Abu Sufyan informed him directly, mouth to mouth, saying:I set out during the truce that was between me and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. While I was in Sham, a letter arrived from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to Heraclius, the great ruler of the Romans. Dihya Kalbi had brought it and delivered it to the governor of Busra, who in turn delivered it to Heraclius.Heraclius said, "Is there 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 from Quraysh, and we entered upon Heraclius and were seated before him.He asked, "Which of you is the closest in kinship to this man who claims to be a prophet?"Abu Sufyan said, "I am."So they seated me directly before him and seated my companions behind me. Then he called for his interpreter and said to him, "Tell them that I am going to question this one about the man who claims to be a prophet. If he lies to me, then contradict him."Abu Sufyan said, "By Allah, were it not for the fear that they would brand me a liar, I would have lied."Then he said to his interpreter, "Ask him about his lineage among you."I said, "He is of noble lineage among us."He asked, "Was any of his forefathers a king?"I said, "No."He asked, "Did you ever accuse him of lying before he said what he has now said?"I said, "No."He asked, "Are his followers the noble or the weak among the people?"I said, "Rather the weak among them."He asked, "Are they increasing or decreasing?"I said, "No, they are increasing."He asked, "Does any of them turn back from his religion after entering it, out of displeasure with it?"I said, "No."He asked, "Have you fought him?"I said, "Yes."He asked, "How was your fighting with him?"I said, "The war between us and him goes back and forth. He prevails over us at times, and we prevail over him at times."He asked, "Does he act treacherously?"I said, "No, but we are in a truce with him, and we do not know what he will do during it." Abu Sufyan said, "By Allah, he did not give me a chance to insert anything else into my speech other than this."He asked, "Did anyone before him say what he is saying?"I said, "No."He said to his interpreter, "Tell him: I asked you about his lineage and you claimed that he is of noble lineage among you. Likewise are messengers, they are sent in the noble lineages of their people. I asked you whether any of his forefathers was a king and you claimed not. Had any of his forefathers been a king, I would have said he is a man seeking the kingdom of his forefathers. I asked you about his followers, whether they are the weak or the noble, and you said the weak, and they are the followers of the messengers. I asked you whether you accused him of lying before he said what he says, and you claimed not. So I knew that one who would not lie about people would not then go on to lie about Allah. I asked you whether any of them turns back from his religion after entering it, out of displeasure, and you claimed not. Such is faith when its joy mingles with the hearts. I asked you whether they are increasing or decreasing, and you claimed they are increasing. Such is faith until it is complete. I asked you whether you have fought him and you claimed that you have, and that the war between you goes back and forth, he prevails over you at times and you prevail over him at times. Such are the messengers, they are tested, but the final outcome is theirs. I asked you whether he acts treacherously, and you claimed that he does not. Such are the messengers, they do not act treacherously. I asked you whether anyone before him said this, and you claimed not. Had anyone before him said this, I would have said he is a man following words said before him."Then he asked, "What does he command you to do?"I said, "He commands us to perform prayer, give zakat, maintain ties of kinship, and remain chaste."He said, "If what you say about him is true, then he is indeed a prophet. I knew he was about to emerge, but I did not think he would be from among you. If I knew I could reach him, I would love to meet him, and if I were with him, I would wash his feet. His dominion will surely reach what is beneath my feet."Then he called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and read it. In it was, "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Heraclius, the great ruler of the Romans. Peace be upon whoever follows the guidance. As for what follows, I call you with the call of Islam. Embrace Islam and you will be safe, and embrace Islam and Allah will give you your reward twice. But if you turn away, then upon you is the sin of the peasants. And '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, 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]."When he finished reading the letter, voices were raised around him and the clamor grew loud, and he ordered us out. As we were leaving, I said to my companions, "The affair of Ibn Abu Kabsha has indeed grown great. Even the king of the Yellow Race fears him."I remained certain that the cause of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would prevail until Allah brought Islam into my heart.
