The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) – Volume III — Page 195
VI - All Races Invited to Islām 195 him in prostration. As such, this was the end to which Heraclius, the Emperor of Rome reached in this very weighty trial of his life. 1 It should be remembered that when Heraclius read out the letter of the Holy Prophet sa in his royal court at Īlyā, this was in actuality, a second reading. He had already read this letter in a private gathering prior to this. 2 The details of this are that when Caesar received the letter of the Holy Prophet sa for the first time, he summoned Diḥyah Kalbī in a private gathering and desired to read this letter amongst a few of his companions and intimates. At that time, perhaps this letter went to the nephew of Heraclius. Before presenting the letter to Heraclius, he opened the letter to read it himself. As soon as he saw the letter he exclaimed, “This letter is not acceptable in the least, because instead of writing your name first, the sender has written his own name, 3 which is a disgrace to thy majesty. Similarly, instead of addressing you as the King of Rome he has addressed you as the King of Rome and this is a second disrespect. ” But Heraclius silenced him saying, “What sense is there in that a letter comes to me from someone who claims to be a prophet and I throw it away without even reading it? And then, there is no harm in writing the word ‘King’ instead of ‘Emperor,’ for the actual Kingdom belongs to God alone and this claimant as well as I are the servants of God. ” After this address he took the letter from the hand of his nephew and ordered that Diḥyah Kalbī be kept as a guest of the state prior to the public royal audience. 4 In any case, however, 1 * Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābu Bad’il-Waḥyi, Bābu Kaifa Kāna Bad’ul-Waḥyi Ilā Rasūlillāhi sa , Ḥadīth No. 7 * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, p. 13, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was-Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 2 * Fatḥul-Bārī Sharḥu Ṣaḥīḥil-Bukhārī, By Al-Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥajar Al-‘Asqalānī, Volume 8, p. 277, Kitābut-Tafsīr, Tafsīru Sūrati Āli ‘Imrān, Bābu Qul Yā Ahlal-Kitābi Ta‘ālau Ilā Kalimatin Sawā’in Bainanā. . . , Ḥadīth No. 4553 * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, p. 11, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was-Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 3 Perhaps in that era, it was a custom in the royal courts that when addressing a Ruler, instead of writing, “From so and so to so and so,” the words “To so and so, from so and so” were used. As we have seen however, the Holy Prophet sa wrote the words, “From Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allāh to Heraclius, King of Rome. ” 4 * Al-Muwāhibul-Laduniyyatu Bil-Minaḥil-Muḥammadiyyah, By Aḥmad bin Muḥammad Al- Qusṭalānī , Volume 1, p 442, Al-Faṣlus-Sādisu Fī Umarā’ihi Wa Rusulihī Wa Kuttābihī Wa Kutubihī Ilā Ahlil-Islām. . . , Ḥadīth No. 4553 * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, pp. 12-13, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was-Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)