When the Prophet (peace be upon him) carried his message beyond the Arabian Peninsula, he addressed the rulers, kings and emperors of neighboring countries and states. To each one of them he sent one of his able companions who could speak about Islam, explain its message, clarify its principles and stress its universality. One of these was Dihyah ibn Khalifah, of the Kalb tribe, who carried the Prophet’s message to Heraclius, the Byzantine emperor. Dihyah was a charming, handsome man. It is reported that the Angel Gabriel sometimes came to the Prophet in the same shape as Dihyah. The Prophet asked his companions: “Who is prepared to carry my letter to the czar of Byzantium and be guaranteed Heaven?”
A man asked: “Even if he rejects it?”
The Prophet affirmed that the reward would still be his even if Heraclius rejected the message. Dihyah then took it and traveled to the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
Heraclius was the man who rescued the Byzantine Empire and gave it a new lease of life after it was about to collapse before the Persian Empire. He was a military commander in Carthage when he was summoned to take up the positions of emperor and military commander of the empire in 610 AD. He was able to bring about a radical transformation in the fortunes of the Byzantine Empire. In a few years, he inflicted a heavy defeat on the Persian Empire that threatened its very existence. This victory took place in 625 AD. Four years later, he went to Jerusalem to fulfill his pledge of returning the holy crucifix to it after recovering it from the Persians. He was given a grand reception, with people laying out carpets for him to walk on and saluting him with flowers and cheers. A grand celebration was organized for the return of the holy crucifix to its place. It was during his visit to Jerusalem that Dihyah, the Prophet’s envoy, arrived there to give him the Prophet’s message.
There are several reports of what Dihyah did and how he was received by the emperor and his courtiers and bishops. We will mention some of these today and report on an encounter between Heraclius and Abu Sufyan next week, God willing.
In one report, Dihyah mentions that when he arrived at Heraclius and give him the Prophet’s letter, he was with a nephew of his, a man with a red face, blue eyes and straight hair. “As the Prophet’s letter was read, starting with: ‘From Muhammad, God’s Messenger, to Heraclius, the Byzantine ruler,’ his nephew made a gesture of disapproval and said: ‘This letter should not be read today.’ When the emperor asked him the reason, he said: ‘Because he started with himself, ahead of mentioning you, and spoke of you as ruler, not an emperor.’ Heraclius ordered him to have it read out. Then he ordered his attendants to leave and let me in. He called for the archbishop to come over. He explained to him about the Prophet’s letter and made him read it. The archbishop said to him: ‘This is the messenger we have been awaiting and whose coming was foretold by Jesus (peace be upon him). The emperor asked the archbishop for advice, and the latter said: ‘As for myself, I believe in him and I will follow him.’ The emperor said: ‘But if I do that, I will no longer be king.’ We then left him.”
Dihyah also mentions that sometime later, Heraclius called him and asked him to convey to the Prophet that he was certain that he was God’s messenger, but he did not wish to abandon his kingdom. “The archbishop, who used to meet other clergymen every Sunday and speak to them on all topics, did not do so on the following Sunday. However, I used to go to him and he would speak to me and ask questions. On the following Sunday, they awaited him, but he did not go out excusing himself by his illness. He did so several times. Then they sent him a message threatening to kill him unless he came out, because ‘you have certainly changed ever since this Arab came to you.’ The archbishop said to me: ‘Take this letter of mine with you and go back to your man and give him my warm greetings. Tell him that I bear witness that there is no deity other than God and that Muhammad is God’s Messenger. I believe in him and follow him. But the people here have opposed me and convey to him what you see.’ He then went out and they killed him.”
A different report mentions that Heraclius looked for an Arabic-speaking man who could give an accurate report and sent him with a letter to the Prophet when he was at Tabuk. He told him: “Report to me whatever you hear him say, but make sure of remembering three things: Pay attention to whether he mentions anything about the letter he sent me; and whether he mentions the night when he has read my letter; and look at his back to see if there is something peculiar.”
The emissary reports: “When I arrived at Tabuk, I found him (meaning the Prophet) sitting with his companions. I asked about him and he was pointed out to me. I went up to him, sat down and gave him the letter, and he put it in his lap. He asked me to which tribe I belonged and I said, Tanookh. He asked me: ‘Would you like to follow the faith of Abraham, your first father?’ I said: ‘I am the emissary of certain people and I follow their religion. I will not change it until I have gone back to them.’ He said: ‘You cannot guide whomever you love, but it is guide who guides whom He wills. Brother of Tanookh! I sent a message to the Persian emperor but he tore it, and God will tear his kingdom apart. I wrote to your man and he held on to my letter. People will continue to fear him as long as life is good.’ I thought this was the first sign, and took out an arrow from my bag and wrote it down on the strap of my sword. He then gave the letter to someone sitting to his left. I asked about the man who read it and I was told that he was Muawiyah. The emperor wrote: ‘You are calling me to follow you and to be in a heaven the width of which is equal to the heavens and the earth! Where will hell be, then?’ The Prophet said: ‘All glory be to God! Where is the night when the day arrives?’ I took out an arrow from my bag and wrote his answer on the strap of my sword. When my letter was finished he said to me: ‘You have a claim on us and you are an emissary. If we have a gift for you we will give it to you, but we are on travel and have little provisions.’ A man from among his people said to him: ‘I will give him a gift.’ He opened his luggage and brought me a suit and put it in my lap. I asked who he was and I was told that his name was Uthman. Then the Prophet stood up and asked his companions: ‘Who will take this man to his quarters’, and a man offered his hospitality. I went with him. Just as I was about to leave, the Prophet called me back and I returned to where I was sitting. He loosened his robe to expose his back, and said to me: ‘Look here as you were told.’ I looked very carefully at his back and I saw a seal at his shoulder joint.’”
(The 27th article in this series appeared last Monday. But the number was given as 17 instead of 27. The error is regretted — Editor).
