1457 — Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Khayran al-Faqih informed us; Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Ashqar al-Qadi informed us; al-Husayn ibn Mahdi al-Ayli related to us; Abd al-Razzaq related to us; Ma'mar informed us, from al-Zuhri, from Ubayd Allah ibn Abd Allah, from Ibn Abbas, who said: Abu Sufyan related this to me directly: “I set out during the period of truce between us and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. While I was in Syria, the letter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was brought to Heraclius. Dihyah al-Kalbi had brought it and delivered it to the governor of Busra, who in turn delivered it to Heraclius.

Heraclius said, ‘Is anyone here from the people of this man who claims to be a prophet?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ So I was summoned along with a group of Quraysh. We entered before Heraclius, and he seated us before him. He said, ‘Which of you is closest in lineage to this man who claims to be a prophet?’ Abu Sufyan said, ‘I replied, “I am.”’ They seated me in front of him and seated my companions behind me. Then he called for his interpreter and said, ‘Tell them: I am going to question him about this man who claims to be a prophet. If he tells me a lie, then contradict him.’

Abu Sufyan said, ‘By Allah, had I not feared that they would attribute lying to me, I would have lied about him.’ Then he said to his interpreter, ‘Ask him: What is his lineage among you?’ I replied, ‘He is of noble lineage among us ⦗871⦘.’ He asked, ‘Was any of his forefathers a king?’ I said, ‘No.’ He asked, ‘Did you ever accuse him of lying before he made the claim he has made?’ I said, ‘No.’ He asked, ‘Do the noble people follow him, or the weak among them?’ I said, ‘Rather, the weak among them.’ He asked, ‘Are they increasing or decreasing?’ I said, ‘Rather, they are increasing.’ He asked, ‘Does any of them renounce his religion out of displeasure with it after entering it?’ I said, ‘No.’ He asked, ‘Have you fought him?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘How has your fighting with him been?’ I said, ‘The war between us has had alternating fortunes: he gains against us, and we gain against him.’ He asked, ‘Does he act treacherously?’ I said, ‘No. We are presently in a truce with him, and we do not know what he will do during it.’ By Allah, this was the only statement into which I was able to insert anything against him. He asked, ‘Has anyone made this claim before him?’ I said, ‘No.’

Then he said to his interpreter, ‘Tell him: I asked you about his lineage among you, and you claimed that he is of noble lineage among you. Such are the messengers: they are sent among the noble lineages of their peoples. I asked whether any of his forefathers had been a king, and you claimed that none had. I thought that, if there had been a king among ⦗872⦘ his forefathers, I would have said that he was a man seeking the kingdom of his forefathers. I asked you whether his followers were the weak or the noble among them, and you said that they were the weak; and they are the followers of the messengers. I asked whether you had accused him of lying before he made the claim he has made, and you claimed that you had not. I thus knew that he would not refrain from lying about people only to go on and lie about Allah. I asked whether any of them renounced his religion out of displeasure with it after entering it, and you claimed that none did. Such is faith when its sweetness has entered the hearts. I asked whether they were increasing or decreasing, and you claimed that they were increasing. Such is faith, until it is made complete. I asked whether you had fought him, and you claimed that you had; that the war between you and him had alternating fortunes, with him gaining against you and you gaining against him. Such are the messengers: they are tested, until the final outcome is in their favor. I asked whether he acts treacherously, and you claimed that he does not. Such are the messengers: they do not act treacherously. I asked whether anyone had made this claim before him, and you claimed that none had. I thought that, if anyone had made this claim before him, I would have said that he was merely following a statement made before him.’

Then he asked, ‘What does he command you to do?’ I said, ‘He commands us to pray, give zakah, maintain kinship ties, and observe chastity.’ Then he said, ‘If what you have said about him is true, then he is a prophet. I knew that he was to appear, but I did not think that he would be from among you. If I knew that I could reach him safely, I would have wished to meet him; and had I been with him, I would have washed his feet. His dominion will surely reach what lies beneath my feet.’

He then called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and it contained ⦗873⦘: ‘In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Heraclius, ruler of the Romans. Peace be upon whoever follows guidance. To proceed: I invite you with the call of Islam. Accept Islam and you will be safe; Allah will grant you your reward twice over. But if you turn away, then you will bear the sin of your subjects. “O People of the Book, come to a word common between us and you: that we worship none but Allah and associate nothing with Him...” [Ali Imran: 64], up to His words, “Bear witness that we are Muslims.” [Ali Imran: 64]’

When he finished reading the letter, voices were raised in his presence and there was much commotion. He ordered that we be taken out. When we left, I said to my companions, ‘How momentous the affair of Ibn Abi Kabshah has become! Even the king of the Byzantines fears him.’ Thereafter, I remained certain that the cause of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would prevail, until Allah brought me into Islam.

Al-Bukhari and Muslim both recorded it through Abd al-Razzaq.