Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
Wa'alaykum 'Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa BarakatuhuAll 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 Zuhri stated that 'Ubaydullah bin 'Abdullah bin Utbah bin Mas'ud stated, that 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas
Radi Allahu anhuma stated to him that Abu Sufyan bin Harb told him that Hirqal sent him a messenger when he was in the Quraysh army, and when they had arrived in Syria for the purpose of business. This is related when the Beloved Messenger of Allah
Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam had a settlement with the infidels of Quraysh (Sulh Hudaybiyyah). They all came to him. They were in Iylia (Bayt al Maqdis.
Hirqal requested them in his presence. The greats of Rome were also present. He called them, and asked for his interpreter. He said:'Regarding that person who declares he is a messenger, who is amongst you, the most closest to him in terms of relation?'
Abu Sufyan replied:
'I am the most closest to him in terms of relationship'.
Hirqal said:'Bring him closer to me, and bring his colleagues closer to me also, and let his colleagues be behind Abu Sufyan.'
Then he said to his interpreter:'Say to them that I am about to ask regarding that person, if he lies, then you belie him.'
Abu Sufyan stated that had if not feared that these people would belie me, then I would have lied in relation to the Messenger of Allah
Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam.
Then he asked in relation to him, which was the first question which was 'How is his connection with you in terms of geneology?'
I stated:'He has an elevated geneology'
He asked 'Has anyone ever asked you this before?'
I replied 'no'.
He asked 'Was there ever a king from his ancestors?'
I replied 'no'.
He asked 'Do the nobles/heads follow him or the poor?'
I replied 'Only the poor'.
He asked 'Are they decreasing or are they increasing?'
I said:'They are increasing'.
He asked 'Once people embrace his religion, do they turn away from it?'
I answered 'no'
He asked 'before the claim that He has made, did you ever accuse him of lying?'
I replied 'no'.
He asked 'Does He break promises?'
I replied 'We are in such a period, I dont know what will happen'.
Abu Sufyan states that except this question, I was not empowered with any other which I could make additions to.
He asked 'Have you been at war with Him?'
I replied 'Yes'.
He asked 'How has your war been with Him'
I replied 'Our war with him has been like a bucket, sometimes they had it from us, and sometimes we had it from them.'
Hirqal asked 'what is it that He commands you to do?'
I said that 'He commands us to worship One God, and not associate any partners with Him, and cease doing what your forefathers used to do. He commands us to perform salah, to speak the truth, to become pure, and affectionate'.
Hirqal told his interpreter to say to Abu Sufyan 'I asked you in connection with His geneology, and you stated that He had an elevated geneology, the Messengers of Allah are such, who are sent down to their nations.' (that they have an excellent geneology in their nations).
I also asked you that has any one else ever said this to you? You said 'no', I then thought that had anyone ever asked Him this previously, then he would have been following his previous word, which was stated to him previously.
I then asked if there was ever a king from amongst his ancestors and you stated 'no'. I thought that if there was ever a king from amongst His ancestors, then He would have been wanting the kingdom of His forefathers.
I then asked that did you ever accuse Him of lying after he said what He had claimed (i.e. after announcing prophethood), and you said 'no'. Indeed I know that the person who does not lie will never lie in relation to Allah the Almighty.
I asked you was it the rich people who followed Him or was it the poor, and you said 'the poor'. Indeed it is the poor who become the followers of the messengers.
I asked are they becoming more, or fewer. You said 'they are increasing'. This is the state of faith (iman), as it expands, and never decreases.
I asked that after a person has entered into His religion, has he ever turned way from it, and you replied 'no', this is the position of faith (iman) when it's particulars enter the hearts.
I asked does He ever break promises and you replied 'no'. This is what messengers are like, they never break promises.
I asked you what commands does He make, and you said 'To worship Allah the Almighty alone, and do not associate partners with Him, and He forbids you from worshipping idols, and orders you to pray salah, to speak the truth, and to be pure. Whatever you have said, then if it is true, He will conquer this very place where my two feet are. I indeed knew that He will be made manifest, but i didnt think that He would be from among you. If I had the means of reaching Him, then I would have lifted the burden of meeting Him, and had I been with Him, I would have washed His feet. Then he requested that very letter which the Messenger of Allah
Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam had sent via Dahya Qalbi to the king of Busri, who then forwarded it to Hirqal, as he read it, it stated:
'This letter is from Allah's serveant and His Messenger to theking of Rome, Hirqal. Salutations to he who follows guidance, afterwhich know, that I invite you to Islam. Become Muslim and you shall gain salvation. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala will give you double the reward. If you then turn away from Islam, you will bear the burden of your people. Oh people of the book! Come to that word which is equal amongst us, that we do not worship any except God, and that we do not associate partners with Him, and that we do not declare God another from one, except Allah, If they misbelieve, then say that witness that we are Muslim'.
Abu Sufyan stated that after Hirqal said what he had to say, and finished reading the pure letter, voices arose and worstened, and we were expelled from there. I said to my colleagues after we were expelled that I swear by God, the work of the son of Abu kabsha has greatened, that the king of the Banu Asfar (Romans) fears. I always was of the view that he would in future overcome us, until Allah the Almighty bestowed me with Islam.
This is a very lenghthy hadith, and has been taken from Bukhari Sharif. By reading it, it should answer your questions.
Jazak'allah for your question.
Wallahu A'lamu BiththawaabM. Waseem Ashrafi