Surah Saba (34) — Ayah 28

(Ayah 28) ➊ {وَ مَاۤ اَرْسَلْنٰكَ اِلَّا كَآفَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ : ’’ كَآفَّةً ‘‘} means {’’عَامَّةً‘‘}, this is the state of {’’اَلنَّاسُ‘‘}, meaning We have not sent you except to all mankind. After mentioning the Hereafter and monotheism, the Prophethood of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) is mentioned. Dawud and Sulaiman (peace be upon them) were granted such kingship along with Prophethood that was unique to them, and the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) was granted such a Messengership that was not given to any other Prophet besides him. That is, all previous Prophets were sent only to their own people and their invitation was for people of a limited time, whereas the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent to all nations and all people on the face of the earth, and his invitation is for people until the Day of Judgment. See also the exegesis of Surah Al-A'raf (158), Al-Anbiya (107), and Al-Furqan (1).

➋ Another meaning of {’’ كَآفَّةً ‘‘} has also been given: that the meaning of {’’كَفَّ يَكُفُّ كَفًّا‘‘} (n) is to prevent, and in {’’ كَآفَّةً ‘‘} the "taa" is not for feminine, but for emphasis, as in {’’عَلَّامَةٌ‘‘} and {’’رَاوِيَةٌ‘‘}, meaning very much preventing, i.e., We have sent you as one who greatly prevents people (from misguidance). This meaning is also correct.

➌ { بَشِيْرًا وَّ نَذِيْرًا :} means that both glad tidings and warnings are combined in your invitation: giving good news to those who obey and warning those who do not believe of Allah's punishment.

➍ {وَ لٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ :} means that most people do not recognize your worth and status; they do not realize what a magnificent personality they have been blessed with, so due to ignorance, they are determined in their opposition and enmity towards you.

28. 1. In this verse, Allah Almighty has mentioned, firstly, the universal prophethood of the Noble Prophet ﷺ, that you ﷺ have been sent as the guide and leader for the entire human race. Secondly, it has been stated that despite your ﷺ desire and effort, most people will remain deprived of faith. The explanation of both these matters has also been given at other places. For example, regarding your ﷺ prophethood, it is stated, (قُلْ يٰٓاَيُّھَا النَّاسُ اِنِّىْ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ اِلَيْكُمْ) 7. Al-A'raf:158) (تَبٰرَكَ الَّذِيْ نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلٰي عَبْدِهٖ لِيَكُوْنَ لِلْعٰلَمِيْنَ نَذِيْرَۨا) 25. Al-Furqan:1) In a hadith, it is mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ said, "I have been given five things which were not given to any prophet before me: 1. I have been helped by instilling awe in the hearts of the enemy from a distance of a month's journey. 2. The entire earth has been made a mosque and pure for me, so wherever the time of prayer comes, my ummah may perform prayer there. 3. The spoils of war have been made lawful for me, which were not lawful for anyone before me. 4. I have been granted the right of intercession. 5. The previous prophets were sent only to their own people, but I have been sent as a prophet for all the people of the universe." (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Masajid) Some have interpreted "Ahmar Aswad" as referring to jinn and humans, and some as Arabs and non-Arabs. Imam Ibn Kathir says both meanings are correct. Similarly, the ignorance and misguidance of the majority has been explained (وَمَآ اَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِيْنَ) 12. Yusuf:13) Despite your desire, most people will not believe (وَاِنْ تُطِعْ اَكْثَرَ مَنْ فِي الْاَرْضِ يُضِلُّوْكَ عَنْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ) 6. Al-An'am:116) If you follow the majority of the people on earth, they will mislead you, which means that the majority are misguided.

And We have not sent you except as a bearer of glad tidings [43] and a warner to all people, but most people do not know [44].

