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Muhammad's letters to the heads of state are diplomatic letters reported to be sent by the Islamic prophet Muhammad to the political leaders of the world, inviting them to Islam. Muhammad, according to Islamic historiography, sent ambassadors with such letters to the Eastern Roman Emperor Heraclius, Khosrow II of Persia, the Ethiopian/Abyssinian king Negus Armah, Cyrus of Egypt, the Arab vassal king of the Levant or Byzantine Syria and the Arab satrap of East Arabia, as well as some of the tribal despots of Arabia. [1] [2] [lower-alpha 1]
According to al-Tabari in his History of the Prophets and Kings (10th century CE), Muhammad decided after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (628) to send letters to many rulers of the world, inviting them to Islam. [4] [5] [6] The Islamic account of some of these letters and their reception has been a matter of discussion. [7]
The text of the letter to Heraclius (Arabic : هِرَقْل, romanized: Hiraql), reads as follows: [8] [9] [2]
In the name of God, the Gracious One, the Merciful
From Muhammad, servant of God and His apostle to Heraclius, premier of the Romans:
Peace unto whoever follows the guided path!
Thereafter, verily I call you to the call of peace. Establish peace and shall have peace. God shall compensate your reward two-folds. But if you turn away, then upon you will sins of Arians (Christian minority).
Then "O People of the Scripture, come to a term equitable between us and you that we worship none but God and associate with Him nothing, and we take not one another as Lords apart from God. But if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we peace makers."[Quran 3:64]
Seal: Muhammad, Apostle of God
According to Islamic reports, Muhammad dispatched Dihyah al-Kalbi [8] [10] to carry the epistle to "Caesar" through the government of Bosra after the Byzantine defeat of the Persians and reconquest of Jerusalem. [3] [9] [8] Islamic sources say that after the letter was read to him, he was so impressed by it that he gifted the messenger of the epistle with robes and coinage. [11] Alternatively, he also put it on his lap. [3] Later reportedly he wrote to a certain religious official in Rome to confirm if Muhammad's claim of prophethood was legitimate, and, after receiving the reply to his letter, called the Roman assembly saying, "If you desire salvation and the orthodox way so that your empire remain firmly established, then follow this prophet," to the rejection of the council. [11] [12] [3] Heraclius eventually decided against conversion but the envoy was returned to Medina with the felicitations of the emperor. [13]
The letter to Khosrow II (Arabic : كِسْرٰى, romanized: Kisrá) as transmitted by Muslim historians, reads thus:
In the name of God, the Gracious One, the Merciful
From Muhammad, Apostle of God to Khosrow, premier of Persia:
Peace unto whoever follows the guided path, and believes in God and His apostle, and bears witness that there is no god but the one God with no partner [associated in worship] to Him and that Muhammad is His servant and His apostle!
And [hence] I call you to the call of God, [for] in fact I am the apostle of God to mankind in its entirety, "that he may warn whoever is [spiritually] alive and [God's] word is proven against the infidels (i.e., those without faith in God)."[Quran 36:70]
So submit [to God] (i.e., embrace Islam) and be safe [from perdition]. But if you refuse, then verily will the guilt [of delusion] of the Zoroastrians ("Magians") be upon you.
Seal: Muhammad, Apostle of God
According to Muslim tradition, the letter was sent through Abdullah as-Sahmi [lower-alpha 1] [10] and after reading it Khosrow II tore the document, [14] saying, "A pitiful slave among my subjects dares to write his name before mine" [11] and commanded Badhan, his vassal ruler of Yemen, to dispatch two valiant men to identify, seize and bring this man from Hejaz (Muhammad) to him. When Abdullah ibn Hudhafah as-Sahmi told Muhammad how Khosrow had torn his letter to pieces, Muhammad is said to have stated, "May God [likewise] tear apart his kingdom," while reacting to the Caesar's behavior saying, "May God preserve his kingdom." [15] [10]
Letter of the Prophet Muhammad to an-Najjāshī (Armah, the Axumite king of Ethiopia/Abyssinia):
In the name of God, the Gracious One, the Merciful
From Muhammad, Apostle of God to an-Najjāšī, premier of the Abyssinians:
Peace unto whoever follows the guided path!
