The letters to the kings: Abou Soufyan questioned before Héraclius

The Waqidi dates the sending of letters to the kings to the end of the sixth year, in Dhoul-Hijja, after the Umra of Houdaybiya; the Bayhaqi places this chapter here, after the Ghazwa of Mouta. They do not disagree that it began before the conquest of Mecca and after Houdaybiya: such is the word of Abou Soufyan to Héraclius when he asked: does he betray his covenants? He said: no; and we are with him now in a truce of which we know not what he will do in it. In a wording of the Boukhari: that was in the truce which Abou Soufyan made with the Messenger of Allah. Mohamed ibn Ishaq says it was between Houdaybiya and his death. Anas reports, in the Sahih of Mouslim, that the Messenger of Allah wrote before his death to Kisra and César and to the Negus, and to every tyrant, calling them to Allah: and it was not the Negus for whom he prayed.

Younous reports from Ibn Ishaq, from az-Zouhri, from Oubaydallah ibn Abdallah ibn Outba, from Abdallah ibn Abbas, that Abou Soufyan related to him from his own mouth: we were a people of merchants, and war had hemmed us in until it wore out our wealth. When the truce of Houdaybiya came between us and the Messenger of Allah, we felt no security but that we found security, and I went out trading to Syria with a party of Quraysh. By Allah, I knew no man or woman in Mecca who did not load me with merchandise. our market in Syria was Gaza, in the land of Palestine. We went out until we reached it, at the time when César, master of the Byzantines, had prevailed over the Persians who were in his land: he drove them out of it and recovered his great cross which they had carried off. His residence was at Homs in the land of Syria; he went out from it walking in gratitude to Bayt al-Maqdis, to pray in it:

carpets were spread for him and jewels cast upon them, until he reached Ilya and prayed there. One morning he was found troubled, turning his glance to the sky. His patricians said: O king, you rise troubled. He said: indeed. They said: and what is that? He said: last night I was shown in a dream that the king of the circumcised would prevail. They said: by Allah, we know no nation that circumcises but the Jews, and they are under your hand and within your dominion: if this has settled in your soul concerning them, send throughout your whole kingdom that no Jew remain but his neck be struck, and you will be rid of this worry: that is their own counsel in the matter. While they were upon it, the envoy of the lord of Bosra came to them with a man of the Arabs who had come to them. He said: O king, this man is of the Arabs, of the people of sheep and camels, who relates to you an event that befell his land: ask him of it.

When he reached him, Héraclius said to his interpreter: ask him what is this event that befell his land. He asked, and the man said: a man of the Arabs, of Quraysh, has come forth claiming to be a prophet; people have followed him and others opposed him, and there have been battles between them in various places; I went out from my land while they were upon that. When he informed him of the news, Héraclius said: strip him. And behold, he was circumcised. He said: this, by Allah, is what I was shown, not what you say! Give him back his garment, and let him go about his business. Then he called the chief of his guard and said: turn Syria back to front until you bring me a man of this man’s people, that I may ask him of his affair. Abou Soufyan said: we were, by Allah, at Gaza when he fell upon us and asked: of whom are you? We informed him, and he drove us all to him. When we reached him, Abou Soufyan said:

by Allah, I never saw a man more perceptive than that aged one, meaning Héraclius. He said: when we reached him he said: which of you is nearest of kin to this man? I said: I am. He said: bring him near to me, and seat his companions behind him; then he said to his interpreter: tell them I ask this man about that man: if he lies to me, contradict him. Abou Soufyan said: by Allah, had it not been for shame at being reported liars, I would have lied about him; but I was a man of rank who prized honour and was ashamed to lie, and I knew that the least of it would be that they would relate my lie, then speak of it in Mecca: so I did not lie to him. He said: inform me about this man who has come forth among you. I sought to belittle his affair and diminish his standing before him, but by Allah he paid no heed, and said to me: inform me of what I shall ask you of his affair. I said: ask me whatever occurs to you. He said:

what is his lineage among you? I said: pure lineage, from the middle of us. He said: inform me: did anyone of his household ever say the like of his word, imitating him? I said: no. He said: inform me: did he ever hold dominion which you took from him, so that he came with this claim to recover it? I said: no. He said: inform me: who are his followers? I said: the young, the weak and the poor; as for their nobles, they are not of them. He said: inform me of those who accompany him: do they love him and hold to him, or criticize him and leave him? I said: seldom has a man accompanied him and then left him. He said: inform me of the war between you and him. I said: it has been alternating: he reaches us and we reach him. He said: inform me: does he betray? I found nothing whereby to disparage him but this, and I said: no; but we are with him now in a truce, and we do not feel secure from his betrayal in it.

