Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1672
The messengers of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his correspondence to the kings and the like
فِي أَيِّ وَقْتٍ يُعْلِنُ ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَوَى ابْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَجَمَاعَةٍ وَابْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ عَنْ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ عَمْرٍو دَخَلَ حَدِيثُ بَعْضِهِمْ فِي بَعْضٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمَّا رَجَعَ مِنَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ فِي ذِي الْحِجَّةِ سَنَةَ سِتٍّ أَرْسَلَ الرُّسُلَ إِلَى الْمُلُوكِ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِمْ كُتُبًا فَقِيلَ لَهُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ الْمُلُوكَ لَا يَقْرَؤُونَ كِتَابًا إِلَّا مَخْتُومًا فَاتَّخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَاتَمًا مِنْ فِضَّةٍ نَقْشُهُ ثَلَاثَةُ أَسْطُرٍ، مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، فَخَتَمَ بِهِ الْكُتُبَ، فَخَرَجَ سِتَّةُ نَفَرٍ فِي يَوْمٍ وَاحِدٍ وَذَلِكَ فِي الْمُحَرَّمِ سَنَةَ سَبْعٍ، وَأَصْبَحَ كُلُّ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِلِسَانِ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ بُعِثَ إِلَيْهِمْ. وَرَوَى ابْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنْ بُرَيْدَةَ وَالزُّهْرِيِّ وَيَزِيدَ بْنِ رُومَانَ وَالشَّعْبِيِّ قَالُوا: بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عِدَّةً إِلَى عِدَّةٍ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِنُصْحِ عِبَادِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى- فَذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: «هَذَا أَعْظَمُ مَا كَانَ مِنْ حَقِّ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِمْ فِي أَمْرِ عِبَادِهِ». وَبَعَثَ سِتَّةَ نَفَرٍ فِي يَوْمٍ وَاحِدٍ فِي الْمُحَرَّمِ سَنَةَ سَبْعٍ، فَأَوَّلُهُمْ عَمْرُو بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ الضَّمْرِيُّ بَعَثَهُ إِلَى النَّجَاشِيِّ وَاسْمُهُ أَصْحَمَةُ بْنُ أَبْجَرَ. وَتَفْسِيرُ «أَصْحَمَةَ بِالْعَرَبِيَّةِ: عَطِيَّةٌ »، فَعَظَّمَ كِتَابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَسْلَمَ وَشَهِدَ شَهَادَةَ الْحَقِّ، وَكَانَ مِنْ أَعْلَمِ النَّاسِ بِالْإِنْجِيلِ، وَصَلَّى عَلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَوْمَ مَاتَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَهُوَ بِالْحَبَشَةِ، هَكَذَا قَالَ جَمَاعَةٌ: مِنْهُمُ الْوَاقِدِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُمْ وَلَيْسَ كَمَا قَالَ هَؤُلَاءِ، فَإِنَّ أَصْحَمَةَ النَّجَاشِيَّ الَّذِي صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيْسَ هُوَ الَّذِي كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ. الثَّانِي: لَا يُعْرَفُ إِسْلَامُهُ ) بِخِلَافِ الْأَوَّلِ، فَإِنَّهُ مَاتَ مُسْلِمًا، وَقَدْ رَوَى مُسْلِمٌ فِي صَحِيحِهِ مِنْ حَدِيثِ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ ؓ: كَتَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى كِسْرَى وَإِلَى قَيْصَرَ وَإِلَى النَّجَاشِيِّ وَلَيْسَ بِالنَّجَاشِيِّ الَّذِي صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَيْسَ هُوَ أَصْحَمَةَ الَّذِي أَسْلَمَ عَلَى يَدِ جَعْفَرٍ، وَأَكْرَمَ أَصْحَابَهُ كَمَا سَبَقَ فِي حَدِيثِ أَنَسٍ. وَاخْتُلِفَ فِي إِسْلَامِ هَذَا فَاخْتَارَ ابْنُ سَعْدٍ وَغَيْرُهُ أَنَّهُ أَسْلَمَ وَخَالَفَهُمُ ابْنُ حَزْمٍ، قَالَ ابْنُ الْقَيِّمِ: قَالَ أَبُو مُحَمَّدِ بْنُ حَزْمٍ: أَنَّ هَذَا النَّجَاشِيَّ الَّذِي بَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَمْرَو بْنَ أُمَيَّةَ لَمْ يُسْلِمْ، وَالْأَوَّلُ اخْتِيَارُ ابْنِ سَعْدٍ وَغَيْرِهِ، وَالظَّاهِرُ قَوْلُ ابْنِ حَزْمٍ. وَرَوَى الشَّيْخَانِ عَنْ أَنَسٍ ؓ قَالَ: كَتَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى كِسْرَى وَقَيْصَرَ، وَإِلَى النَّجَاشِيِّ، وَإِلَى كُلِّ جَبَّارٍ، يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَلَيْسَ بِالنَّجَاشِيِّ الَّذِي صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ. وَرَوَى الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ وَالطَّبَرَانِيُّ بِسَنَدٍ جَيِّدٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ ؓ قَالَ: كَتَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَمُوتَ إِلَى كِسْرَى وَقَيْصَرَ، وَإِلَى كُلِّ جَبَّارٍ. وَرَوَى ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْحَكَمِ فِي الْفُتُوحِ وَالْبَيْهَقِيُّ فِي الدَّلَائِلِ عَنِ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا الزُّهْرِيُّ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أُسْقُفٌّ مِنَ النَّصَارَى قَدْ أَدْرَكَ ذَلِكَ الزَّمَانَ قَالَ: لَمَّا قَدِمَ دَحْيَةُ الْكَلْبِيُّ بْنُ خَلِيفَةَ عَلَى هِرَقْلَ بِكِتَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِيهِ: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى هِرَقْلَ عَظِيمِ الرُّومِ سَلَامٌ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَسْلِمْ تَسْلَمْ وَأَسْلِمْ يُؤْتِكَ اللَّهُ أَجْرَكَ مَرَّتَيْنِ فَإِنْ أَبَيْتَ فَإِنَّ إِثْمَ الْأَكَّارِينَ عَلَيْكَ فَلَمَّا انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ كِتَابُهُ وَقَرَأَهُ أَخَذَهُ فَجَعَلَهُ بَيْنَ فَخِذِهِ وَخَاصِرَتِهِ ثُمَّ كَتَبَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ رُومِيَّةَ كَانَ يَقْرَأُ مِنَ الْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ مَا يَقْرَأُ يُخْبِرُهُ مِمَّا جَاءَهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ النَّبِيُّ الْمُنْتَظَرُ لَا شَكَّ فِيهِ فَاتَّبِعْهُ فَأَمَرَ بِعُظَمَاءِ الرُّومِ فَجُمِعُوا لَهُ فِي دَسْكَرَةِ مُلْكِهِ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهَا فَأُشْرِجَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَاطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ عُلِّيَّةٍ لَهُ وَهُوَ مِنْهُمْ خَائِفٌ فَقَالَ: يَا مَعْشَرَ الرُّومِ إِنَّهُ جَاءَنِي كِتَابُ أَحْمَدَ وَإِنَّهُ وَاللَّهِ لَلنَّبِيُّ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَنْتَظِرُ وَنَجِدُ ذِكْرَهُ فِي كِتَابِنَا نَعْرِفُهُ بِعَلَامَاتِهِ وَزَمَانِهِ فَأَسْلِمُوا وَاتَّبِعُوهُ تَسْلَمْ لَكُمْ دُنْيَاكُمْ وَآخِرَتُكُمْ فَنَخَرُوا نَخْرَةَ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ وَابْتَدَرُوا أَبْوَابَ الدَّسْكَرَةِ فَوَجَدُوهَا مُغْلَقَةً دُونَهُمْ فَخَافَهُمْ فَقَالَ: رَدُّوهُمْ عَلَيَّ فَكَرَّهُمْ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: يَا مَعْشَرَ الرُّومِ إِنَّمَا قُلْتُ لَكُمْ هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةَ أَغْمِزُكُمْ لِأَنْظُرَ كَيْفَ صَلَابَتُكُمْ فِي دِينِكُمْ فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ مِنْكُمْ مَا سَرَّنِي فَوَقَعُوا لَهُ سُجَّدًا ثُمَّ فَتَحْتُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابَ الدَّسْكَرَةِ فَخَرَجُوا. [ تَذْكِيرُ الرَّسُولِ قَوْمَهُ بِمَا حَدَثَ لِلْحَوَارِيِّينَ حِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا عَلَى عِيسَى ] وَقَالَ الْإِمَامُ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْحَكَمِ فِي فُتُوحِ مِصْرَ: لَمَّا كَانَتْ سَنَةُ سِتٍّ مِنَ الْهِجْرَةِ وَرَجَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ، بَعَثَ إِلَى الْمُلُوكِ، قَامَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ، فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى، وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ وَتَشَهَّدَ ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنِّي أَبْعَثُ بَعْضَكُمْ إِلَى مُلُوكِ الْعَجَمِ، فَلَا تَخْتَلِفُوا عَلَيَّ كَمَا اخْتَلَفَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَى عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَوْصَى إِلَى عِيسَى أَنِ ابْعَثْ إِلَى مُلُوكِ الْأَرْضِ فَبَعَثَ الْحَوَارِيِّينَ، فَأَمَّا الْقَرِيبُ مَكَانًا فَرَضِيَ، وَأَمَّا الْبَعِيدُ مَكَانًا فَكَرِهَ وَقَالَ: لَا أُحْسِنُ كَلَامَ مَنْ تَبْعَثُنِي إِلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ عِيسَى: اللَّهُمَّ، أَمَرْتُ الْحَوَارِيِّينَ بِالَّذِي أَمَرْتَ فَاخْتَلَفُوا عَلَيَّ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى إِلَيْهِ أَنْ سَأَكْفِيكَ فَأَصْبَحَ كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِلِسَانِ الَّذِي أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، تَاللَّهِ، لَا نَخْتَلِفُ عَلَيْكَ أَبَدًا فِي شَيْءٍ فَمُرْنَا وَابْعَثْنَا. [ أَسَمَاءُ رُسُلِ عِيسَى ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: وَكَانَ مَنْ بَعَثَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ مِنْ الْحَوَارِيِّينَ وَالْأَتْبَاعِ، الَّذِينَ كَانُوا بَعْدَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ: بُطْرُسُ الْحَوَارِيُّ، وَمَعَهُ بُولُسُ، وَكَانَ بُولُسُ مِنْ الْأَتْبَاعِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ الْحَوَارِيِّينَ إلَى رُومِيَّةَ؛ وَأَنْدَرَائِسُ وَمَنْتَا إلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي يَأْكُلُ أَهْلُهَا النَّاسَ؛ وَتُومَاسُ إلَى أَرْضِ بَابِلَ، مِنْ أَرْضِ الْمَشْرِقِ؛ وَفِيلِبسُ إلَى أَرْضِ قَرْطَاجَنَّةَ، وَهِيَ إفْرِيقِيَّةُ؛ وَيُحَنَّسُ، إلَى أَفْسُوسَ، قَرْيَةُ الْفِتْيَةِ، أَصْحَابِ الْكَهْفِ؛ وَيَعْقُوبُسُ إلَى أَوْرْاشَلِمَ، وَهِيَ إيلِيَاءُ، قَرْيَةُ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ، وَابْنُ ثَلْمَاءَ إلَى الْأَعْرَابِيَّةِ، وَهِيَ أَرْضُ الْحِجَازِ، وَسِيمُنْ إِلَى أَرْضِ الْبَرْبَرِ؛ وَيَهُوذَا، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ الْحَوَارِيِّينَ، جُعِلَ مَكَانَ يُودِسَ. تَنْبِيهٌ: اعْلَمْ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عُمَرَ الْأَسْلَمِيَّ، ذَكَرَ أَنَّ إِرْسَالَ الرُّسُلِ كَانَ سَنَةَ سِتٍّ، وَذَكَرَ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ أَنَّ إِرْسَالَ الرُّسُلِ كَانَ بَعْدَ غَزْوَةِ مُؤْتَةَ. قَالَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ: وَلَا خِلَافَ بَيْنَهُمْ، لِأَنَّ بَدْءَ ذَلِكَ كَانَ قَبْلَ فَتْحِ مَكَّةَ وَبَعْدَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةَ لِقَوْلِ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ لِهِرَقْلَ حِينَ سَأَلَهُ هَلْ يَغْدِرُ ؟ فَقَالَ: لَا، وَنَحْنُ مِنْهُ فِي مُدَّةِ مَا نَدْرِي مَا هُوَ صَانِعٌ فِيهَا، وَفِي لَفْظِ الْبُخَارِيِّ: «وَذَلِكَ فِي الْمُدَّةِ الَّتِي مَادَّ فِيهَا أَبُو سُفْيَانَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ » وَقَالَ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ: كَانَ ذَلِكَ مَا بَيْنَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ وَوَفَاتِهِ ﷺ.
Translation
✧ At what time does the Messenger of Allah ﷺ announce that Ibn Saʿd narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās and a group, and Ibn Abī Shaybah from Jaʿfar from ʿAmr, their hadiths entering into one another, that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned from al-Ḥudaybiyah in Dhū al-Ḥijjah of the year six, he sent messengers to the kings inviting them to Islam, and wrote letters to them. It was said to him: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, kings do not read a letter unless it is sealed. So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that day took a seal of silver, its inscription three lines: Muḥammad Rasūl Allāh, and sealed the letters with it. Six men went out on a single day, and that was in Muḥarram of the year seven, and each of them arose speaking the tongue of the people to whom he was sent. Ibn Saʿd