IB_14

Page 14

Page 15

Issue 14

OLY

ROPHET

’

ETTER

IRAQL

AESAR

) E

MPEROR OF

THE

OMANS

NVITING

SLAM

It was narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas who

learned the tradition personally from Abu Sufyan.

The latter said:

I went out (on a mercantile venture) during the period

(of truce) between me and the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him). While I was in Syria, the

letter of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) was handed over to Hiraql (Caesar), the Emperor

of Rome (who was on a visit to Jerusalem at that time).

The letter was brought by Dihya Kalbi who delivered

it to the governor of Basra, and the governor passed

it on to Caesar.

(On receiving the letter) Caesar held a grand court. He

donned a Crown and sat on his throne and said: ‘Is

there anyone from the people of this man who thinks

that he is a prophet?’ People said: ‘Yes.’

So I was called along with a few others from the

Quraysh. We were admitted to Caesar and he seated

us before him. He asked: ‘Which of you has the closest

kinship with the man who thinks that he is a prophet?’

Abu Sufyan said: ‘I.’ So they seated me in front of

him and seated my companions behind me. Then he

called his interpreter and said to him: ‘Tell them that I

am going to ask this fellow (i.e. Abu Sufyan) about the

man who thinks that he is a prophet. If he tells me a

lie, then refute him.’ Abu Sufyan told (the narrator):

‘By God, had there not been the fear that falsehood

would be imputed to me, I would have lied.’

(Then) Caesar said to his interpreter: ‘Inquire from

him about his ancestry.’

I said: ‘He is of good ancestry among us.’

He asked: ‘Has there been a king among his ances

tors?’

I said: ‘No.’

He asked: ‘Did you accuse him of falsehood before

he proclaimed his prophethood?’

I said: ‘No.’

He asked: ‘Who are his followers - people of high

status or low status?’

I said: ‘(They are) of low status.’

He asked: ‘Are they increasing in number or decreas

ing?’

I said: ‘No, they are rather increasing.’

He asked: ‘Does anyone give up his religion, being

dissatisfied with it, after having embraced it?

I said: ‘No.’

He asked: ‘Have you been at war with him?’

I said: ‘Yes.’

He asked: ‘How did you fare in that war?’

I said: ‘The war between us and him has been wavering

like a bucket, up at one turn and down at the other

(i.e. the victory has been shared between us and him

by turns).’

He asked: ‘Has he (ever) violated his covenant?’

I said: ‘No.’

He asked: ‘Did anyone make the proclamation (of

prophethood) before him?’

I said ‘No.’

He now said to his interpreter: ‘Tell him - I asked him

about his ancestry and he replied that he had the best

ancestry. This is the case with prophets; they are the

descendants of the noblest among their people.’

(Addressing Abu Sufyan,) he continued:

‘I asked you if there had been a king among his ances

tors. You said that there had been none. If there had

been a king among his ancestors, I would have said

that he was a man demanding his ancestral kingdom.’

‘I asked you about his followers, whether they were

people of high or low status, and you said that they

were of rather low status. Such are the followers of

the prophets.’

‘I asked you whether you used to accuse him of false

hood before he proclaimed his prophethood, and

you said that you did not. So I have understood that

when he did not allow himself to tell a lie about the

people, he would never go to the length of forging a

falsehood about Allah.’

‘I asked you whether anyone renounced his religion

being dissatisfi d with it after he had embraced it, and

you replied in the negative. Faith is like this when it

enters the depths of the heart (it perpetuates them).’

‘I asked you whether his followers were increasing or

decreasing. You said they were increasing. Faith is like

this until it reaches its consummation.’

‘I asked you whether you had been at war with him,

and you replied that you had been and that the

victory between you and him had been shared by

turns, sometimes he suffering loss at your hand and

sometimes you suffering loss at his. This is how the

prophets are tried before the final victory is theirs.

‘I asked you whether he (ever) violated his covenant,

and you said that he did not. This is how the prophets

behave. They never violate (their covenants).’

‘I asked you whether anyone before him had pro

claimed the same thing , and you replied in the

negative. I said: If anyone had made the same proc

lamation before, I would have thought that he was

a man following what had been proclaimed before.’

(Then) he asked: ‘What does he enjoin upon you?’

I said: ‘He exhorts us to offer Salat, to pay Zakat, to

show due regard to kinship, and to practice chastity.’

He said: ‘If what you have told about him is true, he

is certainly a prophet. I knew that he was to appear,

but I did not think that he would be from among

you. If I knew that I would be able to reach him, I

would love to meet him; and if I had been with him,

I would have washed his feet (out of reverence). His

dominion will certainly extend to this place which is

under my feet.’

Then he called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah

(PBUH) and read it. The letter ran as follows:

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious and Most

Merciful

Peace be on him, who follows the right

path.From Muhammad, the Messenger of

Allah, to Hiraql, the Emperor of the

Romans.

After this, I invite you to the fold of Islam.

Therefore, if you desire security, accept Islam.

If you accept Islam, Allah shall reward you

double and if you refuse to do so, the responsibility

for the transgression of the entire nation, shall be

yours.O people of the Book, come to the word

that is common between us, that we should

worship none other than Allah, should not

ascribe any partner to Him, and that none of us

should take their fellows as Lords other than

Allah.

f you deny this, you must know that we

believe in Oneness of Allah, in all

circumstances.

Seal: Allah’s Prophet Muhammad

The dialogue of Caesar, with Abu Sufyan, highly en

raged the courtiers. The Caesar, therefore, sent away

the Arabs from the court. The love of crown and throne

and the opposition of the courtiers, however, did not

allow Caesar to accept Islam.

But his searching questions and his talk clearly show

that he was convinced of the truthfulness of Islam,

as he had correctly judged that a person who never

in his life, uttered even a trifling lie, could hardly say

anything wrong about Allah.

He was also certain that worldly riches, splendor,

and ascendancy were not the aims and objects of the

Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), but the communication of the

message of Islam to the entire world, was his mission.

When Caesar was about to return to Constantinople,

he again advised his courtiers to follow the Holy Proph

et (S.A.W.) as he was the one, they were awaiting.

He further mentioned that their books contained the

description of the Holy Prophet, Muhammad (S.A.W.),

and these clearly and unequivocally indicate that he

was the true Prophet of Allah.

It was, therefore, in their own interest to follow the

guidance given by the Holy Prophet (S. A. W.).

However, the courtiers, said that it would mean their

acceptance of the lordship of the Arabs, although

their’s was the biggest kingdom of the world and

their nation the greatest nation of the world. Caesar,

thereon, said that although they were not prepared

to accept Islam then very shortly they would be over

He was much displeased by the arrogant attitude of

the courtiers and immediately left Syria. While depart

ing, he looked at the Syrian territory and said that he

was leaving Syria for ever. And it was true, he never

returned to Syria.

etter

aesar