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Late in the six year A.H., on his return from
Hudaibiyah, the Prophet [pbuh] decided to send messages to the kings beyond Arabia calling
them to Islam. In order to authenticate the credentials of his envoys, a silver seal was
made in which were graven the words: "Muhammad the Messenger of Allâh"
in the following formation: [Sahih
Al-Bukhari 2/872,873]
[Picture not given right now - will be added later]
Envoys were chosen on the basis of their experience
and knowledge, and sent on their errands in Muharram in the year 7 A.H., a few days before
heading for Khaibar. [Rahmat-al-lil'alameen
1/171]
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Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), his name was
Ashama bin Al-Abjar, received the Prophet’s message, despatched by Amr bin Omaiyah
Ad-Damari, which At-Tabari referred to, either late in the sixth year or early in the
seventh year A.H. Deep scrutiny into the letter shows that it was not the one sent after
Al-Hudaibiyah event. Wording of the letter rather indicates that it was sent to that king
when Ja‘far and his companions emigrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) during the Makkan
period. One of its sentences read "I have despatched my cousin, Ja‘far with a
group of Muslims, to you. Do be generous towards them and give up haughtiness."
Al-Baihaqi, on the authority of Ibn Ishaq, gave the
following narration of the Prophet’s letter sent to Negus:
"This letter is sent from Muhammad, the Prophet
to Negus Al-Ashama, the king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
Peace be upon him who follows true guidance and
believes in Allâh and His Messenger. I bear witness that there is no god but Allâh Alone
with no associate, He has taken neither a wife nor a son, and that Muhammad is His slave
and Messenger. I call you unto the fold of Islam; if you embrace Islam, you will find
safety,
"Say (O Muhammad
[pbuh]): ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is
just between us and you, that we worship none but Allâh, and that we associate no
partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides
Allâh.’
Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’ "
[Al-Qur'an 3:64]
Should you reject this invitation, then you will be
held responsible for all the evils of the Christians of your people."
Dr. Hameedullah (Paris), a reliable verifier, has
adduced a version of the above letter disclosed only a short time ago and identical to Ibn
Al-Qaiyim’s narration. Dr. Hameedullah exerted painstaking effort and used all means
of modern technology to verify the text of the letter, which reads as follows:
"In the Name of Allâh,
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad the Messenger of
Allâh to Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
Peace be upon him who follows true
guidance. Salutations, I entertain Allâh’s praise, there is no god but He, the
Sovereign, the Holy, the Source of peace, the Giver of peace, the Guardian of faith, the
Preserver of safety. I bear witness that Jesus, the son of Mary, is the spirit of Allâh
and His Word which He cast into Mary, the virgin, the good, the pure, so that she
conceived Jesus. Allâh created him from His spirit and His breathing as He created Adam
by His Hand. I call you to Allâh Alone with no associate and to His obedience and to
follow me and to believe in that which came to me, for I am the Messenger of
Allâh. I
invite you and your men to Allâh, the Glorious, the All-Mighty. I hereby bear witness
that I have communicated my message and advice. I invite you to listen and accept my
advice. Peace be upon him who follows true guidance."[Za'd Al-Ma'ad 3/60]
The text of this letter is doubtlessly authentic,
but to maintain that it was written after Al-Hudaibiyah event is still a question lacking
in definite evidence.
When ‘Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Damari communicated
the Apostolic letter to Negus, the latter took the parchment and placed it on his eye,
descended to the floor, confessed his faith in Islam and wrote the following reply to the
Prophet [pbuh]:
"In the Name of Allâh,
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
From Negus Ashama to Muhammad, the
Messenger of Allâh. Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allâh! and mercy and blessing from
Allâh beside Whom there is no god. I have received your letter in which you have
mentioned about Jesus and by the Lord of heaven and earth, Jesus is not more than what you
say. We fully acknowledge that with which you have been sent to us and we have entertained
your cousin and his companions. I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allâh, true
and confirming (those who have gone before you), I pledge to you through your cousin and
surrender myself through him to the Lord of the worlds."[Za'd Al-Ma'ad 3/61]
The Prophet [pbuh] had asked Negus to send
Ja‘far and his companions, the emigrants to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), back home. They
came back to see the Prophet [pbuh] in Khaibar. Negus later died in Rajab 9 A.H. shortly
after Tabuk Ghazwa. The Prophet [pbuh] announced his death and observed prayer in
absentia for him. Another king succeeded Negus to the throne and another letter was sent
to him by the Prophet [pbuh] but whether or not he embraced Islam is still a question not
answered yet. [Sahih Muslim 2/99]
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The Prophet [pbuh] wrote to Juraij bin Matta[Rahmat-al-lil'alameen 1/178; Dr. Hamidullah said that his name
was Binyamin], called Muqawqas, vicegerent of Egypt and Alexandria saying:
"In the Name of Allâh,
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad slave of Allâh and
His Messenger to Muqawqas, vicegerent of Egypt.
