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Thereafter, Rasūlullah % said: "I swear by the Being in whose control lies my soul, whatever the Quraysh demand of me which
contribute to the reverence of the Sha 'air (salient features) of Islam, I am fully prepared to accept."
Saying this, Rasūlullah # tapped the camel with his whip. At once she got up in compliance with his direction. From here
Rasūlullah # proceeded towards the edge of Hudaybiyyah and set up camp there. It was a blistering hot summer's day. The Sahabah
were suffering from severe thirst and there was an acute shortage of water. Whatever water was available in the nearby well had
long since been drawn out. When the Sahabah & brought the lack of water to the attention of Rasulullah , he extracted an arrow
from his quiver and instructed them to erect it within the well. The moment the arrow was placed into the well, so much of water
started gushing forth that the entire army was slaked. (Fathul-Bārī volume 5 pages 242-245)
Once he set up camp in Hudaybiyyah, Rasūlullah % mounted Khirash bin Umayyah Khuza'ī 4% on a camel and despatched him to
the citizens of Makkah alerting them to the fact that the Muslims arrived in Makkah purely to visit the Baitullah and not to engage in
any sort of confrontation.
When Khirash % reached Makkah and conveyed the message of Rasulullah #, they slaughtered his camel and had it not been for
the last minute intervention of some of the people, they would have killed him too. Hadrat Khirash % escaped with his life and
returned to Rasulullah # and related the whole incident to him.
Rasūlullah % then decided to send Hadrat 'Umar % with this message to the citizens of Makkah. However, Hadrat 'Umar 4%
excused himself saying: "O Rasulullah! You are well aware of how incensed the people of Makkah are with me. They harbour vicious
enmity for me. Not a single member of my clan resides in Makkah and nobody will be able to mediate on my behalf. If you send
'Uthman, who has relatives in Makkah, it would be far more appropriate." Rasūlullah # was satisfied with this proposal. He
summoned Hadrat 'Uthman % and instructed him: "Convey our message (of our intentions) to the people of Makkah and also convey
glad tidings to those Muslims who are unable to expose their Islam that they should not panic, soon Allah Ta'ala will grant the
Muslims victory and render His Din dominant."
In the protection of his relative Aban bin Sa'id, Hadrat 'Uthman 4% entered Makkah where he communicated the message of
Rasūlullah to the citizens of Makkah and issued glad tidings to the weak Muslims. When Hadrat 'Uthman 4% conveyed Rasūlullah
#'s message to the chieftains of Makkah, they responded: "This year he (Rasulullah *) would certainly not be allowed to enter
Makkah. Yes, if you ('Uthman) wish to perform Tawaf on your own, you may do so." Hadrat 'Uthman 4% said: "I will definitely not
perform Tawaf without Rasūlullah ." On hearing this, the Quraysh remained silent but detained Hadrat 'Uthman 4%.
Whilst Hadrat 'Uthman 4% was being detained here in Makkah, there in Hudaybiyyah a rumour broke out that the Quraysh
murdered 'Uthman 4%.
Bay'atur-Ridwan
When Rasūlullah # heard of this, he was incredibly distressed and declared: "I will not leave from here as long as I do not avenge
his death." Saying this, Rasūlullah # started taking Bay 'at (pledge of allegiance) right there under the acacia tree in whose shade he
was sitting. This pledge of allegiance was to the effect that they would fight the disbelievers as long as they had life within their
bodies. They pledged to die rather than take flight.
The first person to take this pledge was Abū Sinan Asadī 46. M'ujame Tabranī narrates on the authority of Hadrat 'Abdullah bin
'Umar % that when Rasulullah # summoned the people to take a pledge, the first person to appear before Rasūlullah * was Abū
Sinan Asadī 4%. He submitted: "O Rasūlullah! Extend your hand so that I may take a pledge." Rasūlullah % asked: "On what would
you like to take this pledge?" He replied: "On whatever is within my heart." Rasūlullah % asked: "And what is within your heart?" He
replied: "O Rasūlullah! Entrenched within my heart is that I continue brandishing my sword (against the enemy) until Allah Ta'ālā
grants you victory or until I am killed in His path." Rasūlullah # then accepted his pledge of allegiance and everyone else also
followed with a similar pledge.
It is reported in Sahih Muslim that Hadrat Salamah bin Akw'a % took this pledge thrice; once at the beginning, once in the
middle and once at the end. When Rasulullah # concluded this pledge, he placed his left hand over his right hand and said: "This
pledge is on behalf of 'Uthman." The right hand was from his side whilst his left hand represented the hand of 'Uthman 46. Whenever
Hadrat 'Uthman % would narrate this incident, he would remark: "Rasulullah 's left hand was far superior than my right hand." This
Bay'at (pledge of allegiance) is referred to as Bay 'tur-Ridwan, which Allah Ta'ala refers to in Surah Fatah in the following words:
"Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they offered you their pledge of allegiance under the tree. So Allah is aware
of what is within their hearts (their love and devotion for Rasulullah %). So He sent down tranquillity upon them and rewarded them
with an, imminent victory and abundant spoils of war that they would capture. And Allah is all-mighty, all-wise." (Sūrah Fatah verses
18-19)
Nonetheless, it later emerged that the rumour of Hadrat 'Uthman 's murder was false. When the Quraysh learnt of this pledge,
they became terrified and awe-struck. As a result they swiftly embarked on conveying a series of messages of a truce.
Although the Banu Khuza'ah tribe had not as yet embraced Islam, they always remained well-wishing and friendly allies of
Rasūlullah . They would frequently update Rasulullah # on the schemes hatched by the Quraysh of Makkah. The leader of the Banū
Khuza'ah tribe, Budail bin Warqa, together with a few of his tribesmen appeared before Rasūlullah # and reported: "The Quraysh
have amassed a huge force on the outskirts of Hudaybiyyah near the big water-springs to ensure that you don't ever enter Makkah.
And they have a number of milking camels with them." (In other words, they plan to camp there for an extended period of time. They
will eat, drink and entrench themselves to fight.)
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Rasūlullah said: "We haven't come here to fight. We have come with the sole purpose of performing 'Umrah. War has
diminished the strength of the Quraysh. If they wish, I am prepared to fix a time limit for a cease-fire. Within that time, we don't
interfere with one another. They should leave the Arabs and me alone. And if, by the grace of Allah, I am triumphant you (the
Quraysh) are invited to enter this Din and currently you will be given a few days of grace. And, hypothetically speaking, if the Arabs
(non-Muslims) are triumphant then your objective is accomplished. However, let me emphasise, Allah Ta'ālā will definitely ensure
that His Din is triumphant. And the divine promise that He has made in regards to the dominance, ascendancy and assistance of this
Din, that promise will surely be fulfilled. And if the Quraysh refuse to accept this, I swear by the Being in whose control lies my soul,
I will certainly wage Jihad against them until my neck is severed from my body."
Budail then took his leave from Rasulullah # and proceeded to the Quraysh informing them: "I have just heard a proposal from
that man. If you wish I will present it before you?" The foolish and callow from amongst them blurted: "We have no need for him.
We don't want to listen to what he has to say." However, the level-headed amongst them said: "Sure, why not? Tell us what he has to
say."
Budail said: "You people are imprudently hasty. Muhammad hasn't come here to fight but to perform 'Umrah. He extends a hand
of peace before you." The Quraysh replied: "Unquestionably he hasn't come with the intention of fighting but whatever the case may
be, he will not be allowed to enter Makkah."
'Urwah bin Mas'ūd stood up and addressed them saying: "O people! Am I not like a father unto you and are you not like my
children unto me?" "Surely", they replied, "why not?" 'Urwah then asked: "Do you entertain any wicked thoughts about me?" They
replied: "Absolutely not!" To this 'Urwah finally submitted: "This man (Muhammad Rasūlullah *) has made a proposal in your own
interests and in your own favour. I personally feel that we should accept his proposal. Why don't you permit me to meet with him
(Rasūlullāh ) and consult with him directly on his proposals?" The people concurred.
When 'Urwah appeared before Rasulullah , he put forward the same proposals he put forward to Budail. 'Urwah said: "O
Muhammad! Have you ever heard of anyone destroying his own nation? Furthermore, if the tables were to be turned the other way
(i.e. if the Quraysh were to be triumphant) I foresee the diverse types of people who are currently with you, abandoning you and
taking flight."
Hadrat Abu Bakr 4% who was seated behind Rasulullah , hurled an obscenity against 'Urwah and retorted: "What? Can we ever
abandon Rasūlullah % and take flight?"
'Urwah asked: "Who is this man?" When the people replied that it was Abu Bakr, 'Urwah remarked: "I swear by Allah, had it not
been for your favour towards me - which I haven't as yet paid back - I would have definitely responded to you."
Saying this, he turned to talk to Rasulullah . Whenever he mentioned something, he would stroke the beard of Rasūlullah ."
Mughīrah bin Sh'ubah % ('Urwah's brother's son) who was standing wielding a sword behind Rasulullah %, couldn't abide this
audaciousness of his uncle in front of Rasulullah . Right away he demanded from his uncle: "Withdraw your hand from the beard of
Rasūlullah . It doesn't behove a Mushrik (polytheist) to touch the blessed beard of Rasūlullah ."
Since Mughirah % was clad in full armour, 'Urwah was unable to recognise him. Livid with fury, he asked: "Who is this?"
Rasūlullah % replied: "This is your nephew Mughirah bin Sh'ubah." Now when he recognised him, 'Urwah yelled: "O you deceiver!
Did I not contain your deception and the dissension that you had caused in the past?"
Before Mughirah 4% embraced Islam, he once travelled with a few of his companions to Muqawqis, the emperor of Egypt.
Compared to Mughīrah, the emperor presented his companions with far superior gifts than himself. This threw Mughirah into
profound sorrow. On their return, they camped at a certain spot where all his companions guzzled huge quantities of wine and fell into
a drunken stupor. Availing himself of this opportunity, Mughirah killed all of them and fled with their goods. He then appeared before
Rasūlullah and embraced Islam. Rasūlullah # remarked: "I sanction you embracing Islam but as for the goods, I want nothing to do
with it because it was acquired with dishonesty and deceit."
'Urwah, his uncle, paid the blood money of those killed and somehow managed to contain the situation.
Nonetheless, during his meeting with Rasūlullah , 'Urwah witnessed such fervent devotion and zealous attachment of the
Sahabah & to Rasulullah # which he never witnessed anywhere else before. He noticed firsthand that whenever Rasulullah # issued a
command, each one of his companions would rival one another to be the first to carry it out. Whenever saliva or sputum was
discharged from his blessed mouth, the companions wouldn't allow it to fall to the ground. They would promptly catch it with their
hands and rub it on to their faces. When he performed Wudu, they wouldn't let his waste-water fall to the ground. They would avidly
jostle one another to grab hold of it as though a fight is about to break out. A hair would barely fall off his blessed body when they
would rush forward to retrieve it. When he speaks, a pin-drop silence would descend upon them as though each one of them has
turned into an ear. Nobody dared to raise his gaze.
As though this spectacle was a physical response to the evil thoughts 'Urwah had at the beginning regarding the devoted
adherents of Rasulullah % - that if the Quraysh were to triumph, these people would abandon Rasulullah # and take flight. The
astounding scene of such ardent enthusiasm, passionate devotion and enthusiastic loyalty that the Sahabah & displayed for Rasūlullah
was a sufficient enough answer for 'Urwah's evil thoughts against the Sahabah . How can those who cherish such fanatical
attachment and such fervent love ever abandon Rasūlullah % and take flight?
When 'Urwah returned from Rasulullah # back to the Quraysh, he said to them: "O people! By Allah! I have been to the courts
of Caesar, Chosroes, Negis and other majestic rulers but I swear by Allah that I have never witnessed such an astounding scenario of
such dedicated love and zealous honour." (Such a scenario was never witnessed before Rasūlullah % nor is it possible after him. He
was after all, the seal of all the Prophets. This astounding scenario of ardent love and zealous devotion had terminated upon
Rasūlullāh .) According to another narration, 'Urwah said: "O people! I have witnessed numerous kings and rulers but I haven't
caught sight of anyone like Muhammad. He doesn't seem like a king to me." Although 'Urwah did not mention this frankly but he
intimated that this is not the condition of kings but that of the divine messengers.
On hearing this account of 'Urwah, the leader of the Abyssinians, Hulais bin 'Alqamah Kinanī said: "Why don't you allow me to
meet him (Rasūlullāh ) and return?"
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As Rasūlullah # caught sight of Hulais approaching from far off, he said: "Make the Qurbanī animals stand because this man is
one of those who holds Qurbanī animals in high esteem." When Hulais caught sight of these Qurbanī animals standing, he returned
even before he reached Rasulullah # and said to the Quraysh: "I swear by the Lord of the K'abah! These people have come here with
the sole purpose of performing 'Umrah. They can never be prevented from the Baitullah (the house of Allah)."
The Quraysh responded: "Sit down! You are but a desert Bedouin. You don't understand." This statement threw Hulais into a
furious rage. He shot back: "O people of Quraysh! Did we not make a pact between us that we would not prevent anyone from the
Baitullah if he comes solely with the intention of visiting the Baitullah? I swear by the Being in whose control lies Hulais' life, if you
prevent Muhammad from visiting the Baitullah, I promise to summarily withdraw from you with all the Abyssinians as well." The
Quraysh replied: "Okay, there's no need to get offended. Let us deliberate over the situation and we will decide what action to take."
A little later, Mikraz bin Hafs got up from the gathering and said: "I will just go to him (Muhammad Rasūlullah %) and come
back." When Rasūlullah # noticed Mikraz coming, he commented: "This is an evil man." During their stay in Hudaybiyyah, Mikraz,
with fifty other men, wanted to launch a night attack on the Muslims. The Sahabah managed to apprehend them and foiled this attack
but Mikraz escaped. In reference to this incident, Rasūlullah % mentioned that this is an evil man.
Whilst Mikraz was busy talking to Rasūlullah , Suhail bin 'Amr appeared before Rasulullah # on behalf of the Quraysh to
discuss details of a peace accord. When Rasūlullah saw Suhail coming, he remarked to the Sahabah : "Qad Sahula Lakum min
Amrikum (Your problem has been slightly eased)." Rasūlullah # then added: "The Quraysh are now inclined towards a peace accord.
They sent this person to discuss peace with us."
For a long period of time, Rasūlullah % and Suhail had a lengthy discussion about a peace accord and the conditions of a peace
treaty. Following a verbal agreement over the conditions of the peace treaty, Rasulullah # instructed Hadrat 'Alī % to reduce the
accord to writing. He instructed him to write Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim at the head of the document.
