ʿAbd Allah ibn Wahb (1) transmitted—through Yunus, from al-Zuhri—who said that ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn ʿAbd al-Qari related: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ once ascended the pulpit to preach. He praised Allah, extolled Him, pronounced the testimony of faith, and then said:

“As for what follows: I intend to send some of you to the kings of the non-Arabs. Do not differ with me as the Children of Israel differed with Jesus son of Mary.”

The Emigrants replied, “O Messenger of Allah, we shall never oppose you in anything. Command us and send us.”

He therefore dispatched Shujaʿ ibn Wahb to Khosrau. Khosrau ordered that his audience hall be adorned, admitted the Persian grandees, and then gave Shujaʿ ibn Wahb permission to enter. When Shujaʿ came before him, Khosrau commanded that the Prophet’s ﷺ letter be taken from his hand. Shujaʿ ibn Wahb said, “No— I must place it in your own hand exactly as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ instructed me.”

Khosrau replied, “Come closer.” Shujaʿ stepped forward and handed him the letter. Khosrau then summoned a scribe from al-Hirah to read it aloud. It began:

“From Muhammad, the servant and messenger of Allah, to Khosrau, the great one of Persia.”

The very fact that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned himself first infuriated Khosrau. He shouted, flew into a rage, and tore the letter to pieces before even discovering its contents. He then ordered Shujaʿ ibn Wahb to be expelled. Seeing this, Shujaʿ mounted his riding beast and departed, saying, “By Allah, I care not which of the two roads I travel now that I have delivered the Messenger of Allah’s ﷺ letter.”

When Khosrau’s fury had subsided he sent for Shujaʿ, but he was nowhere to be found. They searched as far as al-Hirah, yet he had outpaced them. When Shujaʿ reached the Prophet ﷺ he told him what had happened—how Khosrau had torn up the letter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“May Allah tear Khosrau’s kingdom to shreds!”

Muhammad ibn Ishaq (2) narrated—from ʿAbd Allah ibn Abi Bakr [through al-Zuhri] from Abu Salamah—that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent ʿAbd Allah ibn Hudhafah with a letter to Khosrau. Khosrau read it and tore it up. When news of this reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he said:

“May his kingdom be torn apart.”

Ibn Jarir (3) reported: Ahmad ibn Humayd told us—Salamah told us—ibn Ishaq, from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, who said: The Messenger ﷺ sent ʿAbd Allah ibn Hudhafah ibn Qays ibn ʿAdi ibn Saʿd ibn Sahm to Khosrau ibn Hormuz, king of Persia, with the following letter:

“In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, to Khosrau, the great one of Persia. Peace be upon whoever follows guidance, believes in Allah and His Messenger, and bears witness that there is no deity but Allah alone without partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. I invite you with the call of Allah, for I am the Messenger of Allah to all people, that I may warn whoever is alive and that the Word may be fulfilled against the disbelievers. If you embrace Islam you will be safe; but if you refuse, then upon you rests the sin of the Magians.” (4)

When Khosrau read it he ripped it apart, exclaiming, “He addresses me thus while he is my vassal?” He then wrote to Badhan, his deputy in Yemen, instructing him to send for this man.