To the Byzantine emperor |
According to al-Tabari in his History of the Prophets and
Kings , Muhammad decided after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah
to send letters to many rulers of the world, inviting them to
Islam. [1][2][3] Non-Muslims have disputed this tradition,
however. [4]
sent ambassadors with such letters to Heraclius the Caesar
of Byzantium , Chosroes II the Khosrau of Persia , the Negus
of Ethiopia, Muqawqis the ruler of Egypt , Harith Gassani the
governor of Syria , Munzir ibn Sawa and to the ruler of
Bahrain .[5]
emperor of Byzantium; reproduction taken from Majid
Ali Khan, Muhammad The Final MessengerIslamic
Book Service, New Delhi (1998).
The text of the letter to Heraclius, as transmitted by Muslim
historians, reads as follows:
ﺳﻼﻡ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﻦ ﺍﺗﺒﻊ ﺍﻟﻬﺪﻯ، ﺃﻣﺎ ﺑﻌﺪ ﻓﺈﻧﻰ ﺃﺩﻋﻮﻙ
ﺑﺪﻋﻮﺓ ﺍﻹﺳﻼﻡ . ﺃﺳﻠﻢ ﺗﺴﻠﻢ ﻭﻳﺆﺗﻚ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺃﺟﺮﻙ
ﻣﺮﺗﻴﻦ ، ﻓﺈﻥ ﺗﻮﻟﻴﺖ ﻓﺈﻥ ﻋﻠﻴﻚ ﺇﺛﻢ ﺍﻷﺭﻳﺴﻴِّﻴﻦ .
{ ﻗُﻞْ ﻳَﺎ ﺃَﻫْﻞَ ﺍﻟْﻜِﺘَﺎﺏِ ﺗَﻌَﺎﻟَﻮْﺍ ﺇِﻟَﻰٰ ﻛَﻠِﻤَﺔٍ ﺳَﻮَﺍﺀٍ ﺑَﻴْﻨَﻨَﺎ
ﻭَﺑَﻴْﻨَﻜُﻢْ ﺃَﻟَّﺎ ﻧَﻌْﺒُﺪَ ﺇِﻟَّﺎ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪَ ﻭَﻟَﺎ ﻧُﺸْﺮِﻙَ ﺑِﻪِ ﺷَﻴْﺌًﺎ ﻭَﻟَﺎ
ﻳَﺘَّﺨِﺬَ ﺑَﻌْﻀُﻨَﺎ ﺑَﻌْﻀًﺎ ﺃَﺭْﺑَﺎﺑًﺎ ﻣِّﻦ ﺩُﻭﻥِ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪِ ۚ ﻓَﺈِﻥ
ﺗَﻮَﻟَّﻮْﺍ ﻓَﻘُﻮﻟُﻮﺍ ﺍﺷْﻬَﺪُﻭﺍ ﺑِﺄَﻧَّﺎ ﻣُﺴْﻠِﻤُﻮﻥَ { [ ﺳﻮﺭﺓ ﺁﻝ
In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy,
From Muhammad, son of Abdullah to
Heraclius the Leader of the Romans:
Peace be upon he who follows the
guidance.
invitation of Islam. If you accept Islam-
you will find peace, God will give your
reward in double. If you turn away, you
will bear the sin of the Arians.
word that is equitable between us and you
- that we will not worship except God and
not associate anything with Him and not
take one another as lords instead of God .'
But if they turn away, then say, 'Bear
witness that we are Muslims [submitting
to Him].' (Quran 3:64)