narrated from Buraydah, al-Zuhrī, Yazīd b. Rūmān, and al-Shaʿbī; they said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a number to a number, and commanded them to counsel the servants of Allah, exalted is He—so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned that and said: "This is the greatest of what was owed to Allah, exalted is He, upon them concerning the affair of His servants." He sent six men on a single day in Muḥarram of the year seven. The first of them was ʿAmr b. Umayyah al-Ḍamrī, whom he sent to the Negus, whose name was Aṣḥamah b. Abjar. The interpretation of "Aṣḥamah" in Arabic is "a gift." He venerated the letter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and accepted Islam and bore the witness of truth, and he was among the most learned of people in the Gospel. The Prophet ﷺ prayed over him the day he died in Madinah while he was in Abyssinia. Thus said a group, among them al-Wāqidī and others, but it is not as these said, for Aṣḥamah the Negus over whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed is not the one to whom he wrote. The second: his Islam is not known) in contrast to the first, for he died a Muslim. Muslim narrated in his Ṣaḥīḥ from the hadith of Qatādah from Anas ؓ: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ wrote to Kisrā, to Caesar, and to the Negus—and he is not the Negus over whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed, nor is he Aṣḥamah who accepted Islam at the hand of Jaʿfar and honored his companions, as preceded in the hadith of Anas. There was disagreement about this one's Islam. Ibn Saʿd and others preferred that he accepted Islam, while Ibn Ḥazm opposed them. Ibn al-Qayyim said: Abū Muḥammad b. Ḥazm said that this Negus to whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent ʿAmr b. Umayyah did not accept Islam, and the first is the preference of Ibn Saʿd and others, but the apparent is the saying of Ibn Ḥazm. The two shaykhs narrated from Anas ؓ who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ wrote to Kisrā and Caesar and to the Negus and to every tyrant, calling them to Allah, exalted is He, and he is not the Negus over whom he prayed. Imām Aḥmad and al-Ṭabarānī narrated with a good chain from Jābir ؓ who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ wrote before he died to Kisrā and Caesar and to every tyrant. Ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥakam narrated in al-Futūḥ and al-Bayhaqī in al-Dalāʾil from Ibn Isḥāq who said: Al-Zuhrī narrated to us, he said: A bishop from the Christians who had lived through that time narrated to us, he said: When Diḥyah al-Kalbī b. Khalīfah arrived at Heraclius with the letter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, in it: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. From Muḥammad the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to Heraclius, the great one of the Romans. Peace be upon whoever follows guidance. Now then, submit and you will be safe; submit and Allah will give you your reward twice. But if you refuse, then the sin of the peasants is upon you. When his letter reached him and he read it, he took it and placed it between his thigh and his flank. Then he wrote to a man from the people of Rome who read from the Hebrew what he read, informing him of what had come to him from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He wrote to him that he is the awaited Prophet, no doubt about it, so follow him. He ordered the great ones of the Romans, and they were gathered for him in the hall of his kingdom. Then he ordered it, and it was locked