[Machine] We were a people of merchants, and war had besieged us between us and the Messenger of Allah until our wealth was destroyed. When a ceasefire was made between us and the Messenger of Allah, we did not feel safe with our wealth. So I went out with a group from Quraysh, heading towards Syria, where our trade was. I arrived there during the time when Heraclius appeared. He detained those who opposed him from Persia and confiscated their cross, which they had seized from him. When Heraclius heard this news from them and learned that his cross had been saved for him, he was overjoyed and thanked Allah. When Heraclius returned to him what he had returned for him to pray in the holy house, the path was extended for him with rugs and scented with musk. When he reached Jerusalem and completed his prayer, with him were his staff and the bishops of the Romans. The Messenger of Allah’s letter arrived for him, carried by Dhihya ibn Khalifa al-Kalbi, in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Heraclius, the great leader of the Romans, peace be upon whoever follows guidance. To proceed, submit and you will be safe. Submit and Allah will give you twice your reward. But if you turn away, then the sin of the disbelievers will be upon you. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said that Ibn Shihab narrated to him that the bishops of the Christians said, "I met him (Heraclius) during the time of 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan and he claimed that he knew about the affair of the Messenger of Allah and Heraclius. His intellect mentioned that when he received the Messenger of Allah's letter. he placed it between his two thighs and waist. Then he wrote to a man in Rome who used to recite from the Hebrew what he recited, mentioning his affair and describing his state. With this news that had come to him, he wrote to the companion of the Roman asking him to inform Heraclius that this was the Prophet that they had been awaiting, with no doubt about him. So they followed him and believed in him, and Heraclius ordered the bishops of the Romans to bring him the crosses of the Romans. They gathered them for him in a pillowcase, which was carried on the gates, and then he inspected them from above and appreciated them, for they feared for their own selves. They said, 'O Romans, I have gathered you for news. This man has sent me a letter inviting me to his religion, and by Allah, this is the man that we have been anticipating, and we find mention of him in our scriptures. So come, let us follow him and believe in him, and he will grant us our worldly needs as well as the hereafter.' So they prostrated before him, and he ordered the opening of the gates, so they opened for them and they left.
كُنَّا قَوْمًا تُجَّارًا وَكَانَتِ الْحَرْبُ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ رَسُولِ اللهِ قَدْ حَصَرَتْنَا حَتَّى هَلَكَتْ أَمْوَالُنَا فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ الْهُدْنَةُ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ لَمْ نَأْمَنْ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا فَخَرَجْتُ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ آخِذًا إِلَى الشَّامِ وَكَانَ فِيهِ مَتْجَرُنَا فَقَدِمْتُهَا حِينَ ظَهَرَ هِرَقْلُ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ عَارَضَهُ مِنْ فَارِسَ فَأَخَّرَهُمْ مِنْهَا وَانْتَزَعَ لَهُ صَلِيبَهُ الْأَعْظَمَ وَقَدْ كَانُوا سَلَبُوهُ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا بَلَغَهُ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُمْ وَبَلَغَهُ أَنَّ صَلِيبَهُ اسْتَنْقَذَ لَهُ وَكَانَتْ حِمْصُ مَنْزِلَهُ فَخَرَجَ مِنْهَا عَلَى قَدَمَيْهِ مُتَشَكِّرًا لِلَّهِ حِينَ رَدَّ عَلَيْهِ مَا رَدَّ لِيُصَلِّيَ فِي بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ بُسِطَ لَهُ الطَّرِيقُ بِالْبُسُطِ وَيُلْقَى عَلَيْهَا الرَّيَاحِينُ فَلَمَّا انْتَهَى إِلَى إِيلِيَّا وَقَضَى فِيهَا صَلَاتَهُ وَمَعَهُ بَطَارِقَتُهُ وَأَسَاقِفُ الرُّومِ قَالَ وَقَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ كِتَابُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مَعَ دِحْيَةَ بْنِ خَلِيفَةَ الْكَلْبِيِّ بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولِ اللهِ إِلَى هِرَقْلَ عَظِيمِ الرُّومِ السَّلَامُ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى أَمَا بَعْدُ فَأَسْلِمْ تَسْلَمْ وَأَسْلِمْ يُؤْتِكَ اللهُ أَجْرَكَ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَإِنْ تَتَوَلَّ فَإِنَّ إِثْمَ الْأَكَّارِينَ عَلَيْكَ قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ فَحَدَّثَنِي أَسْقُفُ النَّصَارَى قَالَ أَدْرَكْتُهُ فِي زَمَانِ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ مَرْوَانَ زَعَمَ لِي أَنَّهُ أَدْرَكَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَمْرِ هِرَقْلَ وَعَقْلِهِ قَالَ لَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ كِتَابُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مَعَ دِحْيَةَ أَخَذَهُ فَجَعَلَهُ بَيْنَ فَخِذَيْهِ وَخَاصِرَتِهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ كَتَبَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ بِرُومِيَّةَ كَانَ يَقْرَأُ مِنَ الْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ مَا يَقْرَأُ فَذَكَرَ لَهُ أَمْرَهُ وَيَصِفُ لَهُ شَأْنَهُ وَبِخَبَرِ مَا جَاءَ بِهِ قَالَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ صَاحِبُ رُومِيَّةَ أَنَّهُ النَّبِيُّ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَنْتَظِرُهُ لَا شَكَّ فِيهِ فَاتَّبَعَهُ وَصَدَّقَهُ فَأَمَرَ هِرَقْلُ بِبَطَارِقَةِ الرُّومِ فَجَمَعُوا لَهُ فِي دَسْكَرَةِ مُلْكِهِ وَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَأُسْرِجَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ بِأَبْوَابِهَا ثُمَّ اطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ عَلَيْةِ وَخَافَهُمْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَقَالَ يَا مَعْشَرَ الرُّومِ إِنِّي قَدْ جَمَعْتُكُمْ لِخَبَرٍ إِنَّهُ قَدْ أَتَانِي كِتَابُ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ يَدْعُونِي إِلَى دِينِهِ وَأَنَّهُ وَاللهِ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَنْتَظِرُهُ وَنَجِدُ فِي كِتَابِنَا فَهَلُمَّ فَلْنَتَّبِعْهُ وَلْنُصَدِّقْهُ فَيُسَلِّمَ لَنَا دُنْيَانَا وَأُخْرَانَا فَنَخَرُوا نَخْرَةَ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ ثُمَّ ابْتَدَرُوا أَبْوَابَ الدَّسْكَرَةِ لِيَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا فَوَجَدُوهَا قَدْ أُغْلِقَتْ دُونَهُمْ فَقَالَ كُرُّوهُمْ عَلَيَّ وَخَافَهُمْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ فَكُرُّوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ يَا مَعْشَرَ الرُّومِ إِنَّمَا قُلْتُ لَكُمْ هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةَ الَّتِي قُلْتُ لَكُمْ لَأَنْظُرَ كَيْفَ صَلَابَتُكُمْ عَلَى دِينِكُمْ لِهَذَا الْأَمْرِ الَّذِي حَدَثَ فَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ مِنْكُمُ الَّذِي أُسَرُّ بِهِ فَوَقَعُوا لَهُ سُجُودًا وَأَمَرَ بِأَبْوَابِ الدَّسْكَرَةِ فَفُتِحَتْ لَهُمْ فَانْطَلَقُوا
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