Narrated `Abdullah bin `Abbas:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) wrote to Caesar and invited him to Islam and sent him his letter with Dihya Al-Kalbi whom Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered to hand it over to the Governor of Busra who would forward it to Caesar. Caesar as a sign of gratitude to Allah, had walked from Hims to Ilya (i.e. Jerusalem) when Allah had granted Him victory over the Persian forces. So, when the letter of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) reached Caesar, he said after reading it, 'Seek for me any one of his people! (Arabs of Quraish tribe) if present here, in order to ask him about Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). At that time Abu Sufyan bin Harb was in Sham with some men from Quraish who had come (to Sham) as merchants during the truce that had been concluded between Allah's Messenger (ﷺ); and the infidels of Quraish. Abu Sufyan said, Caesar's messenger found us somewhere in Sham so he took me and my companions to Ilya and we were admitted into Ceasar's court to find him sitting in his royal court wearing a crown and surrounded by the senior dignitaries of the Byzantine. He said to his translator. 'Ask them who amongst them is a close relation to the man who claims to be a prophet." Abu Sufyan added, "I replied, 'I am the nearest relative to him.' He asked, 'What degree of relationship do you have with him?' I replied, 'He is my cousin,' and there was none of Bani Abu Manaf in the caravan except myself. Caesar said, 'Let him come nearer.' He then ordered that my companions stand behind me near my shoulder and said to his translator, 'Tell his companions that I am going to ask this man about the man who claims to be a prophet. If he tells a lie, they should contradict him immediately." Abu Sufyan added, "By Allah! Had it not been shameful that my companions label me a liar, I would not have spoken the truth about him when he asked me. But I considered it shameful to be called a liar by my companions. So I told the truth. He then said to his translator, 'Ask him what kind of family does he belong to.' I replied, 'He belongs to a noble family amongst us.' He said, 'Have anybody else amongst you ever claimed the same before him? 'I replied, 'No.' He said, 'Had you ever blamed him for telling lies before he claimed what he claimed? ' I replied, 'No.' He said, 'Was anybody amongst his ancestors a king?' I replied, 'No.' He said, "Do the noble or the poor follow him?' I replied, 'It is the poor who follow him.' He said, 'Are they increasing or decreasing (day by day)?' I replied,' They are increasing.' He said, 'Does anybody amongst those who embrace his (the Prophet's) Religion become displeased and then discard his Religion?'. I replied, 'No. ' He said, 'Does he break his promises? I replied, 'No, but we are now at truce with him and we are afraid that he may betray us." Abu Sufyan added, "Other than the last sentence, I could not say anything against him. Caesar then asked, 'Have you ever had a war with him?' I replied, 'Yes.' He said, 'What was the outcome of your battles with him?' I replied, 'The result was unstable; sometimes he was victorious and sometimes we.' He said, 'What does he order you to do?' I said, 'He tells us to worship Allah alone, and not to worship others along with Him, and to leave all that our fore-fathers used to worship. He orders us to pray, give in charity, be chaste, keep promises and return what is entrusted to us.' When I had said that, Caesar said to his translator, 'Say to him: I ask you about his lineage and your reply was that he belonged to a noble family. In fact, all the apostles came from the noblest lineage of their nations. Then I questioned you whether anybody else amongst you had claimed such a thing, and your reply was in the negative. If the answer had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man was following a claim that had been said before him. When I asked you whether he was ever blamed for telling lies, your reply was in the negative, so I took it for granted that a person who did not tell a lie about (others) the people could never tell a lie about Allah. Then I asked you whether any of his ancestors was a king. Your reply was in the negative, and if it had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man wanted to take back his ancestral kingdom. When I asked you whether the rich or the poor people followed him, you replied that it was the poor who followed him. In fact, such are the followers of the apostles. Then I asked you whether his followers were increasing or decreasing. You replied that they were increasing. In fact, this is the result of true faith till it is complete (in all respects). I asked you whether there was anybody who, after embracing his religion, became displeased and discarded his religion; your reply was in the negative. In fact, this is the sign of true faith, for when its cheerfulness enters and mixes in the hearts completely, nobody will be displeased with it. I asked you whether he had ever broken his promise. You