[43]
You are the Best of the Prophets and the Seal of the Prophets:

You ﷺ are not only for the Arabs but for the entire world, and not only for your own era but for all times until the Day of Judgment, as Allah’s Messenger, the bearer of glad tidings of Paradise for the believers, and the warner of the evil end in the Hereafter for the deniers of the truth. Whereas all the prophets before you ﷺ were sent for a specific nation, a specific region, and a specific period. This subject has been mentioned at numerous places in the Noble Quran and is also abundantly found in authentic hadith. Two things become clear from this: first, that you are superior and more honored than all the prophets, and second, that after you, until the Day of Judgment, no messenger or prophet will come. Therefore, the responsibility of preaching was not only upon you for the people of Arabia but also for those outside Arabia. Until the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, all the work of preaching Islam had been done within Arabia. One important purpose of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was that you had not yet been able to focus on preaching outside Arabia, and you wished that if there was some peace from external threats on all sides, then attention could be given to this. Immediately after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Jews of Khaybar were subdued. Then you consulted the noble Companions ؓ about sending letters of invitation to the rulers of neighboring countries, and the Companions ؓ said that the kings of non-Arabs only read letters that are sealed. So you had a silver seal made, on which the words Muhammad Rasulullah (peace and blessings be upon him) were engraved. Anas bin Malik ؓ says that it is as if I can still see the shine and engravings of that seal. [بخاری۔ کتاب الاحکام۔ باب الشھادۃ علی الخط المختوم۔]
And in one narration, the order of these words was that at the top was the word Allah, below it Rasul, and below that Muhammad. At that time, there were two great empires: one of Rome, the other of Persia. Therefore, we mention them first.

Your Blessed Letter to Caesar of Rome:

The Roman emperor Heraclius was himself a scholar of the Torah and the Gospel. He knew well that the time for the appearance of the Last Prophet had come. The news of the Last Prophet had reached him, and he knew in his heart that the Last Prophet had appeared, whose glad tidings are present in the Torah and the Gospel. Then, fourteen years before this occasion, when the Roman emperor was defeated by the Persians, the Quran gave the glad tidings of the Romans regaining victory, at a time when there were no signs of such a miraculous victory anywhere. This prophecy was fulfilled on the day of the Battle of Badr. This too confirmed the truthfulness of the Last Prophet. He was so pleased with this victory that he reached Bayt al-Maqdis on foot to offer thanks to Allah. You sent Dihyah Kalbi with the letter to him. Dihyah Kalbi was a handsome Companion whose appearance resembled that of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and whenever Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to you in human form, he would come in the form of Dihyah Kalbi. The content of the letter you ﷺ wrote to Heraclius was: “﴿بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم﴾ From Muhammad, the servant of Allah and His Messenger, to Heraclius, the leader of Rome. After that! I invite you to the word of Islam. If you accept Islam, you will live in peace, and Allah will grant you a double reward. But if you turn away, then the burden of the sin of your subjects will also be upon you. Then you had this verse from Surah Al-Imran written: O People of the Book! Come to a word that is common between us and you: that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate none with Him, and that none of us takes others as lords besides Allah. But if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are Muslims.” [بخاری۔ کتاب الوحی۔ باب کیف کان بدء الوحی]
Dihyah Kalbi took this letter to Harith Ghassani, the governor of Busra, so that he could formally deliver it to the Roman emperor. He gave Dihyah Kalbi permission to go to the emperor. There, Dihyah Kalbi learned that Heraclius was in Bayt al-Maqdis. So he reached Bayt al-Maqdis and handed over this noble letter to the king. He himself had already believed in his heart and wanted his subjects to become Muslim with him so that his kingdom would remain with him. For this, he began to devise plans. Finally, an idea came to his mind. He asked the people if a Quraysh trade caravan had come here these days. They said yes, Abu Sufyan’s caravan had come and was staying in Gaza. The king summoned Abu Sufyan. Meanwhile, he prepared a questionnaire of eleven questions to bring the truth to light. These questions were just like those a lawyer asks during cross-examination to clarify his position. His purpose was that his nobles, ministers, military officers, and subjects would incline towards Islam, making it easier for him to accept Islam. Now, we present the questionnaire, Abu Sufyan’s answers, and the emperor’s commentary from Sahih Bukhari. Two other companions were presented before the king with Abu Sufyan. The king had Abu Sufyan stand in front of him and his companions behind him, and told the companions that if Abu Sufyan lied in answering any question, they should immediately correct him. A translator was performing the duties of interpretation. Abu Sufyan himself, after accepting Islam, says that on that day, these questions had surrounded me so tightly that I wanted to lie but could not. The king asked Abu Sufyan and his companions, “Who among you is closely related to this Prophet?” Abu Sufyan said, “I am.” So the questions and answers began, narrated by Abu Sufyan himself:

