Mishkat al-Masabih — Hadith #52175

On the authority of Ibn Abbas, he said: Abu Sufyan bin Harb told me from Fih to Fih, saying: I set off during the period that was between me and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. May God bless him and grant him peace. He said: While I was in the Levant, a letter from the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was brought to Heraclius. He said: And it was Dihya al-Kalbi brought him and sent him to the chief of Busra, and the chief of Busra sent him to Heraclius, and Heraclius said: Is there anyone of the people here? This man who claims to be a prophet? They said: Yes, so I summoned a group of Quraysh and we entered upon Heraclius and made us sit in front of him. He said: Which of you? Closer in lineage than this man who claims to be a prophet? Abu Sufyan said: So I said: I am, so they made me sit in front of him and they made my companions sit behind me. Then he called for his interpreter and said: Tell them: I am asking. This is about this man who claims to be a prophet, so if he denies me, then they will denounce him. He said Abu Sufyan: By God, if it were not for fear that I would be influenced by lying, I would have lied. Then he said to his interpreter: Ask him how he ranks among you? He said: I said: He is worthy of reckoning among us. He said: Was any of his forefathers a king? I said: No. He said: Were you accusing him of lying before he said what he said? I said: No. He said: Who will follow him? The most noble people or the weak ones? He said: I said: Rather, their weak ones. He said: Will they increase or decrease? I said: No, they are increasing. He said: Will any of them abandon his religion after entering into it out of displeasure with him? He said: I said: No. I said: Did you fight him? I said: Yes. He said: So how was your fight with him? He said: I said: The war between us and him will be a dispute in which a share of ours and a share of his will take place. He said: Does he betray? I said: No, while we are with him during this period of time and we do not know what he is doing during it? He said: By God, I am not able to use a word to include anything other than this. He said: Has anyone said this before him? I said: No. Then he said to his translator: Say to him: I asked you about his reckoning among you, and you claimed that he is among you one of reckoning. And thus are the messengers sent with a reckoning. Her people. I asked you whether there was a king among his fathers? You claimed no, so I said: If one of his fathers had been a king. I said: A man seeks the kingdom of his fathers. And I asked you about his followers, the weak ones or their nobles? So you said: Rather, they are weak, and they are the followers of the Messengers. I asked you: Were you accusing him of lying before he said what he said? So you claimed no, then I knew that he would not stop lying to people and then He goes and lies to God. I asked you: Does any of them abandon his religion after he entered into it out of discontent with him? So you claimed that no, and so is faith when it touches the hearts. And I asked you: Will they increase or decrease? So you claimed that they would increase, and so does faith until it is complete. And I asked you, did you fight him? So you claimed that you had fought him, so the war between you and him would be an argument in which he would harm you and you would harm him, and likewise the messengers would be tested and then it would be theirs. The consequence. And I asked you whether he betrays, and you claimed that he does not betray, and likewise the messengers do not betray. Has anyone said this before? So you claimed no, so I said: If this saying had been said by someone before him, I said: A man who followed a statement that was said before him. He said: Then he said: What does he command you? We said: He commands us to pray, to give zakat, to maintain ties, and to be chaste. He said: If what you say is true, then he is a prophet. I knew that he was coming and I did not think that he was one of you, and if I had known that I would be sincere to him, I would have loved to meet him even if I were With him, I will wash his feet, and let his kingdom reach what is under my feet. Then he called for the letter of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and read it. Agreed Accordingly, the entirety of the hadith has previously been mentioned in the “Chapter on the Book to the Unbelievers”