Letters Inviting Rulers to Islam

“What do you think we should do now?”

Hazrat ‘Amr ibn Umayyah رضي الله عنه replied:

“I think we should go to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and inform him about this tragedy.”

His companion said:

“But I will not save my life and leave the place where a man like Mundhir ibn ‘Amr رضي الله عنه has been martyred.”

“Very well. I am ready too.”

Both of them now drew their swords, challenged the enemy, and began fighting them.

Eventually, Hazrat ‘Amr ibn Umayyah رضي الله عنه was captured, while his companion was martyred.

The mother of ‘Amir ibn Tufayl had made a vow to set a slave free.

In order to fulfill his mother’s vow, he set ‘Amr ibn Umayyah رضي الله عنه free.

He came into the presence of the Noble Messenger ﷺ and related the entire incident.

The Prophet ﷺ was deeply grieved, and all the Companions became sorrowful.

After this, the Noble Messenger ﷺ supplicated against ‘Amir ibn Tufayl.

As a result of this supplication, he became afflicted with the plague and died.

A special aspect of the Battle of Bi’r Ma‘unah is that Hazrat ‘Amir ibn Fuhayrah رضي الله عنه was also among the Companions who were martyred.

When he was martyred, Allah Almighty raised his body upward.

His body was then brought down to the ground.

They searched among those who had been killed, but his body could not be found.

When the Noble Messenger ﷺ heard this, he said:

“The angels have buried the body of ‘Amir ibn Fuhayrah.”

The Noble Messenger ﷺ was so deeply affected by this incident that for an entire month he continued reciting Qunut Nazilah in the morning prayer and supplicating against the killers of the Companions who had been martyred at Bi’r Ma‘unah.

Similarly, the Noble Messenger ﷺ also continued supplicating against the killers involved in the incident of Raji‘.

After the Battle of Tabuk, the sending of military expeditions continued.

During this period, delegations began arriving at the service of the Noble Messenger ﷺ from every direction.

In other words, people began coming in delegations and accepting Islam.

One day, a delegation from Banu Hanifah arrived.

Musaylimah the Liar was also among them.

The people had covered this man with clothes.

At that time, the Noble Messenger ﷺ was sitting among the Companions رضي الله عنهم, and he ﷺ had a date-palm branch in his hand.

There were also some leaves at the end of the branch.

Musaylimah came near the Prophet ﷺ and said:

“Make me a partner in your prophethood.”

In response to this foolish statement, the Noble Messenger ﷺ said:

“Even if you were to ask me for this branch, I would not be able to give it to you.”

Before his arrival, the Noble Prophet ﷺ had already told the Companions:

“I saw that I had two golden bracelets on my hands.

Allah Almighty revealed to me that I should blow upon them.

I blew upon them, and both bracelets flew away.

From this, I understood that two liars—two false claimants to prophethood—would appear.”

These two liars were Tulayhah and Musaylimah.

Tulayhah was from the city of Sana‘a in Yemen, while Musaylimah was from Yamamah.

Both of them falsely claimed prophethood during the blessed lifetime of the Noble Messenger ﷺ.

It was Musaylimah who had come on this occasion.

When he returned to his people, he spread the claim that Muhammad ﷺ had made him a partner in prophethood.

He then began uttering nonsensical Arabic phrases in imitation of the verses of the Holy Qur’an.

He began telling people:

“Revelation has come to me.”

He started displaying his fabricated wonders and false miracles.

In this way, people began gathering around him.

This wretched man also wrote a letter to the Noble Messenger ﷺ.

In it, he wrote:

“I have been made a partner in your prophethood.

We both have an equal share of authority, but the people of Quraysh are not just.”

The Noble Messenger ﷺ had the following reply written to him:

“In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

This letter is from Muhammad ﷺ to Musaylimah the Liar.

Peace be upon the one who follows guidance and the straight path.

To proceed: This earth belongs to Allah. He makes whomever He wills among His servants its heir. Indeed, the best outcome belongs to those who fear Allah.”

