Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ عِيسَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ سُلَيْمٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ خُثَيْمٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي رَاشِدٍ قَالَ لَقِيتُ التَّنُوخِيَّ رَسُولَ هِرَقْلَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِحِمْصَ وَكَانَ جَارًا لِي شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا قَدْ بَلَغَ الْفَنَدَ أَوْ قَرُبَ فَقُلْتُ أَلَا تُخْبِرُنِي عَنْ رِسَالَةِ هِرَقْلَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَرِسَالَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى هِرَقْلَ فَقَالَ بَلَى قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَبُوكَ فَبَعَثَ دِحْيَةَ الْكَلْبِيَّ إِلَى هِرَقْلَ فَلَمَّا أَنْ جَاءَهُ كِتَابُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دَعَا قِسِّيسِي الرُّومِ وَبَطَارِقَتَهَا ثُمَّ أَغْلَقَ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَيْهِمْ بَابًا فَقَالَ قَدْ نَزَلَ هَذَا الرَّجُلُ حَيْثُ رَأَيْتُمْ وَقَدْ أَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ يَدْعُونِي إِلَى ثَلَاثِ خِصَالٍ يَدْعُونِي إِلَى أَنْ أَتَّبِعَهُ عَلَى دِينِهِ أَوْ عَلَى أَنْ نُعْطِيَهُ مَالَنَا عَلَى أَرْضِنَا وَالْأَرْضُ أَرْضُنَا أَوْ نُلْقِيَ إِلَيْهِ الْحَرْبَ وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَرَفْتُمْ فِيمَا تَقْرَءُونَ مِنْ الْكُتُبِ لَيَأْخُذَنَّ مَا تَحْتَ قَدَمَيَّ فَهَلُمَّ نَتَّبِعْهُ عَلَى دِينِهِ أَوْ نُعْطِيهِ مَالَنَا عَلَى أَرْضِنَا فَنَخَرُوا نَخْرَةَ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ حَتَّى خَرَجُوا مِنْ بَرَانِسِهِمْ وَقَالُوا تَدْعُونَا إِلَى أَنْ نَدَعَ النَّصْرَانِيَّةَ أَوْ نَكُونَ عَبِيدًا لِأَعْرَابِيٍّ جَاءَ مِنْ الْحِجَازِ فَلَمَّا ظَنَّ أَنَّهُمْ إِنْ خَرَجُوا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ أَفْسَدُوا عَلَيْهِ الرُّومَ رَفَأَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكَدْ وَقَالَ إِنَّمَا قُلْتُ ذَلِكَ لَكُمْ لِأَعْلَمَ صَلَابَتَكُمْ عَلَى أَمْرِكُمْ ثُمَّ دَعَا رَجُلًا مِنْ عَرَبِ تُجِيبَ كَانَ عَلَى نَصَارَى الْعَرَبِ فَقَالَ ادْعُ لِي رَجُلًا حَافِظًا لِلْحَدِيثِ عَرَبِيَّ اللِّسَانِ أَبْعَثْهُ إِلَى هَذَا الرَّجُلِ بِجَوَابِ كِتَابِهِ فَجَاءَ بِي فَدَفَعَ إِلَيَّ هِرَقْلُ كِتَابًا فَقَالَ اذْهَبْ بِكِتَابِي إِلَى هَذَا الرَّجُلِ فَمَا ضَيَّعْتُ مِنْ حَدِيثِهِ فَاحْفَظْ لِي مِنْهُ ثَلَاثَ خِصَالٍ انْظُرْ هَلْ يَذْكُرُ صَحِيفَتَهُ الَّتِي كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ بِشَيْءٍ وَانْظُرْ إِذَا قَرَأَ كِتَابِي فَهَلْ يَذْكُرُ اللَّيْلَ وَانْظُرْ فِي ظَهْرِهِ هَلْ بِهِ شَيْءٌ يَرِيبُكَ فَانْطَلَقْتُ بِكِتَابِهِ حَتَّى جِئْتُ تَبُوكَ فَإِذَا هُوَ جَالِسٌ بَيْنَ ظَهْرَانَيْ أَصْحَابِهِ مُحْتَبِيًا عَلَى الْمَاءِ فَقُلْتُ أَيْنَ صَاحِبُكُمْ قِيلَ هَا هُوَ ذَا فَأَقْبَلْتُ أَمْشِي حَتَّى جَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَنَاوَلْتُهُ كِتَابِي فَوَضَعَهُ فِي حَجْرِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ مِمَّنْ أَنْتَ فَقُلْتُ أَنَا أَحَدُ تَنُوخَ قَالَ هَلْ لَكَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ الْحَنِيفِيَّةِ مِلَّةِ أَبِيكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ قَوْمٍ وَعَلَى دِينِ قَوْمٍ لَا أَرْجِعُ عَنْهُ حَتَّى أَرْجِعَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَضَحِكَ وَقَالَ { إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ } يَا أَخَا تَنُوخَ إِنِّي كَتَبْتُ بِكِتَابٍ إِلَى كِسْرَى فَمَزَّقَهُ وَاللَّهُ مُمَزِّقُهُ وَمُمَزِّقٌ مُلْكَهُ وَكَتَبْتُ إِلَى النَّجَاشِيِّ بِصَحِيفَةٍ فَخَرَقَهَا وَاللَّهُ مُخْرِقُهُ وَمُخْرِقٌ مُلْكَهُ وَكَتَبْتُ إِلَى صَاحِبِكَ بِصَحِيفَةٍ فَأَمْسَكَهَا فَلَنْ يَزَالَ النَّاسُ يَجِدُونَ مِنْهُ بَأْسًا مَا دَامَ فِي الْعَيْشِ خَيْرٌ قُلْتُ هَذِهِ إِحْدَى الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّتِي أَوْصَانِي بِهَا صَاحِبِي وَأَخَذْتُ سَهْمًا مِنْ جَعْبَتِي فَكَتَبْتُهَا فِي جِلْدِ سَيْفِي ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ نَاوَلَ الصَّحِيفَةَ رَجُلًا عَنْ يَسَارِهِ قُلْتُ مَنْ صَاحِبُ كِتَابِكُمْ الَّذِي يُقْرَأُ لَكُمْ قَالُوا مُعَاوِيَةُ فَإِذَا فِي كِتَابِ صَاحِبِي تَدْعُونِي إِلَى جَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ فَأَيْنَ النَّارُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ أَيْنَ اللَّيْلُ إِذَا جَاءَ النَّهَارُ قَالَ فَأَخَذْتُ سَهْمًا مِنْ جَعْبَتِي فَكَتَبْتُهُ فِي جِلْدِ سَيْفِي فَلَمَّا أَنْ فَرَغَ مِنْ قِرَاءَةِ كِتَابِي قَالَ إِنَّ لَكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّكَ رَسُولٌ فَلَوْ وُجِدَتْ عِنْدَنَا جَائِزَةٌ جَوَّزْنَاكَ بِهَا إِنَّا سَفْرٌ مُرْمِلُونَ قَالَ فَنَادَاهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ طَائِفَةِ النَّاسِ قَالَ أَنَا أُجَوِّزُهُ فَفَتَحَ رَحْلَهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ يَأْتِي بِحُلَّةٍ صَفُورِيَّةٍ فَوَضَعَهَا فِي حَجْرِي قُلْتُ مَنْ صَاحِبُ الْجَائِزَةِ قِيلَ لِي عُثْمَانُ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيُّكُمْ يُنْزِلُ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ فَقَالَ فَتًى مِنْ الْأَنْصَارِ أَنَا فَقَامَ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ وَقُمْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى إِذَا خَرَجْتُ مِنْ طَائِفَةِ الْمَجْلِسِ نَادَانِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَقَالَ تَعَالَ يَا أَخَا تَنُوخَ فَأَقْبَلْتُ أَهْوِي إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى كُنْتُ قَائِمًا فِي مَجْلِسِي الَّذِي كُنْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَحَلَّ حَبْوَتَهُ عَنْ ظَهْرِهِ وَقَالَ هَاهُنَا امْضِ لِمَا أُمِرْتَ لَهُ فَجُلْتُ فِي ظَهْرِهِ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِخَاتَمٍ فِي مَوْضِعِ غُضُونِ الْكَتِفِ مِثْلِ الْحَجْمَةِ الضَّخْمَةِ.
