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6 November 2026 26 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH

Mishkat al-Masabih 3763

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Hadith 3763
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَتَبَ إِلَى قَيْصَرَ يَدْعُوهُ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ وَبَعَثَ بِكِتَابِهِ إِلَيْهِ دِحْيَةَ الْكَلْبِيَّ وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَدْفَعَهُ إِلَى عَظِيمِ بُصْرَى لِيَدْفَعَهُ إِلَى قَيْصَرَ فَإِذَا فِيهِ:
" بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلَى هِرَقْلَ عَظِيمِ الرُّومِ سَلَامٌ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنِّي أدْعوكَ بداعيَةِ الْإِسْلَامِ أَسْلِمْ تَسْلَمْ وَأَسْلِمْ يُؤْتِكَ اللَّهُ أَجَرَكَ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ فَعَلَيْكَ إِثْمُ الْأَرِيسِيِّينَ وَ (يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَن لَا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا: اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ)
مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ. وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لِمُسْلِمٍ قَالَ:
مِنْ محمَّدٍ رسولِ اللَّهِ " وَقَالَ: «إِثمُ اليريسيِّينَ» وَقَالَ: «بِدِعَايَةِ الْإِسْلَام»

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.
Mishkat al-Masabih 3763

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Whole chapter
Hadith 3762
وَعَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «سَيِّدُ الْقَوْمِ فِي السَّفَرِ خَادِمُهُمْ فَمَنْ سَبَقَهُمْ بِخِدْمَةٍ لَمْ يَسْبِقُوهُ بِعَمَلٍ إِلَّا الشَّهَادَةَ» . رَوَاهُ الْبَيْهَقِيّ فِي «شعب الْإِيمَان»
Sahl b. Sa'd reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The lord of the people on a journey is their servant,* and he who precedes them in service will not be preceded by them on account of any deed but martyrdom.”

* This is said to mean either that the leader must look after the interests of his followers, or that even the humblest member who serves the others is rewarded by God as if he were the dealer.

Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman.
Mishkat al-Masabih 3762 Open
Hadith 3764
وَعَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَعَثَ بِكِتَابِهِ إِلَى كِسْرَى مَعَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ حُذَافَةَ السَّهْمِيِّ فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَدْفَعَهُ إِلَى عَظِيمِ الْبَحْرَيْنِ فَدَفَعَهُ عَظِيمُ الْبَحْرَيْنِ إِلَى كِسْرَى فَلَمَّا قَرَأَ مَزَّقَهُ قَالَ ابْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ: فَدَعَا عَلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يُمَزَّقُوا كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ. رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ
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.

Bukhari transmitted it.
Mishkat al-Masabih 3764 Open
Hadith 3761
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تَصْحَبُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ رُفْقَةً فِيهَا جِلْدُ نَمِرٍ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ
Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The angels do not go with a travelling company in which there is a panther skin.”

Abu Dawud transmitted it.