حدثنا إسحق بن إبراهيم الحنظلي وابن أبي عمر ومحمد بن رافع وعبد بن حميد واللفظ لابن رافع قال ابن رافع وابن أبي عمر حدثنا و قال الآخران أخبرنا عبد الرزاق أخبرنا معمر عن الزهري عن عبيد الله بن عبد الله بن عتبة
أن أبا سفيان أخبره من فيه إلى فيه قال انطلقت في المدة التي كانت بيني وبين رسول الله ﷺ قال فبينا أنا بالشأم إذ جيء بكتاب من رسول الله ﷺ إلى هرقل يعني عظيم الروم قال وكان دحية الكلبي جاء به فدفعه إلى عظيم بصرى فدفعه عظيم بصرى إلى هرقل فقال هرقل هل هاهنا أحد من قوم هذا الرجل الذي يزعم أنه نبي قالوا نعم قال فدعيت في نفر من قريش فدخلنا على هرقل فأجلسنا بين يديه فقال أيكم أقرب نسبا من هذا الرجل الذي يزعم أنه نبي فقال أبو سفيان فقلت أنا فأجلسوني بين يديه وأجلسوا أصحابي خلفي ثم دعا بترجمانه فقال له قل لهم إني سائل هذا عن الرجل الذي يزعم أنه نبي فإن كذبني فكذبوه قال فقال أبو سفيان وايم الله لولا مخافة أن يؤثر علي الكذب لكذبت ثم قال لترجمانه سله كيف حسبه فيكم قال قلت هو فينا ذو حسب قال فهل كان من آبائه ملك قلت لا قال فهل كنتم تتهمونه بالكذب قبل أن يقول ما قال قلت لا قال ومن يتبعه أشراف الناس أم ضعفاؤهم قال قلت بل ضعفاؤهم قال أيزيدون أم ينقصون قال قلت لا بل يزيدون قال هل يرتد أحد منهم عن دينه بعد أن يدخل فيه سخطة له قال قلت لا قال فهل قاتلتموه قلت نعم قال فكيف كان قتالكم إياه قال قلت تكون الحرب بيننا وبينه سجالا يصيب منا ونصيب منه قال فهل يغدر قلت لا ونحن منه في مدة لا ندري ما هو صانع فيها قال فوالله ما أمكنني من كلمة أدخل فيها شيئا غير هذه قال فهل قال هذا القول أحد قبله قال قلت لا قال لترجمانه قل له إني سألتك عن حسبه فزعمت أنه فيكم ذو حسب وكذلك الرسل تبعث في أحساب قومها وسألتك هل كان في آبائه ملك فزعمت أن لا فقلت لو كان من آبائه ملك قلت رجل يطلب ملك آبائه وسألتك عن أتباعه أضعفاؤهم أم أشرافهم فقلت بل ضعفاؤهم وهم أتباع الرسل وسألتك هل كنتم تتهمونه بالكذب قبل أن يقول ما قال فزعمت أن لا فقد عرفت أنه لم يكن ليدع الكذب على الناس ثم يذهب فيكذب على الله وسألتك هل يرتد أحد منهم عن دينه بعد أن يدخله سخطة له فزعمت أن لا وكذلك الإيمان إذا خالط بشاشة القلوب وسألتك هل يزيدون أو ينقصون فزعمت أنهم يزيدون وكذلك الإيمان حتى يتم وسألتك هل قاتلتموه فزعمت أنكم قد قاتلتموه فتكون الحرب بينكم وبينه سجالا ينال منكم وتنالون منه وكذلك الرسل تبتلى ثم تكون لهم العاقبة وسألتك هل يغدر فزعمت أنه لا يغدر وكذلك الرسل لا تغدر وسألتك هل قال هذا القول أحد قبله فزعمت أن لا فقلت لو قال هذا القول أحد قبله قلت رجل ائتم بقول قيل قبله قال ثم قال بم يأمركم قلت يأمرنا بالصلاة والزكاة والصلة والعفاف قال إن يكن ما تقول فيه حقا فإنه نبي وقد كنت أعلم أنه خارج ولم أكن أظنه منكم ولو أني أعلم أني أخلص إليه لأحببت لقاءه ولو كنت عنده لغسلت عن قدميه وليبلغن ملكه ما تحت قدمي قال ثم دعا بكتاب رسول الله ﷺ فقرأه فإذا فيه بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم من محمد رسول الله إلى هرقل عظيم الروم سلام على من اتبع الهدى أما بعد فإني أدعوك بدعاية الإسلام أسلم تسلم وأسلم يؤتك الله أجرك مرتين وإن توليت فإن عليك إثم الأريسيين و {يا أهل الكتاب تعالوا إلى كلمة سواء بيننا وبينكم أن لا نعبد إلا الله ولا نشرك به شيئا ولا يتخذ بعضنا بعضا أربابا من دون الله فإن تولوا فقولوا اشهدوا بأنا مسلمون} فلما فرغ من قراءة الكتاب ارتفعت الأصوات عنده وكثر اللغط وأمر بنا فأخرجنا قال فقلت لأصحابي حين خرجنا لقد أمر أمر ابن أبي كبشة إنه ليخافه ملك بني الأصفر قال فما زلت موقنا بأمر رسول الله ﷺ أنه سيظهر حتى أدخل الله علي الإسلام