As per ancient tradition, at the head of the document, the Arabs used to start off with the words Bismika-llahumma. This is why
Suhail said: "I do not know what newfangled idea this Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahīm is all about. Just write Bismika-llahumma as per
our ancient tradition." Rasūlullah % said: "Fine, write that down then."
Rasūlullāh % then instructed Hadrat 'Alī % to write the following:
"These are the conditions upon which Muhammad, the messenger of Allah, has concluded a peace accord."
To this, Suhail remarked: "If we regarded you as the messenger of Allah, we wouldn't have prevented you from the Baitullah nor
would we have fought with you." Instead of 'Muhammad, the messenger of Allah', write: Muhammad, the son of 'Abdullah."
Rasūlullāh ¿ responded: "By Allah! I am the messenger of Allah regardless of you falsifying me."
He then instructed Hadrat 'Alī % to erase this and write just his name as Suhail desires. Hadrat Alī % submitted: "O Rasūlullah! I
will by no means erase your name." Rasulullah # said: "Okay, then show me where the words 'the messenger of Allah' appear. I will
erase them myself." Once Hadrat 'Ali % pointed it out to him, Rasulullah # erased the words with his own hand and directed Hadrat
'Alī % to write 'Muhammad, the son of 'Abdullah'.
The conditions of the peace accord were as follows:
Terms of the treaty of Hudaybiyyah
1. All hostilities will cease for the next ten years.
2.
Any member of the Quraysh who flees to Madinah without the permission of his master or guardian will be returned even though
he is a Muslim.
3.
And any Muslim who flees to Makkah from Madinah will not be returned to the Muslims.
4.
During this period, none of the parties will raise a sword against the other and neither will they engage in any form of treachery
and betrayal.
5. This year Muhammad will return to Madinah without performing 'Umrah. He will not be allowed to enter Makkah this year. He
will be allowed to enter Makkah next year for a period of three days only. He should return after performing 'Umrah. The Muslims
will not be allowed to enter Makkah with any weapons but their swords provided the swords are well-sheathed.
6. The other tribes of the Peninsula have the option to ally themselves to whichever party they wish.
Subsequently, the Banu Khuzā'ah tribe affiliated themselves with Rasulullah # whilst the Banu Bakr joined the Quraysh.
Whilst this treaty was being put to paper, Suhail's son, Abu Jandal, escaped from captivity and appeared before Rasūlullah
whilst still in leg shackles. He had already embraced Islam before this and the disbelievers of Makkah were subjecting him to
indescribable atrocities. The moment Suhail saw him, he gleefully remarked: "Well, well. This is the first person to be returned as per
the terms of our treaty."
Rasūlullah appealed: "Well, the treaty hasn't been concluded as yet." In other words, the treaty is only binding once the treaty
is written out completely and the signatures affixed to it. Rasulullah # pleaded with Suhail repeatedly to hand over Abū Jandal % to
the Muslims but Suhail was adamant. Ultimately, Rasulullah # surrendered him to Suhail.
The polytheists of Makkah were subjecting him to a range of inconceivable agony. This is why Abū Jandal, in a grief-laden
voice, addressed the Muslims: "What a pity, O Muslims! I am being surrendered to the disbelievers?"
On hearing this, Rasūlullah # pacified Abū Jandal by saying:
"O Abu Jandal! Exercise patience and pin your hopes on Allah, as we do not like to violate the terms of the treaty. However, be
rest assured that Allah Ta'ala will surely come up with a strategy to relieve you of your difficulties."
However, his return to the disbelievers was intolerable to the Muslims in general. Hadrat 'Umar 4% was unable to restrain himself
and stated: "O Rasūlullah! Are you not the true messenger of Allah?" "Surely!" replied Rasulullah . Hadrat 'Umar % asked: "Are
we not on the true path whilst they are wandering on the pathways of deviation?" Rasulullah # replied: "No doubt about it." Hadrat
'Umar incredulously asked: "Then why do we have to tolerate this humiliation?" Rasulullah # replied: "I am the Rasul and true
messenger of Allah Ta'ālā. I am loath to breach His commandments. He is my helper and supporter."
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Hadrat 'Umar % then asked: "Okay fine, but didn't you promise us that we would perform Tawaf of the Baitullah?" Rasūlullah
replied: "When did I promise that we will perform Tawaf this year?" Hadrat 'Umar 4% then went to Hadrat Abu Bakr % and had the
same conversation with him as well. Abu Bakr % gave him exactly the same response, word for word as offered by Rasūlullah .
Hadrat 'Umar % says: "Following this episode, I was incredibly ashamed of my actions. In expiation of this misbehaviour, I
performed numerous Salāhs, observed a great number of fasts, disbursed a lot of charity and emancipated many slaves."
It is narrated in Sahih Muslim, Hadrat Anas % relates that the Sahabah & asked: "O Rasulullah! How can such a condition of this
treaty ever be tolerable? How can we support a condition that stipulates that a person who flees from us Muslims and joins the
disbelievers will not be returned to us?"
Rasūlullah replied: "Yes, anyone of us who joins them, we don't need him. Allah Ta'ala has hurled such a person far away
from His divine mercy. And the person who flees from them and comes to us, although, as per our terms of the treaty, he will be
returned to them, there is absolutely nothing to be terrified of. Shortly, Allah Ta'ala will bring about some scheme to ease him of this
difficulty." (Furthermore, Alhamdulillah we haven't been confronted with a situation where a Muslim took flight from Madinah to
Makah.)
Nonetheless, the treaty was concluded on these terms and both parties affixed their signaturesto the document.
On finalisation of this treaty, Rasulullah # instructed the Sahabah & to slaughter their animals and shave off the hair of the head.
However the Sahabah & were so disillusioned and distressed by the terms of this treaty that in spite of Rasulullah # repeating his
instructions thrice, not one of them attempted to carry it out.
When Rasulullah % saw this, he approached Ummu Salamah Licale, and mournfully related to her this state of affairs. She
advised: "O Rasūlullah! This treaty is dreadfully challenging to the Muslims. This is why they are so dejected and distressed that they
are unable to execute your instructions. Don't say anything to anyone. You just go outside, slaughter your Qurbanī animal and shave
off your hair. Inevitably the people are bound follow suit."
Subsequently, this is exactly what happened. The moment Rasulullah # began to slaughter his Qurbanī animals, all the Sahabah
followed suit. May Allah Ta'ālā reward Ummu Salamah Lical, abundantly. Her brilliant discretion in this matter solved the
predicament and cleared the impasse Rasulullah # found himself in. Just as the proposal of Hadrat Shu'aib 's daughter in regard to
Hadrat Musa turned out to be on the mark, similarly, the advice of Hadrat Ummu Salamah Lical , proved to be meticulously
correct and a source of goodness and blessings.
Following a stay of about two weeks in Hudaybiyyah, Rasulullah # set out for his return to Madinah. Whilst he was between
Makkah and Madīnah, Sūrah Fatah (victory) was revealed.
Rasūlullah assembled all the Sahabah & and recited the entire Surah before them. The Sahabah & considered this treaty to be a
form of defeat for them but Allah Ta'ala referred to it as a conspicuous victory. Bewildered by this declaration, they asked in surprise:
"O Rasūlullah! Is this really a victory?" Rasūlullah # replied: "I swear by the Being in Whose absolute control lies my soul, this is
undoubtedly a great victory."
Imam Zuhrī Ale dul aney says: "This was such an outstanding victory that never before were they blessed with such a victory.
Previously, due to their mutual hostilities they were unable to mingle with the others but now with the peace treaty all hostilities had
ceased and relative peace established. And previously those who were unable to expose their status of Islam were now able to practice
Islam freely. Their mutual antagonism and tension had decreased somewhat. They were able to speak openly with one another. They
were afforded the opportunity to discuss and debate issues of Islam. Many of them heard the Quran for the first time and this induced
such a huge multitude of people to embrace Islam that many more people embraced Islam during the relatively short period from the
treaty of Hudaybiyyah to the conquest of Makkah than from the very inception of prophethood right up to that time."
Islam is the fountainhead of outstanding character, a mine of impeccable actions and a personification of goodness but the
Sahabah were living examples of these virtues, actions and character. Until now, the enemies' eyes of hostility, rancour and
revulsion prevented them from perceiving this.
Now when the veils of hostility and revulsion were lifted due to the peace treaty, the alluring prospects of Islam started drawing
them towards it. Before the treaty, the disbelievers of Makkah were befitting of the verse "and they are unable to perceive". This is
why the luminescence of Islam and the Muslims was unknown to them. With the blessing of the peace treaty, when this hostility and
enmity was eliminated, they turned out to be perceptive and now they were able to make out the luminescence on the foreheads of
those treading the right path.
A little while after Rasulullah % reached Madinah, Abu Basir % escaped from the clutches of the polytheists of Makkah and
turned up in Madinah. The Quraysh promptly despatched two men to Rasūlullah # demanding that he be handed over to them. As per
the terms of the treaty, Rasulullah # handed Abu Basir % to them and addressed Abu Basir % saying: "I am bound by the terms of
the treaty. I cannot contravene the terms of the peace accord. It is best if you return." Taken aback, Abū Basir % asked: "Are you
returning me to the polytheists who aim to change my religion and who subject me to all kinds of distress?"
Rasūlullah % placated him by saying: "Exercise patience and pin your hopes upon Allah Ta'ālā. Soon Allah Ta'ālā will devise
some means to relieve you of this difficulty."
Nonetheless, these two people took Abū Basir % in their custody and set out. En route, they stopped over at Zul-Hulayfah to take
a small rest and eat some dates that they carried with them. Abu Basir % said to one of them: "Your sword seems extraordinarily
beautiful." Taking the sword out of its sheath, the man bragged: "I swear by Allah that this is a remarkably beautiful sword. I have put
it to the test on numerous occasions." Abu Basir asked: "May I have a look at it?" The instant the man offered it to Abū Basir, he
snatched it from him and finished him off in a single blow. On seeing what befell his friend, the other man promptly took flight and
headed to Madinah where he appeared before Rasulullah # and submitted: "O Rasūlullah! My companion has been killed and now
it's my turn."
A little later, when Abū Basir 4% turned up before Rasulullah , he said: "O Rasūlullah! Allah Ta'ala has fulfilled your end of the
treaty. You had already handed me over to them and now Allah Ta'ala has released me from their clutches. O Rasūlullah! You are
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well aware that if I had to return to Makkah, these people would constrain me to abandon my faith in Islam. I had done whatever I had
done solely for this reason. There is no treaty between me and them."
To this Rasūlullah % replied: "This man is an instigator of war if he has any comrades with him."
Abū Basīr 4% figured from this that if he has to linger here any longer he will be handed back to the non-Muslims. This is why he
quickly left Madinah and went away to a region along the coast through which the Qurayshi caravans would pass during their travels
to Syria.
When the downtrodden and helpless Muslims of Makkah learnt of this, they stealthily started trickling in to Abū Basir's hideout.
Suhail bin 'Amr's son, Abu Jandal 4% also turned up there. In this manner, a group of seventy men reached there. Whenever a
Qurayshi caravan happened to pass by, they would harass them and they would feed off the booty if they happened to get their hands
on it.
The Quraysh, exasperated by the turn of events, sent some people over to Rasulullah # and entreated him in the name of Allah
and their blood relationship to call Abu Basir and his group to Madinah. They also promised not to interfere if anyone of the people of
Makkah happens to embrace Islam and flees to Madīnah.
Rasūlullāh & then wrote a letter to Abu Basir 4%. However, the letter reached Abu Basir 4% as he was departing from this world.
The letter was handed over to him. As he began reading this letter, his delight had no bounds. He continued reading whilst enhancing
his joy at the same time until he surrendered his soul whilst the blessed letter was resting on his chest. According to another narration,
he passed away with the letter clutched in his hand.
Abū Jandal % prepared and shrouded Abū Basīr %'s body and buried him there. He erected a Musjid nearby as well. Thereafter,
Abū Jandal, together with his companions set off for Madīnah.
When Suhail bin 'Amr heard of this murder perpetrated by Abu Basir 4%, he sought to demand his blood money from Rasūlullah
since the victim was Suhail's kinsman. However, Abu Sufyan put him off by saying: "You cannot demand his blood money from
Muhammad (Rasūlullah ) because he fulfilled his end of the treaty by surrendering Abū Basīr to your messengers. Abū Basīr did not
kill your messenger on the bidding of Muhammad (Rasulullah ) but he killed him on his own accord. Furthermore, you cannot claim
his blood money from the kinsfolk of Abu Basir either because they don't adhere to the same faith."
Following this treaty with the Makkans, any Muslim male who fled from Makkah to Madinah was sent back to Makkah by
Rasūlullah # as per the terms of the treaty. Some time later, a few women also migrated from Makkah to Madinah. The Makkans
insisted that they also be returned as per the terms of the treaty. However, through divine revelation, Allah Ta'ala prevented
Rasūlullah % from sending the ladies back explaining that this condition is confined to the males only. Women are not included in the
terms of the treaty. According to some narrations, the actual words of the treaty read as follows: "No Rajul (man) will flee to you
from amongst us but he will be returned." Obviously the word Rajul explicitly refers to men only. How can women be included in
this? The polytheists of Makkah wanted to include the women in this treaty as well but Allah Ta'ala forbade it. The following verse
was revealed in regard to this incident:
"O you who believe! When believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them - Allah knows best of their faith. Then if
you ascertain that they are really true believers then do not send them back to the disbelievers. They are not lawful for the disbelievers
nor are the disbelievers lawful for them. And give the disbelievers whatever they have spent. And there is no sin upon you if you
marry them by paying them their Mahr. Likewise, do not hold back the bond of the disbelieving women (do not hold them back as
wives) and ask the disbelievers (to return) what you had spent on (these wives) and let them (the disbelievers) ask back for what they
had spent. That is the judgement of Allah, He passes judgment between you. And Allah is all-knowing, all-wise.
"And if any of your wives have gone from you to the disbelievers (as apostates) and you (after going out in war) acquired booty,
then pay from that to those whose wives have gone, the equivalent of what they had spent (in Mahr). And be ever-conscious of Allah
in Whom you believe." (Surah Mumtahanah verses 10-11)
Thereafter the disbelievers remained silent and did not repeat their demands for the return of the women.
