Jami' al-Saghir / Jam' al-Jawami' (al-Suyuti) 317-17b

Translation

Machine translation, not reviewed

"The Prophet ﷺ sent me with a letter to Caesar, the ruler of the Romans. I said: Ask permission (for the messenger of) the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. So Caesar was approached and told: At the door is a man who claims that he is the messenger of (the Messenger of) Allah ﷺ. They were alarmed at that, and he said: Bring him in. So he brought me in to him, and with him were his patricians. I gave him the letter and he read it to him, and in it was: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Caesar, the ruler of the Romans. Then a nephew of his, red-faced, blue-eyed, with straight hair, snorted and said: Do not read the letter today, because he began with himself, and he wrote 'ruler of the Romans' and did not write 'king of the Romans'. But the letter was read until it was finished. Then he commanded them and they went out from him. Then he sent for me and I entered upon him, and he questioned me, and I informed him. Then he sent for the bishop, and he entered upon him (and he was the one in charge of their affairs; they proceeded according to his opinion and his word). When he read the letter, the bishop said: By Allah, he is the one of whom Moses and Jesus gave us glad tidings, the one whom we had been awaiting. Caesar said: What do you command me? The bishop said: As for me, I believe him and follow him. Caesar said: I know that he is so, but I am unable to do it. If I did, my kingdom would be gone and the Romans would kill me."

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