By Allah he paid no heed to it. He said: then he repeated the account to me, and said: you claim he is of purest lineage among you: thus does Allah take a prophet, taking him only from the midst of his people. I asked you whether anyone of his household had said the like of his word: you said no; had one said it, I would have said: a man imitating a word said before him. I asked you whether any of his ancestors had been a king: you said no; were it so, I would have said: a man seeking his father’s kingdom. I asked you whether you accused him of lying before he said what he said: you said no: so I know he would not have spared lies to men and lied upon Allah. I asked you whether the nobles of the people followed him or their weak: you said their weak followed him, and such are the followers of the messengers. I asked you whether they increase or decrease: you said they increase: such is the affair of faith until it is complete.

I asked you whether anyone turns away in disgust from his religion after entering it: you said no: such is faith when its joy mingles with hearts. I asked you whether he betrays: you said no: such are the messengers, who do not betray. I asked you what he commands you: you said he commands you to worship Allah alone and associate nothing with Him, forbids you the worship of idols, commands you prayer, truth and chastity. If what you say is true, he will possess the place beneath these two feet of mine. And I knew he was coming forth, but I did not think he would be of you. If I knew I could reach him, I would labour to meet him; and were I with him, I would wash his feet. Then he called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah which he had sent with Dihya to the great one of Bosra, who passed it on to Héraclius. It read: In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

From Mohamed, servant of Allah and His messenger, to Héraclius, the great of the Byzantines. Peace be upon whoever follows the guidance. As to what follows: I invite you with the invitation of Islam: accept Islam and you will be safe, and Allah will give you your reward twice; but if you turn away, upon you is the sin of the tillers. And: O people of the Book, come to a word equal between us and you: that we worship none but Allah and associate nothing with Him, and take not one another for lords beside Allah. But if they turn away, then say: bear witness that we are submissive (Al Imran, 64). When he had said what he said and finished reading the letter, clamour rose about him, voices were raised, and we were expelled. I said to my companions as we were expelled: the affair of the son of Abou Kabcha has become great! The king of the sons of yellow garments fears him! And I never ceased certain that he would prevail, until Allah brought me into Islam.

The Boukhari reports this story with other additions, from his Sahih, before the chapter of faith: Héraclius had sent for them in a caravan of Quraysh merchants in Syria, in the truce in which the Messenger of Allah had made a truce with Abou Soufyan and the unbelievers of Quraysh. They came to him at Ilya; he summoned them in his audience hall surrounded by the great men of the Byzantines, then called for his interpreter and said: which of you is nearest in kinship to this man who claims to be a prophet? Abou Soufyan said: I am the nearest of them in kinship. He said: bring him near to me, and bring his companions near, and seat them behind him. Then he said to his interpreter: say to them: I ask this man about that man: if he lies to me, contradict him. Abou Soufyan said: by Allah, were it not for shame at being reported lying, I would have lied about him. The first thing he asked me about him was: how is his lineage among you? I said: he is of noble lineage among us. He said:

has anyone among you ever said this before him? I said: no. He said: was there a king among his forefathers? I said: no. He said: do the nobles of the people follow him or their weak? I said: rather their weak. He said: do they increase or decrease? I said: rather they increase. He said: does anyone of them turn back in disgust at his religion after entering it? I said: no. He said: did you accuse him of lying before he said what he said? I said: no. He said: does he betray? I said: no, and we are with him now in a truce of which we know not what he will do. He said: I could not insert into it anything but this word. He said: have you fought him? I said: yes. He said: how was your fighting of him? I said: the war between us and him is alternating: he reaches us and we reach him. He said: what does he command you? I said: he says: worship Allah alone and associate nothing with Him, and abandon what your fathers say; and he commands us prayer, truth, chastity and kindred ties. Then he said to the interpreter: say to him:

