A story of how courage and an unwavering belief in God destroyed the mighty Persian Emperor
Zafir Malik, UK
In the sixth year after Prophet Muhammad (sa) migrated from Makkah to Madinah, something remarkable happened. In the years leading up to 6 AH, the newly formed Muslim community was under constant attack by the Makkans and they fought several wars. All of that was to come to an end under the newly drawn peace treaty, known as the “Treaty of Hudaibiyyah”.[1] This was a turning point in the history of Islam because for the first time since their arrival in Madinah, the Muslims could preach the message of Islam in peace, without fear of reprisal from their biggest and most ancient foe. And so, using this peace time as a golden opportunity, Prophet Muhammad (sa) sent his ambassadors to the kings of neighbouring territories, inviting them to accept the message of Islam. Keeping in line with the protocols of official communication in those days, a special ring was made in order to seal the letters, which bore the inscription:
مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ
‘Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah’[2]
One of these letters was sent to Khusrow Parveiz, the king of the Persian Empire, a superpower of that era. Abdullah bin Hudhafah al-Sahmi (ra), a senior and noble companion, was entrusted with the task of taking the message to the Persian Emperor.[3] As was the custom of the time, the letter first went to a man named Badhan, the governor of Yemen, who at the time was the vassal ruler of Khusrow in the region.[4] When Abdullah bin Hudhafa eventually reached the royal court of Khusrow and presented the letter to him, Khusrow asked his translator to read it out. Hearing the content of the letter, Khusrow became enraged saying: ‘He is my servant and he addresses me in this manner!’ With this remark, he tore up the letter into pieces.[5]
But this did not abate his anger, Khusrow wrote to Badhan saying: ‘Send two strong men of yours to locate this man in the Hijaz, and ensure they bring him to me.’[6] This was a direct order of the king and could not be risked, so Badhan sent his personal secretary named Babaweih, who was also an accountant and scribe, along with another man named Khurrakhusrah.[7] They initially went to Ta’if, where they learnt that Prophet Muhammad (sa) lived in Madinah.
When the two men reached Madinah, Babaweih said to Prophet Muhammad (sa):
‘The king of kings, the Great Chosroes, has written to our Governor, Badhan, commanding him to send someone to bring you to him. I have been sent on the orders of Badhan; therefore, you must come with me. If you do so, Badhan will write to king of kings and intercede on your behalf. If you refuse, you know full well what the Chosroes is capable of! He will destroy you, your people, and lay waste to your lands.’[8]
Prophet Muhammad (sa) smiled and invited them to accept Islam. He then said to them: ‘Stay the night. God-willing, I shall give you my response tomorrow.’
The next morning, Prophet Muhammad (sa) summoned the two men and said to them:
“Go and tell your master [i.e. the Governor of Yemen] that last night, my Lord has killed his lord [the Chosroes].”[9]
Stunned by this response, Babaweih said: ‘Do you realise what you are saying? We have been sent to detain you for saying something far less than this. Is this your reply that we should convey to the king?’
Prophet Muhammad (sa) replied: ‘Yes! Go and report these words from me and inform him that my faith and my dominion will reach as far as Chosroes’ kingdom…’
And so, Babaweih and Khurrakhusrah returned to Badhan and narrated the entire incident. Badhan said: ‘By God, this man does not speak like a king. I consider him to be a prophet as he claims he is. Let us wait and see what transpires. If what this man has said actually occurs, then he is indeed a Prophet of God. If it does not come true, we will then consider what to do with him.’[10]
Hence, some time after this incident, Badhan received a letter from the Persian King, but he did not recognise the royal seal on the letter. When he opened the letter, it read:
‘In the interest of the country, I have killed my father, Khosrow Parveiz, who was guilty of cruel conduct and would kill the nobles of this country without hesitation. When you receive my letter, immediately take an oath of allegiance in my name from the people of your region. I have also come to know that my father sent an order with regards to a man in Arabia. Consider it revoked and wait for further instructions from me.’[11]
This order was sent to Badhan by Sheiraweih, the son of Khusrow Parveiz, who led a coup against his father and killed him. Prophet Muhammad (sa) lived in Madinah, while Khusrow lived in the grand palace of Ctesiphon, about 35 kilometres southeast of Baghdad. The distance between the two cities is over 1000 kilometres. With no means of communication or fast modes of transport, the only way Prophet Muhammad (sa) would have known about the death of the Persian Emperor would be if God had informed him. Otherwise, there is simply no logical or plausible explanation for him to have knowledge of such specific information. This is why historical accounts mention that Badhan immediately acknowledged that Prophet Muhammad (sa) was a Messenger of God and wrote to him pledging his allegiance.[12]
About the Author: Zafir Malik serves as the Associate Editor of The Review of Religions, having graduated from Jamia Ahmadiyya UK – Institute of Modern Languages and Theology. He is also an Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and regularly appears as a panellist on MTA International and Voice of Islam radio station answering questions on Islam.
ENDNOTES
[1] Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Shurut, Hadith No. 2731, 2732
[2] Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Ilm, Hadith No. 65
[3] Ja’far Muhammad bin Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Umam wa al-Muluk, (Riyad, Saudi Arabia: Bait al-Afkar al-Duwaliyyah) 415
[4] Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Ilm, Hadith No. 64
[5] Ja’far Muhammad bin Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Umam wa al-Muluk, (Riyad, Saudi Arabia: Bait al-Afkar al-Duwaliyyah) 419
[6] ibid
[7] ibid
[8] ibid
[9] Musa bin Rashid al-Azmi, Al-Lu’lu’ al-Maknun fi Sirat al-Nabi al-Ma’mun, Vol 3 (Kuwait: Maktabah al-Amiriyyah, 2011) 369
Ja’far Muhammad bin Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Umam wa al-Muluk, (Riyad, Saudi Arabia: Bait al-Afkar al-Duwaliyyah) 419
Mirza Bashir Ahmad, The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets, Vol.3 (Tilford, UK: Islam International Publication Ltd., 2017) 203-204
[10] Ja’far Muhammad bin Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Umam wa al-Muluk, (Riyad, Saudi Arabia: Bait al-Afkar al-Duwaliyyah) 419
[11] ibid
[12] Mirza Bashir Ahmad, The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets, Vol.3 (Tilford, UK: Islam International Publication Ltd., 2017) 204
Ja’far Muhammad bin Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Umam wa al-Muluk, (Riyad, Saudi Arabia: Bait al-Afkar al-Duwaliyyah) 419