Philosophical notes and academic discussions and rulings
1. If the Muslim ruler and other intellectual Muslims feel that a peace treaty with the disbelievers is productive for Islam and the
Muslims, then it is permissible to enter into a peace treaty with them. Such a treaty also falls within a connotation of Jihad because the
objective of Jihad is to thwart the evil of kufr and the depravity of the disbelievers, which can be attained from such a treaty. As Allah
Ta‘ālā says:
"And if they are inclined to peace then you also incline yourself to it but place your trust in Allah (and not in the peace treaty)."
(Sūrah Anfāl verse 61)
2. If a peace accord with the disbelievers is detrimental to Islam and the Muslims then it is not permissible to enter into such a treaty
because this leads to the humiliation of the Muslims and a collapse of the very compulsion of Jihad. As Allah Ta'ālā says:
"So do not be weak and ask for peace whilst you are dominant. And Allah is with you." (Sūrah Muhammad verse 35)
In other words, whilst wielding supremacy, it is not permissible to engage in any form of Sulh (peace treaty). Sulh merely
signifies an abstention from combat and it in no way refers to unity with the disbelievers. This is why, when referring to Sulh, the
Fuqahā (jurists) use the word Muwāda 'ah. And Muwāda 'ah literally means a mutual cessation of hostilities.
3. As the need arises, it is permissible to enter into a peace treaty with the disbelievers. This treaty may be executed either without
any exchange of wealth or by offering or soliciting wealth. All three categories of Sulh are permissible. Following his Hijrah,
Rasulullah # entered into a pact with the Jews of Madinah without any exchange of wealth. And here he made Sulh with the
polytheists of Makkah, referred to as the treaty of Hudaybiyyah. He made a pact with the Christians of Najran on condition that they
pay a certain amount. And in the battle of Ahzab (confederates), Rasūlullah # intended to enter into a peace accord by offering
'Uyaynah bin Hisn Fazarī half the date produce of Madinah. Details have been cited in the chapter of 'the battle of the confederates'.
From this we deduce that all three forms of Sulh are permissible.
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4. Whenever the Muslims engage the non-Muslims in a peace treaty that is to be enforced over a period of time, it is better to write
down the terms of the treaty because the Holy Quran enjoins writing down any transaction or affair that is expected to extend over a
period of time. As Allāh Ta'ālā says:
"O you who believe! When you engage in a credit transaction over a fixed period, write it down." (Sūrah Baqarah verse 282)
Yes, if it is a cash transaction and it is not deferred to some future date, there is no need to write it down. As Allah Ta'ālā says:
"Except if it is a current trade which you carry out on the spot amongst yourselves, then there is no sin on you if you do not write
it down." (Sūrah Baqarah verse 282)
From this we deduce that any transaction that does not fall into this cash category, there is sin in not writing it down. In other
words, it is necessary to reduce it to writing. (Sharah Siyar Kabir volume 4 page 6)
5. There should be at least two copies of the peace treaty so that each party can secure a personal copy.
6.
And every copy should bear the signatures of the heads of each party. As in the case of the treaty of Hudayybiyyah, both parties
affixed their signatures to both the copies of the treaty. One copy was kept by Rasulullah # and the other copy was handed over to
Suhail bin 'Amr.
7. Infringement of any of the terms of the treaty is an act of betrayal. This is why Rasulullah sent Abu Jandal and Abu Basir back
saying: "We have already given them our word. We will not violate the terms of this treaty."
8. If the Muslim sovereign of one area signs a treaty with someone, neither the Muslim sovereign nor the Muslim inhabitants of
another area are bound by the terms of this particular treaty. A Muslim who fled from Makkah to Madinah, as per the terms of the
treaty, Rasūlullah # surrendered him to the polytheists of Makkah. Rasūlullah # was duty-bound by this treaty to the extent that he
does not allow such a person to reside in Darul-Islam i.e. in Madinah Munawwarah.
The area in which Abu Basir % and Abu Jandal % based themselves was well beyond the boundaries of Madinah Munawwarah.
Whatever pursuits Abu Basir and his cohorts executed were carried out well beyond the boundaries of Madinah Munawwarah.
Furthermore, they did not do anything with the approval or permission of Rasūlullah .
9. Abū Basīr killed the 'Amirī tribesman solely to save his own life, Din and Iman. He very well knew that he would be subjected to
a range of abuse once he reaches Makkah and he will be intimidated into kufr and shirk (disbelief and polytheism). So he killed this
'Āmirī tribesman thereby protecting his own life and 'Īman.
10. A Muslim woman who emigrates from Darul-Harb to Darul-Islam, her Nikah with her (non-Muslim) husband is rescinded.
Similarly, a Muslim man who emigrates from Darul-Harb to Darul-Islam, his Nikah with his non-Muslim wife is invalidated.
11. Allah Ta'ālā says: "Do not cling onto the bonds of the disbelieving women." In other words, release them and sever all marital
relationships with them. It does not behove a Muslim to retain a disbelieving woman in his Nikāh.
12.
Subsequent to the revelation of this verse, Hadrat 'Umar 4% divorced both his mushrik (polytheist) wives who were residing
in Makkah. One of them was Qurayyah who later married Mu'awiyah bin Abī Sufyan % and the other was Ummu Kulthum who
subsequently married Abū Jaham.
This strikingly displays the Iman and Ikhlas (sincerity) of the Sahabah . Before the divine commandments of Allah Ta'ālā,
other relationships and sentiments were of no concern to them. How could they be concerned about others when the love of Allah
Ta'ālā had pervaded their hearts to such an extent that the hearts couldn't accommodate anyone else? As Allah Ta'ālā says: "And
Allah did not place two hearts in the chest of one man."
13. According to Ibn Ishaq's narration, no hair would fall from his body but they would snatch it. In other words, whatever strand of
hair fell of the blessed body of Rasulullah , the Sahabah , driven by fervent love and ardent loyalty, would at once snatch it up and
keep it safe with them as a source of Tabarruk (blessing). This distinctly reveals that to take blessings from the personal articles of the
pious is permissible.
14.
As Allāh Ta'ālā says:
"(And when the Banī Israil asked their Prophet for a sign of Talut's kingship), their Prophet replied: 'Verily the sign of his
kingship (or kingdom) is that a chest will come to you in which there is Sakinah (peace and tranquillity) from your Lord and (within
the chest) are some relics (Tabarrukat) left by the family of Mūsā and the family of Harun (and this chest will be) borne by the angels.
Verily in that is a sign for you if you are truly believers.'" (Sūrah Baqarah verse248)
In other words, the chest contains the Tabarrukat of Mūsa ) and Harun . It contained the staff, clothing, shoes and a few
tablets of the Tawrah of Hadrat Musa ) and Hadrat Harun . This chest was to be carried by the angels. On witnessing this, the
people of true faith will be convinced of his kingship. And obviously, a person worthy of honour and love, in essence, reverence for
his relics boils down to reverence to the person himself. And the Sahabah using the armour, sword, cup, ring etc. of Rasūlullah
solely to derive some Barakah (blessing) is mentioned in Sahīh Bukhārī.
In this incident of the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the virtue of Abu Bakr % comes to light from two distinct angles. Firstly, all the
Sahabah right up to Hadrat 'Umar % were disheartened by the terms of this treaty but Hadrat Abu Bakr % was, like Rasūlullah ,
unperturbed by it. And secondly, when Hadrat 'Umar % explained his unease to Hadrat Abu Bakr %, Abu Bakr % responded by
giving him the same answer, word for word, that Rasūlullah # had given him.
15. Imam Shaf'ī Ale dul aney says that part of Hudaybiyyah is in the Haram area whilst the other part falls in the Hill area. According
to a narration by Imam Ahmad bin Hambal Ale dul any, Rasulullah # set up camp in the Hill area but he would perform his Salahs in
the Haram area of Hudaybiyyah.
So a person who is close to the Haram area should perform his Salah within the boundaries of the Haram. This was the practise of
'Abdullah bin 'Umar 4%.
Furthermore, this incident confirms that the compensation of one hundred thousand rewards for performing Salah is not confined
to the Musjidul-Haram only but wherever a person offers this Salah within the boundaries of the Haram, he will attain this reward.
16. When the Sahabah displayed a trace of reluctance when Rasulullah # instructed them to shave their hair and slaughter their
camels, Rasūlullah % complied with the counsel offered by Ummu Salamah Licalus). From this we deduce that it is permissible to
seek the counsel of a woman provided her intellect, reasoning, Allah-consciousness and religiousness are all reliable.
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17. On the insistence of Suhail bin 'Amr, instead of writing Bismillah ... , Rasūlullah % consented to writing out Bismika Allahumma
even though the writing of Bismillah ... was more virtuous. Since the phrase Bismika Allahumma is also correct, Rasūlullah # did not
insist on writing out Bismillah ....
18. The virtue of Bay'at
The reality of Bay 'at (pledge one's allegiance) has already been explained under the chapter dealing with the pledge of 'Aqabah.
To sum up, the word Bay 'at is derived from Bay' which literally means to sell something. In the technical sense of Shari'ah, Bay 'at
refers to selling oneself to Allah Ta'ālā in exchange of Jannah. The self (Nafs) is the commodity and Jannah the price. The person is
the seller whilst Allah Ta'ala is the purchaser. It is an acknowledged fact amongst all intellectual people that when a transaction is
concluded, the commodity leaves the ownership of the seller and enters the ownership of the purchaser. The purchaser now possesses
absolute control over the commodity and he may transact with it as he pleases. Similarly, once a Mumin (true believer) engages in
Bay 'at, he does not remain the owner of his Nafs (self). He is thus required to ensure that he does nothing of his own personal accord.
He should not follow the dictates of his Nafs (self or base desires).
However, this transaction does not take place directly with Allah Ta'ala but through the liaison of the Prophets and their
successors (the 'Ulama).
When the Sahabah pledged their allegiance (Bay 'at) at the blessed hands of Rasūlullah , the pledge was essentially a pledge
unto Allāh Ta'ālā and Rasūlullah % was a representative or envoy in between. As Allah Ta'ālā says:
"Those who pledge their allegiance to you are actually pledging their allegiance to Allah. The hand of Allah is on their hands."
(Sūrah Fatah verse 18)
It is cited in Bukhari on the authority of Hadrat Sahl bin S'ad 4% that Rasulullah % said: "He who takes responsibility to protect
that which lies between his jaws and between his legs, I take the responsibility of his entry into Jannah."
In this Hadith, Rasulullah # declares himself a guarantor for Jannah. As though he said: "If the people of Īman undertake not to
indulge their tongues and private parts in anything against the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala, Who is the actual purchaser in this case, then I
am the guarantor on behalf of Allah Ta'ala to ensure that they get their price (Jannah) in exchange of their Nafs."
In this Hadith, the words 'he who takes responsibility' and 'I take responsibility' refers to this transaction because responsibility
and liability is found in transactions of trade. If there is some deficiency in the commodity, the purchaser has the right to return the
commodity to the seller. However, if the purchaser, on spotting the deficiency, expresses his approval with the commodity, he forfeits
his right of returning the item and the transaction is now absolute. The purchaser cannot exercise his right now to terminate the
transaction.
When the Sahabah & pledged their allegiance beneath the tree, Allah Ta'ala revealed the following verse:
"Allah has expressed his approval of the believers when they pledged their allegiance under the tree." (Sūrah Fatah verse 18)
In other words, Allah Ta'ala has forfeited his right of return. He has indicated that this transaction initiated by this illustrious
group will never be rescinded. Allah Ta'ālā has forfeited His right of return by expressing His approval and pleasure but the Sahabah
also forfeited their rights when they said: 'We too are pleased with Allah'. As Allah Ta'ala describes: "Allah is pleased with them
and they are pleased with Allah."
Although there is no possibility of deficiency from Allah Ta'ala, the Sahabah & eliminated even the likelihood of rescinding this
transaction by declaring 'we are pleased with Allah'.
In short, both parties have expressed their pleasure and revoked their rights to terminate this transaction. This renders the
transaction absolute.
The Sahabah & consigned themselves to Allah Ta'ala and as per His divine assurance, the price of consigning their selves (i.e.
Jannah) is legally binding upon Allah Ta'ālā. Apart from the Sahabah , the affairs of the rest of us are in jeopardy. We don't know
whose commodity (self) will be rejected due to some deficiency or the other. In this very world, there are some people who have
rescinded their trade transaction with Allah Ta'ala. As in the case of a certain villager who appeared before Rasūlullah # and
demanded: "Rescind my Bay 'at (pledge of allegiance)."
In the parlance of the jurists, the rescission or annulment of a contract amounts to an annulment between the two parties and the
signing of a new contract with a third party. Similarly, if an ill-fated person decides to rescind his Bay'at with Allah Ta'ala, the Bay'at
between him and Allah Ta'ālā is annulled but in effect, he is entering into a new contract with a third party (with Shaytan).
According to Imam Abu Hanīfah Ale dul aney, there is no interest between a slave and his master. The reason for this school of
thought is that whatever the slave owns effectively belongs to the master. We, after all, are more than slaves. We are ultimately slaves
of Allah Ta'ālā and slaves who can never be liberated from His slavery. Nor are we willing to be unshackled from this level of slavery
because this revered Master takes just one good deed from us and bestows us with two-hundred-fold interest. As Allah Ta'ālā says:
"Allah obliterates interest and enhances charity."
In short
The sublime personalities who pledged their allegiance at the hands of Rasūlullah , Allah Ta'ala is pleased with them. And He
has infused their hearts with the inestimable wealth of tranquillity and contentment. And he also promised them an imminent victory
and loads of war booty. As Allah Ta'ala describes in the Holy Quran:
"Indeed Allah was pleased with the believers when they made a pledge to you under the tree. He knew what was in their hearts.
So he sent down tranquillity upon them and He rewarded them with a near victory. And abundant spoils which they will seize and
Allah is all-mighty, all-wise." (Sūrah Fatah verse 18)
And in Sūrah Tawbah, Allah Ta'ālā refers to Bay 'at as a great victory:
"Rejoice in the transaction you have concluded (with Allāh Ta'ālā) and that is a great success." (Sūrah Tawbah verse 111)
On the basis of these explicit verses and authentic Ahadith, there is not an iota of doubt about Bay 'at being a Sunnah and a source
of immense Barakah. Just as Rasūlullah % was a teacher of the Book, a mentor of wisdom and a spiritual polisher of the hearts, he
was also the Khalifah (vicegerent) of Allah on the earth of Allah. The Bay'at (pledge) that Rasulullah # extracted from others as the
vicegerent of Allah, is Sunnah for the Khalifahs as well. And just as the Bay 'at he extracted as the teacher of the Book, a mentor of
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wisdom and a spiritual polisher of the hearts, this type of Bay'at is Sunnah for the 'Ulama-Rabbanī (divine scholars), the mystics and
the pious saints.
