Mu'jam Kabir Tabarani 7238 — Abu Sufyan bin Harb told me

It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: Abu Sufyan bin Harb (may Allah be pleased with him) told me, from his mouth to my ear; he said: I set out during the period of truce that was between us and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He said: While I was in Syria, a letter from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was brought to Heraclius. He said: Dihyah al-Kalbi (may Allah be pleased with him) had brought it, and he handed it to the governor of Busra, who handed it to Heraclius. Heraclius said: Is there anyone here from the people of this man who claims that he is a prophet? They said: Yes. He said: So I was summoned along with a group of Quraysh, and we went in to Heraclius. He seated us before him and asked: Which of you is closest in lineage to this man who claims that he is a prophet? Abu Sufyan said: I said: I am. So they seated me before him and seated my companions behind me. Then he called his interpreter and said: Tell them: I am going to ask about this man who claims that he is a prophet; if he lies to me, then declare him a liar. Abu Sufyan said: By Allah! Were it not for fear that my companions would accuse me of lying, I would certainly have lied. Then he said to his interpreter: Ask him: What is his lineage among you? I said: He is of noble lineage among us. He said: Was any of his forefathers a king? I said: No. He said: Did you accuse him of lying before he said what he said? I said: No. He said: Do the noble people follow him, or the weak? I said: Rather the weak. He said: Are they increasing or decreasing? I said: No, rather they are increasing. He said: Does any of them, after entering his religion, turn back from it out of displeasure with it? I said: No. He said: Have you fought him? I said: Yes. He said: How has your fighting with him gone? I said: The war between us and him goes by turns; he gains from us and we gain from him. He said: Does he act treacherously? I said: No, and we are now in a truce with him; we do not know what he will do in it. He said: By Allah! I found no chance to insert anything into a word except this. He said: Has anyone before him said this thing? I said: No. He said to his interpreter: Tell him: I asked you about his lineage, and you stated that he is of noble lineage among you; and so the messengers are sent among the noble families of their people. I asked you whether any of his forefathers was a king, and you said no; so I thought: had any of his forefathers been a king, I would have said: This is a man seeking the kingdom of his forefathers. I asked you about his followers, whether they are the noble or the weak, and you said: Rather the weak; and they are the followers of the messengers. I asked you whether you accused him of lying before he said what he said, and you said no; so I knew that he is not one who would refrain from lying to people and then go and lie about Allah. I asked you whether any of them, after entering his religion, turns back from it out of displeasure with it, and you said no; and such is faith when it settles deep in hearts. I asked you whether they are increasing or decreasing, and you said they are increasing; and such is the matter of faith until it is complete. I asked you whether you have fought him, and you stated that you have fought him and that the war between you and him goes by turns, you gaining from him and he gaining from you; and so the messengers are tested, and then the final outcome is theirs. I asked you whether he acts treacherously, and you stated that he does not act treacherously; and so the messengers do not act treacherously. I asked you whether anyone before him said this thing, and you said no; so I thought: had anyone before him said this thing, I would have said: This is a man following a saying that was said before him. Then he asked: What does he command you? I said: He commands us to pray, to give zakah, to maintain ties of kinship and to be chaste. He said: If what you say is true, then he is a prophet. I knew that he was going to appear, but I did not think he would be from among you. If I were certain that I could reach him, I would love to meet him, and if I were with him, I would wash his feet; and his kingdom will surely reach the place where my two feet are. Then he called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and read it, and in it was: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Heraclius, the great one of the Romans. Peace be upon whoever follows guidance. To proceed: I invite you with the call of Islam. Accept Islam and you will be safe; accept Islam and Allah will give you your reward twice over. But if you turn away, then upon you is the sin of the peasants (your subjects). And: 'O People of the Book! Come to a word that is equal between us and you' up to 'that we are Muslims.'" When he finished reading the letter, voices were raised around him and the clamour grew, and orders were given concerning us, and we were taken out. When we came out, I said to my companions: The affair of Ibn Abi Kabshah has grown great indeed; even the king of the Romans fears him. And I remained certain about the affair of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), that he would prevail, until Allah granted me Islam. Al-Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Then Heraclius summoned the great men of the Romans and gathered them in his palace, and said: O people of Rome! Do you desire success and right guidance, and that your kingdom should remain established forever? He said: They bolted towards the doors like wild donkeys, and found them locked. So he called them back: I only said this to test your firmness in your religion, and I have seen from you what I wished. So they prostrated to him and were pleased with him.