Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1676
The messengers of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his correspondence to the kings and the like
إِرْسَالِهِ ﷺ حَاطِبًا ؓ ابْنَ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، وَقِيلَ: أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا وَالْحُدَيْبِيَةَ، إِلَى الْمُقَوْقِسِ. وَاسْمُهُ جريج بن ميناء مَلِكُ الْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةِ عَظِيمُ الْقِبْطِ، فَقَالَ خَيْرًا وَقَارَبَ الْأَمْرَ وَلَمْ يُسْلِمْ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَ عِنْدَهُ، قَالَ حَاطِبٌ لَهُ: إِنَّهُ كَانَ قَبْلَكَ رَجُلٌ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ الرَّبُّ الْأَعْلَى، فَأَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ نَكَالَ الآخِرَةِ وَالأُولَى، فَانْتَقَمَ بِهِ ثُمَّ انْتَقَمَ مِنْهُ، فَاعْتَبِرْ بِهِ، وَإِلَّا يُعْتَبَرُ بِكَ، فَقَالَ الْمُقَوْقِسُ: هَاتِ، قَالَ: إِنَّ لَكَ دِينًا لَنْ تَدَعَهُ إِلَّا لِمَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنْهُ، وَهُوَ دِينُ الْإِسْلَامِ، الْكَافِي بِهِ اللَّهُ، إِنَّ هَذَا النَّبِيَّ دَعَا النَّاسَ، فَكَانَ أَشَدَّهُمْ عَلَيْهِ قُرَيْشٌ، وَأَعْدَاؤُهُمْ لَهُ يَهُودُ، وَأَقْرَبُهُمْ مِنْهُ النَّصَارَى، وَمَا بِشَارَةُ مُوسَى لِعِيسَى إِلَّا كَبِشَارَةِ عِيسَى لِمُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ وَمَا دُعَاؤُنَا إِيَّاكَ إِلَى الْقُرْآنِ، إِلَّا كَدُعَاءِ أَهْلِ التَّوْرَاةِ إِلَى الْإِنْجِيلِ وَكُلُّ نَبِيٍّ أَدْرَكَ قَوْمًا فِيهِمْ أُمَّتِي، فَالْحَقُّ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْ يُطِيعُوهُ فَأَنْتَ مِمَّنْ أَدْرَكَ هَذَا النَّبِيَّ قَالَ الْمُقَوْقِسُ: إِنِّي نَظَرْتُ فِي أَمْرِ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ، فَوَجَدْتُهُ لَا يَأْمُرُ بِمَرْهُوبٍ مِنْهُ، وَلَا يَنْهَى عَنْ مَرْغُوبٍ عَنْهُ، وَلَمْ أَجِدْهُ بِالسَّاحِرِ الضَّلَّالِ، وَلَا الْكَاهِنِ الْكَذَّابِ، وَقَالَ الْمُقَوْقِسُ لِحَاطِبٍ: أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ صَاحِبِكَ أَلَيْسَ هُوَ نَبِيًّا ؟ قَالَ حَاطِبٌ: بَلْ هُوَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: مَا بَالُهُ لَمْ يَدْعُ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ حَيْثُ أَخْرَجُوهُ مِنْ مَكَّةَ قَالَ حَاطِبٌ: فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: أَفَتَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ حَيْثُ أَرَادَ قَوْمُهُ قَتْلَهُ ؟ لَمْ يَدْعُ عَلَيْهِمْ حَتَّى رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى إِلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: أَحْسَنْتَ، إِنَّكَ حَكِيمٌ جِئْتَ مِنْ عِنْدِ حَكِيمٍ. وَرَوَى الْبَيْهَقِيُّ عَنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ قَالَ: بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى الْمُقَوْقِسِ مَلِكِ الْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةِ، فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَحَيَّيْتُهُ بِكِتَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَنْزَلَنِي فِي مَنْزِلِهِ وَأَقَمْتُ عِنْدَهُ ثُمَّ بَعَثَ إِلَيَّ وَقَدْ جَمَعَ بَطَارِقَتَهُ، وَقَالَ: إِنِّي سَأُكَلِّمُكَ بِكَلَامٍ وَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يَفْهَمَهُ مِنِّي، قُلْتُ: هَلُمَّ قَالَ: أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ صَاحِبِكَ، أَلَيْسَ هُوَ نَبِيًّا ؟ قُلْتُ: بَلَى، هُوَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، قَالَ: فَمَا لَهُ حَيْثُ كَانَ هَكَذَا لَمْ يَدْعُ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ حَيْثُ أَخْرَجُوهُ مِنْ بَلَدِهِ إِلَى غَيْرِهَا قَالَ: قُلْتُ: عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ أَلَيْسَ تَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، فَمَا لَهُ حَيْثُ أَخَذَهُ قَوْمُهُ، فَأَرَادُوا أَنْ يَصْلُبُوهُ أَلَّا يَكُونَ دَعَا عَلَيْهِمْ بِأَنْ يُهْلِكَهُمُ اللَّهُ- عَزَّ وَجَلَّ- حَتَّى رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ فِي السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا قَالَ: أَنْتَ حَكِيمٌ جِئْتِ مِنْ حَكِيمٍ. وَذَكَرَ ابْنُ الرَّبِيعِ أَنَّ الْمُقَوْقِسَ لَمَّا قَرَأَ كِتَابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَعْطَى لِحَاطِبٍ مِائَةَ دِينَارٍ، وَخَمْسَةَ أَثْوَابٍ، وَأَكْرَمَهُ فِي الضِّيَافَةِ، وَأَقَامَ عِنْدَهُ خَمْسَةَ أَيَّامٍ، وَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ: لَا يَسْمَعُ مِنْكَ الْقِبْطُ حَرْفًا وَاحِدًا أَوْ وَاحِدًا، وَأَخَذَ الْكِتَابَ فَجَعَلَهُ فِي حُقٍّ عَاجٍ، خَتَمَ عَلَيْهِ، وَدَفَعَهُ إِلَى جَارِيَتِهِ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ كِتَابًا، وَبَعَثَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِهَدِيَّةٍ مِنْهَا مَارِيَةُ الْقِبْطِيَّةُ، وَأُخْتُهَا سِيرِينَ - بِالسِّينِ الْمُهْمَلَةِ- وَهَبَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِحَسَّانَ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، فَوَلَدَتْ لَهُ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ. قَالَ فِي زَادِ الْمَعَادِ: وَأُخْتَهَا سِيرِينَ وَقَيْسَرَى، وَأَهْدَى لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَرَسًا، يُقَالُ لَهُ: اللِّزَازُ، وَبَغْلَتَهُ دُلْدُلَ، وَحِمَارًا، وَغُلَامًا خَصِيًّا مَمْسُوحًا اسْمُهُ مَايُورٌ قَالَ فِي زَادِ الْمَعَادِ: فَقِيلَ: هُوَ ابْنُ عَمِّ مَارِيَةَ، وَقَدَحًا مِنْ قَوَارِيرَ، كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَشْرَبُ فِيهِ، وَشَابًّا مِنْ قَبَاطِيِّ مِصْرَ وَطِرْفًا مِنْ طُرُوفِهِمْ، قَالَ فِي زَادِ الْمَعَادِ: عِشْرِينَ ثَوْبًا، وَأَلْفَ مِثْقَالٍ ذَهَبًا، وَعَسَلًا مِنْ عَسَلِ بَنْهَا فَأُعْجِبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالْعَسَلِ وَدَعَا فِي عَسَلِ بَنْهَا، وَغَيْرَ ذَلِكَ، وَكَتَبَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ كِتَابًا فِيهِ «قَدْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ نَبِيًّا قَدْ بَقِيَ، وَكُنْتُ أَظُنُّ أَنَّهُ يَخْرُجُ مِنَ الشَّامِ، وَقَدْ أَكْرَمْتُ رَسُولَكَ وَبَعَثْتُ إِلَيْكَ بِجَارِيَتَيْنِ لَهُمَا مَكَانٌ فِي الْقِبْطِ عَظِيمٌ، وَوَصَلَتِ الْهَدَايَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ سَنَةَ سَبْعٍ وَقِيلَ: سَنَةَ ثَمَانٍ وَلَمْ يُسْلِمْ. قَالَ فِي زَادِ الْمَعَادِ: مَاتَ عَلَى كُفْرِهِ فِي وِلَايَةِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ،: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «ضَنَّ الْخَبِيثُ بِمُلْكِهِ، وَلَا بَقَاءَ لِمُلْكِهِ بَلْ مَاتَ عَلَى كُفْرِهِ فِي وِلَايَةِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ ».