19. The fact that Rasulullah # placed his one hand over the other on behalf of Hadrat 'Uthman % is adequate proof for the legitimacy
of taking Bay 'at in abstentia.
20. Those who took an oath of allegiance in Hudaybiyyah at the hands of Rasūlullah , Allah Ta'ala unconditionally proclaimed His
pleasure and satisfaction with these people in the verse: "Indeed Allah was pleased with the believers when they made a pledge to you
under the tree." And in the verse: "He knew what was in their hearts", Allah Ta'ala declares the sincerity of their hearts. And in the
verse "So he sent down tranquillity upon them", He expresses their contentment and the conviction of their hearts. In other words,
their hearts are absolutely content. There is not a speck of unease and disquiet within their hearts. And it is quite clear that he with
whom Allah Ta'ala is pleased and upon who He had showered divine tranquillity, such a person can never be a hypocrite presently
nor is there a fear of such a person turning renegade in the future. A colossal number of their virtues have been cited in the Ahadith. It
is narrated in Musnad Ahmad, Jābir % relates that Rasūlullah # said: "Those who pledged their allegiance on my hands under the
tree, none of them will ever enter Jahannam (hell)."
Furthermore, on the basis of these verses "Indeed Allah was pleased with the believers when they made a pledge to you under the
tree. He knew what was in their hearts," the Sahabah's sincerity of Iman and the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala is plainly evident. Why
don't the Shias ponder over the verse "He knew what was in their hearts"? Why don't they contemplate how Allah Ta'ala expresses
the sincerity of the hearts of the Sahabah &? This distinctly demonstrates that whatever they did was not based on Taqiyyah77 but on
sincerity and true conviction of the heart. Following this declaration of 'He knew what was in their hearts' there is no possibility of
Taqiyyah whatsoever. When Allah Ta'ala bears testimony to their sincerity and conviction then the likelihood of hypocrisy and
Taqiyyah ceases to exist.
Furthermore, in the subsequent verses, Allah Ta'ālā guarantees them close victory, abundant spoils of war and other grand
triumphs in the future, like the triumph of Khaybar, for instance. This assurance was given to the same sincere and devoted souls. We
also deduce from this that the illustrious personages upon whom these spoils were distributed were the dedicated, sincere and beloved
servants of Allāh Ta'ālā.
Letters to world leaders
Allāh Ta'ālā refers to the treaty of Hudaybiyyah as a Fatah Mubin (conspicuous victory) and a source of tranquillity and comfort.
This was no doubt, a conspicuous victory and a source of immense tranquillity and comfort because the word Fatah literally means to
unlock or to open something that is closed. Due to the mutual hostilities of the Arabs, the doors of invitation towards Islam were
closed. This treaty threw open this door. Now the time had come to spread the word of Allah to all His servants and to give an open
invitation to the peoples of the world to this magnificent tablecloth of Islam where everyone can share in the divinely delights this
religion has to offer.
Those who accepted the divine invitation of Allah Ta'ala and seated themselves at the tablecloth of Islam, they discovered that
there is not even a particle of salt from every variety of outstanding character, exceptional manners, unmatched virtues and
consummate behaviour that is not represented on this tablecloth of Islam. What a clean and pure tablecloth that there is not even a
smidgen of any sort of physical or spiritual evil on this tablecloth. They washed their hands off the dunya and taking the name of
Allah and His Rasul , they commenced eating from these spiritual culinary delights. They barely consumed two morsels when
rapidly the tongue relished the savour of Islam and the sweetness of Iman and they realised that this is really the nourishment for the
soul. The soul can thrive only with such nourishment. It is impossible for the soul to survive with the consumption of the filth of kufr
and shirk (disbelief and polytheism).
Nonetheless, on his return from Hudaybiyyah, in Zul-Hijja 6 A.H., Rasūlullah # decided to send letters of invitation to the kings
of the world. He assembled the Sahabah & and addressed them thus:
"O People! I have been commissioned to the whole universe as an embodiment of mercy. Convey this message to the world and
Allah will shower His mercy upon you. Don't fall into dispute like the disciples of 'Isa ] (apostles of Christ). When they were
instructed to journey, they would gladly proceed but when instructed to travel to a far-off area, they would sit down on the ground as
though encumbered by an unbearable weight."
In the most gruelling of trials that tested their devotion, loyalty and selflessness, at every opportunity, the Sahabah & had
acquired the loftiest certificate of success and they were crowned with medals of the highest accolades. So how could they ever dilly-
dally at this instance? With heart and soul they were enthusiastically willing to carry out Rasūlullah 's instructions.
Nonetheless, they also advised him saying: "O Rasūlullah! The kings and rulers of this world do not regard a letter without an
official seal affixed to it as reliable. In fact, they won't even bother to glance at it."
Abiding by the Mashwarah (counsel) of the Sahabah , Rasulullah # had a seal made in the shape of a ring. The spherical band
itself was made of silver and the seal itself was also made from silver but it was crafted in the Abyssinian style. The words
"Muhammad Rasul Allah" were inscribe on the seal as follows: Muhammad was right at the bottom with the word Allah on the top
and Rasul in the centre. Rasulullah % then despatched letters to the various rulers of the world inviting them to the truth and informing
them that they would be squarely liable for the deviation of their citizenry.
Wagidī says that these letters were despatched towards the end of 6 A.H. in the month of Zul-Hijjah on his return from
Hudaybiyyah. According to some historians, they were despatched in 7 A.H. Perhaps Rasulullah % intended to send these letters
towards the end of 6 A.H. but he actually got down to it at the beginning of 7 A.H. Imam Bayhaqi que aul iny says that these letters
were despatched after the battle of Mutah. However, all the scholars are unanimous that they were sent after the treaty of
77 Taqiyyah literally means to guard oneself. It is a Shia doctrine of subterfuge and dissimulation whereby the Shia conceals his true
beliefs to protect himself from persecution and harm. They believe that the Sahabah psicalls, also practised this and they were not
true believers in whatever they exhibited. Here, the author attempts to refute this doctrine of the Shias. [Tr.]
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Hudaybiyyah but before the conquest of Makkah. In other words, this progression of letters continued within these two historical
events. And Allāh Ta'ālā knows best.
(1) Letter to the emperor of Rome
Bismillahir-Rahmānir-Rahīm
From Muhammad, the slave of Allah, to Hiraql (Heraclius), the head of Rome. Salam upon those who adhere to divine guidance.
I invite you with the phrase that will bring you closer to Islam. (The phrase of Kalimah Tayyibah.) Embrace Islam and you will
be safe and Allah will reward you twofold. (In the Holy Quran, Allah Ta'ala assures the people of the book a twofold reward for
embracing Islam.) So if you turn down this invitation, the sin of the entire populace will be on your shoulders. "O people of the
scripture! Come to such a word that, between us, is an acknowledged fact; that we don't worship anyone but Allah and we do not
ascribe partners unto Him and that none of us will take others as lords besides Allah. Then if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that
we are Muslims."
Handing this epistle over to Hadrat Dihya Kalbī %, Rasulullah # sent him off to the emperor of Rome. At that instant, the
emperor had just arrived in Baitul-Maqdis on foot from Hims (Homs) in demonstration of his gratitude over the defeat of the Persians.
Hadrat Dihya Kalbī % reached Baitul-Maqdis in Muharram 7 A.H. and through the auspices of the governor of Busrā, he arrived in
the royal court of the Roman emperor where he presented the letter.
Before handing over the letter, he delivered a short sermon.
Hadrat Dihya &'s sermon in the emperor's court
"O Roman emperor! The personage who appointed me as his emissary is far superior than you are. And the divine Being who
elected him as His messenger is the most superior and elevated. So I urge you to listen to whatever I have to say with humility and I
entreat you to answer my questions with utmost sincerity. If you fail to listen with humility you will not be able to duly understand
and if you lack sincerity in your answers, your response will not be impartial and just."
The emperor replied: "Okay, go on."
Hadrat Dihya % continued: "You are well aware that Hadrat Masih bin Maryam ) used to offer Salah?"
"Yes, without doubt he used to perform Salah," replied the emperor.
Hadrat Dihya % said: "I invite you unto the Being to Whom Hadrat Masih & offered his Salah, before Whom he would bow his
forehead, the Being Who created Hadrat Masih in the womb of his mother and the Being who created all the heavens and the earths.
Thereafter, I invite you to the unlettered messenger about whom Hadrat Musa & and Hadrat 'Isa issued glad tidings. Besides,
you are adequately acquainted with these facts. If you accept this invitation you will be successful in this world as well as the
hereafter otherwise your hereafter will prove catastrophic for you and not only that, you will have partners in this world (challenging
your kingship and laying claim to your power). And be rest assured that you have only one Lord Who wields absolute power to crush
the agnostics and bear in mind that He continues changing His fortunes."
Taking the epistle of Rasūlullah # from Hadrat Dihya 4%, the emperor placed it on his head and his eyes and reverentially kissed
it. He then opened it and after perusing it he remarked: "I will ponder over it and respond to it by tomorrow."
He then bade his servants to summon to court anyone they come across locally who hailed from the same family as Rasūlullah ,
as he wanted to make further enquiries from them. Coincidentally, Abu Sufyan, with a group of other Qurayshis, was on a business
expedition to Sham. He was camped at Ghazzah. Abū Sufyan hadn't as yet embraced Islam. The emperor's messenger fetched him
from Ghazzah and presented him before the royal court. With grand pomp and splendour, the court was convened. All the Roman
noblemen, clergy, monks and other leading figures were in attendance.
The emperor first addressed the Arabs saying: "Amongst you who is the closest relative to this man who claims to be a Prophet?"
Abu Sufyan replied: "I am the closest to him." The emperor directed: "You come and sit close to me." He then charged the others to
sit behind Abū Sufyan. The emperor addressed the others and said: "I am going to ask him a few questions. If he speaks a lie, you
should point it out."
Abū Sufyan says: "If I didn't have the fear of these people falsifying me, I would have certainly perverted the truth."
Thereafter the following conversation took place between Abu Sufyan and the emperor:
Emperor: How is his family lineage amongst you?
Abū Sufyan: He is a man of a noble lineage. Nobody else is favoured with such an illustrious ancestry.
Emperor: Were there any kings amongst his ancestors?
Abū Sufyan: No.
Emperor: Did you ever find him speaking lies before he laid this claim to prohethood?
Abū Sufyan: No.
Emperor: What class of people do his followers belong to; the rich and mighty or the poor and weak?
Abu Sufyan: Most of them are poor and weak.
Emperor: Are his adherents increasing day-by-day or decreasing?
Abu Sufyan: They are increasing day by day.
Emperor: Is there anyone who entered this Din and renounced it out of aversion for it?
Abū Sufyan: No.
Emperor: Does he ever go against his word?
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Abū Sufyan: Never! Up to this day he hasn't breached his word. However, nowadays we have a truce enforced between us. I have
no idea if he has breached the terms of this truce during the interim. (Abu Sufyan later commented: "Besides this one sentence, I was
unable to sneak in anything else."
According to Ibn Ishaq's narration, Abu Sufyan said: "By Allah, the emperor didn't take any heed of this statement of mine."
Emperor: Did you ever engage him in battle?
Abū Sufyan: Yes.
Emperor: How was the fighting between you?
Abū Sufyan: Sometimes he would be dominant and sometimes we would prevail.
Emperor: What does he instruct you to do?
Abu Sufyan: He commands us to worship Allah and to abstain from ascribing any partners unto Him. He charges us to summarily
forsake all our ancestral customs of shirk and kufr perpetrated by our forebears. He also instructs us to perform Salah and pay Zakāt
and to adhere to truthfulness, chastity and favourable family ties.
Addressing his interpreter, the emperor said: "Inform our guest that I first asked him about this messenger's family lineage and
you replied that he is a man of a noble and illustrious lineage. Undoubtedly, all the Prophets hail from families that are very noble and
illustrious. I then asked you if there were any kings amongst his ancestors and you replied in the negative. If there were any kings
amongst his forebears I would have assumed that this man is merely attempting to retrieve his family's lost kingship. I then asked you
if he ever spoke a lie and you denied this. I inferred from this that how is it possible for a man who does not speak lies to people but,
Allah forbid, he attributes falsehood to Allah? When I enquired from you who his followers are, you replied that the bulk of his
adherents are weak78 and poor. I then asked you if his followers are increasing or decreasing day by day. You replied that they are
increasing. Without doubt, this is the true condition of Iman; its adherents increase day by day until it reaches a level of perfection. I
then asked you if anyone who adopted this religion subsequently renounced it out of resentment or revulsion and you replied in the
negative. This is the status of Iman; once its sweetness and delight penetrates the hearts, it cannot under any circumstances be
extracted. I then asked if he ever breached his word and you said no. Indisputably, this is the condition of the true Prophets; they don't
ever go against their word. I then asked you about the hostilities between you and you replied that at times you are dominant and at
times he is. Undoubtedly, in the initial stages, this is how the divine scheme of Allah Ta'ālā works. Sometimes He makes them
victorious and at times they are bound to suffer defeat. This is to put his adherent's sincerity and devotion to the test. However,
ultimately they are guaranteed victory and dominance. I then enquired from you about his instructions to you. You replied that he
commands you to worship Allah alone without ascribing any partner unto Him. He prevents you from idol-worship and he instructs
you to observe Salah, pay Zakat and adhere to truthfulness, chastity etc.
"If whatever you say is really true, then no doubt this man is the divine messenger. Soon he will govern this land under my feet. I
knew that the emergence of a messenger was imminent but I had no idea that he would emerge from you (the Arabs). I cherish a
profound desire to meet him. If I ever happen to be in his presence, I would wash his feet (in esteem)."
The emperor then read out the blessed letter to the entire gathering of people.
He barely managed to read the letter to the people when all hell broke loose. Tumultuous bellows of dissent were heard from
every corner of the imperial court.
Abu Sufyan relates: "At that instant we were all swiftly ushered out of court. Once we landed on the outside, I remarked (to my
fellow countrymen): 'It's incredible, even the emperor of the Roman Empire is terrified of him (Rasūlullah ).' On that day I was
genuinely led to believe that the Din of Rasulullah % is set to prevail over all others, until Allah Ta'ala bestowed me with divine
guidance to embrace Islām."
