﷽
*AR-RAHĪQ AL-MAKHTOUM (The Pure Nectar). A Treaties On Prophet Muhammad's Biography.*
*CORRESPONDENCE WITH KINGS AND PRINCES continues*
*8. THE MESSAGE SENT TO THE KING OF OMAN*
The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) send a message to the king of Oman and his brother Abd Ibn Al-Julandy. It reads: "In the name of Allāh, the All-Gracious, the All-Merciful. This message is from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allāh, to Jaifar and Abd, the two sons of Al-Julandy. May peace be upon one who follows the right path. I advise you to embrace Islam. If you convert to it, you will be safe from disgrace in this world and torture in the afterlife. I am the Messenger of Allāh who is sent to all people so as to warn one who is perceptive and has an enlightened conscience. But the torment is directed against but the disbelievers. If you profess Islam, I will keep you have power (over your people). If you refuse to embrace Islam, your dominion will disappear, my horses will come to your land and my Prophethood will triumph over your authority." The Prophet (Blessings and Peace of Allāh be upon him) assigned 'Amr Ibnul-'Ass to convey this message. He says: "I set off to Oman. There I met 'Abd who was kind and well-mannered. I said to him: "I am the emissary of Allāh's Messenger to you and your brother." He said: "I advise people to worship Allāh alone, abandon what they worship besides Him and bear witness that Muhammad is the servant and Messenger of Allāh." He said: "Your father is one of the leaders among your tribesmen. What did he do? We take him as an example." I said: "He died without believing in him. I was distancing myself from Islam as he was doing till Allāh had guided me to it. He asked: "When did you follow Muhammad?" He reported: "Recently." He asked: "Where did you profess Islam?" I replied: "At the court of Negus who embraced Islam." He asked: "What was the reaction of his people regarding his dominion?" He said: "They acknowledged it and followed him as a ruler." He asked: "Bishops and monks too?" 'Amr replied in the affirmative." He said: "Think about what you are saying, 'Amr. It is so shameful for a man like you to tell lies." He said: "I didn't tell any lies. Nor lying is permissible in our religion." He said: "I think that Heraclius didn't know of Negus' conversion to Islam." Be said: "No, but he knew about that." He asked: "How did you know that?" He said: "Negus was paying land tribute to Heraclius. But when the former embraced Islam, he decided not to pay him any." His brother, Yannāq, said: "Will you let your servant stop paying the land tribute and convert to a new religion?" Heraclius said: "What I should do to a man who embraced a religion and chose it for himself?" Unless I lost my power, I would do as he did. He also said: "Do you tell the truth, 'Amr?" 'Amr asserted that he was truthful.
He asked him: "Tell me about what he (the Prophet) orders and what he forbids." 'Amr said: "He orders us to obey Allāh and forbids us from disobeying Him, oppressing, aggression, adultery and the worship of idols and Cross and commands us to keep good relations with kith and kin." He said: How excellent his religion is! If my brother agrees to follow Muhammad with me, we will go to and believe in him. But my brother won't sacrifice his power or become a follower." 'Amr said: "In case he embrace Islam, he will be installed by the Prophet (Blessings and Peace of Allāh be upon him) as a ruler over his people; he can then collect the alms from them and share them out among the poor." Abd remarked: "Sure, it is a good manner. What's the sadaqah (charity)?" 'Amr explained to him the types of property that the Prophet (Blessings and Peace of Allāh be upon him) ordered come from the grazing livestock that pasture and go to the watering places?" He replied in the affirmative. He said: "I think that my people will not accept that."
'Amr said: "I stayed for some days at his court and he went to his brother to tell him about me. One day he called and let me in. His guards grasped me by the arms. He ordered them to loosen their grip on me. I wanted to sit down but they prevented me from that. I handed him the message with a seal on it. He read the message completely and gave it to his brother to read as well. But I found his brother kinder than him. He (the ruler of Oman) asked: "Who backs him?" He said: people who embraced Islam, selected it from other religions and realised by their minds as well as Allāh's guidance that they were in aberration (before adopting it). I think that none but you are in a ticklish situation. If you don't become a Muslim today, horses will set foot in your country and end up your authority. In case you embrace Islam, you will be safe and have authority over your people." He said: "Leave me now and return to me tomorrow." When I went to his brother Abd, he said: "I hope that he will embrace Islam if he will not lose his dominion." When it was tomorrow, I returned to him (the king of Oman) but he didn't let me in. So I hurried up to his brother and told him that I was denied access to him. He took me to his brother the king. Thereupon he said: "I thought about your advice. I perceived that I would abase myself if I abdicated the throne to someone else. Even if his horses come here, he will find a fierce fight." 'Amr said: "I will depart away tomorrow." When he was certain that I would set off, he met separately with his brother and said: "How could we be compared with those whom he (the Prophet) triumphed over? Almost all the rulers he sent messages to replied him."
In the morning they sent for me and professed their conversion to Islam and made me supervise the collection of charities, pass judgements on the people and help me against my opponents.
It is clear that the context of the story indicates that the message was sent to them following the Conquest of Mecca. Through these messages the Prophet (Blessings and Peace of Allāh be upon him) managed to convey his calling to a lot of kings. His name was known to all of them and Islam circulated all over Arabia.
