Anas told that the Prophet wrote to Kisra, Qaisar, the Najashi, and every powerful man, summoning them to God, but it was not the Najashi on whom the Prophet invoked a blessing.*
* It says that the Najashi (Negus) of Abyssinia to whom this letter was sent was not the same as the one who ruled at the time when the early emigration from Mecca to Abyssinia took place.
He told that God’s Messenger sent his letter to Kisra with ‘Abdallah b. Hudhafa as-Sahmi, ordering him to hand it to the governor of al- Bahrain. The governor of al-Bahrain conveyed it to Kisra, and when he read it he tore it up. Ibn al-Musayyib said that God’s Messenger then invoked a curse on them to the effect that they might be torn into little pieces.
Sulaiman b. Buraida told on his father’s authority that when God’s Messenger appointed a commander over an army or a detachment he instructed him to fear God himself and consider the welfare of the Muslims who were with him. He then said, “Go forth in God’s name in God’s path and fight with those who disbelieve in God. Go forth and do not be unfaithful regarding booty, or treacherous, or mutilate anyone, or kill a child. When you meet the polytheists who are your enemy summon them to three things, and accept whichever of them they are willing to agree to, and refrain from them. Then* summon them to Islam, and if they agree accept it from them and refrain from them. Then summon them to leave their abodes and transfer to the abode of the Emigrants, and tell them that if they do so they will have the same rights and responsibilities as the Emigrants; but if they refuse to transfer from them tell them they will be like the desert Arabs who are Muslims, subject to God’s jurisdiction which applies to the believers, but will have no spoil or booty unless they strive with the Muslims. If they refuse demand the jizya from them, and if they agree accept it from them and refrain from them; but if they refuse seek God’s help and fight with them. When you invest a fortress and its people wish you to grant them the protection of God and His prophet, grant them neither but grant them your protection and that of your companions, for it is less serious to break your guarantee of protection and that of your companions than to break that of God and His Messenger. If you invest a fortress and its people offer to capitulate and have the matter referred to God’s jurisdiction, do not grant this, but let them capitulate and have the matter referred to your jurisdiction, for you do not know whether or not you will hit on God’s jurisdiction regarding them.”
* What follows gives in detail the three things mentioned above.
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas told that the Prophet wrote to Qaisar summoning him to Islam. He sent Dihya al-Kalbi with his letter to him and ordered him to hand it to the governor of Busra for him to convey to Qaisar. Its contents were:
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. From Muhammad, God’s servant and Messenger, to Hiraql1 chief of the Byzantines. Peace be to those who follow the guidance. To proceed: I send you the summons to accept Islam (bi da'iyat al-islam). If you accept Islam you will be safe, and if you accept Islam God will bring you your reward twofold; but if you turn away you will be guilty of the sin of your followers (al-arisiyin).2 “0 people of the Book, come to a word which is common between us and you, that we should worship only God, not attribute any partner to Him, or take one another as lords apart from God. But if they turn away say, Testify that we are Muslims."3
1. Heraclius.
2. Arisi means a tiller of the soil, but is here used as a general reference to the common people who will follow his example.
3. Al-Qur’an; 3:64.
(Bukhari and Muslim.) A version by Muslim has “From Muhammad God’s Messenger," “the sin of al-yarisiyin” and bi-di'ayat al-islam.
