The Letters of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)

Letters of Invitation to Islam

Among the important chapters of the Seerah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the chapter of “The Letters of the Holy Prophet ﷺ.” These letters offer excellent guidance—especially for those who have a passion for conveying the message of Islam, and generally for anyone who seeks to reform themselves, their children, their family members, or those under their care. For those who read, understand, and reflect upon these letters, there are methods and approaches that can be adopted to make their communication more effective. The letters written by the Messenger of the Universe ﷺ are scattered throughout books of Hadith and Seerah. Very little work has been done to collect all of them in one place. Historians have reported varying numbers regarding these letters—some have mentioned 60, others 70, and some even as many as 300. These numbers include not only the letters sent to kings inviting them to Islam, but also letters related to peace treaties and agreements with various tribes. Due to the length and scope, we will not include the full original texts and translations of every letter in this course. Instead, we will include selected letters—particularly those written to rulers—and briefly highlight the Prophetic methods and wisdoms derived from them, so that we may adopt those strategies to benefit ourselves. Similarly, we will include some of the treaty letters and mention the practical benefits that can be drawn from them to improve our daily lives. May Allah Almighty, through the blessings of this course, make it easy for us to follow the Seerah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. Ameen. In the 7th year after Hijrah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wrote letters to various kings of his time, inviting them to Islam. These letters were delivered by different Companions رضي الله عنهم, who acted as emissaries of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and personally delivered the letters to the respective kings. One of the Companions رضي الله عنه said to the Beloved Prophet ﷺ, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, kings only accept messages that bear a seal.” Upon this, the Holy Prophet ﷺ had a seal prepared, which bore the inscription: محمد رسول اللہ “Muhammad Rasul Allah” (Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah).

The first letter of the Holy Prophet ﷺ

The first letter written by the Holy Prophet ﷺ was to the King of Abyssinia, "Najashi," whose real name was "Asmaha." The one who carried this letter was Sayyiduna Amr bin Umayyah al-Damri رضی اللہ عنہ. When the letter reached Najashi, he descended from his throne, picked up the letter with great respect, kissed it, and then sat on the ground to read it.

Original text of the letter

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ۔ مِنْ مُّحَمَّدٍ رَّسُولِ اللهِ إِلَى النَّجَاشِيِّ مَلِكِ الْحَبَشَةِ، أَسْلِمْ أَنْتَ، فَإِنِّي أَحْمَدُ إِلَيْكَ اللهَ الَّذِي لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا هُو، الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ، السَّلَامُ، الْمُؤْمِنُ، الْمُهَيْمِنُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ رُوحُ اللهِ وَكَلِمَتُهٗ، أَلْقَاهَا إِلٰى مَرْيَمَ الْبُتُولِ الطَّيِّبَةِ الْحَصِينَةِ، فَحَمِلَتْ بِهٖ، فَخَلَقَهٗ مِنْ رُّوحِهٖ، وَنَفَخَهٗ كَمَا خَلَقَ آدَمَ بِيَدِهٖ، وَإِنِّي أَدْعُوكَ إِلٰى اللهِ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهٗ وَالْمَوَالَاةُ عَلٰى طَاعَتِهٖ، وَأَنْ تَتَّبِعَنِي وَتُؤمِنَ بِالَّذِي جَاءَ نِي فَإِنِّي رَسُولُ اللهِ، وَإِنِّي أَدْعُوكَ وَجُنُودَكَ إِلَى اللهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ، وَقَدْ بَلَّغْتُ وَنَصَحْتُ، فَاقْبَلُوا نَصِيحَتِي، وَالسَّلَامُ عَلٰى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدٰى*

Translation of the letter

"In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad the Messenger of Allah to Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia). Peace be upon him who follows true guidance. Salutations, I entertain Allah’s praise, there is no god but He, the Sovereign, the Holy, the Source of peace, the Giver of peace, the Guardian of faith, the Preserver of safety. I bear witness that Jesus, the son of Mary, is the spirit of Allah and His Word which He cast into Mary, the virgin, the good, the pure, so that she conceived Jesus. Allah created him from His spirit and His breathing as He created Adam by His Hand. I call you to Allah Alone with no associate and to His obedience and to follow me and to believe in that which came to me, for I am the Messenger of Allah. I invite you and your men to Allah, the Glorious, the All-Mighty. I hereby bear witness that I have communicated my message and advice. I invite you to listen and accept my advice. Peace be upon him who follows true guidance."