*{To be continued In-sha-Allāh (If Allāh Wills)...}*
*"And keep reminding, because reminding benefits the believers."* (Qur-ān 51:55)
*AR-RAHĪQ AL-MAKHTOUM (The Pure Nectar). A Treaties On Prophet Muhammad's Biography.*
*Part 177*
*CORRESPONDENCE WITH KINGS AND PRINCES continues*
*8. THE MESSAGE SENT TO THE KING OF OMAN*
The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) send a message to the king of Oman and his brother Abd Ibn Al-Julandy. It reads: "In the name of Allāh, the All-Gracious, the All-Merciful. This message is from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allāh, to Jaifar and Abd, the two sons of Al-Julandy. May peace be upon one who follows the right path. I advise you to embrace Islam. If you convert to it, you will be safe from disgrace in this world and torture in the afterlife. I am the Messenger of Allāh who is sent to all people so as to warn one who is perceptive and has an enlightened conscience. But the torment is directed against but the disbelievers. If you profess Islam, I will keep you have power (over your people). If you refuse to embrace Islam, your dominion will disappear, my horses will come to your land and my Prophethood will triumph over your authority." The Prophet (Blessings and Peace of Allāh be upon him) assigned 'Amr Ibnul-'Ass to convey this message. He says: "I set off to Oman. There I met 'Abd who was kind and well-mannered. I said to him: "I am the emissary of Allāh's Messenger to you and your brother." He said: "I advise people to worship Allāh alone, abandon what they worship besides Him and bear witness that Muhammad is the servant and Messenger of Allāh." He said: "Your father is one of the leaders among your tribesmen. What did he do? We take him as an example." I said: "He died without believing in him. I was distancing myself from Islam as he was doing till Allāh had guided me to it. He asked: "When did you follow Muhammad?" He reported: "Recently." He asked: "Where did you profess Islam?" I replied: "At the court of Negus who embraced Islam." He asked: "What was the reaction of his people regarding his dominion?" He said: "They acknowledged it and followed him as a ruler." He asked: "Bishops and monks too?" 'Amr replied in the affirmative." He said: "Think about what you are saying, 'Amr. It is so shameful for a man like you to tell lies." He said: "I didn't tell any lies. Nor lying is permissible in our religion." He said: "I think that Heraclius didn't know of Negus' conversion to Islam." Be said: "No, but he knew about that." He asked: "How did you know that?" He said: "Negus was paying land tribute to Heraclius. But when the former embraced Islam, he decided not to pay him any." His brother, Yannāq, said: "Will you let your servant stop paying the land tribute and convert to a new religion?" Heraclius said: "What I should do to a man who embraced a religion and chose it for himself?" Unless I lost my power, I would do as he did. He also said: "Do you tell the truth, 'Amr?" 'Amr asserted that he was truthful.
He asked him: "Tell me about what he (the Prophet) orders and what he forbids." 'Amr said: "He orders us to obey Allāh and forbids us from disobeying Him, oppressing, aggression, adultery and the worship of idols and Cross and commands us to keep good relations with kith and kin." He said: How excellent his religion is! If my brother agrees to follow Muhammad with me, we will go to and believe in him. But my brother won't sacrifice his power or become a follower." 'Amr said: "In case he embrace Islam, he will be installed by the Prophet (Blessings and Peace of Allāh be upon him) as a ruler over his people; he can then collect the alms from them and share them out among the poor." Abd remarked: "Sure, it is a good manner. What's the sadaqah (charity)?" 'Amr explained to him the types of property that the Prophet (Blessings and Peace of Allāh be upon him) ordered come from the grazing livestock that pasture and go to the watering places?" He replied in the affirmative. He said: "I think that my people will not accept that."
'Amr said: "I stayed for some days at his court and he went to his brother to tell him about me. One day he called and let me in. His guards grasped me by the arms. He ordered them to loosen their grip on me. I wanted to sit down but they prevented me from that. I handed him the message with a seal on it. He read the message completely and gave it to his brother to read as well. But I found his brother kinder than him. He (the ruler of Oman) asked: "Who backs him?" He said: people who embraced Islam, selected it from other religions and realised by their minds as well as Allāh's guidance that they were in aberration (before adopting it). I think that none but you are in a ticklish situation. If you don't become a Muslim today, horses will set foot in your country and end up your authority. In case you embrace Islam, you will be safe and have authority over your people." He said: "Leave me now and return to me tomorrow." When I went to his brother Abd, he said: "I hope that he will embrace Islam if he will not lose his dominion." When it was tomorrow, I returned to him (the king of Oman) but he didn't let me in. So I hurried up to his brother and told him that I was denied access to him. He took me to his brother the king. Thereupon he said: "I thought about your advice. I perceived that I would abase myself if I abdicated the throne to someone else. Even if his horses come here, he will find a fierce fight." 'Amr said: "I will depart away tomorrow." When he was certain that I would set off, he met separately with his brother and said: "How could we be compared with those whom he (the Prophet) triumphed over? Almost all the rulers he sent messages to replied him."
In the morning they sent for me and professed their conversion to Islam and made me supervise the collection of charities, pass judgements on the people and help me against my opponents.
It is clear that the context of the story indicates that the message was sent to them following the Conquest of Mecca. Through these messages the Prophet (Blessings and Peace of Allāh be upon him) managed to convey his calling to a lot of kings. His name was known to all of them and Islam circulated all over Arabia.
*{To be continued In-sha-Allāh (If Allāh Wills)...}*
*"And keep reminding, because reminding benefits the believers."* (Qur-ān 51:55)
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