Thereafter, verily to you I make praise of God, but Whom there is no god, the King, the Holy One, the [Maker of] Peace, the Giver of Faith, the Giver of Security. And I bear witness that Jesus son of Mary is the Spirit of God and His Word that He cast into the Virgin Mary, the immaculate [and] the immune, and she was impregnated with Jesus by His Spirit and His blow like how He created Adam with His Hand. And I verily call you to the one God with no partner [associated in worship] to Him, and adherence upon His obedience, and that you follow me and believe in that which came to me, [for] I, in fact, am the Apostle of God and verily call you and your hosts toward God, [Possessor of] Might and Majesty.
And thus I have informed and sincerely admonished. So accept my sincere admonition. "And Peace unto whoever follows the guided path."[Quran 20:47]
Seal: Muhammad, Apostle of God
Letter of the Prophet Muhammed to al-Muqawqis, "ruler of Alexandria," [1] i.e., Cyrus of Alexandria, Melchite patriarch and the last prefect of Egypt: [lower-alpha 2]
In the name of God, the Gracious One, the Merciful
From Muhammad, servant of God and His apostle to al-Muqawqis, premier of Egypt:
Peace unto whoever follows the guided path!
And thereafter, verily I call you to the call of Submission [to God] ("Islam"). Submit (i.e., embrace Islam) and be safe [from perdition, as] God shall compensate your reward two-folds. But if you turn away, then upon you will be the guilt [of delusion] of the Egyptians.
Then "O People of the Scripture, come to a term equitable between us and you that we worship none but God and associate [as partners in worship] with Him nothing, and we take not one another as Lords apart from God. [Then God says] But if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are Submitters [to God] ("Muslims")."[Quran 3:64]
Seal: Muhammad, Apostle of God
Letter of Prophet Muhammad to al-Ḥārith bin ʾAbī Shamir al-Ghassānī, who ruled Byzantine Syria (called by Arabs ash-Shām "north country, the Levant" in contrast to al-Yaman "south country, the Yemen") based in Bosra, [lower-alpha 3] [18] [10] alternatively Damascus, [11] [19] and hailed from the Ghassanian dynasty of Hellenized Arabs (comparable though superior in status to the Herodian dynasty of Roman Palestine):
In the name of God, the Gracious One, the Merciful
From Muhammad, Apostle of God to al-Ḥāriṯ the son of ʾAbū Šamir:
Peace unto whoever follows the guided path and believe in God and is sincere [about it]!
Thereby I call you to [this] that you believe in the one God with no partner [associated in worship] to Him [and] your kingship remains yours.
Seal: Muhammad, Apostle of God
Letter of the Prophet Muhammad to al-Munḏir bin Sāwá at-Tamīmī, alternatively al-ʿAbdī, [1] who administered the province of Mazun (Eastern Arabia) called al-Baḥrayn (literally meaning "the two seas") by the Arabs, as satrap of the Sasanian Empire:
In the name of God, the Gracious One, the Merciful
From Muhammad, Apostle of God to al-Munḏir the son of Sāwá:
Peace unto whoever follows the guided path!
Thereafter, verily I call you to the call of Submission [to God] ("Islam").
So submit [to God] (i.e., embrace Islam) and be safe [from perdition]. And submit [as] God shall [permanently] ordain for you what you have [now], and I know that my religion will appear to the end of the camel's toe and the horse's hoof (i.e., as far as the Muslim camelry and cavalry could reach).
Seal: Muhammad, Apostle of God
After a short conversation with the bearer of the letter al-'Ala al-Hadrami, al-Munḏir is said to have converted along with the Bahranite dastur, as well as a significant number of the people of his domain. [19] [20] He then sent a reply to the letter reiterating his faith, informing the prophet of the religion status of the Bahranite demographic and asking him his instruction regarding the non-pagan communities of his land, the Jews and Persians (Zoroastrians) of East Arabia. [21] Prophet Muhammad then sent the following letter:
In the name of God, the Gracious One, the Merciful
From Muhammad, Apostle of God to al-Munḏir the son of Sāwá:
Peace unto you!
Thereby to you I make praise of God, without Whom there is no god. And I bear witness that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His servant and His apostle.
Thereafter, verily I remind you of God, [Possessor of] Might and Majesty. So whoever sincerely admonished [others], he in fact sincerely admonished himself. And whoever followed my messengers and acted in accordance to their decree, he already obeyed me. And whoever gave sincere admonition to them, he already gave sincere admonition to me.
