Azami 9798

Reported by Tahawi in Sharh Mushkil (4349, 2570), and by Ibn Abdul-Hakam in Al-Futuh (p. 64), both from the hadith of Abdullah bin Wahb, who said, Yunus bin Yazid told me, from Ibn Shihab, who said, Abdul-Rahman bin Abdul-Qari told me, and he related it. The wording given is that of Tahawi. Bayhaqi also reported it in Dalail Nubuwwah (4/395) through the route of Ibn Ishaq, who said, Zuhri told us, with the same account.Its chain of transmission is sahih up to Abdul-Rahman bin Abdul-Qari, though there is disagreement about whether he was a companion. Ibn Hajar mentioned in Al-Isabah that he was brought to the Prophet ﷺ as a small child, and the Prophet wiped his hand over his head. Tahawi commented after the hadith, "We included this hadith in this chapter because Abdul-Rahman bin Abdul-Qari was among those born during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, and it is said that he saw him, which would place him among his companions ﷺ." End of quote.As for the text of the letter, it reads as follows,In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, Messenger of Allah ﷺ, to Muqawqis, the chief of the Copts. Peace be upon whoever follows guidance. To proceed, I call you with the call of Islam. Submit and you will be safe. Submit and Allah will give you your reward twice over. But if you turn away, then upon you falls the sin of the Copts."Say, O People of the Book, come to common terms between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us takes others as lords besides Allah. And if they turn away, then say, bear witness that we are Muslims" [Al Imran 3:64]This was reported by Zubayr bin Bakkar, as found in Muntakhab Kitab Azwaj Nabi ﷺ. He said, Muhammad bin Hasan told me, from Muhammad bin Talha, from Saeed bin Abdul-Rahman bin Hassan, from his father, and also from Ishaq bin Ibrahim, from Abdullah bin Haritha bin Numan, that when the Messenger of Allah returned from Hudaybiya in the year six, he sent out six men, three of them traveling together. Hatib bin Abu Balta went to Muqawqis, Shujaa bin Wahb went to Harith bin Abu Shamir, and Dihya Kalbi went to Caesar. They set out and reached Wadi Qura, where Hatib took the road to Muqawqis, carrying with him a letter from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.Zaylai also mentioned this in Nasb Raya (4/421–422), citing Waqidi with a similar account, and he added,Hatib set out with the letter until he reached Alexandria. When he entered before Muqawqis, he said, "Know that before you there was a man who claimed to be the highest lord, and Allah seized him with the punishment of both the next life and this one, taking vengeance through him and then taking vengeance upon him. Let this be a lesson to you, and do not let others need to draw a lesson from you. Know that we hold to a religion we will never abandon except for something better than it, and that religion is Islam, which Allah has made sufficient in place of all else. This prophet ﷺ has called people to it. Those most fiercely opposed to him were Quraysh, those most hostile to him were the Jews, and those closest to him were the Christians. By my life, the glad tiding Musa gave of Isa is no different from the glad tiding Isa gave of Muhammad ﷺ. Our call to you to accept the Quran is no different from your own call to the People of the Torah to accept the Injil. Every prophet who reaches a people, they become part of his nation, and it becomes their duty to obey him. You are among those whom this prophet has reached. We are not forbidding you the religion of the Messiah, rather we are commanding you to it."Muqawqis said, "I have looked into the matter of this prophet, and I find that he does not command what is disdained, nor forbid what is desired. I have not found him to be a misguided sorcerer, nor a lying soothsayer. I have found with him the marks of prophethood, in bringing out hidden things and telling of secret matters. I will look further into this."He took the letter of the Prophet ﷺ and placed it in a case of ivory, sealed it, and handed it to a servant girl of his. Then he summoned a scribe of his who wrote in Arabic, and had him write to the Prophet,In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. To Muhammad bin Abdullah, from Muqawqis, chief of the Copts. Peace. To proceed, I have read your letter and understood what you mentioned in it and what you call to. I have known that a prophet remained to come, but I had thought he would appear in Syria. I have honored your messenger, and I am sending you two servant girls who hold great standing among the Copts, along with garments and a mule for you to ride. Peace be upon you.He handed the letter to Hatib, ordered that he be given a hundred dinars and five garments, and said to him, "Return to your master, and do not let the Copts hear a single word from you, for the Copts will not follow me in accepting him. I am too protective of my rule to give it up, yet your master will prevail over these lands, and after him his followers will settle in this very territory of ours. So depart from me."He said, I departed from him, having stayed with him only five days. When I came before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I told him what Muqawqis had said to me, and he said, "The wicked man was protective of his rule, but his rule will not last."Some parts of its wording are unusual.