The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page ccxxix
GENERAL INTRODUCTION he applied for admission to the royal presence. He handed over the letter to the Emperor and the Emperor ordered an interpreter to read it and explain its contents. On listening to the contents, the Chosroes was enraged. He took back the letter and tore it to pieces. 'Abdullāh bin Ḥudhaifah reported the incident to the Prophet. On hearing the report, the Prophet said: What the Chosroes has done to our letter even that will God do to his Empire (i. e. rend it to pieces). The fit of temper which the Chosroes showed on this occasion was the result of the pernicious propaganda carried on against Islam by Jews who had migrated from Roman territory to Iran. These Jewish refugees took a leading part in anti-Roman intrigues sponsored in Iran, and had, therefore, become favourites at the Iranian court. The Chosroes was full of rage against the Prophet. The reports about the Prophet which the Jews had taken to Iran, it seemed to him, were confirmed by this letter. He thought the Prophet was an aggressive adventurer with designs on Iran. Soon after, the Chosroes wrote to the Governor of Yemen, saying that one of the Quraish in Arabia had announced himself a Prophet. His claims were becoming excessive. The Governor was asked to send two men charged with the duty of arresting this Quraishite and bringing him to the court of Iran. Bādhān, the Governor of Yemen under the Chosroes, sent an army chief with a mounted companion to the Prophet. He also gave them a letter addressed to the Prophet, in which he said that on receipt of the letter the Prophet should at once accompany the two messengers to the court of Iran. The two planned to go first to Mecca. When somewhere near Ṭā'if, they were told that the Prophet lived in Medina. So they went to Medina. On arrival this army chief told the Prophet that Bādhān, the Governor of Yemen, had been ordered by the Chosroes to arrange for the Prophet's arrest and despatch to Iran. If the Prophet refused to obey, he and his people were to be destroyed and their country made desolate. Out of compassion for the Prophet, this delegate from Yemen insisted that the Prophet should obey and agree to be led to Iran. Having listened to this, the Prophet suggested that the delegates should see him again the following day. Overnight the Prophet prayed to God Who informed him that the insolence of the Chosroes had cost him his life. "We have set his own son against him, and this son will murder his father on Monday the 10th Jumādul-’Ūlā of this year. " According to some reports, the revelation said, "The son has murdered the father this very night. " It is possible that that very night was the 10th Jumādul- ’Ūlā. In the morning, the Prophet sent for the Yemen delegates and told them of what had been revealed to him overnight. Then he prepared a letter for Bādhān saying that the Chosroes was due to be murdered on a certain day of a certain month. When the Governor of Yemen received the letter he said, "If ссііі