Indeed my messengers have already remarked well about you for God. Thereby I have already interceded for you in the matter of your people. So relinquish for the Muslims what they have submitted upon (i.e., give them freedom to practice Islam). And I have issued pardon for the lot of offenders, so accept [penitence] from them. And if you are righteous whatsoever, I shall not depose you from your office. And whoever stays upon his Judaism or his Zoroastrianism ("Magianism"), they should fulfill the retribute-capitation ("jizya").
Seal: Muhammad, Apostle of God
Prophet Muhammad's letter to the Azdi rulers of historic Oman is displayed at the National Museum of Oman that often stirs emotions in people and because of its great significance, a sample of this article is exhibited in other museums as well. It is a letter written in Arabic using ink and used leather as a canvas and is believed by the museum to have been penned in 8 AH/630 CE. It bears the seal of the prophet and is addressed to Jaifar and 'Ayyad, also (mis)read as "'Abbad" or "'Abd," the co-regents of the Banu al-Julanda clan. It was said to have been sent through 'Amr(ou) ibn al-As inviting them to Islam. In response to the letter, Oman was the first land to convert to Islam without any war. It is said that the Prophet made a prayer for the Omani people that they will never have enemies from outside. The letter is an important display at the National Museum in the department for the Islamic history of Oman. [22] The letter reads as follows:
In the name of God, the Gracious One, the Merciful
From Muhammad, Apostle of God to Jayfar and ʿAbd [sic], [22] the sons of al-Julandī:
Then peace unto whoever follows the guided path!
Thereafter, verily I call you two to the call of Submission [to God] ("Islam"). Submit (i.e., embrace Islam) and be safe I, in fact, am the apostle of God to mankind in its entirety, "that he may warn whoever is alive Then indeed you two: if you consent unto Submission to Allah, I shall patronize you. But if you refuse, then [know that] indeed your reign is fleeting, and my horsemen shall invade into your courtyard, and my prophethood shall become dominate your kingdom.
Seal: Muhammad, Apostle of God
The Farewell Sermon also known as Muhammad's Final Sermon or the Last Sermon, is a religious speech, delivered by the Islamic prophet Muhammad on Friday the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, 10 AH in the Uranah valley of Mount Arafat, during the Islamic pilgrimage of Hajj. Muhammad al-Bukhari refers to the sermon and quotes part of it in his Sahih al-Bukhari. Part of it is also present in Sahih Muslim and Sunan Abu Dawood. Verse 5:3, "Today I have perfected for you your religion ...", is believed to have been recited during the address as the capstone verse of the Quran. Various versions of the sermon have been published, including several English translations. The sermon consists of a series of general exhortations for Muslims to follow the teachings that Muhammad had set forth in the Quran and sunnah.
Al-Kawthar is the 108th chapter (sūrah) of the Quran. It is the shortest chapter, consisting of three ayat or verses:
An-Nisa' is the fourth chapter (sūrah) of the Quran, with 176 verses (āyāt). The title derives from the numerous references to women throughout the chapter, including verse 34 and verses 127-130.
Al-Mu’minun is the 23rd chapter (sūrah) of the Qur'an with 118 verses (āyāt). Regarding the timing and contextual background of the supposed revelation, it is an earlier "Meccan surah", which means it is believed to have been revealed in Mecca, instead of later in Medina.
Al-Mulk is the 67th chapter (surah) of the Quran, comprising 30 verses. The surah emphasizes that no individual can impose his will on another; he may only guide and set an example (67:26).
Al-Masih ad-Dajjal, otherwise referred to simply as the Dajjal, is an evil figure in Islamic eschatology similar to the Antichrist in Christianity, who will pretend to be the promised Messiah, appearing before the Day of Judgment according to the Islamic eschatological narrative. The Dajjal is never mentioned in the Quran, but he is mentioned and described in the ḥadīth literature.
Al-Muqawqis is mentioned in Islamic history as a ruler of Egypt who corresponded with the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He is widely identified with the last prefect of Egypt Cyrus of Alexandria, who was the Greek (Melchite) patriarch of the second Byzantine period of Egypt (628-642). However, an alternative view identifies al-Muqawqis with the Sassanid governor of Egypt, said to be a Greek man named "Kirolos, leader of the Copts," although the Sassanian governor at the time was the military leader named Shahrbaraz.