Peace be upon him who follows true
guidance. Thereafter, I invite you to accept Islam. Therefore, if you want security,
accept Islam. If you accept Islam, Allâh, the Sublime, shall reward you doubly. But if
you refuse to do so, you will bear the burden of the transgression of all the Copts.
"Say (O Muhammad
([pbuh]: ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a
word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allâh, and that we
associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides
Allâh.’ Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’
" [Al-Qur'an 3:64]
Hatib bin Abi Balta‘a, who was chosen to
communicate the message, requested an audience with Muqawqas before imparting the contents
of the letter. He addressed Egypt’s vicegerent saying: "There used to be someone
before you who had arrogated the status of the Supreme Lord, so Allâh punished him and
made an example of him in the Hereafter, and in this life; therefore, take warning and
never set a bad example to others." Muqawqas answered: "We are in no position to
relinquish our religion except for a better one." Hatib resumed: "We invite you
to embrace Islam, which will suffice you all what you may lose. Our Prophet has called
people to profess this Faith, Quraish and the Jews stood against him as bitter enemies,
whereas Christians stood closest to his Call. Upon my life, Moses’s news about Christ
is identical to the latter’s good tidings about the advent of Muhammad; likewise,
this invitation of ours to you to embrace Islam is similar to your invitation to the
people of Torah to accept the New Testament. Once a Prophet rises in a nation, he is
eligible for positive response, hence you are subject to the same Divine Law. Bear in mind
that we have not come to dissuade you from religion of Christ but rather bidding you to
adhere to its tenets." Muqawqas meditated over the contents of the letter deeply and
said: "I have come to the conviction that this Prophet bids nothing abominable; he is
neither a straying magician nor a lying soothsayer. He bears the true manifest seeds of
Prophethood, and so I will consider the affair deeply." He took the parchment and
ordered that it be kept in an ivory casket. He called a scribe to write the following
reply in Arabic:
"In the Name of Allâh,
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
From Muqawqas to Muhammad bin
‘Abdullah.
Peace be upon you. I have read your
letter and understood its contents, and what you are calling for. I already know that the
coming of a Prophet is still due, but I used to believe he would be born in Syria. I am
sending you as presents two maids, who come from noble Coptic families; clothing and a
steed for riding on. Peace be upon you."
It is noteworthy that Muqawqas did not avail himself
of this priceless opportunity and he did not embrace Islam. The presents were accepted;
Maria, the first maid, stayed with the Prophet [pbuh], and gave birth to his son
Ibrahîm; the other Sirin, was given to Hassan bin Thabit Al-Ansari.
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"In the Name of Allâh,
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad, the Messenger of
Allâh to Chosroes, king of Persia.
Peace be upon him who follows true
guidance, believes in Allâh and His Messenger and testifies that there is no god but
Allâh Alone with no associate, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. I invite you
to accept the religion of Allâh. I am the Messenger of Allâh sent to all people in order
that I may infuse fear of Allâh in every living person, and that the charge may be proved
against those who reject the Truth. Accept Islam as your religion so that you may live in
security, otherwise, you will be responsible for all the sins of the Magians."
‘Abdullah bin Hudhafa As-Sahmi was chosen to
carry the letter. This envoy carried it to the king of Bahrain but we do not know as yet
if the latter despatched to Chosroes by one of his men or chose ‘Abdullah himself.