upon them, and he looked down upon them from an upper room of his while he was afraid of them. He said: O company of Romans, the letter of Aḥmad has come to me, and by Allah he is the Prophet whom we were awaiting and whose mention we find in our Book, whom we know by his signs and his time. So submit and follow him, and your worldly life and your hereafter will be safe for you. They brayed with the bray of a single man and rushed to the doors of the hall, but found them locked before them. He feared them and said: Return them to me. He brought them back before him and said to them: O company of Romans, I only said this saying to you to test you, to see how firm you are in your religion. I have seen from you what pleased me. They fell to him in prostration. Then the doors of the hall were opened for them, and they went out. [The Messenger's reminder to his people of what happened to the disciples when they differed over Jesus] Imām Abū al-Qāsim ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbd al-Ḥakam said in Futūḥ Miṣr: When it was year six of the Hijrah, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned from al-Ḥudaybiyah, he sent to the kings. One day he stood upon the pulpit, praised Allah, exalted is He, extolled Him, bore witness, then said: Now then, I shall send some of you to the kings of the non-Arabs, so do not differ against me as the Children of Israel differed against Jesus son of Mary. That is because Allah, exalted is He, instructed Jesus to send to the kings of the earth, so he sent the disciples. As for the one near in place, he was content; as for the one far in place, he disliked it and said: I do not know well the speech of those to whom you send me. Jesus said: O Allah, I commanded the disciples with what You commanded, but they differed against me. Allah, exalted is He, revealed to him: I will suffice you. So each person arose speaking the tongue of those to whom he was sent. The Emigrants said: O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, we will never differ against you in anything, so command us and send us. [The names of the messengers of Jesus] Ibn Isḥāq said: Those whom Jesus son of Mary ﷺ sent from the disciples and the followers who came after them in the earth were: Peter the disciple, and with him Paul—Paul was of the followers, not of the disciples—to Rome; Andrew and Matthew to the land whose people eat men; Thomas to the land of Babel, from the land of the east; Philip to the land of Carthage, which is Africa; John to Ephesus, the village of the youths, the Companions of the Cave; James to Jerusalem, which is Aelia, the village of the Holy House; and Ibn Thalmāʾ to Arabia, which is the land of the Ḥijāz; Simon to the land of the Berbers; and Judah, who was not of the disciples, was put in the place of Judas. Note: Know that Muḥammad b. ʿUmar al-Aslamī mentioned that the sending of the messengers was in year six, while al-Bayhaqī mentioned that the sending of the messengers was after the expedition of Muʾtah. Ibn Kathīr said: There is no disagreement between them, because the beginning of that was before the conquest of Makkah and after al-Ḥudaybiyah, due to the saying of Abū Sufyān to Heraclius when he asked him whether he would break his word, and he said: No, and we are with him in a truce, not knowing what he will do in it. In the wording of al-Bukhārī: "And that was in the truce in which Abū Sufyān made peace with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." Ibn Isḥāq said: That was between al-Ḥudaybiyah and his death ﷺ.
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