His messengers and his scribes to the kings ﷺ

His messengers ﷺ to the kings and rulers

The Prophet ﷺ sent his messengers to the kings and rulers of the earth inviting them to Islam, fulfilling the words of the Almighty: "And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds." (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:107). That took place in the sixth year after the Hijra (6 AH).

• Amr ibn Umayya al-Damri ← al-Najashi (the Negus), king of Abyssinia (the first of his messengers ﷺ)
• Dihyah ibn Khalifa al-Kalbi ← Heraclius, king of the Romans
• Abdullah ibn Hudhafah al-Sahmi ← Kisra (Khosrow), king of Persia
• Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah ← al-Muqawqis, king of Egypt
• Amr ibn al-As ← Jifar and 'Abd, kings of Oman (they embraced Islam)
• Shuja' ibn Wahb al-Asadi ← al-Harith ibn Abi Shamir al-Ghassani, king of the Levant
• Al-'Ala' ibn al-Hadrami ← al-Mundhir ibn Sawa, king of Bahrain
• Abu Musa al-Asha'ari and Mu'adh ibn Jabal ← Yemen

His scribes ﷺ for the revelation and for letters

The Prophet ﷺ had noble scribes who wrote down the revelation and transmitted his letters. The number of his scribes reached about thirty distinguished Companions. Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan and Zayd ibn Thabit were most entrusted with this and most closely associated with it.

• The four caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali — may Allah be pleased with them
• Zayd ibn Thabit — the most learned and most specialized of the scribes; he learned Hebrew and Syriac
• Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan — among those most regularly in attendance and the one who most accompanied him
• Ubayy ibn Ka'b — chief of the reciters among the Ansar
• Abdullah ibn al-Arqam — he used to write the letters and to answer them with the permission of the Prophet ﷺ

A selection of the texts of his letters ﷺ to the kings

The Prophet ﷺ wrote to Heraclius: "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. From Muhammad, Messenger of Allah, to Heraclius, the great of the Romans: Peace be upon whoever follows guidance. As for what follows: I invite you to the call of Islam; accept Islam and you will be safe. 'Say, O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you.'" (Surah Al-'Imran 3:64). Heraclius kissed the letter and placed it upon his eyes. As for Kisra, he tore the letter, and the Prophet ﷺ said: "May Allah tear his kingdom."

• His letter to Heraclius — he kissed it, placed it on his eyes and said: "May his kingdom be established"
• His letter to al-Najashi — he replied with a letter declaring his Islam and sent his son to the Prophet ﷺ
• His letter to Kisra — he tore the letter; the Prophet ﷺ said: "May Allah tear his kingdom," and so it came to pass
• His letter to al-Muqawqis, king of Egypt — he gifted Maria the Copt (Maria al-Qibtiyya) and various special gifts