Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 365
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 365 is the last mosque,’ meaning, that there would be no Prophet after him who might abrogate his Prophethood, nor would there be set up any place of worship, in which a new form of worship might be instituted. As the Truce of Hudaibiyya had procured some respite for the Holy Prophet, therefore, soon after his return to Medina, he decided to address invitations to the rulers of countries in the proximity of Arabia in all directions to accept Islam. When he mentio ned this project to his Companions and sought their counsel, he was advised that temporal rulers took no account of any communication addressed to them unless it bore the seal of the person sending the communication. Thereupon, the Holy Prophet had a silve r signet prepared, bearing the words ‘Muhammad, Messenger of Allah’ so arranged that Allah was at the top, Messenger in the middle and Muhammad last. This signet was thereafter worn by the Holy Prophet till his death; it was then worn by Abu Bakr during th e period of his Khilafat, and after him by Umar, and after him by Uthman, the Second and Third Successors of the Holy Prophet. It slipped off the finger of Uthman when he was sitting on the edge of a well called Arees and could not be recovered despite the utmost efforts to do so. The Holy Prophet’s invitations were sent to Heraclius, the Byzantine Emperor, the Iranian Emperor, the Viceroy of Egypt, the Chief of Yamamah, the Emperor of Abyssinia, the Governor of Ghassan, the Viceroy of Yemen and the Governor of Bahrain. They were no t all dispatched at one time, but were spread over a period of a few weeks. The very first one was addressed to Heraclius.