Imam Zuhrī says: "During the reign of 'Abdul Malik bin Marwan, a leading Christian priest by the name of Ibn Natur who was
present in the imperial court at the time of this incident related: "Subsequent to this court episode, the Emperor wrote a letter to the
high priest of Rūmiyyah enquiring about Rasūlullah . The name of this priest was Daghatir Rūmī and he was well versed with the
divine scriptures.
Once the Emperor despatched his letter to the priest, he left Baitul-Muqaddas for Hims (Homs). The Emperor was still in Hims
when he received a reply from the priest saying: "This is the very same Prophet we have been eagerly awaiting. This is the messenger
about whom 'Isa gg issued glad tidings. I believe in him and I will abide by him. There is no doubt about him being a Prophet. You
should also believe in him and consent to adhere to him."
On receiving this advice, the Emperor convened a massive court in which he assembled all the patriarchs of Rome. He then
sealed off the court by closing all the doors. Whilst seated in one of the upper galleries, the Emperor addressed the entire court thus:
O Romans! I have assembled you here for a great good. I have received a letter from this man inviting me towards his religion.
By Allah! This is the Prophet whom we were enthusiastically awaiting and whom we find mentioned in our scriptures. So come, let us
follow him and believe in him. In this manner, both our this world as well as our hereafter will be secured."
The moment the Roman Patriarchs heard this, they started bellowing in protest and scuttled to the doors only to find them locked.
The emperor summoned them back to their seats and remarked: "I just wanted to put all of you to the test. I am exceptionally
delighted over your unassailable religiousness and your staunchness in faith."
On hearing this, all of them were gripped with ecstasy and they fell to their knees in prostration before the emperor.
A little later, the Emperor summoned Hadrat Dihya Kalbi % in private and explained: "I swear by Allah and declare that your
friend is without doubt a divine messenger. However, I am terrified of my people assassinating me. If it weren't for this anxiety, I
would certainly adhere to him. Go to Daghatir, the archbishop of Rome. He is an exceptionally learned man. His knowledge of these
affairs is far superior to mine. Furthermore, he commands more reverence and admiration amongst the Romans than I do. Go to him
and give him account of this divine messenger."
78 In other words they are not arrogant and conceited. They are safe from the intoxicating effects of material wealth. Their hearts are
devoid of vanity, arrogance and conceit. This is why they listen to and accept the truth.
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Hadrat Dihya Kalbī % went to Daghatir and gave him a detailed account of Rasūlullah . Daghatir responded by declaring: "By
Allāh! He is a divine messenger. We have encountered his characteristics, conditions and attributes in our divine scriptures."
Saying this, he withdrew into his quarters, removed the black robes he was wearing and changed into white robes. Wielding a
staff, he then proceeded to the church where he addressed the people thus:
"O Romans! A letter has come to us from Ahmad in which he invites us towards Allah, the Almighty. I hereby declare and testify
that there is none worthy of worship besides Allah and Ahmad is His slave and messenger."
The instant the people heard this declaration they fell onto him and beat him to death. Hadrat Dihya > returned to the Emperor
and recounted whatever he witnessed. The Emperor responded: "I also harbour the same fear. I am terrified of them treating me in the
same manner."
According to M'ujam Tabrānī, the Roman Emperor told Hadrat Dihya 4%: "I am well aware and do recognise him to be the true
Prophet, as pronounced by archbishop Daghatir but if I were to publicly admit this, I will be dispossessed of my kingship and my
people will assassinate me."
However, the Emperor failed to take heed of the statement of Rasūlullah # mentioned in the letter:
"Embrace Islam and you will be secure."
Had he embraced Islam, he would have secured this world as well as the hereafter.
Conclusion
With great reverence, the Emperor secreted this blessed letter of Rasulullah # in a box made out of gold. Amir Saifud-Din
Mansūrī narrates: "King Mansūr once sent me with certain instructions to King Maghrib. On account of some petition, he sent me to
King Faranj79 who was a descendant of Caesar, the Roman Emperor. As I was about to return, he insisted that I hang on. He enticed
me by revealing: "If you hold on I will show you something magnificent and rare." I waited until he called for a chest embellished
with ingots of gold. He extracted a golden box from it and opened it. The box contained a letter wrapped in silk. Most of the words
had faded away. The King pointed out: "This is the letter of your Prophet addressed to my grandfather, the Caesar. It is in my
possession as part of his legacy. My grandfather made a bequest warning us: "As long as this letter remains safe, your empire will
remain safe. This is why we take such great pains to protect, preserve and revere this letter and conceal it from the Christians.
Academic discussion
1. A letter should begin with the name of Allah. When Sulayman wrote to the Queen of Sheba, he began with Bismillahir-
Rahmānir-Rahīm.
2. The person writing the letter should write his name before the addressee's name, as Rasulullah # wrote his name before the name
of the Emperor. It was the tradition of the Sahabah also that whenever they wrote to Rasulullah , they would write their own name
first and then the name of Rasūlullah .
However, this is not compulsory. Rasulullah # once sent Hadrat 'Alī % and Hadrat Khalid % to a certain area. Both of them
wrote a letter back to Rasulullah . However, Hadrat 'Alī > wrote the name of Rasulullah # first and then his own name whilst
Hadrat Khalid 4% wrote his own name first and then the name of Rasulullah . This clearly indicates that both are correct.
When 'Abdullah bin 'Umar 4% wrote to Hadrat Mu'awiyah % and to 'Abdul-Malik bin Marwan, he wrote their names first.
Similarly, when Hadrat Zaid bin Thabit > wrote to Hadrat Mu'awiyah 4%, he also started off with the name of Hadrat Mu'awiyah 4%
before his own name.
3. In his letter to the Emperor, Rasulullah # added on 'Abdullah (slave of Allah) to his name. The aim was to quash the perverted
belief of the Christians over the divinity of Hadrat 'Isa ). This was an indication that Hadrat 'Isa ) was not - Allah Ta'ala forbid -
a divine being but a servant and an esteemed messenger of Allah, whom Allah had raised towards the heavens. Furthermore, this also
alluded to the fact that every single Prophet declared that he is a servant of Allah and not, Allah Ta'ala forbid, some divine being.
4. "To Hiraql (Heraclius), the head of Rome". The fact that Rasulullah # added on 'the head of Rome' after the name of Hiraql
suggests that when corresponding with the disbelievers, appropriate titles of respect should be adopted.
5. "Salām upon those who adhere to divine guidance". In other words, offerings of peace are made only to those who adhere to the
guidelines of Allah Ta'ālā. If not, then no offering of peace can be made to such a person. This verse is mentioned in the incident of
Hadrat Mūsā ). This sentence indicates that a disbeliever should not be greeted with the words of "Assalamu-'Alaykum". Rather the
words "Salām upon those who adhere to divine guidance" should be written. In other words greetings of peace upon you provided you
adhere to divine guidelines. This is why this verse is followed in the Quran with the words:
"And surely the punishment is upon he who disbelieves and turns away." And in the aforementioned letter, after the greetings of
"Salām upon those who adhere to divine guidance",
Rasūlullah added: "So if you turn down this invitation .... " As though this sentence is in place of the Quranic sentence: "And
surely the punishment is upon he who disbelieves and turns away."
6. "Embrace Islam and you will be safe and Allah will reward you twofold."
One reward for believing in the Prophet of the past and another for believing in this final Prophet. As Allah Ta'ala declares in another
verse: "They will be rewarded twice."
7. "So if you turn down this invitation, the sin of the entire populace will be on your shoulders." This is so because the person who
hinders the guidance of others or fails to prevent the deviation of others, their sin will also fall on his shoulders. As Allah Ta'ālā says
in the Holy Quran:
"And they will bear their burdens (of sin) and other burdens with their burdens as well."
79 King Francis perhaps? [Tr.]
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8.
Despatching Hadrat Dihya % with the letter all on his own demonstrates that a letter is a reliable source of proof. Furthermore,
this attests to the fact that Khabar-Wahid80 is a reliable source of evidence. If a Khabar-Wahid was not a source of evidence, what is
the benefit of sending Hadrat Dihya 4% all alone?
9. Furthermore, this incident also establishes that the narration of a Masturul-Hal81 is reliable provided there is no conspicuous
evidence suggesting otherwise. Hadrat Dihya % was a Masturul-Hal in the eyes of the emperor (but yet he accepted his word).
10. The Emperor was well aware of the fact that Rasulullah # was the final messenger in whose favour Hadrat 'Isa @ issued glad
tidings. However, he failed to embrace Islam. This clearly indicates that Iman does not denote the mere knowledge of something but
rather Īman refers to obedience and submission. Therefore, he who knows Rasūlullah % to be a divine messenger but fails to submit to
him can never be classified as a Muslim. This is why the research scholars are of the opinion that Hiraql, the Emperor of Rome did
not embrace Islam. According to a narration in Musnad Ahmad bin Hambal Ale all day, the emperor wrote a letter to Rasulullah
from Tabuk in which he claimed to have converted to Islam. Rasūlullah # remarked: "This man is a liar. He is still resolutely firm on
his Christianity.
(2) Letter to Chosroe Parvez, emperor of Persia
"Bismillahir-Rahmānir-Rahīm
From Muhammad, the messenger of Allah to Chosroe, the head of Persia.
Salām upon those who adhere to divine guidance, believe in Allah and His messenger and testify that there is none worthy of
worship except Allah, Who is alone and has no partner and they testify that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.
With the divine instruction of Allah, I extend to you an invitation towards the religion of which I am the messenger to all the
peoples of the world so that I may warn those whose hearts are alive and that the word of Allah be implemented against the
disbelievers.
Embrace Islam and you will be safe. If you decline this invitation, the sin of all the Zoroastrians will be on your shoulders."
Rasūlullah % despatched this letter with 'Abdullah bin Huzafah Sahmī %. The moment Chosroe's glance fell onto this letter, he
flew into a tempestuous rage. He tore the letter to pieces and shrieked: "This man has the audacity to write a letter like this? He is
inviting me to embrace Islam whereas he is my slave."
'Abdullah bin Huzafah Sahmī % returned and gave Rasulullah # a detailed report on what transpired. Rasūlullah # commented:
"Chosroe's country has fallen to bits and pieces."
On reading the letter, Chosroe wrote to Bazan, the governor of Yemen to send two powerful men to apprehend this man who has
written this letter to him. He instructed Bazan to arrest him and deliver him to the imperial court.
Bazan promptly sent two men with a letter addressed to Rasūlullah . When these two men appeared with Bazan's letter before
Rasūlullah , they were so overwhelmed with the awe of Rasulullah # that they started trembling. Shivering with disquiet, they
presented the letter to Rasulullah . On hearing the letter read out to him, Rasulullah # smiled and invited both of them to embrace
Islam and asked them to return the following day. When they returned to Rasulullah # the following day, he reported: "Last night at a
certain time, Allah Ta'ālā enabled Sherwayh to prevail over his father, Chosroe. And Sherwayh executed his father Chosroe."
This incident occurred on Tuesday the tenth of Jumādal-Ûla 7 A.H.
Rasulullah % charged both of them to return to Bazan and give him an account of what happened. He also added: "Also inform
Bazan that my religion and my supremacy will reach as far afield as the empire of Chosroe had reached."
On hearing this, Bazan remarked: "These surely do seem like the words of a king. If this information is true then I swear by Allah
that this man is a divine messenger."
Subsequently, this information proved to be correct. Bazan, together with his kinsfolk, companions and near and dear ones, all
embraced Islam. He also informed Rasūlullah # of him embracing Islam.
(3) Letter to Negus, the Emperor of Abyssinia
Bismillahir-Rahmānir-Rahīm
From Muhammad, the slave of Allah, to Negus, the emperor of Abyssinia. Salām unto you.
I glorify before you the Allah besides Whom there is none worthy of worship. He is the absolute sovereign, the glorified, free
from all defects, provider of security and protector of everyone. I hereby testify that 'Isa, the son of Maryam is the Ruh of Allah which
He had transmitted into Maryam the chaste virgin. She fell pregnant with 'Isa. Allah created him from His soul like He created Adam
with His hand.
And I hereby invite you towards Allah Who is all alone and He has no partner. I also invite you to worship Him ceaselessly and
that you pursue and believe in what I have brought (i.e. the Holy Quran). Surely I am the messenger of Allah and I invite you and
your entire army towards Allah Ta'ālā.
I have conveyed the message and offered my advice. I urge you to accept my advice. And Salam upon those who adhere to divine
guidance."
Rasūlullah % despatched Hadrat 'Amr bin Umayyah % with this letter. 'Amr bin Umayyah % handed this letter over to the
emperor and addressed him thus: "O Ashamah! I wish to tell you something. I hope you will listen attentively. We trust you and
entertain good thoughts about you. Whenever we anticipated goodness from you we always acquired it. We were never ever
confronted with fear and anxiety in your dominion of peace and safety.
80 Khabar Wahid is a term used in the science of Hadîth for a narration related by one person and handed down by a single chain of
narrators.
81 One whose condition either of piety or impiety is unknown. In other words, it cannot be established whether he is devout or
irreligious.
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"The bible, which according to your own admission, is a reliable source of evidence, will be an impartial witness between you
and me and its testimony cannot be rejected. It is such a judge and adjudicator that would not go beyond the limits of justice and
impartiality. If you do not accept this invitation, then you will be to this unlettered messenger like the Jews were to 'Isa .
Rasūlullah % has despatched his emissaries to the other rulers of the world as well but compared to the others, we cherish higher
expectations of you."
Negus' response
I hereby testify and swear that he is the same unlettered Prophet who has been awaited by the people of the scripture. Just as
Mūsā ) issued glad tidings of 'Isa " by referring to him as the rider of the donkey, similarly, he had issued glad tidings of
Muhammad Rasūlullah % by referring to him as the rider of the camel. I have such firm faith in his Prophethood that even after
viewing him first hand, it would not make an iota of difference in the conviction of my faith." (As a pious person says: "Even if the
veil has to be lifted, it wouldn't increase my faith in the least.)
Negus then accepted the blessed letter of Rasūlullah , placed it over his eyes in reverence, descended from his throne and sat
down on the ground. He then embraced Islam and bore testimony to the truth. Thereafter, he dictated a reply to Rasulullah 's letter.
Negus' Reply to Rasūlullah #'s letter
"Bismillahir-Rahmānir-Rahīm
To Muhammad Rasūlullah % from Negus Asham bin Abjaz.
