Life of Muhammad — Page 128
sa 128 explained that the agreement had laid down an exception about men, not about women; so he refused to return this woman. PROPHET'S sa LETTERS TO VARIOUS KINGS After settling down in Medina on return from H udaibiya, the Prophet sa instituted another plan for the spread of his Message. When he mentioned this to the Companions, some of them who were acquainted with the customs and forms observed in the courts of kings told the Prophet sa that kings did not entertain letters which did not bear the seals of the senders. Accordingly the Prophet sa had a seal made on which were engraved the words, Muhammad Ras u lull a h sa. Out of reverence, Allah was put at the top, beneath it Ras u l and lastly Muhammad sa. In Mu h arram 628, envoys went to different capitals, each with a letter from the Prophet sa , inviting the rulers to accept Islam. Envoys went to Heraclius, the Roman Emperor, the Kings of Iran, Egypt (the King of Egypt was then a vassal of the Kaiser) and Abyssinia. They went to other kings and rulers also. The letter addressed to the Kaiser was taken by Di h ya Kalb i ra who was instructed to call first on the Governor of Bu s ra. When Di h ya ra saw the Governor, the great Kaiser himself was in Syria on a tour of the Empire. The Governor readily passed Di h ya ra on to the Kaiser. When Di h ya ra entered the court, he was told that whoever was received in audience by the Kaiser must prostrate himself before him. Di h ya ra refused to do this, saying that Muslims did not bow before any human being. Di h ya ra , therefore, sat before the Kaiser without making the prescribed obeisances. The Kaiser had the letter read by an interpreter and asked if an Arab caravan was in the town. He said he desired to interrogate an Arab about this Arabian Prophet sa who had sent him an invitation to accept Islam. It so happened that Ab u Sufy a n ra was in the town