his religion. By Allah, he is indeed the very man we have been awaiting and whose description we find in our scriptures. Come, then, let us follow him and affirm his truth, so that our life in this world and the Hereafter may be secure.’

At this they all gave a single derisive roar and rushed toward the gates of the fortress-palace to get out, but found them already locked. He cried, ‘Bring them back to me!’—for he now feared what they might do to him—and they were driven back.

He continued, ‘People of Rome, the only reason I made the statement you heard was to test how firm you are in your religion in the face of this new development. I have seen from you what pleases me.’ Thereupon they fell down in prostration, and he ordered the gates of the fortress-palace to be opened for them, and they went on their way.

This is a well-known report transmitted by Muhammad ibn Ishaq, a scholar of deep knowledge and insight in this matter who preserved what others did not.

Ibn Ishaq said: ‘Heraclius took the letter of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, placed it in a tube of gold, and kept it with him out of reverence for it.’ The story is famous and has been recorded by the authors of the authentic collections.

Thus, in al-Bukhari and Muslim—this wording is that of al-Bukhari—al-Zuhri reported: ʿUbayd Allah ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUtbah ibn Masʿud told me that ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbbas told him that Abu Sufyan ibn Harb told him that Heraclius had summoned him while he was with a caravan of Quraysh who were