Salam, and the mercy and the blessings of Allah upon you O Prophet of Allah!
I glorify Allah besides Whom there is none worthy of worship and I extol His praise for guiding me towards Islam.
Your letter has reached me, O Prophet of Allah! Whatever you mentioned about 'Isa, I swear by the Lord of the sky and the earth
that 'Isa ) is nothing more than that. We have recognised (and acknowledged) the religion with which you have been sent to us.
We have entertained your cousin and his companions (whilst they were here and obtained first hand information from them about
Islam etc.)
So I bear testimony that you are the truthful and credible messenger. I have pledged my allegiance on your hands and the hands
of your cousin and I embrace Islam upon his hands for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
I am sending my son, Arha bin Asham to you. I have control over myself only. O Rasūlullah! If you wish I will present myself in
person before you. I hereby testify that whatever you say is absolutely true.
Salām upon you, O Rasūlullah!”
Negus despatched his son in the company of sixty other Abyssinians to Rasulullah . However, the ship they were travelling in
sank en route (drowning all the passengers on board).
This is the same Negus towards whom the Muslims emigrated in the fifth year of prophethood. His name was Ashamah. He
embraced Islam at the hands of Hadrat J'afar 4% and he passed away in Rajab 9 A.H. Rasulullah # informed the Sahabah of his death
the very day he passed away. Rasūlullah , together with the Sahabah & performed Janazah Salah in abstentia in the 'Id-Gāh .
Another ruler, also referred to Negus, succeeded him. Rasūlullah # wrote to him also inviting him to embrace Islam. This letter is
narrated by Bayhaqī from Ibn Ishaq. The letter reads as follows:
"From the divine messenger Muhammad # to Negus Asham, the ruler of Abyssinia. Salam upon those who adhere to divine
guidance, believe in Allah and His messenger, testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah Who is all alone, He has no
partner and He hasn't taken a wife or son and that Muhammad is his slave and messenger.
I invite you with the invitation of Allah as I am His messenger. Embrace Islam and you will be safe.
"O people of the scripture! Come to such a word that, between us, is an acknowledged fact; that we don't worship anyone but
Allah and we do not ascribe partners unto Him and that none of us will take others as lords besides Allah. Then if they turn away, say:
"Bear witness that we are Muslims."
If you (O Negus!) decline this invitation, the sin of all the Christians of your nation will fall on your shoulders."
The acceptance of Islam of this Negus could not be established nor could his first name be ascertained. Ibn Kathir Ale all in
says: "This Negus is different to the Negus who embraced Islam at the hands of Hadrat J'afar 4%."
Some people are confused and erroneously believe both the Negus' to be one and the same. According to the explicit narration of
Sahih Muslim, there were two of them. Furthermore, the name Asham mentioned in this letter is an inadvertent error of the narrator.
Asham is the name of the previous Negus. The narrator erroneously believed both of them to be one individual. This is why he
incorrectly added on the name Asham to this letter.
(4) Letter to Muqawqis, governor of Egypt and Alexandria
Bismillahir-Rahmānir-Rahīm
From Muhammad, the slave and messenger of Allah, to Muqawqis, the head of the Coptics. Salam upon those who adhere to
divine guidance.
I invite you with the invitation of Islam. Embrace Islam and you will be safe and Allah will reward you twofold. (In the Holy
Quran, Allah Ta'ālā assures the people of the book a twofold reward for embracing Islam.) So if you turn down this invitation, the sin
of all the Copts will be on your shoulders. "O people of the scripture! Come to such a word that, between us, is an acknowledged fact;
that we don't worship anyone but Allah and we do not ascribe partners unto Him and that none of us will take others as lords besides
Allah. Then if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims."
Affixing his official seal to this letter, Rasūlullah % sent Hatib bin Abī Balta'ah 4% with it to the governor of Egypt. Taking this
blessed letter with him, Hatib bin Abī Balta'ah % set off for Egypt. On reaching there he was informed that the governor is in
Alexandria. He then set out for Alexandria, where he found the governor seated on a terrace overlooking the sea. From the bottom,
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Hātib . pointed towards the letter. The governor bade him to join him at the top. Hatib % went up and presented the blessed letter to
him. He received the letter with great reverence and deferentially read through it.
Hadrat Hatib % narrates: "Thereafter the governor of Alexandria accommodated me as a special guest in one of the imperial
quarters. One day, he convened all the patriarchs and leaders and sent for me. He said: "I wish to ask you a few questions. Deliberate
before you respond." Hatib % replied: "Fine." Muqawqis, the governor, said: "The person from whom you brought this letter, isn't he
a divine messenger?" Hatib % replied: "Off course! He is the messenger of Allah."
Muqawqis said: "If he really is a divine messenger, then why didn't he curse his people and supplicate for their destruction when
they banished him from Makkah?" Hatib % countered: "Do you bear witness that 'Isa the son of Maryam & was a divine
messenger?" "No doubt," replied Muqawqis, "he was a messenger of Allah."
Hatib % remarked: "Since he was the messenger of Allah, then why didn't he curse his enemies when they conspired to crucify
him? Why didn't he make Du'a to Allah to destroy them? In due course, Allah > raised him up close to him."
To this Muqawqis commented: "You are wise and you have come before a wise person."
Lecture of Hatib in the court of Muqawqis
On hearing this judicious response from Hatib 4%, the governor was unable to offer any further comment and remained silent.
Thereafter, Hatib % addressed the governor and said: "You are well aware of a man who once passed through this very country of
Egypt and professed that he is the highest lord. Allah Ta'ala seized, punished and destroyed him. You should take a lesson from this.
It shouldn't be such that others take lesson from you (your punishment). There is a religion far superior to your religion and that is the
religion of Islam, which Allah Ta'ālā had promised to overshadow all other religions. All other religions will be rendered insignificant
before this religion. Allah Ta'ala has commissioned this Prophet to invite the people to this religion. In this regard, the Quraysh
proved to be most challenging, the Jews most hostile and the Christians the closest. By Allah! The glad tidings of Hadrat 'Isa )
issued by Hadrat Musa ) are precisely the same as the glad tidings issued by Hadrat 'Isa > in favour of Muhammad Rasulullah
There is no distinction between the two (cases of glad tidings). As for inviting you towards the Holy Quran, it is exactly the same as
you inviting the people of the Towrah (Jews) towards the Injil (new testament).
A nation who comes across a divine messenger, that nation becomes the Ummah of this messenger. They are now compelled to
adhere to this messenger. And you, O governor, are also amongst those who have come across a divine messenger. We are not
prohibiting you from Christianity but rather, we are commanding you to adhere to the directive of Hadrat Masih ('Isa) .
Response of the king
Muqawqis, the governor replied: "I have pondered over this Prophet at length and found that he commands righteousness and
prohibits from evil. He does not enjoin detestable things and does not forbid goodness. He is neither a sorcerer nor is he astray. He is
neither a soothsayer nor is he a liar. I have come across distinct signs of Prophethood in him. For example, his news of the unseen.
Nonetheless, allow me to deliberate upon this further." He thereafter kept this blessed letter in an ivory box and instructed his
treasurer to keep it away safely. Subsequent to this, he called for his scribe and bade him to write a reply to Rasūlullah #'s letter in
Arabic.
Muqawqis, king of Egypt's reply to Rasulullah #'s letter
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahīm
To Muhammad Ibn 'Abdullah.
From Muqawqis the head of the Copts.
Salām upon you. I have read your letter and understood what you mentioned therein in regards to your invitation (towards Islam
etc.). I am certain that a final messenger is yet to come but I was under the impression that he would hail from Sham (the Levant).
Nonetheless, I have received your emissary with great respect. As a gift to you, I am sending with him two slave girls, a few sets of
clothing and a mule for your conveyance.
Wassalām.
The name of one these slave girls was Mariyah Qibtiyyah (the Copt). She was included in the Haram (harem) of Rasūlullah
Rasūlullāh 's son, Ibrahim 4%, was born from her. The name of the other slave girl was Shirin and she was awarded to Hassan bin
Thabit 4%. The name of the mule was Duldul.
Muqawqis received the ambassador of Rasulullah # with profound reverence and displayed great esteem towards his blessed
letter and although he acknowledged that Rasūlullah # is the final messenger about whom the previous Prophets issued glad tidings,
yet he did not embrace Islam. He remained committed to Christianity.
When Hatib bin Abī Balta'ah 4% returned to Rasulullah # and related the whole incident, Rasulullah * commented: "Kingdom
and kingship prevented him from embracing Islam but his kingdom will not last forever."
According to this prophecy, the Muslims conquered Egypt in the Caliphate of Hadrat 'Umar 46.
Muqawqis had already gleaned quite a bit of information about Rasūlullah # from Mughirah bin Sh'ubah. Before embracing
Islam, Hadrat Mughīrah bin Sh'ubah 4%, accompanied by a few members of the Banu Malik clan, happened to appear before
Muqawqis. This is when he managed to get a good deal of information about Rasūlullah # and his current circumstances.
Upon Muqawqis enquiring from them about the conditions of Rasūlullah , Mughirah bin Sh'ubah replied: "This man has come
to us with an entirely new-fangled religion which is totally at odds with our ancestral doctrines and in conflict to the faith of the
governor as well.
Muqawqis: What is the reaction of his people with him?
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Mughīra: Most of the youth have adhered to him whilst the elderly have opposed him. A number of battles have been fought
between the two rival armies. At times they triumph and at times their rivals are victorious.
Muqawqis: What does he invite you to?
Mughīrah: He instructs us to worship one Allah Alone without ascribing any partners unto Him. He commands us to renounce the
idols our ancestors were worshipping. He also bids us to perform Salah and pay Zakat.
Muqawqis: Is there any time set for Salah and any amount fixed for Zakat?
Mughīrah: They perform five Salahs during the day and night. And half a Mithqāl (app 4 grams) Zakat is levied upon twenty
Mithqāls i.e. two and half percent Zakāt is payable.
Muqawqis: What does he do with the Zakat he collects?
Mughīrah: He distributes it amongst the poor and destitute. Besides this, he enjoins the maintenance of favourable family ties and
the honouring of one's word. He proscribes adultery, interest and alcohol. And he does not consume animals slaughtered upon the
name of anyone other than Allah.
Muqawqis: Without doubt, this man is a divine messenger. He has been commissioned as a Prophet to all the peoples of the
world. Hadrat 'Isa & also enjoined the same commandments. Before him, all the Ambiya E also prescribed the same teachings.
Ultimately, he will prevail until there will be nobody to challenge him and the range of his religion will expand to the furthest corners
of the globe.
Mughīrah: Even if the whole world were to put their faith in him, we wouldn't embrace Islam.
Muqawqis: You people are foolish and stupid. Okay, tell me, what is his lineage like?
Mughīrah: He is a man of outstanding impeccable lineage.
Muqawqis: The Ambiya 'Alayhimus-Salam always hail from the most pre-eminent and noble families. Okay, tell me about his
truthfulness and honesty.
Mughīrah: It is due to his truthfulness and honesty that all of Arabia refers to him as Al-Amin (the trustworthy).
Muqawqis: Ponder over this; how is it possible for a person to stick to the truth when he deals with his fellow humans but he
attributes falsehood to Allah? Also, tell me, what are his adherents like?
Mughīrah: His adherents are made up of the youth.
Muqawqis: Before him, most of the adherents of the Ambiya 'Alayhimus-Salam were made up of the youth.
Thereafter Muqawqis asked: "What is the attitude of the Jews of Yathrib (Madinah) towards him? They are, after all, people of
the Tawrah.
Mughīrah replied: "They opposed him. Consequently, he killed some of them, some of them he imprisoned and some of them he
expelled from their homes.
To this, Muqawqis commented: "The Jews are a painfully jealous nation. They are resentful about him being chosen as the final
messenger otherwise they, like ourselves, are well-aware of his status."
Mughīrah relates: "Upon termination of our discussion with him, we came out of the palace and I thought to myself: 'Even the
non-Arab rulers of the world are attesting to his Prophethood whereas they are far away from him. We, on the other hand, are his
relatives and his neighbours and yet we haven't entered his religion even though he came right to our doors to invite us.' This really
cast a profound impression upon my heart. I stayed over in Alexandria for some time and not a single church remained that I did not
visit and not a single clergyman remained from whom I did not enquire about the attributes and circumstances of Rasūlullah . I
persisted with my enquiries until I visited their archbishop who was an eminent worshipper and celebrated ascetic. People would
bring their ill to him to make du'a for them. I asked him: "Is there any divine messenger left to be commissioned?" He replied:
"Yes. He (Rasūlullah ) is the final messenger. There is no messenger between him and 'Īsa (*). He is a divine messenger. 'Īsa
(SE) instructed us to comply with him. He is an unlettered Arabian Prophet. His name is Ahmad. He is neither very tall nor short but
in between, of a moderate height. He has a tinge of redness within his eyes. He is neither very fair nor very brown. He will have
substantial hair (on his head and beard). He will wear coarse clothing. He will be content with whatever food is available to him. His
sword will be over his neck and he will not be troubled by whoever opposes him. He will take active part in battle. And with him will
be his companions who will enthusiastically give their lives for him. They will cherish him more than their own children. He will
appear in the Haram of Makkah and emigrate to a land of brackish water and abundant date-palms. He will adhere to the faith of
Ibrāhīm EN."
Mughīrah relates: "I then asked him: 'Provide me with more details about him.' The archbishop replied: "He will wear an Izār
(lungī or lower garment). He will wash his limbs (make Wudu). All the divine messengers before him were commissioned exclusively
for their own people but this Prophet has been commissioned for every nation of the world. The entire earth is a Musjid and source of
purity for him. Wherever Salah time finds him and water is not available, he will perform Tayammum and offer his Salah. He will not
be restricted to a temple or church like the Banī Israil. Their Salah was not valid except in a specific place of worship."
Mughīrah says: "I listened attentively to whatever he said and committed it to memory. I subsequently returned to Madinah and
appeared before Rasūlullah # and embraced Islam."
(5) Letter to Munzir bin Sawā, governor of Bahrain
Rasūlullah % composed a letter of invitation towards Islam to Munzir bin Sawa and sent it with 'Ala bin Hadramī 4%.
