Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah

Sayyiduna Abu Sufyan bin Harb (may Allah be pleased with him) says: (The king of Rome) Heraclius sent a man to call him, while he was with a caravan of the Quraysh. At that time, these people had gone to Syria for trade, and this was the period when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had made a temporary truce with the Quraysh and Sufyan. Abu Sufyan and the others reached Heraclius at Ilya. Heraclius had summoned his court, and around him were sitting the great men of Rome (scholars, ministers, and nobles). Heraclius called them and his interpreter, then asked: "Who among you is the closest relative of the claimant to prophethood?" Abu Sufyan says: I spoke up, "I am his closest relative." (Upon hearing this) Heraclius ordered, "Seat him (Sufyan) close to me and his companions behind him." Then he said to his interpreter, "Tell these people that I will ask Abu Sufyan about this man (Muhammad ﷺ), and if he lies to me about anything, then you should expose his lie." (Abu Sufyan says:) By Allah! If I had not been ashamed that these people would call me a liar, I would certainly have lied about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Anyway, the first thing Heraclius asked me... (For ease, we present the narration in dialogue form):

Heraclius: What is his lineage like among you?
Abu Sufyan: He is of noble lineage.
Heraclius: Has anyone among you ever made such a claim before?
Abu Sufyan: No.
Heraclius: Was there any king among his ancestors?
Abu Sufyan: No.
Heraclius: Do the prominent people follow him or the weak?
Abu Sufyan: The weak have followed him.
Heraclius: Are his followers increasing or decreasing?
Abu Sufyan: They are increasing.
Heraclius: Has anyone, after entering his religion, become displeased with it and apostatized?
Abu Sufyan: No.
Heraclius: Did you ever accuse him of lying before his claim to prophethood?
Abu Sufyan: No.
Heraclius: Does he deceive?
Abu Sufyan: No, and now we have a fixed truce with him; I do not know what he will do in it. Other than this, I could not add any (lie) to this conversation.
Heraclius: Have you ever fought with him?
Abu Sufyan: Yes.
Heraclius: What was the outcome of your battles with him?
Abu Sufyan: Sometimes his side was victorious, and sometimes ours; sometimes they won, sometimes we did.
Heraclius: What does he command you?
Abu Sufyan: He says, "Worship Allah, who is One and Alone, associate nothing with Him, and abandon the ways (of shirk) of your forefathers." He commands us to pray, to speak the truth, to be pious, and to maintain family ties.

(After hearing all this) Heraclius said to his interpreter: Tell Abu Sufyan, "I asked you about his lineage, and you said he is of noble lineage among you, and prophets are always of noble lineage among their people. I asked if anyone before him had made such a claim among you, and you said no. Then I thought, if someone had said this before, I would have thought that this man is imitating what has already been said. I asked you if there was any king among his ancestors, and you said no. I thought, if there had been a king among his ancestors, I would have said that this man (is making this claim) to regain the kingdom of his forefathers. I asked you if you ever accused him of lying before his claim, and you said no. I realized that a person who refrains from lying to people would not lie about Allah. I asked you whether the prominent or the weak follow him, and you said the weak have followed him. In fact, these are the followers of the prophets. I asked you whether his followers are increasing or decreasing, and you said they are increasing, and this is the nature of faith until it is complete. I asked you whether anyone, after entering his religion, becomes displeased and apostatizes, and you said no. Indeed, this is the characteristic of faith: when its joy enters the hearts, they do not turn away from it. I asked you whether he ever breaks his promises, and you said no. This is the state of the prophets; they do not break their promises. I asked you what he commands you, and you said he commands you to worship Allah alone, not to associate anything with Him, forbids you from idol worship, and commands you to speak the truth and be pious. If what you say is true, then soon he will own the very place where my two feet are. I knew that (the Prophet) was coming, but I did not know that he would be from among you. If I knew I could reach him, I would endure every hardship to meet him. If I were with him, I would wash his feet."

Heraclius then called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), which he had sent through Dihyah Kalbi (may Allah be pleased with him) to the governor of Busra, and he had sent it to Heraclius. Then he read it, and in it was written: «بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم» "This letter is from the servant and Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), to the king of Rome. Peace be upon him who follows guidance. After that, I invite you to Islam. If you accept Islam, you will have safety (in this world and the Hereafter), and Allah will grant you a double reward. But if you turn away (from my invitation), then the sin of your subjects will also be upon you. O People of the Book! Come to a word that is equal between us and you: that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate nothing with Him, and that none of us takes others as lords besides Allah. But if they turn away, then say (O Muslims): Bear witness that we are Muslims, submitting to Allah alone."

Abu Sufyan says: When Heraclius had said what he wanted to say and finished reading the letter, there was much commotion around him. Many voices were raised, and we were driven out. Then I said to my companions, "The matter of the son of Abu Kabsha (Muhammad ﷺ) has become very great. (See that) even the king of the Banu Asfar (Romans) fears him." At that time, I became certain that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would soon prevail, until Allah made me a Muslim.

(The narrator says:) Ibn Nator, the governor of Ilya and a close friend of Heraclius and the chief priest of the Christians of Syria, narrates: When Heraclius came to Ilya, one morning he woke up troubled. His courtiers asked, "Today we find your condition changed, what is the reason?" Ibn Nator says: Heraclius was an astrologer, fully skilled in astrology. He told his companions, "Last night I looked at the stars and saw that the king of the circumcised has prevailed over our land. (Now) who are the people who circumcise in this era?" They said, "No one circumcises except the Jews, so do not worry about them. Just send orders to all the cities of your kingdom that all the Jews be killed." While they were engaged in this, a man was brought to Heraclius, sent by the king of Ghassan, who described the situation of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). When Heraclius heard all the details, he said, "Go and see if he is circumcised or not." They checked and reported that he was circumcised. When Heraclius asked this man about the Arabs, he told him that they practice circumcision. Then Heraclius said, "This is indeed (Muhammad ﷺ), the king of this nation who has appeared." Then he wrote a letter to a friend in Rome, who was as skilled in astrology as Heraclius. Then Heraclius went to Hims (Emesa). He had not yet left Hims when a reply came from his friend. His friend's opinion about the appearance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was the same as Heraclius's: that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is indeed a prophet.

After this, Heraclius summoned the great men of Rome to his palace in Hims and ordered the doors of the palace to be closed. Then he came out (from his private chamber) and said, "O people of Rome! Is there any share for you in guidance and success? If you desire the survival of your kingdom, then pledge allegiance to this Prophet and become Muslims." (As soon as they heard this) they rushed to the doors like wild donkeys, but found the doors closed. When Heraclius saw their aversion and despaired of their accepting faith, he said, "Bring them to me." (When they came again) he said, "What I said was only to test the firmness of your faith, and I have seen it." (Upon hearing this) they all fell in prostration before him and were pleased with him. This was the last matter of Heraclius.