Tawba is the Islamic concept of repenting to God due to performing any sins and misdeeds. It is a direct matter between a person and God, so there is no intercession. There is no original sin in Islam. It is the act of leaving what God has prohibited and returning to what he has commanded. The word denotes the act of being repentant for one's misdeeds, atoning for those misdeeds, and having a strong determination to forsake those misdeeds. If someone sins against another person, restitution is required.
Tawassul is an Arabic word originated from wa-sa-la- wasilat. The wasilah is a means by which a person, goal or objective is approached, attained or achieved. In another version of the meaning of tawassul in another text: Tawassul is an Arabic word that comes from a verbal noun, wasilah, which according to Ibn Manzur in Lisān al-'Arab means "a station of King, a rank, or act of devotion". In other words, it refers to a position of power due to one's proximity to the king or sovereign. While the tawassul or tawassulan is the use of wasilah for this purpose. In religious contexts, the tawassul is the use of a wasilah to arrive at or obtain favour of Allah.
Tazkiyah is an Arabic-Islamic term alluding to "tazkiyat al-nafs" meaning "sanctification" or "purification of the self". This refers to the process of transforming the nafs from its deplorable state of self-centrality through various spiritual stages towards the level of purity and submission to the Will of Allah. Its basis is in learning the shari'ah and deeds from the known authentic sunnah and applying it in your own deeds through life resulting in spiritual awareness of Allah being the highest level of Ihsan. The person who purifies himself/herself is called a Zaki.
In the early days of Islam at Mecca, the new Muslims were often subjected to abuse and persecution. The persecution lasted for 12 years beginning from the advent of Islam to Hijrah. Muhammad preached Islam secretly for 3 years. Then, he openly preached Islam, resulting in public prosecutions to take place, and even more dreadfully. Muhammad and his followers were first belittled and ridiculed, then persecuted and physically attacked for departing from traditional Mecca's tribal ways.
The diplomatic career of Muhammad, the believed final prophet of Islam, encompasses his leadership over the growing Muslim community (Ummah) in early Arabia and his correspondences with the rulers of other nations in and around Arabia. This period was marked by the change from the customs of the period of Jahiliyyah in pre-Islamic Arabia to an early Islamic system of governance, while also setting the defining principles of Islamic jurisprudence in accordance with Sharia law and an Islamic theocracy.
Aslim Taslam is a phrase meaning "submit and you will get salvation", taken from the letters sent by the Islamic prophet Muhammad to various kings and rulers in which he urged them to convert to Islam.
Muhammad's views on Christians were shaped through his interactions with them. Muhammad had a generally semi-positive view of Christians and viewed them as fellow receivers of Abrahamic revelation. However, he also criticised them for some of their beliefs. He sent various letters to Christian world leaders inviting them to "Submission to God, Islam". According to Islamic tradition, he interacted with Christians while in Mecca.
Istighfar, is the act of seeking forgiveness from Allah, usually by saying ʾastaġfiru -llāha. A longer variant is ʾastaġfiru -llāha rabbī wa-ʾatūbu ʾilayhi which means "Verily, I seek the forgiveness of Allah, who is my Lord and Sustainer, and I turn to Him in repentance". It is considered one of the essential parts of worship in Islam.
Expedition of Zayd ibn Harithah in Hisma took place in October, 628, 6th month of 7AH of the Islamic calendar. The attack led by Zayd ibn Harithah was a response to Dihyah bin Khalifa Kalbi's call for help, after being attacked by robbers. Muslims retaliated and killed many of the robbers and captured 100 tribe members
The Expedition of al-Muraysiʿ was an early Muslim campaign against the tribe of Banu Mustaliq which took place in December 627 CE.
In Sunni Islam, the Hadith of Gabriel is a hadith of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which expresses the religion of Islam in a concise manner. and it contains a summary of the core of the religion of Islam, which are:
Expedition of Khalid ibn al-Walid, to Najran, took place in 10AH of the Islamic Calendar, Around June 631 AD.
Shafa'ah in Islam is the act of pleading to God by an intimate friend of God for forgiveness of a believing sinner.