The Dialogue Between Heraclius and Abu Sufyan:

Caesar asked: What is the lineage of this Prophet among you? I said: His lineage is good.
Caesar: Has anyone among you ever claimed prophethood before?
I said: No.
Caesar: Do the rich or the poor follow him?
I said: The poor.
Caesar: Are his followers increasing or decreasing?
I said: Increasing.
Caesar: Has anyone, after accepting faith in him, become displeased and left him?
I said: No.
Caesar: Before his claim to prophethood, did you ever accuse him of lying?
I said: No.
Caesar: Has he ever broken a covenant?
I said: No, now we have a peace treaty with him. Let’s see what he does. Abu Sufyan says, I could not find any other opportunity to add anything else.
Caesar: Have you ever fought with him?
I said: Yes.
Caesar: What was the outcome of the battle?
I said: The battle is like a tide; sometimes we suffer losses, sometimes he does.
Caesar: What does he command you?
I said: He says, worship only Allah, do not associate anyone with Him, abandon the ways of your forefathers. He commands prayer, truthfulness, avoiding immorality, and maintaining family ties.
After asking these eleven questions, Heraclius commented on Abu Sufyan’s answers as follows:
I asked you about his lineage, and you said he is of noble descent. Prophets are sent from noble and high-ranking families among their people. I asked you if anyone from his family had claimed prophethood, and you said no. If someone had, I would have thought this man was following in his footsteps. I asked if any of his ancestors was a king, and you said no. If there had been a king, I would have thought he was seeking his father’s kingdom. I asked you if he ever lied, and you said no. And it cannot be that a person who refrains from lying to people would lie about Allah. I asked you whether the rich or the poor follow him, and you said the poor. The followers of prophets are always the poor. I asked you whether his followers are increasing or decreasing, and you said increasing. This is the nature of faith until it is complete. I asked you if anyone, after accepting Islam, became displeased and left, and you said no. This is the nature of faith when its sweetness enters the heart. I asked you if he breaks his promises, and you said no. Prophets never break their promises. I asked you what he commands, and you said he commands the worship of Allah, not associating partners with Him, forbids idol worship, and commands prayer, truthfulness, and avoiding immorality. If all that you say is true, then soon he will own the very place where my feet are. I knew that a prophet was to come, but I did not think he would be from among you. If I knew I could reach him, I would strive to meet him, and if I were with him, I would wash his feet. Saying this, the king read your blessed letter aloud to everyone. When the courtiers, nobles, and ministers saw the king so inclined towards Islam, their nostrils flared with anger and their eyes turned red. There was an uproar and voices were raised. Abu Sufyan and his companions were expelled from there. Abu Sufyan says, I said to my companions, “The son of Abu Kabsha (this was the nickname of your foster father, and Abu Sufyan used it derogatorily) has attained a great status. Even the king of the Romans fears him.” From that day, I became convinced that Muhammad ﷺ would prevail, until Allah made me a Muslim. [بخاری۔ کتاب الوحی۔ باب کیف کان بدء الوحی]

The Nobles’ Hatred for Islam and the Helplessness of Caesar of Rome:

