Abdullah Ibn `Abbas (RA):
Abu Sufyan Ibn Hareb told him, King Heraclius once sent people to him. He was then in Syria in the caravan of Quraysh on business. Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) was at that time bound by a treaty with Abu Sufyan and Quraysh for a certain period. Abu Sufyan approached Heraclius with his companion and called the interpreter.
Then he asked, ‘This person who claims to be a prophet – who among you is closest to him in terms of lineage’? Abu Sufyan said, “I said, I am his closest relative by descent.” He said, ‘Bring him very close to me and make his companions sit behind him’.
Then he said to his interpreter, ‘tell them, I will ask him something about that person, if he tells me a lie, then you will immediately call him a liar
Then the first question he asked me about him was, ‘What is he like among you in terms of lineage?’ I said, ‘He is of a very noble lineage among us.’ He said, ‘Has anyone of you ever said such a thing before?” I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Do the nobles follow him, or the weak?’ I said, ‘The weak’. He said, ‘Is their number increasing or decreasing?’ I said, ‘They are increasing’.
He said, ‘Does anyone enter his religion and leave it displeased?’ I said, ‘No’. He said, ‘Did you ever accuse him of lying before his claim?” I said, ‘No’. But we are bound by a fixed time covenant with Him. I do not know what he will do in the meantime. Abu Sufyan said, “I did not get a chance to add anything other than this.” He said, ‘Have you ever fought with him?’
I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘What is the outcome of your war with him?’ Sometimes it goes for him, sometimes it comes for us. He said, ‘What does he command you?’ I said, ‘he says: Worship one God and associate nothing with Him, and abandon what your forefathers used to say. And He commanded us to perform the prayer, to speak the truth, to be clean of character, and to be kind to our relatives.
Then he said to the interpreter, ‘you tell him, I have asked you about his lineage. You replied to him by mentioning that he is of noble lineage among you. The Messengers are sent to the upper clans of their people. You said no. So, I say, if someone had said this before, I would have said that he is a person who is following the words of his predecessor.
You replied, ‘No’. So, I say that if there was a king among his ancestors, then I would say that he is a person who wants to get back the kingship of his father and grandfather. You said no. By this, I understood that it cannot be that someone abandons lies about people and tells lies about Allah. I asked you, do the nobles or the common people follow him? You said common people follow him. And, these people are the followers of the Messengers.
You said, increasing. This is the case until one attains perfection in faith. I asked you, does anyone enter his religion and leave it displeased? You said no. Faith is like this when the softness of faith is mixed with the heart. I asked you, whether he breaks the treaty. You said no. Verily the Messengers do not break the covenant. You said He commanded you to worship one God and not to associate partners with Him. He forbids you to worship idols and commands you to pray, speak the truth and be righteous. If what you say is true, he will soon have the space under my feet.
I knew for sure, that he would appear; But I could not think that he would be among you. If I had known, I would be able to reach him, I would have taken any pain to meet him. And if I had been near him, I would have washed his feet. Then he ordered to bring the letter of Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him), which he had sent to Heraclius through the ruler of Basra with Decikatal Kalbi. He read it. It was (written):
Bismillah-hir Rahma-Nir Raheem (In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Merciful). To Heraclius, Emperor of Rome, on behalf of the Servant of God and His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him). -Peace be upon him who follows the guidance. Then I convert you to Islam