Translation
✧ The sending by him ﷺ of Ḥāṭib ؓ b. Abī Baltaʿah b. ʿAmr b. ʿUmayr, Abū ʿAbd Allāh, and it is said: Abū Muḥammad. He witnessed Badr and al-Ḥudaybiyah, to al-Muqawqis. His name was Jurayj b. Mīnāʾ, king of Alexandria, chief of the Copts. He spoke well and came close to the matter but did not become Muslim. When he appeared before him, Ḥāṭib said to him: "There was before you a man who claimed that he was the supreme lord, so Allah seized him as a punishment of the Hereafter and the first [life], and took vengeance through him and then took vengeance on him. So take heed from him, lest heed be taken from you." Al-Muqawqis said: "Speak." He said: "You have a religion that you will not abandon except for what is better than it, and that is the religion of Islam, through which Allah suffices. This prophet called the people, and the severest of them against him was Quraysh, and their enemies toward him were the Jews, and the closest of them to him were the Christians. The good tidings of Moses about Jesus are only like the good tidings of Jesus about Muḥammad ﷺ. Our summons to you to the Qurʾān is only like the summons of the people of the Torah to the Gospel. Every prophet who reached a people among whom was my community, it is incumbent upon them to obey him. So you are among those whom this prophet reached." Al-Muqawqis said: "I have examined the matter of this man and found that he does not command what is feared from him, nor forbid what is desired, and I did not find him to be a misleading sorcerer or a lying soothsayer." Al-Muqawqis said to Ḥāṭib: "Tell me about your companion—is he not a prophet?" Ḥāṭib said: "Rather, he is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." He said: "What is the matter with him that he did not pray against his people when they expelled him from Makkah?" Ḥāṭib said: "I said to him: Do you bear witness that Jesus son of Mary is the Messenger of Allah when his people wanted to kill him? He did not pray against them until Allah Almighty raised him to Himself." He said to him: "You have done well. You are a sage; you have come from a sage." Al-Bayhaqī narrated from Ḥāṭib b. Abī Baltaʿah, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me to al-Muqawqis, king of Alexandria. I came to him and greeted him with the letter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He lodged me in his house and I stayed with him. Then he sent for me after he had gathered his patricians, and said: "I will speak to you with words and I would like you to understand them from me." I said: "Proceed." He said: "Tell me about your companion—is he not a prophet?" I said: "Yes, he is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." He said: "What is the matter with him, when he was like this, that he did not pray against his people when they expelled him from his land to another?" He said: "I said: Jesus son of Mary—do you not bear witness that he is the Messenger of Allah? What is the matter with him when his people seized him and wanted to crucify him, that he did not pray against them that Allah—Mighty and Majestic—destroy them, until Allah raised him to Himself in the lowest heaven?" He said: "You are a sage; you have come from a sage." Ibn al-Rabīʿ mentioned that when al-Muqawqis read the letter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he gave Ḥāṭib one hundred dinars and five garments, honored him in hospitality, and he stayed with him for five days. The man said to him: "Let not the Copts hear from you a single letter or one." He took the letter, placed it in an ivory casket, sealed it, and gave it to his maidservant. He wrote a letter to the Prophet ﷺ and sent to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a gift, among which was Māriyah the Copt and her sister Sīrīn—with unpointed sīn—and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave her to Ḥassān b. Thābit, and she bore him ʿAbd al-Raḥmān. He said in Zād al-Maʿād: and her sister Sīrīn and Qaysarā. He gifted to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a horse called al-Lizāz, his mule Duldul, a donkey, and a castrated, gelded slave named Māyūr. He said in Zād al-Maʿād: it is said he was the cousin of Māriyah. And a glass cup from which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to drink, and a youth from the fine linen of Egypt and a piece of their embroidered cloth. He said in Zād al-Maʿād: twenty garments, a thousand mithqāls of gold, and honey from the honey of Banhā. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was pleased with the honey and prayed for the honey of Banhā, and other things. He wrote a letter to the Prophet ﷺ in which he said: "I have come to know that a prophet remains, and I used to think that he would emerge from Syria. I have honored your messenger and sent to you two maidservants who have a great standing among the Copts." The gifts reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the year seven, and it is said: the year eight, and he did not become Muslim. He said in Zād al-Maʿād: He died upon his disbelief during the governorship of ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The wicked one was stingy with his kingship, and there is no permanence for his kingship. Rather, he died upon his disbelief during the governorship of ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ."
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