The Prophet ﷺ sent this letter through two messengers.

After reading the letter, Musaylimah asked them:

“Do you also say the same thing that he has written?”

Both messengers replied:

“Yes, we also say the same thing.”

He then said:

“If it were not against the established practice to kill messengers, I would cut off your heads.”

A battle was fought against this false claimant during the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq رضي الله عنه.

This battle is known as the Battle of Yamamah.

In this battle, Musaylimah the Liar was killed by Hazrat Wahshi ibn Harb رضي الله عنه.

Hazrat Wahshi رضي الله عنه was the man through whose hand Hazrat Hamzah رضي الله عنه was martyred in the Battle of Uhud.

He later accepted Islam.

The Noble Prophet ﷺ had letters written to the rulers of the world, inviting them to Islam through these letters.

A letter was also written to Heraclius, the ruler of Rome.

Hazrat Dihyah al-Kalbi رضي الله عنه took this letter to him.

The rulers of Rome used to call themselves Caesar.

Caesar respected the letter of the Prophet ﷺ, but accepting faith was not destined for him.

Similarly, the Noble Prophet ﷺ had a letter written to Kisra Parvez, the ruler of Persia.

‘Abdullah as-Sahmi رضي الله عنه took this letter.

Before even listening to the letter, Kisra ordered that it be torn apart.

On his command, the letter of the Noble Messenger ﷺ was torn up.

He also ordered that the messenger be expelled from his court.

Hazrat ‘Abdullah ibn Hudhafah as-Sahmi رضي الله عنه mounted his riding animal and departed.

When he reached Madinah, he informed the Noble Messenger ﷺ of the entire incident.

Upon hearing this, the Noble Messenger ﷺ said:

“Kisra’s kingdom has been torn apart.”

Meanwhile, Kisra Parvez wrote to his governor in Yemen:

“I have learned that a man from Quraysh has claimed prophethood.

Immediately arrest him and send him to me.”

The governor of Yemen, Badhan, sent two men.

Both of them reached Madinah and came into the presence of the Noble Messenger ﷺ.

Their beards had been shaved, while their moustaches had been left long.

Seeing their appearance, the Noble Messenger ﷺ said:

“Woe to you! What have you done to your faces? Who ordered you to adopt such an appearance?”

They replied:

“Our lord, Kisra.”

Hearing this, the Noble Messenger ﷺ said:

“Go now and come back to me tomorrow.”

The two men left.

During this time, Allah Almighty informed the Prophet ﷺ through revelation that Allah had given Kisra’s son authority over him and that the son would kill him on such-and-such a month and day.

After receiving this revelation, the Prophet ﷺ called the two men and informed them of this.

Along with this, he ﷺ had a letter written to Badhan saying:

“Allah Almighty has promised me that Kisra will be killed on such-and-such a month and on such-and-such a day.”

When Badhan received this letter, he thought:

“If he is truly a prophet, then exactly as he has written will happen.”

And that is exactly what happened.

His son, Shirawayh, killed him on the very day that had been foretold.

When Badhan received this news, he immediately sent a messenger to the Noble Messenger ﷺ and informed him that he and his companions had accepted Islam.

The Noble Messenger ﷺ also had a letter written to the Negus, the King of Abyssinia.

When this letter reached the Negus, he placed the blessed letter against his eyes, came down from his throne, sat on the ground, and accepted Islam.

He then ordered an ivory box to be brought and respectfully placed the blessed letter of the Noble Messenger ﷺ inside it.

Along with this letter, the Prophet ﷺ had another letter written to him.

In it, the Prophet ﷺ instructed the Negus to arrange the marriage of the Noble Messenger ﷺ with Hazrat Umm Habibah رضي الله عنها.

The Negus kissed this letter as well, placed it against his eyes, and carried out the Prophet’s ﷺ instruction.

He performed the marriage of the Noble Messenger ﷺ with Hazrat Umm Habibah رضي الله عنها.

Both of these letters were carried by Hazrat ‘Amr ibn Umayyah ad-Damri رضي الله عنه.