The proud monarch was enraged by the style of the
letter as the name of the Prophet [pbuh] had been put above his own name. He tore the
letter into shreds and forthwith dictated a command to his viceroy in Yemen to send a
couple of troopers to arrest the Prophet and bring him to his presence. The governor,
Bazan by name, immediately sent two men to Madinah for the purpose. As soon as the men
reached Madinah, the Prophet [pbuh] was informed by a Divine Revelation that
Pervez, the emperor of Persia, had been murdered by his son. The Prophet [pbuh] disclosed
to them the news and they were stunned. He added asking them to tell their new monarch
that Islam would prevail everywhere and outstrip the sovereignty of Chosroes himself. They
hurried back to Bazan and communicated to him what they heard. Meanwhile,
Sherweh, the new
monarch sent a letter to Bazan confirming the news and bidding him to stop any procedures
as regards the Prophet till further notice. Bazan, together with the Persians in Yemen,
went into the folds of Islam, and gladly signified his adhesion to the Prophet. [Fath
Al-Bari 8/127,128]
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Al-Bukhari gave a long narration of the contents of
the letter sent by the Prophet [pbuh] to Hercules, king of the Byzantines:
"In the Name of Allâh,
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad, the slave of Allâh
and His Messenger to Hercules, king of the Byzantines.
Blessed are those who follow true
guidance. I invite you to embrace Islam so that you may live in security. If you come
within the fold of Islam, Allâh will give you double reward, but in case you turn your
back upon it, then the burden of the sins of all your people shall fall on your shoulders.
"Say (O Muhammad
[pbuh]): ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a
word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allâh, and that we
associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides
Allâh.’ Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’
" [Al-Qur'an 3:64][Sahih Al-Bukhari 1/4,5]
The Muslim envoy, Dihyah bin Khalifah Al-Kalbi, was
ordered to hand the letter over to king of Busra, who would in turn, send it to Caesar.
Incidentally, Abu Sufyan bin Harb, who by that time
had not embraced Islam, was summoned to the court and Hercules asked him many questions
about Muhammad [pbuh] and the religion which he preached. The testimony which this avowed
enemy of the Prophet gave regarding the personal excellence of the Prophet’s
character and the good that Islam was doing the human race, left Hercules wonder-struck.
Al-Bukhâri, on the authority of Ibn Abbas, narrated
that Hercules sent for Abu Sufyan and his companions, who happened to be trading in
Ash-Sham, Jerusalem. That was during the truce that had been concluded between the
polytheists of Quraish and the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh]. Hercules, seated amongst his
chiefs of staff, asked, "Who amongst you is the nearest relative to the man who
claims to be a Prophet?" "I (Abu Sufyan) replied: ‘I am the nearest
relative to him from amongst the group.’ So they made me sit in front of him and made
my companions sit behind me. Then he called upon his translator and said (to him).
‘Tell them (i.e. Abu Sufyan’s companions) that I am going to ask him (i.e. Abu
Sufyan) regarding that men who claims to be a Prophet. So if he tells a lie, they should
contradict him (instantly)’. By Allâh had I not been afraid that my companions would
consider me a liar, I would have told lies", Abu Sufyan later said.
Abu Sufyan’s testimony went as follows:
"Muhammad descends from a noble family. No one of his family happened to assume
kingship. His followers are those deemed weak with numbers ever growing. He neither tells
lies nor betrays others, we fight him and he fights us but with alternate victory. He bids
people to worship Allâh Alone with no associate, and abandon our fathers’ beliefs.
He orders us to observe prayer, honesty, abstinence and maintain strong family ties."
"Hercules, on hearing this testimony, turned to his translator bidding him to
communicate to us his following impression which reveals full conviction in the
truthfulness of Muhammad’s Prophethood: ‘I fully realize that Prophets come from
noble families; he does not affect any previous example of Prophethood. Since none of his
ancestors was a monarch, we cannot then allege that he is a man trying to reclaim his
father’s monarchy. So long as he does not tell lies to people, he is for the more
reason, immune to telling lies as regards Allâh. Concerning his followers being those
deemed weak with numbers ever growing, it is something that goes in agreement with
questions of Faith until this latter assumes its full dimensions geographically and
demographically. I have understood that no instance of apostasy has as yet appeared among
his followers, and this points to the bliss of Faith that finds its abode in the human
heart. Betrayal, as I see, is alien to him because real Prophets hold betrayal in
abhorrence. Bidding worship of Allâh with no associates, observance of prayer, honesty
and abstinence and prohibition of paganism are traits bound to subject to him all my
possessions. I have already known that a Prophet must arise but it has never occurred to
me that he will be an Arab from among you. If I was sure I would be faithful to him, I
might hope to meet him, and if I were with him, I would wash his feet.’ Hercules then
requested that the Prophet’s letter be read. The observations of the emperor and
finally the definite and clear-cut exposition of the Islamic message could not but create
a tense atmosphere amongst the clergy present at the court. We were ordered to go
out." Abu Sufyan said, "While coming out, I said to my companions, ‘The
matter of Ibn Abi Kabshah (i.e. Muhammad [pbuh]) has become so prominent that even the
king of Banu Al-Asfar (i.e. the Romans) is afraid of him.’ So I continued to believe
that Allâh’s Messenger [pbuh] would be victorious, till Allâh made me embrace
Islam." The king did not embrace Islam — for it was differently ordained.