The King's Reply

After reading the letter, Najashi accepted Islam and sent a reply letter to the Holy Prophet ﷺ through his son.

The Last Prophet's ﷺ Letter to Heraclius

In addition to this, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wrote a letter to the Roman Emperor Heraclius. This letter was carried by Sayyiduna Dihyah al-Kalbi رضی اللہ عنہ. Before reading the letter, Heraclius asked some questions to the Companions (of the Prophet ﷺ) for his own satisfaction. After receiving correct answers, Heraclius read the letter. The complete details of this event are recorded in Sahih Muslim, Book of Jihad. In the same Hadith, the letter sent by the Last Prophet of Allah ﷺ to Heraclius is also mentioned.

Original text of the letter

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ، مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولِ اللهِ إِلَى هِرَقْلَ عَظِيمِ الرُّومِ، سَلَامٌ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى، أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنِّي أَدْعُوكَ بِدِعَايَةِ الْإِسْلَامِ أَسْلِمْ تَسْلَمْ، وَأَسْلِمْ يُؤْتِكَ اللهُ أَجْرَكَ مَرَّتَيْنِ، وَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ فَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ إِثْمَ الْأَرِيسِيِّينَ، وَ {يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَنْ لَا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابا مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسلِمُونَ* (مسلم ، کتاب الجہاد والسیر، حدیث 1773)

Translation of the letter

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the slave of Allah and His Messenger to Hercules, king of the Byzantines. Blessed are those who follow true guidance. I invite you to embrace Islam so that you may live in security. If you come within the fold of Islam, Allah will give you double reward, but in case you turn your back upon it, then the burden of the sins of all your people shall fall on your shoulders. Say you (O Beloved), ‘O People of the Book! Come towards such a word which is equal amongst us and you, that is; we shall not worship (anyone) except Allah, and we are not to ascribe anyone as a partner to Him, and that none of us are to take one another as Lords except Allah.’ Then, if they do not accept, so say (O Muslims), ‘Remain witness that we are (true) Muslims.’

The King's Reply

Up to this point, the letter written to Heraclius is mentioned in Bukhari and Muslim. In Muslim Sharif, there is further detail that before reading the letter, Heraclius had learned about the qualities and perfections of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ from Abu Sufyan. At that very moment, he knew that he ﷺ is a true prophet. He also said that if he had the opportunity, he would come to kiss his ﷺ feet. However, there are different narrations regarding whether he embraced Islam or not. He did not embrace Islam due to fear of his people. One narration, which is detailed in Umdat al-Qari, Fath al-Bari, and Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, states that Heraclius wrote a letter to the Holy Prophet ﷺ in which he mentioned that he had embraced Islam. Upon this, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said that he was lying and that he was still a Christian. In any case, whether Heraclius embraced Islam or not is neither our topic nor are we obligated to know about it. Here, our purpose is to learn about the letters of the Holy Prophet ﷺ inviting people to Islam.

The Holy Prophet's ﷺ Letter to Khusro Parvez

The Dear Prophet’s ﷺ letters of invitation included a letter to Khusro Parvez, the King of Persia. This letter was carried by Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Hudhafah as-Sahmi رضی اللہ عنہ.

Original text of the letter

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ۔ مِنْ مُّحَمَّدٍ رَّسُولِ اللهِ إِلٰى كِسْرٰى عَظِيْمِ فَارِسَ، سَلَامٌ عَلٰى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدٰى، وَآمَنَ بِاللهِ وَرَسُولِهٖ وَشَهِدَ أَنْ لَّا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهٗ ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدٍا عَبْدُهٗ وَرَسُولُهٗ، وَأَدْعُوكَ بِدُعَاءِ اللهِ، فَإِنِّي أَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ إِلٰى النَّاسِ كَافَّةً لِّأُنْذِرَ مَنْ كَانَ حَيًّا وَّيَحِقَّ الْقَوْلُ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ، فَأَسْلِمْ تَسْلَمْ فَإِنْ أَبَيْتَ، فَإِنَّ إِثْمَ الْمَجُوسِ عَلَيْك*

Translation of the letter

"In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah to Chosroes, king of Persia. Peace be upon him who follows true guidance, believes in Allah and His Messenger and testifies that there is no god but Allah Alone with no associate, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. I invite you to accept the religion of Allah. I am the Messenger of Allah sent to all people in order that I may infuse fear of Allah in every living person, and that the charge may be proved against those who reject the Truth. Accept Islam as your religion so that you may live in security, otherwise, you will be responsible for all the sins of the Magians."