I asked you of his lineage, and you claimed he is of noble lineage among you: so are messengers sent, in the lineage of their peoples. I asked you whether anyone of you had said this before him, and you said no: were it so, I would have said: a man imitating a word said before him. I asked you whether there were kings among his ancestors: you said no: were it so, I would have said: a man seeking his father’s kingdom. I asked you whether you accused him of lying before he said what he said: you said no: so I know he would not have spared lies to men and lied upon Allah. I asked you whether the nobles of the people followed him or their weak: you said their weak followed him, and such are the followers of the messengers. I asked you whether they increase or decrease: you said they increase: such is the affair of faith until it is complete. I asked you whether anyone turns away in disgust from his religion after entering it: you said no: such is faith when its joy mingles with the hearts. I asked you whether he betrays:

you said no: such are the messengers, who do not betray. I asked you what he commands you: you said he commands you to worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, forbids you idol-worship, commands you prayer, truth and chastity. If what you say is true, he will possess the place beneath these two feet of mine; and I knew he was coming forth, but I did not think he would be of you: were I to know I could reach him, I would strive to meet him; and were I with him, I would wash his feet. Then he called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah which he had sent with Dihya to the great one of Bosra, who passed it on to Héraclius. When he had said what he said and finished reading the letter, clamour increased about him, voices were raised, and we were expelled. I said to my companions when we were expelled: the affair of the son of Abou Kabcha has become great! He is feared by the king of the sons of yellow garments! And I remained certain he would prevail, until Allah brought me into Islam.

Ibn an-Natour, the ruler of Ilya and vassal of Héraclius over the Christians of Syria, relates that when Héraclius came to Ilya he rose one day in an ill humour, and some of his patricians said: we find your appearance strange. Ibn an-Natour says: Héraclius was an astrologer; and when they asked him he said: when I looked into the stars I saw the king of the circumcised has appeared: who of this nation circumcises? They said: none circumcises but the Jews: let not their affair trouble you; write to the cities of your kingdom that they kill the Jews among them. While they were upon his command, Héraclius was brought a man sent by the king of Ghassan, who related the news of the Messenger of Allah. When Héraclius questioned him he said: go and see whether he is circumcised or not. They looked at him and told him he was circumcised. He asked the Arabs whether they circumcised, and they said: they do. Héraclius said: the dominion of this nation has appeared!

Then Héraclius wrote to one of his men at Rome, his peer in knowledge, and Héraclius went to Homs; he did not remain at Homs before a letter came from his man agreeing with Héraclius’ opinion on the coming forth of the Prophet and that he was a prophet. Héraclius then permitted the great men of the Byzantines into an audience hall he had at Homs, then ordered its doors shut; then he looked out and said: O assembly of Byzantines, do you desire success and right guidance, and that your dominion be established? Then pledge allegiance to this Prophet! They surged like wild donkeys toward the doors, and found them shut. When Héraclius saw their revolt, and despaired of their faith, he said: bring them back to me. And he said: I only said my words just now to test your firmness in your religion, and I have seen! They prostrated to him and were pleased with him: and that was the last of the affair of Héraclius. The Boukhari reports it through Salih ibn Kaysan, Younous and Ma’mar, from az-Zouhri.

Ibn Lahi’a reports, from al-Aswad, from Urwa: Abou Soufyan ibn Harb went out to Syria as a merchant in a party of Quraysh, and the affair of the Messenger of Allah reached Héraclius, who wished to know what was to be known of the affair of the Messenger of Allah. He wrote to his lord over the Arabs in Syria, commanding him to send him men of the Arabs to ask them about him; he sent him thirty men, among them Abou Soufyan ibn Harb. They entered upon him in the church of Ilya in the midst of the city. Héraclius said: I have sent for you to inform me of the affair of this man in Mecca.

They said: a sorcerer, a liar, and no prophet. He said: inform me, then, of the most knowing of you about him and the nearest of you to him in kinship. They said: this is Abou Soufyan, his cousin, who has fought him. When they told him that, he ordered them out, then seated Abou Soufyan and questioned him.

He said: inform me, O Abou Soufyan. He said: he is a sorcerer, a liar. Héraclius said: I do not wish to insult him; but what is his lineage among you? He said: he is, by Allah, of the house of Quraysh.

He said: how are his intellect and judgment? He said: we never knew of him intellect or judgment. Héraclius said:

was he a habitual swearer of false oaths, deceiving in his affair? He said: no, by Allah, he was never such. He said: perhaps he seeks dominion, or an honour that belonged to someone of his house before him? Abou Soufyan said: no.

Then he said: who of you follows him: does anyone of them return to you? He said: no. Héraclius said: does he betray when he covenants? He said: no, unless he betray in this truce of his.

Héraclius said: and what do you fear from this truce of his? He said: my people have extended their allies against his allies, and he is in Medina. Héraclius said: if you began, then you are the betrayers. Abou Soufyan grew angry and said: he has overcome us but once, and I was absent that day, the day of Badr; then I made war upon him twice in their houses, boring bellies and cutting ears and genitals.

