رسائل إلى الملوك والزعماء
Letters to the Kings and Leaders
Muharram and after, 7 AH (628 CE)
Letters sent from Madinah to various kingdoms المدينة المنورة
The Prophet ﷺ sent letters to the rulers of the known world inviting them to Islam, including: Heraclius (the Roman Emperor), Khosrau II (the Persian Emperor), the Muqawqis (ruler of Egypt), An-Najashi (King of Abyssinia), and others. Approximately 22-25 letters were sent. Heraclius recognized the truth of the message but did not accept. Khosrau tore up the letter, and the Prophet ﷺ said: 'His kingdom will be torn apart.'
Why this matters
This demonstrated the universal nature of the Prophet's ﷺ message — Islam was not an Arab religion but a call to all of humanity. The period of peace after Hudaybiyah made this diplomatic outreach possible. Khosrau's kingdom was indeed destroyed within a decade. Heraclius's recognition of the Prophet's ﷺ truthfulness is recorded in detail in Sahih al-Bukhari.
Hadith references
Sahih al-Bukhari, #7
Narrated by: Abdullah ibn Abbas
“The Prophet ﷺ wrote to Caesar... Abu Sufyan [before his Islam] was summoned and Heraclius asked him about the Prophet ﷺ. After the questioning, Heraclius said: 'If what you say is true, then he will rule over what is beneath these two feet of mine.'”