Hadith of a man from Tannukh and Heraclius about the Prophet ﷺ

[Machine] I met the Christian monk who was the messenger of Heraclius, the king of Byzantium, to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Hims. He was my neighbor, an elderly sheikh who was nearly blind. I asked him to inform me about the letters exchanged between Heraclius and the Prophet ﷺ . He said, "Yes, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Tabuk and sent Dihyah al-Kalbi to Heraclius. When Heraclius received the letter from the Prophet ﷺ , he summoned the Roman priests and dignitaries, then closed the door on them and himself. He said, 'Indeed this man has emerged where you said he would. He has called me to one of three matters: to follow him in his religion, or to give him our wealth on our land (which is our land), or to wage war against him. By Allah, you know from your readings of the scriptures that he shall possess all that lies under my feet. So, shall we follow him in his religion, or give him our wealth on our land?' They knelt down before him like a man humbly submitting until they left their palaces and said, 'You invite us to leave Christianity or become slaves for an Arabian who came from the Hijaz.' When he thought that they would cause corruption if they left him, the Romans exalted them. He said, 'Indeed, I only said that to test your resolve in your matter.' Then he called a man from the Arabs who was known for his knowledge of the Arabic language. He said, 'Send with me a man who is well-versed in traditions in Arabic. I will take him to this man with the response to his letter.' So, he came with me and handed me a letter from Heraclius who said, 'Take my letter to this man.' I did not forget anything he had told me. He said, 'Preserve for me three qualities in him: see if he mentions the parchment on which I had written to him, see if he mentions that which he read in my letter, and see if he doubts anything on his back.' I took his letter and left for Tabuk. When I arrived, I found him sitting among his companions, reclining by the water. I said, 'Where is your companion?' They said, 'Here he is.' I approached and sat before him, handing him the letter. He placed it under a stone and asked, 'Who are you?' I said, 'I am one of the Tanukh tribe.' He asked, 'Do you have the religion of your father, Ibrahim, the Hanif?' I replied, 'I am a messenger of a people, and I adhere to the religion of a people, and I shall not deviate from it until I return to them.' He laughed and said, 'You do not guide those you desire, but Allah guides whomever He wills, and He is the most knowledgeable of the guided.' O Companion of Tanukh, I wrote a letter to Khosrow, and he tore it up - may Allah tear him in pieces and tear up his kingdom. I wrote a letter to Negus, and he tore it up - may Allah tear him and tear up his kingdom. Then I wrote a letter to your companion and he held onto it. The people will always find therein division as long as it is available in this world. Good is to stay alive.' 'I recollected what you had told me your companion had entrusted me with in that letter and took an arrow from my quiver and inscribed it on my sword's sheath. He then, with a man by his left, pointed a finger to my sword's sheath, asking, 'Who is the companion of your book? The one that reads to you.' They replied, 'It is Mu'awiyah.' He said, 'In your companion's book you call me to a paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the righteous. But where is the fire?' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Glorified is Allah! Where is the night when the day comes?' I took an arrow from my quiver and inscribed it on my sword's sheath. When he finished reading my letter, he said, 'You have rights, and you are a messenger. If we had something that we could give you, we would have allowed it. We are a people returning from a pilgrimage.' A man from the people called out, 'I shall give it to him.' He opened his mount and brought out a yellow piece of cloth, which he placed in the corner. I asked, 'Who is the owner of this prize?' I was told, 'It is Uthman.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Which one of you will host this man?' A young man from the Ansar stood and the Ansar got up. I stood with them until I left the assembly area. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ called me and said, 'Come, O Companion of Tanukh.' I approached him and leaned towards him until I was standing before him in my assembly area in front of him. He raised his garment off his back and said, 'Here, fulfill what you were commanded.' I leaned forward and found on his back a seal in the middle of his shoulder-blades like the size of a pigeon's egg.'  