replied in the negative. And such are the apostles; they never break their promises. When I asked you whether you fought with him and he fought with you, you replied that he did, and that sometimes he was victorious and sometimes you. Indeed, such are the apostles; they are put to trials and the final victory is always theirs. Then I asked you what he ordered you. You replied that he ordered you to worship Allah alone and not to worship others along with Him, to leave all that your fore-fathers used to worship, to offer prayers, to speak the truth, to be chaste, to keep promises, and to return what is entrusted to you. These are really the qualities of a prophet who, I knew (from the previous Scriptures) would appear, but I did not know that he would be from amongst you. If what you say should be true, he will very soon occupy the earth under my feet, and if I knew that I would reach him definitely, I would go immediately to meet Him; and were I with him, then I would certainly wash his feet.' " Abu Sufyan added, "Caesar then asked for the letter of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and it was read. Its contents were: "In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful (This letter is) from Muhammad, the slave of Allah, and His Apostle, to Heraculius, the Ruler of the Byzantine. Peace be upon the followers of guidance. Now then, I invite you to Islam (i.e. surrender to Allah), embrace Islam and you will be safe; embrace Islam and Allah will bestow on you a double reward. But if you reject this invitation of Islam, you shall be responsible for misguiding the tillers (i.e. your nation). O people of the Scriptures! Come to a word common to you and us and you, that we worship. None but Allah, and that we associate nothing in worship with Him; and that none of us shall take others as Lords besides Allah. Then if they turn away, say: Bear witness that we are (they who have surrendered (unto Him)..(3.64) Abu Sufyan added, "When Heraclius had finished his speech, there was a great hue and cry caused by the Byzantine Royalties surrounding him, and there was so much noise that I did not understand what they said. So, we were turned out of the court. When I went out with my companions and we were alone, I said to them, 'Verily, Ibn Abi Kabsha's (i.e. the Prophet's) affair has gained power. This is the King of Bani Al-Asfar fearing him." Abu Sufyan added, "By Allah, I remained low and was sure that his religion would be victorious till Allah converted me to Islam, though I disliked it."
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 2940, 2941
In-book reference
Book 56, Hadith 153
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 4, Book 52, Hadith 191
Translation by Dr. M. Muhsin Khan · Language: EN
Sahih
It is related that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas reported, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wrote to Caesar to invite him to Islam. He sent his letter to him with Dihya al-Kalbi. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, commanded him to give it to the governor of Bosra for him to give to Caesar. When Allah had defeated the armies of Persia for Caesar, he had walked from Homs to Jerusalem out of gratitude for the blessing Allah had given him. When the letter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reached Caesar, after reading it, he said, 'Seek out for me any of his people here so that I can question him about the Messenger of Allah.'" Ibn 'Abbas said, "Abu Sufyan informed me that he had been in Syria with some men of Quraysh who had come to trade in the period of the truce between the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the unbelievers of Quraysh. Abu Sufyan said, 'Caesar's messenger found us in part of Syria and brought me and my companions to Jerusalem and we entered where he was. He was sitting in his royal assembly wearing the crown and the great men of Byzantium were around him. He said to his translator, "Ask them which among you is closest in lineage to this man who claims that he is a Prophet?" Abu Sufyan said, "I am the nearest to him in lineage." He asked, "What is the kinship between you and him?" I said, "He is my nephew, and there is no one in the caravan today from the Banu 'Abdu'l-Manaf but me." Caesar said, "Bring him near," and he commanded that my companions be put directly behind me by my shoulder. Then he said to his translator, "Tell his companions and I am asking this man about the one who claims that he is a Prophet. If he tells me a lie, then they should call him a liar."' "Abu Sufyan said, 'By Allah, if it had not been for the shame that my companions would say that I was lying, I would have lied to him that day when he asked me about him. But I was embarrassed that they would say that I lied, so I told him the truth. Then he said to his translator, "Ask him what is the lineage of this man among you?" I replied, "He has noble lineage among us." He asked, "Has any of you made this statement before him?" I said, "No." He said, "Did you used to suspect him of lying before he said