To shape public opinion, Heraclius did another thing: he sent your blessed letter to a distinguished religious scholar and his friend Daghatur. Later, he himself went to him. Daghatur’s opinion about the appearance of the Last Prophet matched that of Heraclius. Taking this as full support, Heraclius summoned the Roman chiefs to his palace in Homs, had the doors closed, and himself appeared from the balcony, saying: “O Roman chiefs! Do you want success, well-being, and to retain your positions? If so, then pledge allegiance to this Prophet.” As soon as they heard this, they became agitated like wild donkeys and rushed to the doors, only to find them locked. When Heraclius realized how much they hated faith and lost hope in their accepting faith, he said, “Bring these chiefs to me.” When they came, he said, “I only said this to test you, to see how firm you are in your religion, and now I know.” At this, the chiefs prostrated to him and were pleased with him. This was the final situation of Heraclius. [بخاری۔ کتاب الوحی۔ باب کیف کان بدء الوحی]
From this lengthy hadith, which Imam Muslim has recorded in full, it is clear that Heraclius was fully convinced that Muhammad ﷺ was Allah’s true Messenger and had believed in his heart, but out of fear of the nobles of his kingdom, he could not openly express his faith. He was neither able to win public opinion in his favor nor did he have the courage to give up his kingdom for the sake of faith. He wanted to accept faith along with his nobles so that after accepting Islam, the kingdom would remain with him. But his prejudiced nobles did not allow this wish to be fulfilled.
2. The second great empire was that of the emperor of Persia, or Khosrow of Persia. His name was Parvez, grandson of Nushirwan the Just and son of Hormuz. He was extremely arrogant and full of pride and conceit. He followed the Zoroastrian religion, did not believe in the Hereafter or the prophets. He was a polytheist and fire-worshipper. In the conflict with the Muslims, the Quraysh of Makkah sympathized with him, and it was he who was defeated by the Roman emperor on the day of Badr. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent Abdullah bin Hudhafah with his blessed letter to him and said that this letter should be delivered to Mundhir bin Sari, the governor of Bahrain, who would deliver it to the king of Persia. The content of the letter was: “﴿بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم﴾ From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to the great one of Persia. Peace be upon him who follows guidance, believes in Allah and His Messenger, and testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Allah has sent me as a Messenger to all the worlds so that I may warn every living being of Allah. Accept Islam and you will be safe, but if you do not, then the burden of the sins of all the Magians will be upon you.”

Parvez Tearing Up Your ﷺ Blessed Letter and His Death:

The Persian custom was that in letters written to kings, the king’s name would come first and the sender’s name after. But here, the order was completely reversed: first was the name of Allah, then the Messenger of Allah, and then Khosrow. This alone enraged him. He said to Abdullah, “If you were not a messenger, I would have had you killed.” Then he said, “I will immediately issue an order for the arrest of such an insolent person.” Saying this, he tore up your blessed letter. Some time later, when Abdullah returned and told the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the tearing of the letter, you ﷺ said that Allah would likewise tear up his kingdom. [بخاری۔ کتاب العلم۔ باب ماذکر فی المناء في المناولة و كتاب اهل العلم]
Thus, this prophecy of yours was fulfilled word for word during the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. The king of Persia, Parvez, wrote to Bazan, the governor of Yemen, who was a vassal of the king of Persia, saying that the person in Arabia who has claimed prophethood should be arrested and sent to me. In those days, the Arab tribes were just like the relationship between Pakistan and the tribal areas: the tribal areas are independent in many matters and connected to Pakistan in some. Similarly, Khosrow considered the Arab tribes as part of his own empire, which is why he sent such a letter to the governor of Yemen. So Bazan sent two men to Madinah. They came to you ﷺ and said, “The emperor of the world, Khosrow, has summoned you. If you do not comply, he will destroy you and your country.” You ﷺ said to the messengers, “It is night now, come tomorrow.” The next day, when they came, you ﷺ said to them, “Your emperor was killed last night by his son Shiruya. Go back and tell him that the rule of Islam will reach the capital of Persia.”