لَقِيتُ التَّنُوخِيَّ رَسُولَ هِرَقْلَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بِحِمْصَ وَكَانَ جَارًا لِي شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا قَدْ بَلَغَ الْفَنَدَ أَوْ قَرُبَ فَقُلْتُ أَلَا تُخْبِرُنِي عَنْ رِسَالَةِ هِرَقْلَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَرِسَالَةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى هِرَقْلَ؟ فَقَالَ بَلَى قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ تَبُوكَ فَبَعَثَ دِحْيَةَ الْكَلْبِيَّ إِلَى هِرَقْلَ فَلَمَّا أَنْ جَاءَهُ كِتَابُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ دَعَا قِسِّيسِي الرُّومِ وَبَطَارِقَتَهَا ثُمَّ أَغْلَقَ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَيْهِمْ بَابًا فَقَالَ قَدْ نَزَلَ هَذَا الرَّجُلُ حَيْثُ رَأَيْتُمْ وَقَدْ أَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ يَدْعُونِي إِلَى ثَلَاثِ خِصَالٍ يَدْعُونِي إِلَى أَنْ أَتَّبِعَهُ عَلَى دِينِهِ أَوْ عَلَى أَنْ نُعْطِيَهُ مَالَنَا عَلَى أَرْضِنَا وَالْأَرْضُ أَرْضُنَا أَوْ نُلْقِيَ إِلَيْهِ الْحَرْبَ وَاللهِ لَقَدْ عَرَفْتُمْ فِيمَا تَقْرَءُونَ مِنَ الْكُتُبِ لَيَأْخُذَنَّ مَا تَحْتَ قَدَمَيَّ فَهَلُمَّ نَتَّبِعْهُ عَلَى دِينِهِ أَوْ نُعْطِيهِ مَالَنَا عَلَى أَرْضِنَا فَنَخَرُوا نَخْرَةَ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ حَتَّى خَرَجُوا مِنْ بَرَانِسِهِمْ وَقَالُوا تَدْعُونَا إِلَى أَنْ نَدَعَ النَّصْرَانِيَّةَ أَوْ نَكُونَ عَبِيدًا لِأَعْرَابِيٍّ جَاءَ مِنَ الْحِجَازِفَلَمَّا ظَنَّ أَنَّهُمْ إِنْ خَرَجُوا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ أَفْسَدُوا عَلَيْهِ الرُّومَ رَفَأَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكَدْ وَقَالَ إِنَّمَا قُلْتُ ذَلِكَ لَكُمْ لِأَعْلَمَ صَلَابَتَكُمْ عَلَى أَمْرِكُمْ ثُمَّ دَعَا رَجُلًا مِنْ عَرَبِ تُجِيبَ كَانَ عَلَى نَصَارَى الْعَرَبِ فَقَالَ ادْعُ لِي رَجُلًا حَافِظًا لِلْحَدِيثِ عَرَبِيَّ اللِّسَانِ أَبْعَثْهُ إِلَى هَذَا الرَّجُلِ بِجَوَابِ كِتَابِهِ فَجَاءَ بِي فَدَفَعَ إِلَيَّ هِرَقْلُ كِتَابًا فَقَالَ اذْهَبْ بِكِتَابِي إِلَى هَذَا الرَّجُلِ فَمَا ضَيَّعْتُ مِنْ حَدِيثِهِ فَاحْفَظْ لِي مِنْهُ ثَلَاثَ خِصَالٍ انْظُرْ هَلْ يَذْكُرُ صَحِيفَتَهُ الَّتِي كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ بِشَيْءٍ وَانْظُرْ إِذَا قَرَأَ كِتَابِي فَهَلْ يَذْكُرُ اللَّيْلَ وَانْظُرْ فِي ظَهْرِهِ هَلْ بِهِ شَيْءٌ يَرِيبُكَ؟ فَانْطَلَقْتُ بِكِتَابِهِ حَتَّى جِئْتُ تَبُوكَ فَإِذَا هُوَ جَالِسٌ بَيْنَ ظَهْرَانَيْ أَصْحَابِهِ مُحْتَبِيًا عَلَى الْمَاءِ فَقُلْتُ أَيْنَ صَاحِبُكُمْ؟ قِيلَ هَا هُوَ ذَا فَأَقْبَلْتُ أَمْشِي حَتَّى جَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَنَاوَلْتُهُ كِتَابِي فَوَضَعَهُ فِي حَجْرِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ مِمَّنْ أَنْتَ؟ فَقُلْتُ أَنَا أَحَدُ تَنُوخَ قَالَ هَلْ لَكَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ الْحَنِيفِيَّةِ مِلَّةِ أَبِيكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ؟ قُلْتُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ قَوْمٍ وَعَلَى دِينِ قَوْمٍ لَا أَرْجِعُ عَنْهُ حَتَّى أَرْجِعَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَضَحِكَ وَقَالَ {إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ} يَا أَخَا تَنُوخَ إِنِّي كَتَبْتُ بِكِتَابٍ إِلَى كِسْرَى فَمَزَّقَهُ وَاللهُ مُمَزِّقُهُ وَمُمَزِّقٌ مُلْكَهُ وَكَتَبْتُ إِلَى النَّجَاشِيِّ بِصَحِيفَةٍ فَخَرَقَهَا وَاللهُ مُخْرِقُهُ وَمُخْرِقٌ مُلْكَهُ وَكَتَبْتُ إِلَى صَاحِبِكَبِصَحِيفَةٍ فَأَمْسَكَهَا فَلَنْ يَزَالَ النَّاسُ يَجِدُونَ مِنْهُ بَأْسًا مَا دَامَ فِي الْعَيْشِ خَيْرٌ قُلْتُ هَذِهِ إِحْدَى الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّتِي أَوْصَانِي بِهَا صَاحِبِي وَأَخَذْتُ سَهْمًا مِنْ جَعْبَتِي فَكَتَبْتُهَا فِي جِلْدِ سَيْفِي ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ نَاوَلَ الصَّحِيفَةَ رَجُلًا عَنْ يَسَارِهِ قُلْتُ مَنْ صَاحِبُ كِتَابِكُمُ الَّذِي يُقْرَأُ لَكُمْ؟ قَالُوا مُعَاوِيَةُ فَإِذَا فِي كِتَابِ صَاحِبِي تَدْعُونِي إِلَى جَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ فَأَيْنَ النَّارُ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ أَيْنَ اللَّيْلُ إِذَا جَاءَ النَّهَارُ قَالَ فَأَخَذْتُ سَهْمًا مِنْ جَعْبَتِي فَكَتَبْتُهُ فِي جِلْدِ سَيْفِي فَلَمَّا أَنْ فَرَغَ مِنْ قِرَاءَةِ كِتَابِي قَالَ إِنَّ لَكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّكَ رَسُولٌ فَلَوْ وُجِدَتْ عِنْدَنَا جَائِزَةٌ جَوَّزْنَاكَ بِهَا إِنَّا سَفْرٌ مُرْمِلُونَ قَالَ فَنَادَاهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ طَائِفَةِ النَّاسِ قَالَ أَنَا أُجَوِّزُهُ فَفَتَحَ رَحْلَهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ يَأْتِي بِحُلَّةٍ صَفُورِيَّةٍ فَوَضَعَهَا فِي حِجْرِي قُلْتُ مَنْ صَاحِبُ الْجَائِزَةِ؟ قِيلَ لِي عُثْمَانُ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَيُّكُمْ يُنْزِلُ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ؟ فَقَالَ فَتًى مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ أَنَا فَقَامَ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ وَقُمْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى إِذَا خَرَجْتُ مِنْ طَائِفَةِ الْمَجْلِسِ نَادَانِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَقَالَ تَعَالَ يَا أَخَا تَنُوخَ فَأَقْبَلْتُ أَهْوِي إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى كُنْتُ قَائِمًا فِي مَجْلِسِي الَّذِي كُنْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَحَلَّ حَبْوَتَهُ عَنْ ظَهْرِهِ وَقَالَ هَاهُنَا امْضِ لِمَا أُمِرْتَ لَهُ فَجُلْتُ فِي ظَهْرِهِ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِخَاتَمٍ فِيمَوْضِعِ غُضُونِ الْكَتِفِ مِثْلِ الْحَجْمَةِ الضَّخْمَةِ