PART 4 · THE MADINAN PERIOD · الْعَهْدُ الْمَدَنِيُّ
STAGE 3 · TRUCE AND VICTORY
الرَّسَائِلُ إِلَى الْمُلُوكِ وَخَيْبَرُ
Chapter 24: Letters to the Kings and Khaybar
A message for the whole world — and the victory at Khaybar
Sheikh Mohamed Fawzyالشيخ محمد فوزي
© 2026 Sheikh Mohamed Fawzy. All rights reserved. Version 1.7
After the truce, 6–7 AH الرَّسَائِلُ إِلَى الْمُلُوكِ
A message for the whole world
Tap a king.
Heraclius — Emperor of the Romans
The letter went with Diḥyah al-Kalbī to the governor of Buṣrā, who passed it to Heraclius. He questioned Abū Sufyān and recognised the signs of a prophet — but kept his throne (al-Bukhari 7).
Chosroes — King of Persia
The letter went through the ruler of al-Baḥrayn. Chosroes tore it up (al-Bukhari 64).
The Negus — King of Abyssinia
He also wrote to the Negus. Anas notes that one letter went to a later Negus — not Aṣḥamah, for whom the Prophet ﷺ prayed the funeral prayer (Muslim 1774).
عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَتَبَ إِلَى كِسْرَى وَإِلَى قَيْصَرَ وَإِلَى النَّجَاشِيِّ وَإِلَى كُلِّ جَبَّارٍ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَلَيْسَ بِالنَّجَاشِيِّ الَّذِي صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.
Anas said: “The Prophet of Allah ﷺ wrote to Chosroes, to Caesar, to the Negus and to every powerful ruler, inviting them to Allah, the Most High — and this was not the Negus for whom the Prophet ﷺ prayed the funeral prayer.”
Sahih Muslim 1774Sahih
The books of Seerah (such as Ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm) also mention letters to al-Muqawqis in Egypt and to other rulers. Their detailed wording comes through chains outside the Sahihs, so the slides keep to the letters named in the Sahihs.
Ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm also says that Aṣḥamah, the Negus who sheltered the Muslims, received a letter carried by ‘Amr ibn Umayyah al-Ḍamrī; the wording of that letter, too, comes from outside the Sahihs.
A seal for the letters خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ
“Muḥammad Rasūl Allāh”
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ: كَتَبَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كِتَابًا أَوْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ إِنَّهُمْ لَا يَقْرَءُونَ كِتَابًا إِلَّا مَخْتُومًا. فَاتَّخَذَ خَاتَمًا مِنْ فِضَّةٍ نَقْشُهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ. كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى بَيَاضِهِ فِي يَدِهِ ...
Anas ibn Mālik said: “The Prophet ﷺ wrote — or wanted to write — a letter, and he was told: ‘They do not read a letter unless it is sealed.’ So he had a silver ring made, engraved: ‘Muḥammad Rasūl Allāh’ (Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allah). It is as if I can still see its whiteness on his hand.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 65Sahih
Kings only trusted sealed letters — so the Prophet ﷺ used the custom of the time to deliver the message well.
The letter كِتَابُهُ ﷺ إِلَى هِرَقْلَ
“Accept Islam and you will be safe”
قَالَ أَبُو سُفْيَانَ: ... ثُمَّ دَعَا بِكِتَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ بِهِ دِحْيَةُ إِلَى عَظِيمِ بُصْرَى، فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَى هِرَقْلَ فَقَرَأَهُ فَإِذَا فِيهِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ. مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلَى هِرَقْلَ عَظِيمِ الرُّومِ. سَلَامٌ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى، أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنِّي أَدْعُوكَ بِدِعَايَةِ الْإِسْلَامِ، أَسْلِمْ تَسْلَمْ، يُؤْتِكَ اللَّهُ أَجْرَكَ مَرَّتَيْنِ، فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ فَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ إِثْمَ الْأَرِيسِيِّينَ وَ﴿يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَنْ لَا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ﴾ ...
