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Mu'jam Kabir Tabarani 4183 — The Prophet ﷺ sent me with a letter

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَضْرَمِيُّ، وَالْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ التُّسْتَرِيُّ، قَالَا: ثنا، يَحْيَى الْحِمَّانِيُّ، ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ شَدَّادٍ، عَنْ دِحْيَةَ الْكَلْبِيِّ، قَالَ: بَعَثَنِي النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى قَيْصَرَ صَاحِبِ الرُّومِ بِكِتَابٍ، فَقُلْتُ: اسْتَأْذَنُوا لِرَسُولِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَأُتِيَ قَيْصَرُ فَقِيلَ لَهُ: إِنَّ عَلَى الْبَابِ رَجُلًا يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ رَسُولُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَفَزِعُوا لِذَلِكَ فَقَالَ: أَدْخِلْهُ، فَأَدْخَلَنِي عَلَيْهِ وَعِنْدَهُ بَطَارِقَتُهُ، فَأَعْطَيْتُهُ الْكِتَابَ فَقُرِئَ عَلَيْهِ، فَإِذَا فِيهِ: «بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ، مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولِ اللهِ إِلَى قَيْصَرَ صَاحِبِ الرُّومِ» فَنَخَرَ ابْنُ أَخٍ لَهُ أَحْمَرُ أَزْرَقُ سَبِطٌ، فَقَالَ: لَا تَقْرَإِ الْكِتَابَ الْيَوْمَ بَدَأَ بِنَفْسِهِ، وَكَتَبَ صَاحِبَ الرُّومِ، لَمْ يَكْتُبْ مَلِكَ الرُّومِ، قَالَ: فَقُرِئَ الْكِتَابُ حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِنْهُمْ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُمْ فَخَرَجُوا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ، ثُمَّ بَعَثَ إِلَيَّ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ، فَسَأَلَنِي فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ، فَبَعَثَ إِلَى الْأَسْقُفِّ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ وَكَانَ صَاحِبَ أَمْرِهِمْ يَصْدُرُونَ عَنْ رَأْيَهُ وَعَنْ قَوْلِهِ، فَلَمَّا قَرَأَ الْكِتَابَ قَالَ الْأُسْقُفُّ: هُوَ وَاللهِ الَّذِي بَشَّرَنَا بِهِ مُوسَى، وَعِيسَى الَّذِي كُنَّا نَنْتَظِرُ، قَالَ قَيْصَرُ: فَمَا تَأْمُرُنِي؟ قَالَ: أَمَّا أَنَا فَإِنِّي مُصَدِّقُهُ ومُتَّبِعُهُ، فَقَالَ قَيْصَرُ: أَعْرِفُ أَنَّهُ كَذَلِكَ، وَلَكِنْ لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَفْعَلَ، إِنْ فَعَلْتُ ذَهَبَ مُلْكِي وقَتَلَنِي الرُّومُ
Sayyiduna Dihyah al-Kalbi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me with a letter to Caesar, the ruler of the Romans. I said (to the gatekeeper): "Seek permission for the messenger of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." So someone went to Caesar and he was told: "There is a man at the door who claims that he is the messenger of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." They were alarmed at that, and he (the king) said: "Bring him in." So I was brought in to him, and his patricians (bataricah) were with him. I gave him the letter and it was read out to him, and in it was: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Caesar, the ruler of the Romans." At this a nephew of his, ruddy, blue-eyed and straight-haired, snorted and said: "Do not read the letter today. He has begun with himself, and he has written 'ruler of the Romans'; he did not write 'king of the Romans'." The narrator said: So the letter was read until they finished it. Then he ordered them, and they left his presence. Then he sent for me and I went in to him; he questioned me and I informed him. Then he sent for the bishop, who came to him; he was the one in charge of their affairs, and they acted upon his opinion and his word. When he read the letter, the bishop said: "By Allah, he is the one whose glad tidings Musa and Isa gave us, the one we have been waiting for." Caesar said: "Then what do you advise me?" He said: "As for me, I believe him and follow him." Caesar said: "I know that it is so, but I cannot do it. If I do it, my kingship will be gone and the Romans will kill me."
Hadith Reference المعجم الكبير للطبراني / باب الدال / 4183
Hadith Takhrij المعجم الكبير للطبراني (مطبوعہ): جلد 4، صفحہ 225، حدیث 4198