The King's Reply

This king of Persia was very arrogant. He tore up the letter and moved to kill the messenger of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, but then spared him, saying, "If you were not a messenger, I would have killed you." When the news of this cruel act reached the Prophet of Allah ﷺ, Sayyiduna Musayyab رضی اللہ عنہ said, "I think the Messenger of Allah ﷺ made a du’a against him." This narration is also mentioned in Sahih Bukhari: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: بَعَثَ بِكِتَابِهِ إِلَى كِسْرَى، مَعَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ حُذَافَةَ السَّهْمِيِّ " فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَدْفَعَهُ إِلَى عَظِيمِ البَحْرَيْنِ، فَدَفَعَهُ عَظِيمُ البَحْرَيْنِ إِلَى كِسْرَى، فَلَمَّا قَرَأَهُ مَزَّقَهُ، فَحَسِبْتُ أَنَّ ابْنَ المُسَيِّبِ، قَالَ: «فَدَعَا عَلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يُمَزَّقُوا كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ "Indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent his letter to Kisra with Abdullah bin Hudhafah as-Sahmi رضی اللہ عنہ. He ﷺ ordered him to deliver it to the governor of Bahrain, who then sent it on to Kisra. When Kisra read it, he tore it up. Sayyiduna Sa’eed bin Musayyab رضی اللہ عنہ said, ' I think that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ made du’a against them (Kisra and his people) that they be torn to pieces in every way.'" (Sahih Bukhari, Book of المغازی, Hadith 4424) It is said that the effect of this du’a of the Holy Prophet ﷺ was that rebellions broke out against Kisra in his own kingdom, even within his own house. Eventually, his own son, Sheroe, killed him.

Names of the Kings to Whom Letters Were Sent

Guidance letters

In addition to inviting people to Islam, the Holy Prophet ﷺ wrote other letters as well, which we can call the contractual letters of the Last Prophet ﷺ. In these letters, especially to the tribes or individuals who accepted Islam, the Holy Prophet ﷺ advised them to remain steadfast in Islamic teachings. These letters are also a part of history books. A few of these letters are being mentioned here so that this part of the life of the Holy Prophet ﷺ remains in our view and we too can benefit from these pieces of advice.

Letter to Sayyiduna Khalid bin Dammad Al-Azdi رضی اللہ عنہ

Sayyiduna Khalid bin Dammad Al-Azdi رضی اللہ عنہ once came to Makkah and had a conversation with the Holy Prophet ﷺ. The sweetness of the Prophet's ﷺ words entered his heart, and he embraced Islam. He also took on the responsibility of bringing his people to Islam. His conversion is narrated by Imam Bukhari in Sahih Bukhari. When he returned, the Last Prophet ﷺ wrote him a letter, which was full of advice.

The text of the letter

خَالِدِ بْنِ ضِمَادٍ الأَزْدِيِّ أَنَّ لَهُ مَا أَسْلَمَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَرْضِهِ عَلَى أَنْ يُؤْمِنَ بِاللَّهِ لا يُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا. وَيَشْهَدَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. وَعَلَى أَنْ يُقِيمَ الصَّلاةَ. وَيُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ. وَيَصُومَ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ. وَيَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ. وَلا يَأْوِيَ مُحْدِثًا.وَلا يَرْتَابَ. وَعَلَى أَنْ يَنْصَحَ لِلَّهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ. وَعَلَى أَنْ يُحِبَّ أَحِبَّاءَ اللَّهِ. وَيُبْغِضَ أَعْدَاءَ اللَّهِ. وَعَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ النَّبِيِّ أَنْ يَمْنَعَهُ مِمَّا يَمْنَعُ مِنْهُ نَفْسَهُ وَمَالَهُ وَأَهْلَهُ. وَأَنَّ لِخَالِدٍ الأَزْدِيِّ ذِمَّةَ اللَّهِ وَذِمَّةَ النَّبِيِّ إِنْ وَفَّى بِهَذَا

