English Translation

'Abdullah narrated to us: Surayj ibn Yunus narrated to me from his book, he said: 'Abbad ibn 'Abbad -- that is, al-Muhallabi -- narrated to us, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Uthman ibn Khuthaym, from Sa'id ibn Abi Rashid, a client of the family of Mu'awiyah, who said: I came to Syria, and it was said to me, "In this church is the messenger of Caesar to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him." He said: So we entered the church, and there was an old man, advanced in years. I said to him, "Are you the messenger of Caesar to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him?" He said, "Yes." I said, "Tell me about that." He said: "When he (the Prophet) raided Tabuk, he wrote a letter to Caesar and sent it with a man called Dihyah ibn Khalifah. When he (Caesar) read his letter, he placed it with him upon his throne, and sent for his patricians and the heads of his companions, and said: 'This man has sent you a messenger and written you a letter, giving you the choice of one of three things: either you follow him in his religion, or you agree to pay him tribute while he lets you remain in your condition in your lands, or you throw war at him.' They snorted with anger until some of them came out of their cloaks, and said, 'We will not follow him in his religion and abandon our religion and the religion of our fathers, nor will we agree to pay him tribute, but rather we will throw war at him.' He said, 'That is what will be, but I disliked to decide the matter without you.'" 'Abbad said: I said to Ibn Khuthaym, "Had he not come close and intended to accept Islam, as has reached us?" He said, "Yes indeed, were it not that he saw from them what he saw." He said: Caesar said, "Find me a man from the Arabs so that I may write with him the reply to his letter." He said: So I came, being a young man, and I was taken to him, and he wrote his reply and said to me: "Whatever you forget, remember from me three things: watch, when he reads my letter, whether he mentions night and day, and whether he mentions his letter to me, and look whether you see on his back a mark." He said: I set out until I came to him, and he was at Tabuk in a circle of his companions, sitting cross-legged. I asked and was directed to him, and I handed him the letter. He summoned Mu'awiyah, who read the letter to him. When he came to his words, "You have invited me to a Paradise whose width is the heavens and the earth -- so where is the Fire?" the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "When night comes, where is the day?" He said: Caesar said, "I had written to the Negus (al-Najashi), and he tore it up -- may God tear apart his kingdom!" 'Abbad said: I said to Ibn Khuthaym, "Did not the Negus accept Islam, and did not the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, announce his death to his companions in Medina and pray over him?" He said, "Yes, that was so-and-so son of so-and-so, and this is so-and-so son of so-and-so" -- Ibn Khuthaym named them both but I have forgotten them -- "and I wrote to Chosroes a letter, and he tore it up -- may God tear apart his kingdom! And I wrote to Caesar a letter, and he answered me in it, and the people never ceased to fear harm from them, as long as there was good in life." Then he said to me, "Who are you?" I said, "From Tanukh." He said, "O brother of Tanukh, do you desire Islam?" I said, "No; I have come from a people among whom I hold to a religion, and I will not exchange their religion until I return to them." He said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, laughed, or smiled. When I had finished my business, I got up, and when I turned to leave, he called me and said, "O brother of Tanukh, come, and carry out what you were commanded." He said: I had forgotten it, so I went around behind the circle, and a cloak that was upon him slipped from his back, and I saw the cartilage of his shoulder like a large cupping-glass. 'Abdullah narrated to us: Abu 'Amir Hawtharah ibn Ashras narrated to me by dictation, he said: Hammad ibn Salamah informed me, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Uthman ibn Khuthaym, from Sa'id ibn Abi Rashid, who said: The messenger of Caesar was a neighbor of mine at the time of Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah, so I said to him, "Tell me about the letter of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, to Caesar." He said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Dihyah al-Kalbi to Caesar and wrote with him a letter to him -- and he mentioned something similar to the hadith of 'Abbad ibn 'Abbad, and the hadith of 'Abbad is more complete and better in narrating the story -- and he added: He said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, laughed when he called him to Islam and he refused to accept Islam, and he recited this verse: {Indeed, you do not guide whom you like, but God guides whom He wills.} Then the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "You are the messenger of a people, and you have a right, but you have come to us while we are in dire circumstances." 'Uthman ibn 'Affan said: "I will clothe him with a Saffuri garment." And a man from the Ansar said: "I will provide his hospitality."