'Alā bin Hadramī 4% narrates: "When I reached Munzir with the blessed letter of Rasulullah , I addressed him saying:
"O Munzir! In worldly affairs you are regarded as very intelligent and astute. Don't become foolish and naïve in terms of the
hereafter. This religion of fire-worship (Zoroastrianism) is the most immoral religion around. It neither contains the nobility of the
Arabs nor the knowledge of the people of the scriptures. The adherents of this religion marry such women (sisters etc.) the mere
mention of which is unspeakably shameful. They consume such things that are disgusting to people of sound disposition. They
worship the fire of this world whereas in the hereafter, the same fire will devour them. O Munzir! You are not foolish and naïve.
Reflect over this and mull over it at length. The being who does not speak lies ever, why do you hesitate in believing in him? Why are
you suspicious of his integrity? The being who never engages in treachery, why are you sceptical of regarding him as honest? The
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being who doesn't act contrary to his word, what misgivings do you harbour about his reliability? If Rasūlullah #'s blessed being is
like this -and indisputably it is like this - then unquestionably he is the divine messenger of Allah Ta'ala. He is such a messenger that
if he enjoins something, no intelligent person will dare say, 'If only he didn't enjoin this' and if he prohibits something, no sensible
person will dare say, 'If only he didn't prevent this' or if he grants relief from something up to a certain degree, no rational person
would say, 'Why didn't he offer greater relief' or if he imposes a certain punishment, he wouldn't demand a reduction or alleviation
in it. The reason for this is that every single word, action, order and injunction of Rasulullah # is in perfect harmony to the aspirations
and inclinations of every person of sound intellect."
Response of Munzir bin Sāwā
Munzir responded: "The religion that I adhere to, I have pondered over it extensively and found it to be exclusively focused upon
this materialistic world and not upon the hereafter. And when I deliberated over your religion, I found it to be advantageous to both
this world as well as the hereafter. So what prevents me from accepting this religion? Its acceptance promises to deliver the
aspirations of life and the comforts of death. Until now I was appalled by those who embrace this religion of Islam but now I am
outraged by those who refute this true religion."
Munzir bin Sāwā's response to Rasūlullah #'s letter
Munzir bin Sawa embraced Islam and replied to Rasūlullah 's letter thus:
"O Rasūlullah! I read out your letter to the people of Bahrain. Some of them are fond of Islam. They found it incredibly appealing
and entered its fold. However, some of them are loath to accept Islam. Furthermore, there are a number of Jews and Zoroastrians
residing in our country. I eagerly await your judgement in regards to these people."
Rasūlullāh # forwarded the following reply:
Bismillahir-Rahmānir-Rahīm
From Muhammad Rasūlullāh to Munzir bin Sāwā. Salām upon you.
I present before you praises of the Lord besides Whom there is none worthy of worship and hereby testify that Muhammad is the
Rasul (messenger) of Allāh. I hereby remind you about Allāh Ta'ālā because he who acts in good faith towards Allah Ta'ālā, he is
actually doing good to himself. He who obeys and complies with my emissaries has in reality been obedient to me. He who acts in
good faith towards them has acted in good faith towards me. My emissaries have expressed profound praise for you.
I have accepted your intercession on behalf of your people. Leave in the hands of the Muslims the possessions they embraced
Islam upon. I have forgiven the errant amongst them. So accept their Islam or their repentance. And as long as you remain committed
to acting in good faith, I will not depose you. And he who wishes to hold fast to his Judaism or to his Zoroastrianism, Jizyah (tax) will
be imposed upon him."
(6) Letter to the Ruler of Amman
Bismillahir-Rahmānir-Rahīm
From Muhammad, the slave of Allah and His messenger to Jayfar and 'Abd, the two sons of Julandī.
Salām upon those who adhere to divine guidance.
I invite both of you with the invitation of Islam. Embrace Islam and you will be safe. I am the divine messenger of Allah sent to
all the peoples of the world so that I may warn the living of the punishment of Allah and so that the proof may be established against
the disbelievers. If you embrace Islam you will be retained (as leaders of your country) otherwise bear in mind that you will soon be
unseated from your kingdom and my cavalry will march right up to your atrium and my Prophethood will prevail over every religion
of your kingdom."
In 8 A.H. in the month of Zul-Q'adah, Rasulullah # sent 'Amr bin 'As 4% with this letter to the two sons of Julandī; 'Abd and
Jayfar. Hadrat 'Amr bin 'As % narrates: "Bearing this blessed letter, I reached 'Amman where I first met with 'Abd. He was an
exceptionally forbearing, tolerant and good-natured person. I explained to him that I am the emissary of Rasulullah % and that
Rasūlullah % instructed me to present this letter to him and his brother. 'Abd said: "My elder brother Jayfar is the supreme ruler. I will
arrange an imperial audience for you with him. You should present this letter to him."
Thereafter, 'Abd asked me: "What did you come to invite us to?"
'Amr bin 'As : Worship one Allah Alone, renounce idol worship and testify that Muhammad is the slave and messenger of
Allāh.
'Abd: O 'Amr bin 'As! You are the son of an eminent chieftain of your tribe. Tell me, what was the reaction of your father to this
religion? We will adopt whatever he has settled on.
'Amr bin 'As %: My father passed away without Īman upon Rasulullah . It was my fervent wish that he embraces Islam and
believes in Rasūlullah . For a lengthy period of time I too held onto his beliefs until Allāh Ta'ālā divinely guided me towards Islam.
'Abd: When did you embrace Islam?
'Amr bin 'As 4%: I embraced Islam just a few days ago.
'Abd: Where did you accept Islam?
'Amr bin 'As %: At the hands of Negus, the Emperor of Abyssinia and Negus himself also embraced Islam.
'Abd: What was the attitude of his people towards him subsequent to him embracing Islam?
'Amr bin 'As 4%: As before, they retained him as their monarch and followed him.
'Abd: What was the reaction of the clergy?
'Amr bin 'As 4%: All of them yielded to him.
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'Abd: O 'Amr! Think very carefully before you speak because there is no habit as offensive as telling lies. There is nothing more
humiliating for a man than lies.
'Amr bin 'Ās 46: Never! I certainly did not speak a lie. And speaking lies is not permissible even in our religion.
'Abd: I wonder if Hiraql, the Emperor of Rome is aware of Negus embracing Islam.
'Amr bin 'As %: The Emperor is well aware of Negus embracing Islam.
'Abd: How do you know about that?
'Amr bin 'Ās %: Negus was paying his taxes to the Roman Emperor but subsequent to him embracing Islam, Negus declined to
pay any form of tax to him. He also declared: "I swear by Allah, if the Roman Emperor has to demand even one Dirham (in tax) I will
certainly not pay it to him." When the Emperor heard of this empathic declaration, he remained silent. On noticing this bewildering
silence, the Emperor's brother, Nayaq howled in rage: "What? Will you let this slave of yours, Negus go unpunished even though he
refuses to pay tax and renounces your religion for another one?" The Emperor replied: "Negus is free to choose whichever religion he
fancies. He has opted for this particular religion and he has all the right to do so. I swear by Allah that if it wasn't for the fear of my
kingdom, I would have also followed suit and embraced this particular religion."
'Abd (stunned by the turn of events) said: O 'Amr what are you saying?
'Amr bin 'As %: By Allah! I am speaking the truth.
'Abd: Okay, tell me what does your Prophet command you to do and what does he restrain you from?
'Amr bin 'As 4%: He commands us to obey Allah Ta'ala and restrains us from His disobedience. He instructs us to carry out good
deeds and to maintain favourable family ties and he prohibits us from cruelty, transgression, adultery, drinking alcohol, polytheism
and cross-worship.
'Abd: What a pleasant invitation and what wonderful counsel. If only my brother were to concur with me then both of us could
present ourselves before Rasūlullah # and embrace Islam at his hands. However, it may be possible that my brother's concern for
kingship will largely contribute to his reluctance (to embrace this faith).
Amr bin 'Ās %: If he embraces Islam, Rasulullah # will leave your brother's imperial status unchanged and he will instruct him
to collect charity from the rich of the community and redistribute it amongst their poor and destitute.
'Abd: That's splendid! Tell me, how much and how is this form of charity levied?
Hadrat Amr bin 'Ās % relates: "I explained to him in detail how much of Zakat is levied on gold and silver and to what extent it
is imposed on camels and goats etc. Thereafter, 'Abd presented me before his brother Jayfar. I presented him with the sealed letter of
Rasūlullah . He took the letter from me, broke the seal open and read through it. After asking me to take a seat, he enquired a bit
about the conditions of the Quraysh etc. Following one or two days of reflection, he also demonstrated his inclination towards Islam.
Both brothers collectively proclaimed their Islam status and a number of people also embraced Islam with them. Jizyah (tax) was
imposed on those who failed to embrace Islam."
Hafiz 'Asqalāni says: "The actual king was their father Julandī. Perhaps due to his advanced years, he surrendered his reign of
power to his sons. According to Ibn Ishaq's narration, Rasulullah % despatched 'Amr bin 'As % to Julandī to invite him towards
Islam. Possibly Rasūlullah # sent 'Amr bin 'As % to invite the father and the sons and well."
'Allāmah Suhaylī Ale dul in writes that 'Amr bin 'As 4% addressed Julandī and said: "O Julandī! Although you are far away
from us, you are not far away from Allah Ta'ala. The Being Who created you all alone without any partner, worship Him Alone. And
the being who is not a partner to Allah Ta'ala in your creation, do not make him a partner in the worship of Allah Ta'ala. And bear in
mind that the Supreme Being who gave you life will indisputably give you death too. And the Being who started off your very
conception will soon call you back unto Him. So I urge you to reflect very carefully upon this unlettered messenger who has presented
to us the goodness and success of this world as well as the hereafter. If he demands any form of compensation from you, withhold it
and if you perceive a hint of hedonistic pursuits (Nafsānī amusements) in any of his words or actions, you may abandon him. I then
exhort you to ponder over the religion he has presented to us. Is this divine religion similar to the self-contrived laws designed by
people? If Rasūlullah 's religion is similar to manmade religions of today, then tell me, which religion is it similar to? If his religion
is not akin to any of the manmade religions of today, then be aware that this religion is the divine religion from Allah Ta'ālā. So
accept this religion and implement whatever it commands you to do and beware of everything it alerts you to."
To this Julandī replied: "I have exhaustively mulled over this unlettered Prophet and found that without a doubt he doesn't enjoin
anything good but he is the first to implement it and he doesn't prohibit anything evil but he is the first to abstain from it. When he
triumphs over his enemies, he does not gloat in vanity and when he is defeated he does not become agitated. He fulfils his promises
and honours his word. I hereby testify that he is, indisputably, a divine messenger."
He then recited the following poems:
"'Amr ('Amr bin 'As %) appeared before me with that after which there is no other truth and the faithful adviser has offered his
good counsel.
O 'Amr! I openly declare that I have embraced Islam solely for the pleasure of Allah and a crier may proclaim this in the valleys
(of our country)."
(7) Letter to the chief of Yamamah, Hūzah bin ' Alī
Bismillāhir-Rahmānir-Rahīm
From Muhammad, the messenger of Allah, to Hūzah bin 'Alī. Salām upon those who adhere to divine guidance.
Bear in mind that my religion will reach wherever camels and horses can tread. Embrace Islam and you will be safe and I will
allow you to retain custody over your domain."
Rasūlullah # handed this letter over to Salit bin 'Amr 4% and sent him off to Huzah. Huzah read this blessed letter and entertained
Salīt % with regal honour and majestic esteem.
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Salīt % addressed Hūzah saying:
"O Hūzah! Decaying and putrefying bones have appointed you as a leader. In reality, a leader is he who is adorned with Īman and
secures a provision of Taqwa (Allah-consciousness). I wish to command you to execute something that is most eminent and I wish to
prohibit you from something that is most despicable; I command you to worship Allah Alone and I prohibit you from worshipping
Shaytan. If you accept this all your aspirations will be realised and you will be safe from anxiety. However, if you refuse then the
dreadful scene of Qiyamah (doomsday) will lift this veil that exists between you and us."
Hūzah replied: "Give me a bit of time and allow me to ponder over this."
Subsequently, he responded to the blessed letter of Rasūlullah % as follows:
"What you are calling to is so magnificent and brilliant. The Arabs are awed over my status and authority. So allow me some
authority and I will submit before you."
As he was leaving with this reply, Huzah offered Hadrat Salit % some gifts that included some fine cloth produced in Hajar.
When he reached Madinah and narrated the incident to Rasūlullah , he remarked: "By Allah! Even if he has to request for a
single span of land I will refuse. He and his country both are destroyed."
On his return from the conquest of Makkah, Jibrail informed Rasulullah # about the death of Huzah. He in turn conveyed this
information to the Sahabah & and added: "Soon a liar, who will lay claim to prophethood will emerge in Yamamah and he will be
assassinated after my demise." And this is exactly what happened.
(8) Letter to the ruler of Damascus Harith Ghassanī
Bismillahir-Rahmānir-Rahīm
From Muhammad, the messenger of Allah, to Harith bin Abī Shamr.
Salām upon those who adhere to divine guidance, believe in Allah and affirm the divine commandments of Allah.
I hereby invite you to believe in one Allah Who has no partner. If you affirm your faith in this your sovereignty will remain
intact." (Zādul-Ma 'ād volume 3 page 63)
Bearing this blessed letter, Shuj'a bin Wahhab Asadī 4% reached Damascus. At that moment, the governor Harith Ghassanī, was
frantically engaged in making preparations for hosting Caesar, the Roman Emperor. As a token of gratitude of his victory over the
Persian Empire, Caesar had then just arrived at Baitul-Muqaddas (Jerusalem) walking barefoot all the way from Hims (Homs). So a
number of days passed by without Shuj'a bin Wahhab Asadī 4% securing a meeting with Harith Ghassanī, the governor.
Shuj'ā bin Wahhab Asadī % relates: "I mentioned to the doorkeeper of Harith's court: 'I am an emissary of Rasulullah # and I
wish to meet the governor.' The doorkeeper replied: 'The governor will make an appearance in a few days time. You will be able to
meet him then.'
The doorkeeper actually hailed from Rome and his name was Murri. He started asking me questions about Rasulullah . As I
continued describing to him the specifics of Rasulullah # he went on weeping. On being informed about the conditions of Rasūlullah
, he commented: "I have read the Injil (bible) and I have come across his (Rasulullah 's) name and attributes in it. I hereby declare
my faith in him and testify that he is the true messenger of Allah. I fear that Harith the governor will execute me (for declaring my
beliefs).'
Nonetheless, the doorkeeper treated me with great respect and went out of his way in entertaining me as his guest."
One day Harith made his appearance in the royal court. Wearing the imperial crown on his head, he sat down in attendance.
