Stories from Early Islam — Page 155
Letters to Kings After settling in Madinah the Holy Prophet saw sent letters to different rulers, inviting them to Islam. One such letter was sent to the Emperor of Abyssinia, who was a Christian. It ran as follows: ‘In the name of Allah, the Gracious the Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah to the Negus of Abyssinia. May peace of God be upon you, O Emperor. I praise before you, the One and Only God. He and none other is worthy of worship. He is the King of kings, the Source of all excellence, free from all shortcomings. He is the Protector of all His creation and provides peace to His servants. I bear witness that Jesus, son of Mary, was a Messenger of God, who was given to her, because of her devotion to Him, and in fulfilment of the promise made by God to her. I invite you to join me in worshipping the One and Only God. I invite you also to follow me and believe in the God who sent me. I invite you and your armies to join the forces of the Almighty God. I hereby dis- charge my duty, as I have delivered to you the message of God. I have done so with a sincere heart and hope