Bazan, Governor of Yemen, Accepts Islam:

When these messengers returned to Yemen, by then the news of the murder of Parvez, king of Persia, had reached Yemen. Seeing this situation, Bazan himself became Muslim. These messengers and many others from the populace also entered the fold of Islam.
3. Shurahbil Kills the Messenger and the Battle of Mu’tah: You ﷺ sent a third letter to Busra, whose ruler was Shurahbil bin Amr Ghassani. His region was on the border of northern Yemen and Syria. The Ghassanids, though Arabs, had long been Christians. Their capital was Busra, and Shurahbil was a vassal of the Roman emperor. Your messenger, Harith bin Umair, took the letter to him, but the wretch martyred your messenger. This was a violation of international law and tantamount to a declaration of war. Therefore, you ﷺ began preparations for a military expedition against him, and in Jumada al-Awwal, 8 AH, you sent an army of three thousand and appointed Zayd bin Harithah as its commander, who was your freed slave. You also said that if Zayd is martyred, then Ja’far bin Abi Talib should take the flag, and if he is also martyred, then Abdullah bin Rawahah will be the commander. [بخاری۔ کتاب المغازی۔ باب غزوہ موتہ من ارض الشام]
You personally went some distance outside Madinah to bid farewell to this army. Shurahbil had also learned of the Muslim expedition. He prepared an army of one hundred thousand for the confrontation. When the Muslims learned of this, they hesitated, thinking, “What is three thousand compared to one hundred thousand?” Zayd’s opinion was to wait and inform the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and request reinforcements from Madinah. But Abdullah bin Rawahah said, “We desire martyrdom. Victory and defeat are in Allah’s hands, so why delay?” Thus, everyone agreed to fight immediately.

The Unparalleled Courage of the Muslim Army:

At Mu’tah, the two armies faced each other. Although the Muslims fought with utmost bravery in their desire for martyrdom, three thousand faced two hundred thousand. The Companions performed unparalleled feats of bravery and courage. When Zayd bin Harithah ؓ was martyred, Ja’far Tayyar ؓ, who was the real brother of Ali ؓ, took the flag. His right hand was cut off, so he held the flag in his left. That too was cut off, so he held it between his legs and kept it raised. Regarding the bravery with which you fought, Abdullah bin Umar ؓ says that when Ja’far was martyred, I stood over his body and saw fifty wounds from arrows and swords on his body, and none of them was on his back. (Bukhari, reference as above) But after the battle, when everyone counted the marks, they were ninety. [حواله ايضاً]
Both his arms were cut off. Regarding him, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that he was given two wings in Paradise, and thus his title Tayyar (the flyer) became famous, as did Dhu’l-Janahayn (the one with two wings). So when Abdullah bin Umar ؓ greeted Abdullah bin Ja’far ؓ, he would say, “O son of the one with two wings! Peace be upon you.” [بخاري۔ حواله ايضاً]
After Ja’far ؓ, Abdullah bin Rawahah ؓ took the flag and was eventually martyred as well. Now Khalid bin Walid ؓ took the flag. Khalid bin Walid ؓ was an experienced general. In the Battle of Uhud, he had seen the pass empty and attacked, causing the Muslims to suffer defeat. He reorganized the remaining army in such a way that it appeared much larger than its actual number. Seeing this, the enemy, who outnumbered them many times over, surrounded the Muslim army from all sides. Khalid attacked with full force, broke through the encirclement at one point, and succeeded in extricating the Muslim army from the enemy’s siege. While this was happening, in Madinah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was informed in these words: “First Zayd took the flag and was martyred, then Ja’far took the flag and was martyred, then Abdullah bin Rawahah took the flag and was martyred,” and tears flowed from your eyes. Then you said, “After that, one of Allah’s swords took the flag, until Allah granted victory at his hand.” [بخاري۔ حواله ايضاً]

The Outstanding Feat of Khalid bin Walid, the Sword of Allah:

From that day, Khalid bin Walid ؓ became known as “Saifullah,” the Sword of Allah. He himself says that on the day of the Battle of Mu’tah, nine swords broke in my hand, and only a Yemeni blade remained. [بخاري۔ حواله ايضاً]
His outstanding feat was that he extricated the Muslim army from the enemy’s encirclement and brought them back safely, and this was declared a victory by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When this army returned to Madinah, some Companions suspected that they had fled from battle and even taunted them, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ strongly refuted this and said that they were not deserters but rather those who changed tactics in battle, indicating that their work was not yet finished. That remaining work was the Battle of Tabuk, which has been detailed in Surah Tawbah.

