Caesar

[toro123]

www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/078.sbt.html#008.078.626 #626 what is this hadith referring to. It seems to imply that caesar and choeroes will fall to Muhammad, but this never happened. Please explain.

[Imam]

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Praise be to Allah who is the Lord of the Worlds, and may Endless Blessings be showered upon His Most Beloved, and Final Messenger of Islam, Hadrat Muhammad Mustafa (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam).



I think the questioner has been confused, in relation to the hadith that He has quoted, which is as follows: Volume 8, Book 78, Number 626: Narrated Abu Huraira (Radi Allahu anhu):


Allah's Most Beloved Apostle (Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa 'aalihi Sallam) said, "If Khosrau is ruined, there will be no Khosrau after him; and if Caesar is ruined, there will be no Caesar after him. By Him in Whose Hand Muhammad's soul is, surely you will spend their treasures in Allah's Cause."


The Beloved Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa 'aalihi Sallam) had wriiten a letter to the Caesar of Rome, for an invitation to accept the religion of Islam. It's proof is as follows:


'It is narrated from Ibn-e-'Abbas, that the Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam) had written a letter to the Caesar of Rome (Heracle), the purpose being for Him (Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa 'aalihi Sallam) to invite he, to the religion of Islam. The letter had been given in the hands of Hadrat Dihya Qalbi (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu), and orderes had been given that the letter be given to the governor Hakim Basri, so that the governor Hakim Basri could forward that letter to the Caesar of Rome (Heracle). The following letters were inscribed in that letter:

'Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem'

This is the letter of the serveant of, and the Beloved Messenger of Allah, to the King of Rome (Heracle). Whoever, follows the guidance, then may he be blessed. Afterwhich I state that I call you towards the religion of Islam. Become Muslim, you will be freed from the shame of the present (dunya), and the Hereafter (akhira). Take the fold of Islam, Allah will grant you the reward which is yours by two-fold, and if you turn away from this invitation of Islam, then you will be responsible for the hardships of what you own."


This hadith, clearly states that the Beloved Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam), did in fact invite the Caesar of Rome, towards the religion of Islam.


In the book called 'Fath-hul-Bari, which is a commentary of the 'Sahih al Bukhari','Allama Ibn-e-Hajar 'Asqalani (Radi Allahu anhu) have narrated from Suhayli, that the Heracle of Rome, had kept the letter of the Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) in a golden box. Then they became the heirs of that box, one after another, until it reached the king of Ferang, afterwhich his family had kept it. One of our friends states that the leader of the Muslims 'Abd al Malik ibn-e-S'ad, met the king, and the king had taken the letter out infront of him. When the letter was seen, tears came to the eyes of Malik Ibn-e-Sa'd, and asked wether he could embrace the letter, which was refused.


The author of the 'Fath' said that Qadi Nur-ud Din Bin Sa'igh of Damascus related that Saif ud Din Falayh Mansuri related from me, that the king Mansur Qalawan sent me with a gift to the king of the west, who in turn sent me, to the king of Ferang for an intercession, which he had accepted, and asked me whether I would stay with him, which I declined. He then said to me that I present to you a great gift, as he took out a case, which was plated with gold. He then took out of it a golden box, from which he extracted the letter of the Beloved Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam), as some of the letters of the letter had now been corroded. It was wrapped in a silk woven cloth. He then said that, this was the letter of your Messenger (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam), which He had sent to my grandfather Caesar, and this is still continuing in our posession until this day, so that our country can be eternally existent. Our elderlies had advesed us that so long as this letter is in our possession, our country will be eternally existent. We keep this letter with great safeguard, and keep it away from the clasp of the Christians, so that our country may enjoy it's eternity.


The 'Fath-hul-Bari' states that 'Umayr ibn-e-Is'haq said, that the Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) had written letters to Caesar and Chosroes. When Chosroes had read the letter, it was torn to pieces, and when Caesar read the letter, it was kept safe, and at a high place. The Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) said that whoever has torn my letter into pieces, may they be torn to pieces, and those who have revered my letter, their country shall remain'.


The proof of this is from the narration that, when the reply of Chosroes came to the Beloved Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam), He (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) stated that his kingdom shall be ruined, and when the reply of Heracle arrived, He (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) stated that Allah the Almighty shall have them keep their kingdom.


According to the people of the 'sirah', there is a difference of opinion as to whether this was the same Heracle, who had fought against Sayyadina Hadrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu), and Sayyadina Hadrat 'Umar Faruq (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu), or it was his son. Some of the scholars have said that it was the same Heracle, and some have said that it was his son.


'Allama Badr-ud Din 'Ayni and other historians have stated, that the Heracle, who had written a letter to the Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam), had now died. After him, his son, king Muwarraq Caeser came into existence, at the time of Sayyadina Hadrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu). Then after him, his son King Heracle Caesar became king, who was existent at the period of Sayyadina Hadrat 'Umar Faruq (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu). It was he upon whom the Muslims had gained victory, as he fled to Constantinople. Their family has had forty such kings, as they have reigned for a period of five hundred and seven years.


All praise is due to Allah! One disbeliever revers the Noble Letter of the Beloved Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam), as his kingdom remains for many years. If in turn the Muslims pay their respect to the Divine Shar'iyyah, and give place in their hearts to the Word of Allah, then they shall never be faced with any kind of decline.


From the above commentary, it shown that Chosroes, and Caesar, had both the opportunity to embrace the religion of Islam. One of them revered this, while the other fell into destruction. Nevertheless, Caesars kingdom remained as the Muslims overcame them, while Chosroes was completely destroyed.


May Allah the Almighty help us to understand the history in the light of the Qur'an al kareem and Hadith (Amin).



Wallahu A'lamu Biththawaab



M. Waseem Ashrafi