Abu Sufyan was in Sham among some men of Quraysh who had come there as traders during the period of truce between the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the disbelievers of Quraysh.Abu Sufyan said, "We met the messenger of Caesar somewhere in Sham, and he took me and my companions until we reached Iliya. We were brought before him while he was seated in his royal court, wearing the crown, with the great men of the Romans around him.He said to his interpreter, 'Ask them which of them is the closest in kinship to this man who claims to be a prophet.'"Abu Sufyan said, "I replied, 'I am the closest of them to him in kinship.'"He asked, "What is the relationship between you and him?"I said, "He is my cousin." There was no one in the caravan that day from Banu Abd Manaf except me.Caesar said, "Bring him close." He ordered my companions to be placed behind my back, by my shoulders. Then he said to his interpreter, "Tell his companions that I am going to question this man about the one who claims to be a prophet. If he lies, then contradict him."Abu Sufyan said, "By Allah, were it not for the shame that day of my companions reporting a lie about me, I would have lied about him when he questioned me. But I was too embarrassed for them to report a lie about me, so I told the truth."Then he said to his interpreter, "Ask him what this man's lineage is among you."I said, "He is of noble lineage among us."He asked, "Has anyone among you said this same thing before him?"I said, "No."He asked, "Did you accuse him of lying before he said what he said?"I said, "No."He asked, "Was any of his forefathers a king?"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 anyone abandon his religion out of displeasure with it after entering it?"I said, "No."He asked, "Does he break his covenants?"I said, "No, but we are now in a period of truce with him, and we fear that he may act treacherously."Abu Sufyan said, "I could not slip in any word to belittle him except this one, since I did not fear that anything else would be reported about me."He asked, "Have you fought him, or has he fought you?"I said, "Yes."He asked, "How was your war with him?"I said, "It has gone back and forth between us. He prevails over us at times, and we prevail over him at others."He asked, "What does he command you to do?"I said, "He commands us to worship Allah alone and not to associate anything with Him, and he forbids us from what our forefathers used to worship. He commands us to pray, give charity, be chaste, fulfill our covenants, and return what is entrusted to us."When I said that to him, he said to his interpreter, "Tell him, I asked you about his lineage among you, and you claimed that he is of noble lineage. Likewise, messengers are sent from the noble lineage of their people. I asked you whether anyone among you had said this same thing before him, and you claimed that no one had. I said to myself, had anyone among you said this before him, I would say he is a man imitating something said before him. I asked you whether you accused him of lying before he said what he said, and you claimed that you did not. So I knew that he was not one to forsake lying about people only to lie about Allah. I asked you whether any of his forefathers was a king, and you claimed that none was. I said to myself, had any of his forefathers been a king, I would say he is a man seeking to reclaim his forefathers' kingdom. I asked you whether the noble or the weak followed him, and you claimed that the weak followed him, and they are the followers of the messengers. I asked you whether they were increasing or decreasing, and you claimed that they were increasing. Such is faith until it is complete. I asked you whether anyone abandons his religion out of displeasure with it after entering it, and you claimed that none does. Such is faith when its delight mingles with the hearts, no one becomes displeased with it. I asked you whether he breaks his covenants, and you claimed that he does not. Likewise, the messengers do not act treacherously. I asked you whether you fought him and he fought you, and you claimed that this had occurred, and that your war and his go back and forth, with him prevailing over you at times and you prevailing over him at others. Likewise, the messengers are tested, but the final outcome is theirs. I asked you what he commands you to do, and you claimed that he commands you to worship Allah and not to associate anything with Him, and forbids you from what your forefathers used to worship, and commands you to pray, give charity, be chaste, fulfill your covenants, and return what is entrusted to you. This is the description of a prophet. I knew that he was about to appear, but I did not think he would be from among you. If what you have said is true, he will soon possess the very ground beneath my two feet. If I had hoped to reach him, I would undertake the journey to meet him, and if I were with him, I would wash his feet."Abu Sufyan said, "Then he called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and it was read aloud. It said, 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the servant of Allah and His Messenger, to Heraclius, the great one of the Romans. Peace be upon whoever follows the guidance. To proceed, I call you with the call of Islam. Accept Islam and you will be safe, and accept Islam and Allah will give you your reward twice over. But if you turn away, then upon you is the sin of the peasants. "People of the Book, come to a word common between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, that we associate nothing with Him, and that none of us take others as lords besides Allah. But if they turn away, then say, Bear witness that we are Muslims." [Aal Imran 3:64]'"Abu Sufyan said, "When he finished his speech, the voices of the great men of the Romans around him rose, and their clamor grew loud. I do not know what they said. He ordered us to be taken out. When I went out with my companions and was alone with them, I said to them, 'The affair of Ibn Abu Kabsha has truly grown serious. Even the king of the yellow-skinned people fears him.'"Abu Sufyan said, "By Allah, I remained humbled, certain that his cause would prevail, until Allah brought Islam into my heart, while I was unwilling."