The Letter to Najashi: His Reply and Acceptance of Islam:

4. The fourth letter you ﷺ wrote was to Najashi, the king of Abyssinia. Muslim emigrants resided in Abyssinia, and Najashi treated them very well. He himself was a Christian and a vassal of the Roman emperor, but he had accepted the invitation to Islam in his heart. According to some narrations, he accepted Islam at the hand of Ja’far Tayyar. You sent Amr bin Umayyah Damri with your blessed letter, the content of which was: “﴿بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم﴾ From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Najashi As-hamah, king of Abyssinia. Peace be upon you. I praise Allah, the Pure, the Giver of faith and peace. I bear witness that Isa ibn Maryam is Allah’s creation and His word, which He cast to the chaste Maryam, and she conceived Isa, whom Allah created from His spirit and His breath. I invite you to believe in Allah alone, without partner. Accept faith and you will be safe, and follow me, for I am Allah’s Messenger. I have already sent my cousin Ja’far with a group of Muslims to you. Treat them well. O Najashi, abandon pride. I invite you and your courtiers to Allah. See! I have conveyed Allah’s command to you and explained it well. Now it is appropriate that you accept my advice, and peace is for him who accepts guidance.” When this letter reached Najashi, he accepted Islam at the hand of Ja’far and wrote in reply to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: “﴿بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم﴾ From Najashi As-hamah ibn Abjar to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. O Prophet of Allah! May Allah’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you, by Allah, besides whom there is no god, and who has guided us to Islam. After that, your message reached me. You wrote about Isa, and by Allah, he is not even a bit more than what you have written. We have learned your teachings, and your cousin and the Muslims are safe with me. I acknowledge that you ﷺ are Allah’s true Messenger. I have pledged allegiance at the hand of your cousin and declared obedience to Allah, and I am sending my son Arha to you. If you wish that I myself come to you, I will surely come, for I am convinced that what you say is the truth. Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
Ibn Ishaq states that Najashi sent his son Arha with sixty men, but on the way, the ship sank with all its passengers.
5. At that time, the rulers of Egypt were called Muqawqis. The Muqawqis of Egypt was a Christian and a learned man, under the influence of the Roman emperor. His capital was present-day Alexandria. You sent Hatib bin Abi Balta’ah with the following letter: “﴿بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم﴾ From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Muqawqis, the ruler of Egypt and the Copts. Peace be upon him who follows guidance. After that, I invite you to Islam. Accept Islam and you will be safe, and Allah will grant you a double reward. But if you do not, then the burden of the sins of all the Copts will be upon you. O People of the Book! Come to a word that is common between us and you: that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate none with Him. But if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are Muslims.” Muqawqis also understood the truth, but like Caesar of Rome, he did not have the courage to accept Islam. However, he sent a reply and some gifts with respect and honor to the messenger. The content of the letter was: “From Muqawqis, the chief of the Copts, to Muhammad bin Abdullah. Peace be upon you. I knew that a prophet was to come, but I thought he would appear in Syria. I have honored your messenger. I am sending two girls who are highly respected among the Copts, and I am sending cloth and a mule for your riding as a gift.” These two girls, named Maria and Sirin, became Muslim on the way through the preaching of Hatib bin Abi Balta’ah. They belonged to the royal family. Of these, Maria was married by you ﷺ and included among your wives, and from her was born Ibrahim. Sirin was married to Hassan bin Thabit ؓ. Both were real sisters. The mule was tall, white, and beautiful, named Duldul. In the Battle of Hunayn, you rode this mule.
6.
The Governor of Bahrain Accepts Islam:

The sixth letter you sent to Mundhir bin Sawa, the governor of Bahrain, through Alaa bin Hadrami. This ruler was under the influence and vassalage of the Sassanid or Persian kings, and among his subjects were some Jews and some Magians. When your noble letter reached him, he accepted Islam, but among his subjects, some became Muslim and some remained on their previous religion. Regarding them, Mundhir sought guidance from the Messenger’s court. You looked upon Mundhir’s good fortune and capability with honor and ordered that jizya be collected from the Jews and Magians. This jizya would go to the treasury of Madinah, and the government of Bahrain remained with them.
7.
The People of Oman Accept Islam:

In Oman, the government was in the hands of two brothers, Jaifar bin Julanda and Abdullah bin Julanda. You ﷺ sent Amr bin As ؓ with your letter to them. After a lengthy dialogue and deep consideration with Amr bin As ؓ, both brothers accepted Islam, and under their influence, most of their subjects also accepted Islam.
8.
The Governor of Yamamah, Hawdhah’s Condition for Accepting Islam and Your Reply:

The eighth letter you wrote to Hawdhah bin Ali, the governor of Yamamah, who was the chief of the Banu Hanifah tribe. Sulaith bin Amr bin Abd Shams took your noble letter to him. Hawdhah honored and respected the Messenger’s envoy and gave gifts, and in reply wrote to you that there is no doubt about the goodness of what you invite to. But you know that the Arabs look upon me with respect and awe. Therefore, if half the government and special powers are given to me, I am ready to accept Islam. When you saw this letter, you said that even a handspan of land will not be given to him. He himself and his wealth will soon perish. Then, after the conquest of Makkah, when you set out for Madinah, you were informed by revelation that Hawdhah, the governor of Yamamah, had left this world, and you also informed the Companions that a false claimant to prophethood would arise in Yamamah after you, who would be killed. Thus, Musaylimah the Liar claimed prophethood, and his story is mentioned in the footnote of Surah Ma’idah number 94 and Surah Ahzab number 66. This false prophet, according to your prophecy, was killed at the hands of Habashi during the caliphate of Abu Bakr.
9. You ﷺ sent the ninth letter to Harith Ghassani, the governor of the Syrian border, through Shuja’ bin Wahb. He was the governor of Damascus and surrounding areas and a vassal of the Roman emperor. When he received the noble letter, he was initially very angry and even threatened to attack Madinah, but later he sent your envoy away with honor and respect. However, he did not accept Islam. By sending letters to neighboring countries and the resulting reactions, Islam and Muslims gained many benefits, such as:
(1) Through this means, you ﷺ fulfilled the duty of preaching the message, which was a heavy responsibility from Allah upon you, and previously there had been no opportunity for it.
(2) Through these letters of invitation, some rulers and their subjects accepted Islam, such as the rulers of Abyssinia, Yemen, Oman, and Bahrain. Many among their subjects also became Muslim, and some rulers came close to Islam. Thus, the voice of Islam reached far beyond Arabia.
(3) The Battle of Mu’tah and its results proved that the Islamic government was now capable of confronting even the greatest empires. The Roman nobles, who had begun to flare their nostrils at the invitation to Islam, had the idol of Pharaoh shattered in their minds. That is why, in the Battle of Tabuk, you ﷺ stayed there for twenty days, but the Ghassanids and Romans did not dare to come out to fight.
(4) Within Arabia, too, the polytheist tribes, especially the Quraysh of Makkah, were so overawed by the Muslims that at the conquest of Makkah, no Quraysh alliance had the strength to confront them. All this was the result of these letters of invitation and their reactions.

[44]
They Do Not Know What Prophethood Is

Nor how lofty and exalted its status is. They also do not understand how high a rank Allah has granted you. They do not realize that by denying you, they are denying a great blessing of Allah, nor do they realize what a terrible end awaits them for denying you.