Abū Sufyān said: “…Then he [Heraclius] called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, which Diḥyah had taken to the governor of Buṣrā, who passed it on to Heraclius. He read it, and in it was: ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful. From Muḥammad, the servant of Allah and His Messenger, to Heraclius, the ruler of the Romans. Peace be upon whoever follows the guidance. To proceed: I invite you with the call of Islam. Accept Islam and you will be safe; Allah will give you your reward twice. But if you turn away, you will carry the sin of the Arīsiyyīn [your subjects]. And: “O People of the Book, come to a word that is equal between us and you: that we worship none but Allah, and associate nothing with Him, and that none of us take others as lords besides Allah.” But if they turn away, then say: “Bear witness that we are Muslims” [Āl ‘Imrān 3:64].’”
Sahih al-Bukhari 7Sahih
The questions أَسْئِلَةُ هِرَقْلَ
An enemy tells the truth
Heraclius called the Arab traders in al-Shām and questioned their leader, Abū Sufyān — then an enemy of Islam. Tap each question (al-Bukhari 7):
Was any of his forefathers a king?
Tap to open
No. — Then he is not seeking his father’s kingdom.
Did you ever accuse him of lying?
Tap to open
No. — He would not leave lying to people and then lie about Allah.
Do his followers increase or decrease?
Tap to open
They increase. — That is how true faith is, until it is complete.
Does he betray?
Tap to open
No. — Messengers do not betray.
قَالَ أَبُو سُفْيَانَ: ... [قَالَ هِرَقْلُ:] فَإِنْ كَانَ مَا تَقُولُ حَقًّا فَسَيَمْلِكُ مَوْضِعَ قَدَمَيَّ هَاتَيْنِ، وَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ خَارِجٌ، لَمْ أَكُنْ أَظُنُّ أَنَّهُ مِنْكُمْ، فَلَوْ أَنِّي أَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أَخْلُصُ إِلَيْهِ لَتَجَشَّمْتُ لِقَاءَهُ، وَلَوْ كُنْتُ عِنْدَهُ لَغَسَلْتُ عَنْ قَدَمِهِ ...
Abū Sufyān said: “…[Heraclius said:] ‘If what you say is true, he will soon rule the very place where my two feet stand. I knew that he would come, but I did not think he would be from among you. If I knew I could reach him, I would take the trouble to meet him; and if I were with him, I would wash his feet.’”
Sahih al-Bukhari 7Sahih
Persia كِسْرَى يُمَزِّقُ الْكِتَابَ
He tore it — and his kingdom was torn
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَعَثَ بِكِتَابِهِ رَجُلًا، وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَدْفَعَهُ إِلَى عَظِيمِ الْبَحْرَيْنِ، فَدَفَعَهُ عَظِيمُ الْبَحْرَيْنِ إِلَى كِسْرَى، فَلَمَّا قَرَأَهُ مَزَّقَهُ. فَحَسِبْتُ أَنَّ ابْنَ الْمُسَيَّبِ قَالَ فَدَعَا عَلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يُمَزَّقُوا كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ.
Ibn ‘Abbās said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent his letter with a man and told him to hand it to the ruler of al-Baḥrayn. The ruler of al-Baḥrayn passed it on to Chosroes. When he read it, he tore it up.” [Ibn Shihāb said:] I think Ibn al-Musayyib said: “So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed against them, that they be torn apart completely.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 64Sahih
The last sentence — the Prophet’s prayer — is a mursal report of Sa‘īd ibn al-Musayyib, which al-Zuhrī gave with “I think”.
Muḥarram, 7 AH غَزْوَةُ خَيْبَرَ
Khaybar: the last stronghold of the enemies
Why Khaybar?
Leaders who had been driven out of Madinah settled in Khaybar’s strong forts and helped gather the armies of the Confederates against Madinah (Chapter 22). After peace in the south, the Prophet ﷺ turned north.
Ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm: the army set out at the end of Muḥarram, 7 AH, with about 1,400 men — the people of al-Ḥudaybiyah.
عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَتَى خَيْبَرَ لَيْلًا، وَكَانَ إِذَا أَتَى قَوْمًا بِلَيْلٍ لَمْ يُغِرْ بِهِمْ حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ، فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ خَرَجَتِ الْيَهُودُ بِمَسَاحِيهِمْ وَمَكَاتِلِهِمْ، فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ قَالُوا مُحَمَّدٌ وَاللَّهِ، مُحَمَّدٌ وَالْخَمِيسُ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ «خَرِبَتْ خَيْبَرُ، إِنَّا إِذَا نَزَلْنَا بِسَاحَةِ قَوْمٍ فَسَاءَ صَبَاحُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ».
Anas said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ reached Khaybar at night, and when he came to a people at night he would not attack them until morning. In the morning the Jews came out with their spades and baskets, and when they saw him they said: ‘Muḥammad, by Allah! Muḥammad and the army!’ The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Khaybar is ruined! When we arrive in the land of a people, evil is the morning of those who were warned.’”
Sahih al-Bukhari 4197Sahih
The banner لَأُعْطِيَنَّ الرَّايَةَ
“He loves Allah and His Messenger”
عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ يَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ «لَأُعْطِيَنَّ هَذِهِ الرَّايَةَ غَدًا رَجُلًا، يَفْتَحُ اللَّهُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ، يُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ، وَيُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ». قَالَ فَبَاتَ النَّاسُ يَدُوكُونَ لَيْلَتَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يُعْطَاهَا فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ النَّاسُ غَدَوْا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، كُلُّهُمْ يَرْجُو أَنْ يُعْطَاهَا فَقَالَ «أَيْنَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ». فَقِيلَ هُوَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ يَشْتَكِي عَيْنَيْهِ. قَالَ «فَأَرْسِلُوا إِلَيْهِ». فَأُتِيَ بِهِ فَبَصَقَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي عَيْنَيْهِ، وَدَعَا لَهُ، فَبَرَأَ حَتَّى كَأَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِهِ وَجَعٌ، فَأَعْطَاهُ الرَّايَةَ، فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أُقَاتِلُهُمْ حَتَّى يَكُونُوا مِثْلَنَا، فَقَالَ «انْفُذْ عَلَى رِسْلِكَ حَتَّى تَنْزِلَ بِسَاحَتِهِمْ، ثُمَّ ادْعُهُمْ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، وَأَخْبِرْهُمْ بِمَا يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ حَقِّ اللَّهِ فِيهِ، فَوَاللَّهِ لَأَنْ يَهْدِيَ اللَّهُ بِكَ رَجُلًا وَاحِدًا خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَكَ حُمْرُ النَّعَمِ».
Sahl ibn Sa‘d said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said on the day of Khaybar: ‘Tomorrow I will give this banner to a man at whose hands Allah will give victory; he loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah and His Messenger love him.’ The people spent the night talking about which of them would be given it. In the morning they all came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, each hoping to be given it. He said: ‘Where is ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib?’ They said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, his eyes are sore.’ He said: ‘Send for him.’ He was brought, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ spat [gently] into his eyes and prayed for him, and he was cured as if he had never had any pain. He gave him the banner. ‘Alī said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, shall I fight them until they become like us?’ He said: ‘Go calmly until you reach their land, then invite them to Islam and tell them what they owe of Allah’s right in it. By Allah, that Allah guides a single man through you is better for you than owning red camels.’
Sahih al-Bukhari 4210Sahih
Even on the battlefield, the goal was guidance: “that Allah guides a single man through you is better for you than red camels.”
A happy return أَهْلُ السَّفِينَةِ
“You have two hijrahs”
At Khaybar the last emigrants to Abyssinia — Ja‘far ibn Abī Ṭālib and his companions — finally arrived, after about thirteen years away.
عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: بَلَغَنَا مَخْرَجُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَنَحْنُ بِالْيَمَنِ، فَخَرَجْنَا مُهَاجِرِينَ إِلَيْهِ أَنَا، وَأَخَوَانِ لِي أَنَا أَصْغَرُهُمْ، أَحَدُهُمَا أَبُو بُرْدَةَ، وَالْآخَرُ أَبُو رُهْمٍ إِمَّا قَالَ بِضْعٌ وَإِمَّا قَالَ فِي ثَلَاثَةٍ وَخَمْسِينَ أَوِ اثْنَيْنِ وَخَمْسِينَ رَجُلًا مِنْ قَوْمِي، فَرَكِبْنَا سَفِينَةً، فَأَلْقَتْنَا سَفِينَتُنَا إِلَى النَّجَاشِيِّ بِالْحَبَشَةِ، فَوَافَقْنَا جَعْفَرَ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ فَأَقَمْنَا مَعَهُ حَتَّى قَدِمْنَا جَمِيعًا، فَوَافَقْنَا النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ افْتَتَحَ خَيْبَرَ ... فَلَمَّا جَاءَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَتْ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنَّ عُمَرَ قَالَ كَذَا وَكَذَا. قَالَ «فَمَا قُلْتِ لَهُ». قَالَتْ قُلْتُ لَهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا. قَالَ «لَيْسَ بِأَحَقَّ بِي مِنْكُمْ، وَلَهُ وَلِأَصْحَابِهِ هِجْرَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ، وَلَكُمْ أَنْتُمْ أَهْلَ السَّفِينَةِ هِجْرَتَانِ» ...
Abū Mūsā [al-Ash‘arī] said: “We heard that the Prophet ﷺ had appeared, while we were in Yemen, so we set out to emigrate to him — I and my two brothers, I being the youngest, one of them Abū Burdah and the other Abū Ruhm — with — he said either ‘some [fifty]’ or ‘fifty-three or fifty-two’ — men of my people. We boarded a ship, and our ship threw us ashore at the land of the Negus in Abyssinia. There we met Ja‘far ibn Abī Ṭālib, and we stayed with him until we all came together, and we reached the Prophet ﷺ when he had just conquered Khaybar. … When the Prophet ﷺ came, she [Asmā’ bint ‘Umays] said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, ‘Umar said such-and-such [that they had beaten us to the hijrah].’ He said: ‘And what did you say to him?’ She said: ‘I told him such-and-such.’ He said: ‘He has no more right to me than you. He and his companions have one hijrah, and you — the people of the ship — have two hijrahs.’”
Sahih al-Bukhari 4230–4231Sahih
Lessons دُرُوسٌ وَعِبَرٌ
What we learn
1
A message for everyone
Islam is for all people — kings and slaves, Arabs and non-Arabs.
2
Honest even when an enemy
Abū Sufyān would not lie, even about someone he opposed; the truth was clear even to Heraclius.
3
Guidance before victory
The Prophet ﷺ wanted people guided, not defeated: “better for you than red camels”.
Review مُرَاجَعَةٌ
Quick quiz
Score: 0 / 4
1.Why did the Prophet ﷺ have a silver ring made?
Correct (al-Bukhari 65).
Kings only read sealed letters (al-Bukhari 65).
2.What did Chosroes do with the Prophet’s letter?
Right (al-Bukhari 64).
He tore it up.
3.To whom did the Prophet ﷺ give the banner at Khaybar?
Yes (al-Bukhari 4210).
‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib.
4.Why do the people of the ship have “two hijrahs”?
Correct (al-Bukhari 4231).
They emigrated to Abyssinia, then to Madinah.
The message goes out to the world
ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam ﷺ
NEXT · Chapter 25: The Conquest of Makkah · فَتْحُ مَكَّةَ