Hadrat Shuj'a 4% was then given permission to enter the royal court. Hadrat Shuj'a 4% presented the letter to him. On reading the letter,
Harith turned livid in anger and hurling the letter aside he roared in rage: "Who is this man who threatens to usurp my country from
me? I will pre-empt him and march against him."
He then commanded that his horses be shod in preparation for battle. He also sent a letter describing the current events to the
Roman Emperor. The Emperor replied: "Hold your horses and put off your plans.
On receiving the reply of the Emperor, Harith summoned Hadrat Shuj'a 4 and asked him when he intends to return home. He
replied that he plans on leaving the following day. Harith ordered that he be awarded one hundred Mithqals82 of gold as a gift.
Hadrat Shuj'a relates: "The doorkeeper also presented something as a gift and asked me to convey his Salam to Rasulullah . I
returned to Madinah and recounted the entire incident before Rasūlullah # who remarked: "His country is destroyed." I then
conveyed the Salam of Murri the doorkeeper and also informed Rasulullah # about what he said. Rasūlullah # replied: "He has
spoken the truth."
Notes:
1. That Rasulullah % despatched a stream of letters to the leaders of the world inviting them towards Islam is a clear corroboration
of the fact that his prophethood was not confined to the unlettered Arabs but his prophethood embraced the Arabs and non-Arabs, Jinn
and mankind, the Jews and Christians and the polytheists and Zoroastrians.
Caesar, the Roman emperor, a Christian by faith, acknowledged the Prophethood of Rasulullah # but failed to embrace Islam.
Similarly, Muqawqis, the governor of Egypt, who was also a Christian conceded the Prophethood of Rasulullah # but he also refused
to embrace Islam. Negus, the emperor of Abyssinia, was a Christian but he embraced Islam. Some denominations of Christians are
under the false notion that Rasulullah # was a true messenger but he was commissioned exclusively to the Arabs. He was not sent as a
divine messenger to the Jews and Christians. This notion of theirs is utterly baseless.
If the Prophethood of Rasulullah # was confined exclusively to the unlettered Arabs, why would he extend an invitation of Islam
to the Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians? Why would he impose Jizyah (tax) on the Jews and Christinas? Imam Zuhri que dul ny says
that the very first people upon whom Rasulullah # imposed Jizyah were the Christians of Najran. And when Hadrat Mu'az bin Jabal
82 One Mithqâl is equivalent to about 4.7 grams.
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4% was appointed the governor of Yemen, Rasulullah # commanded him to impose Jizyah of one Dinar annually upon every adult Jew
of Yemen.
2. Until now, most battles were fought with the Arabs. Thereafter, in 7 A.H. Rasulullah # engaged the Jews of Khaybar in Jihād.
And in 8 A.H. he despatched a military contingent to Mutah to battle the Christian forces. Rasulullah # successively appointed Hadrat
Zaid, Hadrat J'afar and Hadrat 'Abdullah bin Rawahah as Amir (leader) over this military contingent. Details of this will be
discussed soon, Insha Allah. Thereafter, in 9 A.H., Rasulullah % himself set off for Tabuk to engage the Roman emperor in battle.
This battle was referred to as the battle of Tabuk. This confrontation was with the Christians of the Levant. From this we deduce that
the Prophethood of Rasulullah # was not restricted to the Arab polytheists but the Jews and Christians and all the peoples of the world
are also compelled to embrace his invitation towards Din otherwise what is the sense in waging Jihad against someone not compelled
to embrace Islām?
3. Furthermore, it is conclusively established from the Quran and Hadith that Rasulullah # would proclaim (in the words of the
Quran): "Say, O people! I am a messenger of Allah to all of you." And in another verse: "Say, O people of the scripture! Come to
such a word that, between us, is an acknowledged fact .... " This is a clear exhibition of Rasūlullah 's open invitation towards Islam
extended to the people of the scripture (the Jews and the Christians).
As mentioned above, some Christians claim that Rasūlullah # was sent exclusively to the Arabs although he was a true
messenger and a messenger can be commissioned exclusively to his own people. To them we respond that logically and traditionally
it is necessary for a divine messenger to be absolutely truthful in his words and claims. It is impossible for him to be a divine
messenger if he is not truthful in even a single aspect. So, if according to these Christians, Rasūlullah # was a messenger to the Arabs
only, then he would obviously be truthful in his claim 'I am a messenger of Allah to all you people'. If you believe him to be a
messenger, then you will have to believe his claim of being sent to all the peoples of the world as well.
The battle of Khaybar 7 A.H.
"Allah has promised you abundant spoils (of war) which you will attain and He has hastened for you this (booty of Khaybar)."
(Sūrah Fatah)
As he was returning from Hudaybiyyah, Surah Fatah was revealed upon Rasulullah . In this Surah, Allah > assured the
Muslims in general and the people of the pledge in particular that they will be triumphant in a number of battles and they will capture
enormous spoils of war. And as an immediate reward for this pledge that they had taken, Allah Ta'ala had bestowed upon them
victory over Khaybar and the conquest of Makkah, which they had not as yet acquired, but will acquire soon. And in future they will
surmount a number of victories, the knowledge of which only Allah Ta'ala has. In this verse, 'He has hastened for you this,' the
reference is to the conquest of Khaybar. Similarly, in the previous verse, 'And He rewarded them with a near victory', the near victory
refers to the conquest of Khaybar.
Rasūlullah # returned from Hudaybiyyah to Madinah where he remained for Zul-Hijjah and the beginning of Muharram. During
this period, Rasulullah # was enjoined to launch an incursion against Khaybar where the treacherous Jews resided and who betrayed
the Muslims by inciting the disbelievers of Makkah against the Muslims in the battle of the confederates (trench). Allah Ta'ālā also
informed Rasūlullah # that upon hearing of the imminent conquest of Khaybar, the hypocrites too would eagerly implore you to allow
them to accompany you on this expedition. Allah Ta'ala commanded Rasulullah : "Never! These people should never accompany
you on this journey." The following verse was revealed in this regard:
"Those who lagged behind (in the expedition of Hudaybiyyah) will say when you set forth to seize the spoils (of Khaybar):
"Allow us to follow you." They wish to alter the word (and promise) of Allah. Say: "You will never ever be able to follow us, Allah
has decreed this beforehand." Then they will say: "Nay, you are jealous of us (and you don't wish to include us in the spoils of war,
whereas such a notion is preposterous. The hearts of the Sahabah & were absolutely devoid of jealousy and greed.) But these people
(the critics) do not understand except very little." (Sūrah Fatah verse 15)
Those great personalities before whom the contents of the whole world is not even equal to the wing of a mosquito, the mere
thought of them harbouring jealousy is the ultimate in stupidity and foolishness.
Following a short stay in Madinah Munawwarah, Rasūlullah % set out for Khaybar with fourteen hundred infantry and two
hundred cavalry towards the end of Muharram 7 A.H. From the pure wives, Hadrat Ummu Salamah Licala, accompanied him on
this expedition.
It is mentioned in Sahih Bukharī that Salamah bin Akw'a % relates: "On the night we set out for Khaybar in the company of
Rasūlullah , the celebrated poet 'Amir bin Akw'a 4% was ahead of us reciting the following pieces of rhyming poetry:
,"O Allah! If it were not for You we would not have been divinely guided, neither would we have distributed alms nor performed
a single Salāh.
We are sacrificed upon You, O Allah! Forgive us for shunning aside Your commandments and blanket us with Your special
tranquillity (so that the hearts may be consoled and comforted and all forms of distress and anguish are eliminated from the heart).
And grant us steadfastness when we confront the enemy. When we are summoned to war, we are swift to respond to the call of
Jihād.
And with this cry of war they are wailing in lament."
According to Musnad Ahmad, a few more rhyming stanzas are added:
"Those who have transgressed against us, if they elect to ensnare us with the temptations of disbelief and polytheism, we will
certainly not budge.
And we, O our Lord, are not independent of Your grace and favour."
Rasūlullah % asked: "Who is this reciting this rhyming poetry." When the people informed him that it was 'Amir bin Akw'a, he
commented: "May Allah shower him with His special mercy." According to the narration of Musnad Ahmad, Rasūlullah # said:
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"May Allah forgive him." Whenever Rasūlullah % made an exclusive Du'a of forgiveness in favour of someone, that person would
soon die as a martyr. This is why Hadrat 'Umar 4% pleaded: "Jannah is compulsory for him. If only you allowed us to take advantage
of 'Āmir's bravery and valour for a few more days."
En route to Khaybar, as Rasulullah % reached a hillock, the Sahabah & raised their voices in saying the Takbir (of Allahu Akbar).
To this Rasulullah # commented: "Have pity upon yourselves. You are not calling out to a Being Who is deaf or absent. You are
addressing a Being Who is close by and omnipresent. (So you don't have to shout like this.)"
Hadrat Abū Mūsa Ash'arī % relates: "I was close to the camel of Rasulullah % when he heard me reciting La Hawla wa la
Quwwata Illa Billah. He called: "O 'Abdullah bin Qays!" I promptly responded: "I am at your service O Rasūlullah!" Rasūlullah
asked: "Should I not reveal to you the treasures of Jannah?" I replied: "May my parents be sacrificed for you, surely, why not O
Rasūlullāh!” Rasūlullah % revealed: "La Hawla wa la Quwwata Illa Billah83." In other words, these words are the treasures of
Jannah." (Bukhārī)
Since Rasulullah % was aware that the Jews of the Ghatfan tribe had amassed a combat-ready force to assist the Jews of Khaybar,
he alighted at a place called Raj'ī situated between Khaybar and Ghatfan. He did this to instil a bit of awe within the Jews of Ghatfan
so that they do not rush to the aid of the Jews of Khaybar. Consequently, when the Jews of Ghatfan heard that they themselves are in
danger, they turned back swiftly.
As they drew closer to Khaybar, Rasulullah # bade the Sahabah & to hold on and he made the following Du'a:
"O Allah, the Lord of the skies and the Lord of whatever they shelter, O Lord of the earths and Lord of whatever they bear, O
Lord of the Shayatin and Lord of whatever misguidance they had perpetrated, Lord of the winds and Lord of whatever they disperse!
We beg of You for the best of this locality and the best of its inhabitants and the best of whatever is within it and we seek Your refuge
from its evils, from the evils of its inhabitants and the evils within it."
Saying this Du'a, Rasūlullah # directed the Sahabah: "Advance in the name of Allah!"
It was a noble habit of Rasulullah # to recite this Du'a on entering a locality.
It is mentioned in Sahīh Bukhārī, Hadrat Anas % narrates: "Rasūlullah # reached Khaybar at night. It was his gracious habit not
to launch an offensive at night. He would wait until the morning. If he heard the Azan, he would not attack otherwise he would launch
an attack. In keeping with this noble Sunnah, even at Khaybar, Rasūlullah # waited for the Azan of Fajr. When he failed to hear the
Azan of Fajr, he made preparations to attack. The moment dawn broke out, the Jews, clutching their picks and shovels, set out to work
(on their fields). As they laid eyes on the invading army, they exclaimed in horror: "Muhammad and the Khamīs. (Muhammad and his
whole army is here."
Khamīs is derived from the word Khams that literally means five. Since the army is made up of five divisions, the army as a unit
is referred to as Khamīs. The configuration of the army is as follows: the vanguard, the right wing, the left wing, the mainstay and
finally the rear guard.
On catching sight of these people, Rasūlullah # raised his hands in supplication: "Allah is great. Khaybar is devastated. Verily
when we descend in the courtyard (in the midst) of a nation, then dreadful is the morning of those who had been warned."
The moment the Jews got wind of Rasulullah , they retreated into their fortresses with their wives and children. Rasūlullah
launched successive attacks against these fortresses and conquered them one after the other.
These fortresses were as follows:
1. Nã'im Fort
The first fort that the Muslims conquered in this battle was Na'im Fort. Mahmud bin Maslamah 4% was standing at the foot of the
fort when the Jews dropped a millstone onto him, thus rendering him a martyr.
2. Qamūs Fort
Following their triumph over Na'im fort, the Qamus fort was conquered. This was one of the most fortified forts of Khaybar.
When the Muslims laid siege to this fort, Rasulullah # was unable to personally proceed to the battlefield as he was suffering from a
severe migraine. So he offered the battle-ensign to Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddīq 4%. In spite of his dogged efforts, he was unable to
conquer the fort and he returned. The following day, Rasulullah # handed over the ensign to Hadrat 'Umar % and sent him off to
battle. He too fought with unyielding determination but he too returned without overcoming the fort.
On that day Rasulullah # revealed: "Tomorrow I will hand over this flag to a person who loves Allah and His Rasul and Allah
and His Rasul also love him and at his hands this fort will be conquered.
Every single person was eagerly waiting to see who is blessed with this boon. They passed the whole night in enthusiastic
anticipation and effervescent zeal. The next morning Rasulullah % summoned Hadrat 'Alī . At that time he was suffering from
conjunctivitis (pink eyes). Rasūlullah # applied his blessed saliva to his eyes and recited a Du'a. Without delay he was cured as
though nothing had afflicted his eyes. Rasulullah # handed over the flag to him saying: "Before engaging them in battle, invite them
towards Islam. Enlighten them about the divine rights of Allah. I swear by Allah, if Allah guides just one person through you, it is far
better for you than red camels." Holding the standard aloft, Hadrat 'Ali % set out and eventually the fort was conquered at his hands.
One of the most celebrated heroes of the Jews, Marhab, strutted out onto the battlefield and pompously declaimed the following
rhyme:
"The citizens of Khaybar are well aware that I am Murahhib, bristling in arms, heroic and a veteran (of war)."
In response, Hadrat 'Amir bin Akw'a 4% stepped out to challenge him whilst reciting the following rhyme:
"The citizens of Khaybar are well aware that I am 'Amir, bristling in arms, heroic and reckless."
83 The meaning of this phrase is 'there is no power and might except with Allâh'. In other words, a servant is unable to protect himself
from the disobedience of Allâh Ta'âlâ without the divine assistance of Allâh Ta'âlâ and a servant does not have the ability to perform
good deeds except with the power of Allâh Ta'âlâ. And obviously where a person regards his own abilities to be insignificant and
focuses on the power, might, assistance and divine guidance of Allâh Ta'âlâ, this is the supreme form of submission and compliance,
which is the treasure of Jannah. And treasures are usually concealed. This is why the reward of reciting La Hawla wa lâ Quwwata Illâ
Billâh is not mentioned in a single Hadîth. It is a treasure. Its reward is also concealed like a treasure.
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