Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 374
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 374 whose personal name was Juraij bin Meena, and who, like the people of Egypt, was a Copt and was of the Christian faith, was dispatched by the hand of Hatab bin Abi Balta’h, who was a distinguished Companion of the Holy Prophet, and who had fought in the ba ttle of Badr. The text of the letter was: ‘In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Ever Merciful, From Muhammad, Servant of Allah and His Messenger, to Muqauqis, Chief of the Copts. Peace be on him who follows the guidance. I invite you to the acceptance of t he Call of Allah. Embrace Islam and be secure; Allah will reward you doubly. If you turn away, you will bear the responsibility of the Copts also. People of the Book! Let us agree upon one matter, which is the same for you and for us, namely, that we worsh ip Allah, and that we associate no partner with Him, and that some of us take not others for lords beside Allah. Then, if they turn away, say to them: “Bear ye witness that we have submitted wholly to Allah” (seep. 216). When Hatab arrived in Alexandria and was granted access to Muqauqis and presented the Holy Prophet’s letter to him, he read it and, addressing Hatab, said in a tone of raillery: ‘If your master is truly a Prophet of God, then why did he not supplicate God that He might make me subordinate to him?’ Hatab replied that Jesus also had not made such a supplication, and added, ‘I advise you to take this letter seriously as in this country of yours there has been one who claimed that he was the lord and ruler of t he world, but God seized him in such manner that he became an example for all subsequent generations. So I would beg you sincerely to take a lesson from what has happened to others and not to be the one to become a lesson for others. ’ Muqauqis then