the Hijrah, he dispatched Ḥāṭib ibn Abī Baltaʿah to al-Muqawqis the Copt, ruler of Alexandria, and sent with him a letter inviting him to Islam.
When al-Muqawqis read the letter, he said to him, “Good,” took the letter—which was sealed—placed it in an ivory casket, sealed it anew, and handed it to his treasurer. He wrote an answer to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, but did not accept Islam, and he forwarded to the Prophet the gifts mentioned earlier.
Thus both kings held the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in great esteem, humbled themselves before him and before his letter, and acknowledged that he was the awaited Messenger foretold by the earlier prophets, peace be upon them.
Al-Muqawqis already knew he was in the right, from what he had heard of his qualities from the People of the Scripture, yet he was possessive of his throne and did not believe. Before al-Mughīrah embraced Islam he had visited al-Muqawqis and informed him of that.
Muḥammad ibn ʿUmar al-Wāqidī said: “Muḥammad ibn Saʿd al-Thaqafī, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿĪsā, and ʿAbd Allāh ibn …”