Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 13895

Sayyiduna Dihyah al-Kalbi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me to Caesar with a letter. When I came to him and gave him the letter, his nephew was present with him at that time; he was of reddish complexion, blue-eyed, and the hair of his head was completely straight. When he began to read the letter, this was written in it: "This is from Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the Messenger of Allah, to Heraclius, the head of Rome." The narrator says: His nephew became enraged and said: "This will not be read today." Caesar asked him: "Why is that?" He said: "For one thing, he has begun by mentioning himself, and secondly, he has written 'the head of Rome'; he has not written 'the King of Rome'." Caesar said: "You will read it." When he had read that letter, those people got up and left him. He summoned me to him, and he summoned a bishop who was the one in charge of their affairs. He told that bishop about this and had him read the letter. The bishop said to him: "This is the very one we were waiting for, and about whom Sayyiduna Isa (peace be upon him) gave us glad tidings." Caesar said to him: "What do you advise me in this matter?" The bishop said to him: "As for myself, I will affirm him and follow him." Caesar said to him: "But as for me, if I do that, my rule will come to an end." Then we got up and left him. Caesar sent a message to Abu Sufyan, who was there in those days. He said: "Tell me about that gentleman who has been sent in your land: who is he?" Abu Sufyan said: "He is a young man." He asked: "What is his lineage like among you?" Abu Sufyan said: "In terms of lineage he is such that no one is superior to him." Caesar said: "This is a sign of prophethood." He asked: "What is his truthfulness like?" Abu Sufyan said: "He has never told a lie." Caesar said: "This is a sign of prophethood." Then Caesar asked: "What is your view about this: if someone from among your companions leaves and goes to him, does he ever come back to you?" Abu Sufyan said: "No." Caesar said: "This is a sign of prophethood." Then he said: "What is your view about this: if any of his companions leaves and comes to you, do they go back to him?" Abu Sufyan replied: "Yes." Caesar said: "This is a sign of prophethood." Then Caesar asked: "Has it ever happened that he and his companions fought?" Abu Sufyan said that his opponents fought him; sometimes he routed his opponents and sometimes his opponents routed him. Caesar said: "This is a sign of prophethood." The narrator says: Then Caesar called me and said: "Convey this message to your master: we have recognised that you are the Prophet of Allah, but I cannot give up my rule." The narrator says: As for that bishop, his situation was this: the people used to gather to him every Sunday; he would come out to them, talk with them and give them admonition and advice. When Sunday came, this time he did not come out to them, and he remained in his place until the next Sunday came. I used to go in to him; he would talk with me and he would ask me questions and answer them. When the next Sunday came and the people were waiting for him to come out to them, he did not go out to them and offered them the excuse that he was ill. This happened a few times, so those people sent him a message: "Either you come out to us, or else we will come in to you and kill you, for ever since this Arab man came, we have felt that your state has changed." Then that bishop said to me: "Take this letter and go with it to your master; convey my greetings of peace to him and tell him that I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah, that I believe in him, affirm him and follow him, but these people have objected to this of mine; so whatever situation you see, tell him about it." Then he went out to those people, and they killed him. Then Sayyiduna Dihyah (may Allah be pleased with him) came back to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). At that time the envoys of the governor appointed by Chosroes in San'a were present with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); they had been sent to him, and Chosroes had written a letter to the governor of San'a in which he had said: "Get control of that gentleman who has been sent in your land and who is inviting me to his religion, that either I accept his religion or pay the jizyah; otherwise I will kill you, or I will do such-and-such to you." So the governor of San'a sent fifteen men to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); Sayyiduna Dihyah (may Allah be pleased with him) found those men with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) read the letter of their master, he left them as they were for fifteen days. When fifteen days had passed, they presented themselves before him; when he saw them, he called them and said: "Go to your master (that is, the governor of San'a) and tell him that my Lord has killed his master (that is, Chosroes) tonight." They went and told that governor about this, and he said: "Work out this night, which night it was." He also said: "Tell me, how did you find him?" They said: "We have not seen any king more awe-inspiring (that is, more imposing) than him. He walks among the people and has no fear of anyone; he lives in an ordinary state and is not guarded, yet voices are not raised in his presence." Sayyiduna Dihyah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: Then the news came that Chosroes had been killed that night.
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Ibrahim bin Isma'il bin Yahya, and he is da'if (weak).