The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) – Volume III — Page 184
Seal of the Prophets - Volume III 184 Yemen and another letter to the East of Arabia to the Governor of Baḥrain, etc. 1 In this matter, the Holy Prophet sa fulfilled the duty of preaching by conveying the message of Islām to the four corners of Arabia. However, one should not think that all these letters were dispatched immediately after the Treaty of Ḥudaibiyyah. It is possible that certain letters were sent out at one time, while some were dispatched after some time. However, in any case, it is a confirmed act that they began to be sent out after the Treaty of Ḥudaibiyyah. However, the first letter was perhaps dispatched and addressed to the Caesar of Rome, i. e. to Heraclius, and we begin this note with him. Friction between the Caesar and Chosroes and a Magnificent Prophecy of the Holy Prophet sa However, prior to mentioning this letter, it is necessary to write a relevant note on the sovereignties of Caesar and Chosroes. As it has been mentioned in Sīrat Khātaman-Nabiyyin, volume 1 and volume 2, in the era of the Holy Prophet sa , to the North West and North East, there were two magnificent sovereignties. The first was the Kingdom of Rome, whose king was known as Caesar; the second was that of Persia, i. e. the Sassanid empire of Iran, whose king was known as Chosroes. This is the same Kingdom of Rome, which in history, is referred to as the Roman Kingdom of the East, or in other words, the Byzantine Empire, which is referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire in English. After the decline of the Western Roman Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire, the capital of which was Constantinople, gained strength and in the era we are mentioning now, the Eastern Roman Empire and Iranian Empire of the Chosroes were the two largest and most powerful empires of the time. A fierce rivalry constantly prevailed between these two empires, because in addition to their political jealousy, the two were at odds in their religion and civilization as well. The Roman Empire followed the religion of Christianity whereas the Sassanid 1 * As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, pp. 869-870, Dhikru Jumlatil-Ghazawāt/Khurūju Rusūli Rasūlillāhi Ilal-Mulūk, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001) * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, pp. 4-5/14/19-20/27/34/37/43/46, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was- Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * Tārīkhul-Khamīs Fī Aḥwāli Anfasi Nafīs, By Ḥusain bin Muḥammad bin Ḥasan, Volume 2, pp. 29- 31/34/37-39, Irsālur-Rusula Ilal-Mulūki, Mu’assasatu Sha‘bān, Beirut * The Life of Mahomet, By Sir William Muir, Chapter XX, Embassies to Various Sovereigns and Prices, pp. 382-387, Published by Smith, Elder & Co. London (1878)