Héraclius said: do you see him as a liar or truthful? He said: rather he is a liar. He said: if there is a prophet among you, do not kill him, for the worst of people in that were the Jews. Then Abou Soufyan returned.

In this account is strangeness, and in it benefits not found with Ibn Ishaq nor the Boukhari. Moussa ibn Oqba relates in his campaigns something near what Urwa ibn az-Zoubayr related, and Allah is most knowing.

Ibn Jarir relates in his History, and Mohamed ibn Ishaq likewise, that Héraclius said to Dihya ibn Khalifa al-Kalbi when he came to him with the letter of the Messenger of Allah: by Allah, I know indeed that your companion is a prophet sent, and that he is the one we awaited and find in our Book; but I fear the Byzantines for my life, and were it not for that I would follow him. Go then to the patriarch and mention to him the affair of your companion: for he is, by Allah, greater than I among them, and his word more readily accepted: see what he says to you. Dihya came and informed him of what he had brought from the Messenger of Allah to Héraclius, and of what he invited to. The patriarch said: your companion is, by Allah, a prophet sent: we know him by his description and find him in our Book by his name!

Then he entered, cast off the black garments he wore, put on white garments, took his staff, and went out to the Byzantines in the church, saying: O assembly of Byzantines, there has come to us a book from Ahmad, inviting us therein to Allah, and I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah and that Ahmad is His servant and His messenger! They leapt upon him as one man and beat him until they killed him. When Dihya returned to Héraclius and informed him, he said: did I not tell you we fear them for ourselves? The patriarch was, by Allah, greater than they, and his word more readily accepted than mine.

The Tabarani reports through Yahya ibn Salama ibn Kouhayl, from his father, from Abdallah ibn Chaddad, that Dihya al-Kalbi said: the Messenger of Allah sent me to César, master of the Byzantines, with a letter. I said: grant entry to the envoy of the envoy of Allah! César was told that at the door was a man claiming to be envoy of the envoy of Allah, and they were startled; and he said: admit him. He admitted me while his patricians were around him, and I gave him the letter, which read: In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. From Mohamed, messenger of Allah, to César, master of the Byzantines. A nephew of his, red-skinned and blue-eyed, cried out: read not the letter today, for he has begun with himself: he wrote to the master of the Byzantines, not to the king of the Byzantines!

The letter was read until it was finished; then he ordered them out, then sent for me: I entered and he questioned me, and I informed him. He sent for the bishop, who entered: he was the chief of their religion, whose opinion and word they followed. When he read the letter the bishop said: he is, by Allah, the one of whom Moussa and Issa gave us glad tidings, whom we awaited. César said: what do you command me? The bishop said: as for me, I believe him and will follow him. César said: I know he is thus, but I cannot do it: if I did, my dominion would go and the Byzantines would kill me. Mohamed ibn Ishaq reports likewise, from Khalid ibn Yasar, from an elder of the people of Syria, that when Héraclius intended going out from the land of Syria to Constantinople, because of what had reached him of the affair of the Prophet, he gathered the Byzantines and said:

O assembly of Byzantines, I propose to you options: consider what I intend thereby. They said: what are they? He said: you know, by Allah, that this man is a prophet sent: we find him in our Book, we know him by the description given us: come, let us follow him, that our world and Hereafter be safe. They said: shall we be under the hands of the Arabs, when we are the greatest of people in dominion, the most numerous in men, and the broadest in territory?!

He said: come, I shall give him the tribute every year, breaking his power and gaining rest from his war by what I give him. They said: shall we give the Arabs humiliation and lowliness in a tribute they take from us, when we are the most numerous of people, the greatest in dominion and the best fortified in land? No, by Allah, we shall never do that! He said: come, let me make peace with him by giving him the land of Syria, and he will leave me and the land of Syria.

The land of Syria, he said, meant Palestine, the Jordan, Damascus, Homs and the land of Syria below the gate, all beyond the gate being to them the Syria. They said: shall we give him the land of Syria, when you know it is the navel of Syria? Never shall we do that! When they refused him he said: by Allah, you will wish you had prevailed, when you prove unable even in your city!

Then he sat upon his mule and went; and when he looked upon the gate he faced the land of Syria, then said: peace be upon you, O land of Syria, a salutation of farewell! Then he sped until he entered Constantinople. And Allah is most knowing.