LETTERS FROM THE PROPHET (saw)

Letters of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) sent to the Kings and Rulers in Muharram 628

The Prophet (saw) sent this letter to Heraclius, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire,
carried by his messenger ‘Dihyah bin Khalifah Al-Kalb

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the slave of Allah and His Messenger, to Hercules, king of the Byzantines. Blessed are those who follow true guidance. I invite you to embrace Islam so that you may live in security. If you come within the fold of Islam, Allah will give you double reward, but in case you turn your back upon it, then the burden of the sins of all your people shall fall on your shoulders. Say (O Muhammad (saw): O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah. Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims’.

The Prophet (saw) sent a letter to Abd and Jaifar, joint Kings of Oman,
carried by his messenger Amr bin Al-As

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. From Mohammed, the messenger of Allah, to Jaifar and Abd, sons of Al Julanda. Peace is upon him who follows the guidance. I am calling both of you, in the name of Islam. You will be safe if you submit to Islam. I am the Messenger of Allah to all people and warn all those living that Islam will prevail. I hope you will accept Islam, but if you do not, then you will lose your country, and my horsemen will invade your territory and my prophecy will dominate your country.

The Prophet (saw) sent this letter to Ashama bin Al-Abjar, Negus, the King of
Abyssinia, carried by his messenger Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Damari.

This letter is sent from Muhammad, the Prophet to Ashama bin Al- Abjar, the king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia). Peace be upon him who follows true guidance and believes in Allah and His Messenger. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah alone with no associate, He has taken neither a wife nor a son, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. I call you unto the fold of Islam; if you embrace Islam, you will find safety, Say O Muhammad: ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.’ Then, if they turn away, say: Bear witness that we are Muslims.

The Prophet (saw) sent a letter to Muqawqis of Egypt, Chief of the Copts,
carried by his messenger Hatib ibn Abi Balta‘ara.

In the name of Allah the Rahman, the Merciful. From the Apostle of Allah to the Muqawqis, Chief of the Copts. Peace be upon him who follows the guidance. Next, I summon thee with the appeal to establish peace (or submitting your will to Allah ): establish peace (submit your will to Allah) and you will have peace. Allah shall give you your reward two-fold. But if you decline, then on you is the guilt of the Copts. O ye people of the Book, come unto an equal arrangement between us and you, that we should serve none save Allah, associating nothing with Him, and not taking one another for Lords besides Allah. And if ye decline, then bear witness that we have submitted our will to Allah

The Prophet (saw) sent this letter to Munzir ibn Sawa Al Tamimi, Ruler of Bahrain,
carried by his messenger ‘Ala’ ibn Hadramira.

I am glad at your acceptance of Islam. Your duty is to obey the delegates and messengers whom I send to you. Whoever obeys them, obeys me. The messenger who took my letter to you praised you to me and assured me of the sincerity of your belief. I have prayed to God for your people. Try, therefore, to teach them the ways and practices of Islam. Protect their property. The sins of the past are forgiven. As long as you are good and virtuous you will continue to rule over your people. As for Jews and Magians, they have only to pay a tax. Do not, therefore, make any other demands on them. As for the general population, those who do not have land enough to maintain them should have four dirhams each, and some cloth to wear. (Zurqani and Khamis).

The Prophet (saw) sent a letter to Chosroes the King of Persia
carried by his messenger Abdullah bin Hudhafa As-Sahmi

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. This letter is from Muhammad (saw), the Messenger of God, to Chosroes, the Chief of Iran. Whoever submits to perfect guidance, and believes in Allah, and bears witness that Allah is One, and has no equal or partner, and that Muhammad (saw) is His Servant and Messenger, on him be peace. O King, under the command of God, I invite you to Islam. For I have been sent by God as His Messenger to all mankind, so that I may warn all living men and complete my Message for all unbelievers. Accept Islam and protect yourself from all afflictions. If you reject this invitation, then the sin of the denial of all your people will rest on your head.

THE RESPONSES FROM KINGS

The response of the kings to the Prophet Muhammad’s letters varied. Some kings were receptive to the message of Islam and responded positively, while others rejected the invitation to Islam. For example, the Ethiopian king, Negus, received a letter from the Prophet Muhammad and responded with kindness and respect. He welcomed the Muslim refugees who had fled persecution in Mecca and gave them shelter and protection. He also embraced Islam and became a follower of the Prophet. Similarly, the king of Bahrain, Munzir bin Sawa, received a letter from the Prophet Muhammad and responded by accepting the invitation to Islam. He sent his two sons to Medina to learn about Islam and they became some of the early converts to the faith. On the other hand, some rulers rejected the invitation to Islam and even responded with hostility. For example, the Persian emperor, Khosrow II, received a letter from the Prophet Muhammad and responded by tearing it up and throwing it away. He dismissed the invitation to Islam and saw it as a threat to his own power and authority. Similarly, the Roman emperor, Heraclius, received a letter from the Prophet Muhammad and responded by rejecting the invitation to Islam. He saw the message of Islam as a challenge to his own Christian faith and refused to accept it.

Overall, the response of the kings to the Prophet Muhammad’s letters was mixed. Some were receptive to the message of Islam and responded positively, while others rejected the invitation to Islam and responded with hostility. However, the letters represented an important effort by the Prophet to spread the message of Islam and establish friendly relations with the rulers of neighboring lands. They played a significant role in the early spread of Islam beyond Arabia and laid the groundwork for future alliances.
The original letters sent by the Prophet Muhammad to the kings and rulers during his lifetime have not been preserved. However, some of the letters and copies of them have been recorded in various historical accounts and collections of Islamic tradition. One of the most well-known collections of these letters is the book “The Letters of the Prophet Muhammad to the Kings”, which was compiled by the medieval Islamic lands. They played a significant role in the early spread of Islam beyond Arabia and laid the groundwork for future alliances. The original letters sent by the Prophet Muhammad to the kings and rulers during his lifetime have not been preserved. However, some of the letters and copies of them have been recorded in various historical accounts and collections of Islamic tradition. In conclusion, the letters of the Prophet Muhammad sent to the kings represent an important part of Islamic history. They were sent during a time of great change in Arabia and represented an effort to spread the message of Islam beyond Arabia. The letters were simple and direct, inviting the rulers to Islam and establishing friendly relations with them. They were significant for establishing the legitimacy of Islam and laying the groundwork for future alliances.