Translation of the letter

Sayyiduna Khalid bin Dammad Al-Azdi رضی اللہ عنہ accepted Islam in exchange for his land, on the condition that he would believe in Allah Almighty and not associate anyone with Him, and bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is the servant and messenger of Allah. Also, he would establish Salah, pay Zakah, fast in Ramadan, perform Hajj to the Baitullah, not harbor any Bid’ati, not doubt, be sincere to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, love the friends of Allah and hate the enemies of Allah. The responsibility of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is to protect their lives, property and families in the same way as he protects himself. And if Khalid Al-Azdi fulfills these conditions, then there will be a guarantee from Allah and His Messenger ﷺ for him.

The Original Text of the Beloved Prophet’s ﷺ Letter Sent to the People of Yemen

كَتَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - إِلَى أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ كِتَابًا يُخْبِرُهُمْ فِيهِ بِشَرَائِعِ الإِسْلامِ وَفَرَائِضِ الصَّدَقَةِ فِي الْمَوَاشِي وَالأَمْوَالِ وَيُوصِيهِمْ بِأَصْحَابِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ خَيْرًا. وَكَانَ رَسُولُهُ إِلَيْهِمْ معاذ بن جبل ومالك بن مرارة

Translation of the letter

The Holy Prophet ﷺ wrote a letter to the people of Yemen, informing them of the laws of Islam (Shariah) and the obligation of Zakah on livestock and property, and urging them to treat his companions رضي الله عنهم and the messengers of Allah عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ well. The envoys he sent to them were Sayyiduna Muadh bin Jabal and Sayyiduna Malik bin Murara رضی اللہ عنہما.

The Original Text of the Beloved Prophet’s ﷺ Letter Sent to Bani Ziyad bin Harith

كَتَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - لِبَنِي زِيَادِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ الْحَارِثِيِّينَ أَنَّ لَهُمْ جَمَّاءَ وَأَذْنِبَةَ. وَأَنَّهُمْ آمِنُونَ مَا أَقَامُوا الصَّلاةَ. وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ. وَحَارَبُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Translation of the letter

The Last Prophet ﷺ wrote to the Bani Ziyad bin al-Harith al-Harithiyyin that Jamma and Adhnaba (these are the names of lands) are for them. And that they would remain in peace as long as they established Salah, gave zakah, and fought the polytheists.

Original Text of the Beloved Prophet’s ﷺ Letter to Junadah al-Azdi and His People

كَتَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - كِتَابًا لِجُنَادَةَ الأَزْدِيِّ وَقَوْمِهِ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُ. مَا أَقَامُوا الصَّلاةَ. وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ. وَأَطَاعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ. وَأَعْطَوْا مِنَ الْمَغَانِمِ خُمُسَ اللَّهِ وَسَهْمَ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَفَارَقُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ. فَإِنَّ لهم ذمة الله وذمة محمد بن عبد اللَّهِ

Translation of the letter

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ wrote for Junadah al Azdi and his people, and whoever follows them, that as long as they establish Salah, give zakah, obey Allah and His Messenger, give one-fifth of the spoils of war and the share of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ, and separate themselves from the polytheists, then they will be under the protection of Allah Almighty and Muhammad bin Abdullah ﷺ."

Lessons learned from the letters

What did the Prophet of Allah ﷺ teach? These are the letters of the Holy Prophet ﷺ in which he wrote to the people of different tribes, and in these letters, the Last Prophet of Allah ﷺ taught them the teachings of Islam, especially to be steadfast in Islam, to perform Salah, and to pay Zakah. At the same time, he also advised them not to help the polytheists and disbelievers against the Muslims. In that era, the majority were landowners, and in these letters, there is also an encouragement to give the share of the land's produce according to the principles of Shariah. The Prophet of Allah ﷺ also warned them of Allah's punishment for not following these instructions and gave them the good news of Allah Almighty's help and support in case of acting upon them.

Prominent teachings

The letters of the Holy Prophet ﷺ teach us a great deal. Some prominent teachings include: • Message simple and easy • Concise and purposeful • Teaching the obligations (Faraid) of Islam • Respecting rights • Distancing from innovators and the misguided • Staying with the righteous • Staying away from the enemies of Islam • Caring for new Muslims • Concern for the Ummah • Encouraging a sense of responsibility in superiors towards their subordinates.