and then lie to Allah.

I asked you whether any of his forefathers had been a king and
you said, “No.” Had any of his forefathers been a king, I would have
thought that this man was seeking the kingship of his forefathers.

I asked you whether the notables among people followed him or
the weak, and you replied that it was the weak among them who followed him. These
are the followers of the messengers.

I asked you whether his followers were increasing or
decreasing. You said that they were increasing. And so is faith until it is
perfected.

I asked you whether anyone renounced their religion (i.e.
Islam) after embracing it, being displeased with it, and you said, “No.”
Such is faith when its cheerfulness blends into the hearts; none can be displeased
with it.

I asked you whether he was a betrayer, and you said, “No.”
Similarly, messengers never betray.

I asked you whether you fought him and he fought you. You
replied that he did, and that the battles between you and him were alternate
victory and defeat; one time he defeated you and the other you defeated him.
Indeed, such are the messengers. They were afflicted with trials and the
ultimate victory was always theirs.

Then I asked you what he ordered you to do. You said that he
ordered you to worship Allah Alone and associate nothing with Him, and forbade
you from worshiping what your forefathers used to worship. He ordered you to
offer prayer, speak the truth, be chaste, keep your promises, and return trust.
These are really the attributes of a prophet.

I knew (from the Scriptures) that he was going to appear, but I
never thought that he would be from among you (Arabs). If what you have said is
true, he will very soon own the place under my feet (i.e. his dominion would
extend to this place that is under my feet). Had I any hope that I would reach
him, I would go through troubles to meet him. And were I with him, I would
certainly wash his feet.6

Heraclius wrote a letter to his friend in Rome who was his peer
in knowledge, and then left for Homs.
It was not long before he received an answer to his letter from his friend who
concurred with him regarding the emergence of the (awaited) Prophet r, and the fact that he was a
Prophet.

Heraclius notified all the chiefs of the Romans that they
should assemble in his palace at Homs.
He ordered that all the doors of his palace be closed. Then he came out and
said, “O Romans! If you wish success, right guidance, and permanence of your
empire, swear allegiance to this prophet.”

On hearing the words of Heraclius, they rushed towards the
doors of the palace like onagers, but found them closed. When Heraclius saw
their aversion (to Islam) and despaired of their faith (in Islam), he commanded
that they should be brought back.

(When they returned) he said, “What I have said earlier was
just to test the strength of your adherence to your religion, and I have seen it.” They prostrated before him and
became pleased with him.7

The Emperor of the Roman Empire
asked precise questions about Prophet Muhammad r
and through the answers he realized his truthfulness, but his retinue shunned
Islam. They said, “Are you calling us to leave Christianity and become
slaves to a Bedouin coming from Hejaz!”8

Thus, bigotry and love of sovereignty
prevailed over pursuance of truth, and religion was bartered away for worldly
life.