Lu'lu' wal-Marjan

Narrated by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) directly narrated to me, he informed me that during the period when there was a truce (Hudaybiyyah) between me and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), I was on a business trip and was in Syria when the letter of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reached Heraclius. He narrated that Dihyah Kalbi (may Allah be pleased with him) brought the letter and handed it over to the governor of Busra, and from there it reached Heraclius. Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Heraclius asked, "Are there any people from the nation of the man who claims to be a Prophet within our borders?" The courtiers replied, "Yes, there are." Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that then I, along with some other men from Quraysh, was called. We entered the court of Heraclius and were made to sit in front of him. He asked, "Who among you is closest in relation to the man who claims to be a Prophet?" Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated, "I said, 'I am the closest.'" The courtiers then made me sit very close to the king and my companions behind me. After that, the interpreter was called, and Heraclius said to him, "Tell them that I will ask you some questions about the man who claims to be a Prophet. If he (i.e., Abu Sufyan) lies, then expose his lie." Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "By Allah! If I had not feared that my companions would report me as a liar, I would have surely lied about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)." Then Heraclius said to his interpreter, "Ask him, what is the lineage of the man who claims to be a Prophet?" Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "His lineage among us is very noble." He asked, "Was there any king among his ancestors?" I said, "No." He asked, "Did you ever accuse him of lying before his claim to Prophethood?" I said, "No." He asked, "Are his followers the noble or the weak among the people?" I said, "The weak among the people are more." He asked, "Are their numbers increasing or decreasing?" I said, "No, rather they are increasing." He asked, "Has anyone ever, after accepting his religion, become displeased and left it?" I said, "That has never happened." He asked, "Have you ever fought with him?" I said, "Yes." He asked, "What was the outcome of your battles with him?" I said, "The example of our battles is like a bucket: sometimes it is in their hands, sometimes in ours." He asked, "Has he ever betrayed you?" I said, "So far, he has not betrayed us, but these days we have a treaty with him, and I do not know what he will do in it." Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated, "By Allah! Except for this sentence, I could not add anything from myself in this entire conversation." Then he asked, "Has anyone before him ever made such a claim among you?" I said, "No." After that, Heraclius said to his interpreter, "Tell him: I asked you about his lineage, and you told me that he is considered noble and of high lineage among you. This is the case with the Prophets; their mission is always among the noble families of their people. I asked you if there was any king among his ancestors, and you denied it. From this, I conclude that if there had been a king among his ancestors, it could have been said that he wanted to reclaim his ancestral kingdom. I asked you about his followers, whether they are the weak or the noble among the people, and you told me that the weak are more among his followers. This is always the case; the weak have always followed the Prophets. I asked you if you ever accused him of lying before his claim to Prophethood, and you denied it. From this, I understand that a person who has never lied to people, how could he lie about Allah? I asked you if anyone, after accepting his religion, became displeased and left it, and you denied it. This is the effect of faith when it enters the depths of the heart. I asked you whether the number of his followers is increasing or decreasing, and you told me that it is increasing. This is the case with faith until it reaches perfection. I asked you if you have ever fought with him, and you told me that you have, and the outcome was sometimes in your favor and sometimes in theirs. This is also the case with the Prophets; they are put to trials, but in the end, the outcome is in their favor. I asked you if he has ever broken a covenant with you, and you denied it. The Prophets never break their covenants. I asked you if anyone before him had made such a claim among you, and you said no. From this, I conclude that if anyone before him had made such a claim, it could have been said that he is imitating him." He narrated that then Heraclius asked, "What does he command you to do?" I said, "Prayer, zakat, maintaining family ties, and chastity." Finally, he said, "If what you have said is true, then he is indeed a Prophet. I also knew that the time of his Prophethood was near, but I did not think that he would be from your people. If I were sure I could reach him, I would certainly go to meet him, and if I were with him, I would wash his feet, and his kingdom will reach as far as these two feet of mine." Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated, "Then he called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and read it. It was written in it: 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to Heraclius, the great of Rome. Peace be upon him who follows guidance. To proceed: I invite you to Islam. Accept Islam and you will be safe, and Allah will give you a double reward. But if you turn away, then the sin of your subjects will also be upon you. "O People of the Book! Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah" "and that we associate none with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah." But if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are Muslims.'" (Aal Imran: 69) When Heraclius finished reading the letter, there was a great commotion in the court, and then we were expelled from the court. When we came out, I said to my companions, "The matter of Ibn Abi Kabsha has reached such a point that even the king of Bani al-Asfar (Heraclius) fears him." After this incident, I became certain that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would surely prevail, and eventually Allah placed the light of Islam in my heart as well.