Chief of the Prophets

Chief of the Prophets — Page 180

Chapter Eight 180 It appears that in spite of his rejection, Heraclius’s respect for Muḥammad sa was deep in his heart and he kept the letter of Muḥammad sa with him as a benediction, and it remained with his family for many centuries. It is recorded in history that once a few ambassadors of the Sulṭān Manṣūr Qalā’ūn (7 A. H. ) visited a country of Europe. The representative of the European country showed them a golden box that contained a letter wrapped in a silk fabric and said, “Your Messenger sent a letter addressed to one of my ancestors, Heraclius, which is still kept as a benediction in our house. ” The Letter to Khosrau, the Emperor of Persia The second letter of Muḥammad sa of invitation to Islam was addressed to Khosrau, the Emperor of Persia. In those days, Khosrau was the official title of the kings of Persia. The real name of this king was Parvez bin Hormizd and he belonged to the famous Sassanid family. The letter to the king was carried by a long-time devoted companion of Muḥammad sa , ‘Abdullāh bin Ḥudhāfah as- Sahmī. He was instructed to first take the letter to the chief of Bahrain, and then on his behalf to Khosrau. The name of the chief was Al-Mundhir bin Sāwā and he was the viceroy of Khosrau for the land of Bahrain. 1 This letter also carried the official seal of Muḥammad sa as had the letter sent to Heraclius. The following is the text of the letter: 1 Bukhārī, Kitābul-‘Ilm (Book of Learning) and Kitābul-Jihād (Book of Fighting for the Cause of Allah).