قال ابن عباس فأخبرني
أنه كان بالشأم في رجال من قريش قدموا تجارا في المدة التي كانت بين رسول الله ﷺ وبين كفار قريش قال أبو سفيان فوجدنا رسول قيصر ببعض الشأم فانطلق بي وبأصحابي حتى قدمنا إيلياء فأدخلنا عليه فإذا هو جالس في مجلس ملكه وعليه التاج وإذا حوله عظماء الروم فقال لترجمانه سلهم أيهم أقرب نسبا إلى هذا الرجل الذي يزعم أنه نبي قال أبو سفيان فقلت أنا أقربهم إليه نسبا قال ما قرابة ما بينك وبينه فقلت هو ابن عمي وليس في الركب يومئذ أحد من بني عبد مناف غيري فقال قيصر أدنوه وأمر بأصحابي فجعلوا خلف ظهري عند كتفي ثم قال لترجمانه قل لأصحابه إني سائل هذا الرجل عن الذي يزعم أنه نبي فإن كذب فكذبوه قال أبو سفيان والله لولا الحياء يومئذ من أن يأثر أصحابي عني الكذب لكذبته حين سألني عنه ولكني استحييت أن يأثروا الكذب عني فصدقته ثم قال لترجمانه قل له كيف نسب هذا الرجل فيكم قلت هو فينا ذو نسب قال فهل قال هذا القول أحد منكم قبله قلت لا فقال كنتم تتهمونه على الكذب قبل أن يقول ما قال قلت لا قال فهل كان من آبائه من ملك قلت لا قال فأشراف الناس يتبعونه أم ضعفاؤهم قلت بل ضعفاؤهم قال فيزيدون أو ينقصون قلت بل يزيدون قال فهل يرتد أحد سخطة لدينه بعد أن يدخل فيه قلت لا قال فهل يغدر قلت لا ونحن الآن منه في مدة نحن نخاف أن يغدر قال أبو سفيان ولم يمكني كلمة أدخل فيها شيئا أنتقصه به لا أخاف أن تؤثر عني غيرها قال فهل قاتلتموه أو قاتلكم قلت نعم قال فكيف كانت حربه وحربكم قلت كانت دولا وسجالا يدال علينا المرة وندال عليه الأخرى قال فماذا يأمركم به قال يأمرنا أن نعبد الله وحده لا نشرك به شيئا وينهانا عما كان يعبد آباؤنا ويأمرنا بالصلاة والصدقة والعفاف والوفاء بالعهد وأداء الأمانة فقال لترجمانه حين قلت ذلك له قل له إني سألتك عن نسبه فيكم فزعمت أنه ذو نسب وكذلك الرسل تبعث في نسب قومها وسألتك هل قال أحد منكم هذا القول قبله فزعمت أن لا فقلت لو كان أحد منكم قال هذا القول قبله قلت رجل يأتم بقول قد قيل قبله وسألتك هل كنتم تتهمونه بالكذب قبل أن يقول ما قال فزعمت أن لا فعرفت أنه لم يكن ليدع الكذب على الناس ويكذب على الله وسألتك هل كان من آبائه من ملك فزعمت أن لا فقلت لو كان من آبائه ملك قلت يطلب ملك آبائه وسألتك أشراف الناس يتبعونه أم ضعفاؤهم فزعمت أن ضعفاءهم اتبعوه وهم أتباع الرسل وسألتك هل يزيدون أو ينقصون فزعمت أنهم يزيدون وكذلك الإيمان حتى يتم وسألتك هل يرتد أحد سخطة لدينه بعد أن يدخل فيه فزعمت أن لا فكذلك الإيمان حين تخلط بشاشته القلوب لا يسخطه أحد وسألتك هل يغدر فزعمت أن لا وكذلك الرسل لا يغدرون وسألتك هل قاتلتموه وقاتلكم فزعمت أن قد فعل وأن حربكم وحربه تكون دولا ويدال عليكم المرة وتدالون عليه الأخرى وكذلك الرسل تبتلى وتكون لها العاقبة وسألتك بماذا يأمركم فزعمت أنه يأمركم أن تعبدوا الله ولا تشركوا به شيئا وينهاكم عما كان يعبد آباؤكم ويأمركم بالصلاة والصدقة والعفاف والوفاء بالعهد وأداء الأمانة قال وهذه صفة النبي قد كنت أعلم أنه خارج ولكن لم أظن أنه منكم وإن يك ما قلت حقا فيوشك أن يملك موضع قدمي هاتين ولو أرجو أن أخلص إليه لتجشمت لقيه ولو كنت عنده لغسلت قدميه قال أبو سفيان ثم دعا بكتاب رسول الله ﷺ فقرئ فإذا فيه بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم من محمد عبد الله ورسوله إلى هرقل عظيم الروم سلام على من اتبع الهدى أما بعد فإني أدعوك بدعاية الإسلام أسلم تسلم وأسلم يؤتك الله أجرك مرتين فإن توليت فعليك إثم الأريسيين و {يا أهل الكتاب تعالوا إلى كلمة سواء بيننا وبينكم ألا نعبد إلا الله ولا نشرك به شيئا ولا يتخذ بعضنا بعضا أربابا من دون الله فإن تولوا فقولوا اشهدوا بأنا مسلمون} قال أبو سفيان فلما أن قضى مقالته علت أصوات الذين حوله من عظماء الروم وكثر لغطهم فلا أدري ماذا قالوا وأمر بنا فأخرجنا فلما أن خرجت مع أصحابي وخلوت بهم قلت لهم لقد أمر أمر ابن أبي كبشة هذا ملك بني الأصفر يخافه قال أبو سفيان والله ما زلت ذليلا مستيقنا بأن أمره سيظهر حتى أدخل الله قلبي الإسلام وأنا كاره