However, the Muslim envoy was returned to Madinah with the felicitations of the emperor.
On his way back to Madinah, Dihyah Al-Kalbi was
intercepted by people from Judham tribe in Hasmi, who looted the presents sent to the
Prophet [pbuh]. Zaid bin Haritha at the head of five hundred
men was despatched to that spot, inflicted heavy losses on those people and captured 1000
camels, 5000 of their cattle and a hundred women and boys. The chief of Judham who had
embraced Islam filed a complaint with the Prophet, who gave a positive response to the
former’s protest, and ordered that all the spoils and captives be returned.
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The Prophet [pbuh] despatched
‘Al-‘Ala’ bin Al-Hadrami to the governor of Bahrain, carrying a letter
inviting him to embrace Islam. In reply, Al-Mundhir bin Sawa wrote the following letter:
"Allâh’s Messenger [pbuh]!
I received your injunctions. Prior to this, I read your letter, which you wrote to the
people of Bahrain extending to them an invitation to Islam. Islam appealed to some of them
and they entered the fold of Islam, while others did not find it appealing. In my country,
there live Magians and Jews, and therefore you may inform me of the treatment to be
extended to them."
The Prophet [pbuh] wrote the following letter in
reply to his:
"In the Name of Allâh,
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad, Messenger of Allâh
to Mundhir bin Sawa.
Peace be on you! I praise Allâh
with no associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
Thereafter, I remind you of Allâh,
the Mighty, the Glorious. Whoever accepts admonition, does it for his own good. Whoever
follows my messengers and acts in accordance with their guidance, he, in fact, accepts my
advice.
My messengers have highly praised
your behaviour. You shall continue in your present office. Give the new Muslims full
chance to preach their religion. I accept your recommendation regarding the people of
Bahrain, and I pardon the offences of the offenders; therefore, you may also forgive them.
Of the people of Bahrain whoever
wants to go on in their Jewish or Magian faith, should be made to pay Jizya (poll-tax)."[Za'd Al-Ma'ad 3/61,62]
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"In the Name of Allâh,
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad, Messenger of Allâh
to Haudha bin ‘Ali.
Peace be upon him who follows true
guidance. Be informed that my religion shall prevail everywhere. You should accept Islam,
and whatever under your command shall remain yours."
The envoy chosen was Sulait bin ‘Amr
Al-‘Amiri, who after communicating his message, carried back the following reply to
the Prophet [pbuh]:
"The Faith, to which you invite me, is very
good. I am a famous orator and poet, the Arabs highly respect me and I am of account among
them. If you include me in your government, I am prepared to follow you."
The governor then bestowed a reward on Sulait and
presented him with clothes made of Hajr fabric. Of course, he put all those presents in
the trust of the Prophet [pbuh].
The Prophet [pbuh] did not accept Haudha’s
demand. He usually turned down such peremptory tone, and would say that the whole matter
was in the Hand of Allâh, Who gave His land to whoever He desired. Gabriel later came
with the Revelation that Haudha had died. The Prophet [pbuh], in the context of his
comment on this news, said: "Yamama is bound to give rise to a liar who will arrogate
Prophethood to himself but he will subsequently be killed." In reply to a question
relating to the identity of the killer, the Prophet said "It is one of you, followers
of Islam."[Za'd Al-Ma'ad 3/63]
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"In the Name of Allâh,
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad, Messenger of Allâh
to Al-Harith bin Abi Shamir.
Peace be upon him who follows true
guidance, believes in it and regards it as true. I invite you to believe in Allâh Alone
with no associate, thenceafter your kingdom will remain yours."
Shuja‘ bin Wahab had the honour of taking the
letter to Harith, who upon hearing the letter read in his audience, was madly infuriated
and uttered: "Who dares to disposs me of my country, I’ll fight him (the
Prophet)," and arrogantly rejected the Prophet’s invitation to the fold of
Islam.[Za'd Al-Ma'ad 3/62; Muhadarat
Tareekh Al-Umam Al-Islamiyah 1/146]
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"In the Name of Allâh,
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah to
Jaifer and ‘Abd Al-Jalandi.
