to his court, with the leading men of the Romans around him. He then summoned them and called for his interpreter. 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 the closest of them in lineage to him.” He said, “Bring him near to me, and place his companions behind him.” Then he said to his interpreter, “Tell them: I am going to question this man, and if he lies to me, then call him a liar.” By Allah, had I not been ashamed that they might later attribute a lie to me, I would have lied about him.

The first thing he asked me was: “What is his lineage among you?” I said, “He is of noble lineage among us.” He said, “Has anyone among you ever made this claim before him?” I said, “No.” He said, “Was any of his forefathers a king?” I said, “No.” He said, “Do the prominent people follow him, or the weak among them?” I said, “Rather, the weak among them.” He said, “Are they increasing or decreasing?” I said, “Rather, they are increasing.” He said, “Does any of them renounce his religion out of displeasure with it after entering it?” I said, “No.” He said, “Did you ever accuse him of lying before he made the claims he has made?” I said, “No.” He said, “Does he betray?” I said, “No—although we are in a truce with him, and we do not know what he will do during it!” He said: I was unable to insert anything against him other than this statement. He said, “Have you fought him?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “How has your fighting with him been?” I said, “The fortunes of war alternate between us and him: he gains against us, and we gain against him.” He said, “What does he command you?” I said, “He says: Worship Allah alone and associate nothing with Him; abandon what your forefathers professed; and he commands us to pray, to be truthful, to remain chaste, and to maintain ties of kinship.”

He then said to the interpreter, “Tell him: I asked you about his lineage, and you mentioned that he is of noble lineage among you. Thus are the messengers sent among the noble lineages of their peoples. I asked you whether anyone among you had made this claim, and you said no. So I thought: if someone had made this claim before him, I would have said that he was a man following a statement that had been made before him. I asked you whether any of his forefathers had been a king, and you said no. I thought: if one of his forefathers had been a king, I would have said that he was a man seeking his father’s kingship. I asked you whether you had accused him of lying before he made the claims he has made, and you said no. I knew, then, that he would not abandon lying