English Translation
Sa'id ibn Abi Rashid said: 'I met the Tanukhi, the messenger of Heraclius to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), in Homs. He was an elderly neighbor of mine who had reached senility or was close to it. I said: Will you not tell me about Heraclius's letter to the Prophet and the Prophet's letter to Heraclius? He said: Yes. The Messenger of Allah came to Tabuk and sent Dihyah al-Kalbi to Heraclius. When Heraclius received the letter, he summoned the priests and patricians of Rome, then locked the door upon himself and them. He said: This man has settled where you see, and he has sent to me calling me to three things: to follow him in his religion, to pay him our wealth from our land while the land remains ours, or to go to war with him. By Allah, you know from what you read in your scriptures that he will take what is under my feet. So come, let us follow him in his religion or pay him our wealth from our land. They snorted with anger like one man until they nearly came out of their cloaks, and said: You call us to abandon Christianity or become slaves of a Bedouin from the Hijaz? When he feared they might cause a rebellion, he calmed them down and said: I only said that to test the firmness of your resolve. Then he called for a man from the Arabs of Tujib who was over the Christian Arabs and said: Find me a man who memorizes hadith, has an Arabic tongue, so I may send him to this man with a reply to his letter. So I was brought. Heraclius gave me a letter and said: Go with my letter to this man, and whatever you miss of his speech, remember three things for me: See if he mentions his letter that he wrote to me, see when he reads my letter if he mentions the night, and look at his back to see if there is anything that catches your attention. I set out with his letter until I came to Tabuk, and there he was sitting among his Companions. I said: Where is your master? They said: There he is. I walked until I sat before him and handed him my letter. He placed it in his lap, then said: Where are you from? I said: I am one of the Tanukh. He said: Would you like to accept Islam, the pure religion of your father Ibrahim? I said: I am a messenger of a people and upon the religion of my people; I will not leave it until I return to them. He laughed and said: You cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills, and He knows best those who are guided. O brother of Tanukh, I wrote a letter to Kisra and he tore it up, and Allah will tear him and his kingdom apart. And I wrote to the Negus with a letter and he destroyed it, and Allah will destroy him and his kingdom. And I wrote to your master with a letter and he kept it, so the people will continue to experience hardship from him as long as there is good in life. I said: This is one of the three things my master instructed me about. I took an arrow from my quiver and wrote it on the sheath of my sword. Then he handed the letter to a man on his left. I asked: Who is the one who reads your letters to you? They said: Mu'awiyah. In my master's letter was: You invite me to a Paradise whose width is the heavens and the earth, prepared for the righteous - then where is the Fire? The Messenger of Allah said: Glory be to Allah! Where is the night when the day comes? I took an arrow from my quiver and wrote that on the sheath of my sword. When he finished reading my letter, he said: You have a right, and you are a messenger. If we had a gift, we would give it to you, but we are travelers without provisions. A man from among the people called out: I will give him a gift. He opened his baggage and brought out a suit of fine Safuri cloth and placed it in my lap. I asked: Who gave the gift? I was told: Uthman. Then the Messenger of Allah said: Which of you will host this man? A young man from the Ansar said: I will. The Ansari stood up and I stood with him. When I had left the gathering, the Messenger of Allah called me and said: Come, O brother of Tanukh. I hurried back to him until I was standing where I had been before him. He loosened his garment from his back and said: Here, carry out what you were instructed. I examined his back and found a seal in the place of the shoulder fold, like a large cupping mark.'