Peace be upon him who follows true
guidance; thereafter I invite both of you to the Call of Islam. Embrace Islam. Allâh has
sent me as a Prophet to all His creatures in order that I may instil fear of Allâh in the
hearts of His disobedient creatures so that there may be left no excuse for those who deny
Allâh. If you two accept Islam, you will remain in command of your country; but if you
refuse my Call, you’ve got to remember that all your possessions are perishable. My
horsemen will appropriate your land, and my Prophethood will assume preponderance over
your kingship."
‘Amr bin Al-’As, who was chosen to carry
the letter, narrated the following story that happened before he was admitted into the
audience of Jaifer.
"When I arrived in ‘Oman I contacted
‘Abd, who was known to be more mild-tempered than his brother:
‘Amr: I am the messenger of Allâh’s
Prophet coming to see both, you and your brother.
‘Abd: You have to see my brother and read to
him the letter you are carrying. He is my senior in both age and kingship. Incidentally,
what is the purport of your mission?
‘Amr: The Prophet calls upon you to believe in
Allâh Alone with no associate, discard any other deities and testify to the slavehood and
Messengership of Muhammad.
‘Abd: O ‘Amr! You come from a noble
family, but first of all, tell me what was your father’s attitude concerning this
Faith? You know, we used to follow his steps.
‘Amr: Death overtook him before believing in
Muhammad’s mission; I wish now he had embraced Islam and been truthful to it before
his death. I myself had adopted the same attitude until Allâh guided me towards Islam.
‘Abd: When did you embrace Islam?
‘Amr: When I was at Negus’s court. By the
way, the latter did also enter into the fold of Islam.
‘Abd: What was his people’s reaction?
‘Amr: They approved of him and followed his
steps.
‘Abd: The bishops and monks?
‘Amr: They did the same.
‘Abd: Beware ‘Amr of lying for this soon
betrays man.
‘Amr: I never tell lies; moreover, our religion
never allows it.
‘Abd: Has Hercules been informed of the
Islamization of Negus?
‘Amr: Yes, of course.
‘Abd: How did you happen to know that?
‘Amr: Negus used to pay land tax to Hercules,
but when the former embraced Islam, he swore he would discontinue that tax. When this news
reached Hercules, his courtiers urged him to take action against Negus but he refused and
added that he himself would do the same if he were not sparing of his kingship.
‘Abd: What does your Prophet exhort you to do?
‘Amr: He exhorts us to obey Allâh, the
All-Mighty, the All-Glorious, be pious and maintain good ties with family kin; he forbids
disobedience, aggression, adultery, wine, idolatry and devotion to the cross.
‘Abd: Fair words and fair beliefs are those you
are calling for. I wish my brother would follow me to believe in Muhammad [pbuh]
and profess his religion, but my brother is too sparing of his kingship to become a
subordinate.
‘Amr: Should your brother surrender himself to
Islam, the Prophet would give him authority over his people and take alms tax from the
wealthy people to be given to the needy.
‘Abd: That is fair behaviour. But what is this
alms tax you have mentioned?
‘Amr: It is a Divine injunction that alms tax
be taken from the well-to-do people who have surplus wealth and be distributed to the
poor.
‘Abd: I doubt if this can work among our
people.
‘Amr stayed for some days to be admitted into
Jaifer’s court until he was finally granted this permit. "He asked me to hand
him the letter to read it. After that he asked me how Quraish reacted and I answered that
they had followed him, some out of their own freewill and others overpowered by military
fighting. Now, people have chosen Islam in preference to other creeds, and have realized
through their mental insight that they had been straying in darkness. None, except you, is
now out of the domain of Islam, so I advise you to embrace Islam so that you can provide
security to yourself and your country."
Here, he asked me to call on him the following day.
The following day he showed some reluctance in receiving me but his brother, ‘Abd,
interceded and I was given the chance to see him again but this time to address me in a
threatening arrogant tone. However, after a private talk with his brother and
reconsidering the whole situation, both brothers embraced Islam and proved to be true to
Islam that had begun to make its way into this new area.
The context of this story reveals that this letter
was sent at a much later date than the others, most likely after the conquest of
Makkah.
Through these letters, the Prophet managed to
communicate his Message to most monarchs at that time; some believed, while others
remained obdurate and persisted in their disbelief. However, the idea of embracing Islam,
and the advent of a new Prophet preoccupied all of them.
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