what he said?" I said, "No." He asked, "Was any of his ancestors a king?" I answered, "No." He said, "Do the nobles of the people follow him or their humble ones?" I replied, "Their humble ones." He asked, "Are they on the increase or decrease?" I said, "They are on the increase." He asked, "Does any of them become displeased with his deen and apostatise after entering it?" I answered, "No." He said, "Does he act treacherously?" I replied, "No, but at the moment we have a truce with him that we fear he may betray." "Abu Sufyan said, 'I could not get a word in at all in which I deprecated him without fearing that they would call me a liar. He asked, " Have you fought him or has he fought you?" I said, "Yes." He said, "How was the war behind you and him?" I said, "Success in the war alternated between us - sometimes he would get the better of us and sometimes we of him." He said, "What does he order you to do?"' He said, 'He commands us to worship Allah alone and not associate anything with Him and forbids us what our ancestors worshipped. He commands us to pray, to speak the truth, to be chaste, to fulfil contracts and to hand over trusts.' "When I said that to him, he said to his translator, 'Tell him: "I asked you about his lineage among you and you mentioned that he has noble lineage; in the same way all the Messengers who were sent came from noble lineage among their peoples. I asked you whether anyone else among you had said such a thing before him and you asserted they had not. If any of you had said this before him, I would have said that he was a man following the precedent of something said before. I asked you whether you accused him of being a liar before he said what he said and you said no. I knew that he not would refuse to lie about people and then tell lies against Allah. I asked you whether any of his ancestors was a king and you said no. I said that if one of his ancestors had been a king, I would have said that he was a man seeking the kingdom of his ancestors. I asked you whether the nobles or humble people followed him and you said that their humble people followed him. They are the ones who follow the Messengers. I asked you whether they were on the increase or decrease and you said that they were on the increase. That is what happens with belief until it is complete. I asked you whether anyone had apostatized out of dislike for his deen after he had entered and you stated that they had not. That is how it is with belief when its joy mixes with the hearts - no one dislikes it. I asked you whether he had been treacherous and you said no. That is how it is with the Messengers. They are not treacherous. I asked you whether you had fought him and he had fought you, and you said that it had happened and that success in the war alternated between you - sometimes he would get the better of you and sometimes you of him. Messengers are tested like that and they have the final outcome. I asked you what he commanded you and you stated that he commanded you to worship Allah and not associate anything with him and forbade you what your fathers were worshipping, and he commanded you to pray, speak truthfully, be chaste, fulfill contracts and return trusts.' He said, 'This is the description of the Prophet. I knew that he was going to appear, but I did not think that it would be from you. If what you said is true, then he will soon control this place where these two feet of mine are now standing. If I knew that I could reach him, I would set out to meet him. If I were with him, I would wash his feet.' "Abu Sufyan said, 'Then he called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and it was read out. It said: "In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful, from Muhammad, the slave of Allah and His Messenger, to Heraclius, ruler of the Byzantines. Peace be upon the one who follows guidance. Following on from that: I call you to Islam. If you become Muslim, you will be safe and Allah will double your reward. If you turn away, then you incur the wrong actions of your subjects. And, 'O People of the Book! Come to a proposition which is the same for us and you – that we should worship none but Allah and not attribute any partners to Him and not take one another as lords besides Allah. If they turn away, say, "Bear witness that we are Muslims."' (3:64)"' "Abu Sufyan said, 'When he finished what he said, the voices of the great men of Byzantium around him were raised and there was a great uproar. I do not know what they said. We were turned out. When I went out with my companions and was alone with them, I said to them, "This business of Ibn Abi Kabsha has become so prominent that he alarms even the King of the Greeks."' "Abu Sufyan said, "By Allah, I remained humble and was certain that he would be victorious until Allah brought my heart to Islam while I disliked it.'"
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 2940, 2941
In-book reference
Book 56, Hadith 153
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 4, Book 52, Hadith 191
Translation by Aisha Bewley · Language: EN
Sahih
