The prophet Muhammad and his stance to Khosrau, king of Persia

The strangest situation in this regard is that of the prophet Muhammad with messengers sent by khosrau when they came to Medina. This is due to that the prophet sent a message to khosrau calling him to embrace Islam. Khosrau got very angry for the prophet's message and split it, then he sent to his laborer on Yemen to send to him the messenger sent by the prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

It may be more beneficial to be more knowledgeable on the manner the prophet Muhammad treated non-Muslims especially at the present time to look into the related Hadith from beginning to end.

Yazid ibn Habib[1](May Allah be merciful with him) sent `Abdullah ibn Hudhafah to Khosrau, king of Persia with a message which reads (in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Khosrau, king of Persia. Peace be upon those following guidance, believed in Allah and His Messenger and testified that no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I call you to Islam as I am the Messenger of Allah to people all to warn whoever is alive and justify the word against the disbelievers, and if you refuse it, you will bear the sins of Persians. When Khosrau read the message of the prophet Muhammad, he split it and said: how he dares send to me this message while he is my slave?!

Khosrau sent a message to his laborer Badhan (Persian Governor) on Yemen, "send two strong men to bring that man (Muhammad) from Hijaz to me. Badhan sent Gahrmanh who was a writer and expert in the tenet of Persians together with the Persian Krkhosrp. Badhan handed over a message with them to the prophet Muhammad to go back with them to Khosrau. Badhan said to Gahrmanh: go to the lands of that man, namely Muhammad, and discuss him and inform me of his matter. The two messengers went out and proceeded to Ta’if. On the way, they passed by men of Quraish near to Ta’if. The two messengers asked them about the prophet and they retorted that he is in Medina. The men of Quraish felt delighted with the two men to the extent they addressed each other: here are the glad tidings that Khosrau, king of Persia, declared war on him and thus we will remain a mere bystander.

The two messengers headed until reached Medina, Gahrmanh started talking to the prophet Muhammad saying:" Shah Khosrau, King of Kings, sent to King Gahrmanh ordering him to send someone to you to go back to him (Gahrmanh). King Gahrmanh sent me to you to be back to him together. If you surrender, King Gahrmanh will intercede to you to King of Kings Khosrau. If you refuse, King of Kings Khosrau will destroy you, your people and lands as you definitely are aware of his power. Gahrmanh and Krkhosrp entered to the prophet Muhammad while having their beards shaved and their mustache long. At that moment, the prophet Muhammad disliked to look to their faces and addressed them: woe be to you! Who ordered you to do that? They replied: our lord (Khosrau). Prophet Muhammad commented: My lord, Allah, Almighty, ordered me to let my beard grow and trim my mustache, you may go now and come tomorrow.

Afterwards, Prophet Muhammad had a revelation from Allah that the son of Khosrau, Kavadh II had killed his father at the month so and so, night such and such. The prophet Muhammad asked to be appeared before him and informed him of the event. They said: are you conscious of your words? We harbored malice against you for things easier than this one. Would you like to inform the king about words you said? The prophet said to them: yes, inform him of that on my part and also that my religion and rule will spread to the lands under your rule and to the whole world. Also, inform him that if he embraced Islam, I will keep him a king on his people and let him hold the properties in his possession.

The prophet Muhammad gifted Krkhosrp with Hizam[2] district filled with gold and silver, a district had been gifted to the prophet Muhammad before by a king. Gahrmanh and Krkhosrp went out heading to Badhan and recounted to him the news of the prophet Muhammad. Badhan said: by Allah, such words of him are not addressed by kings and I think he is a Prophet as he claims and his words will come true. If this is the case, he is a Messenger sent by Allah; otherwise we will handle him properly. It was just a little, a message from Kavadh II was sent to Badhan. It reads: (To proceed; I have killed Khosrau just avenging for Persians who have endured under his rule where he killed the prominent figures of them and secluding them in the fortified borderlines for long times. Therefore, when you read this message, you along with others under your rule must surrender to me. For the man, meaning Prophet Muhammad, whom Khosrau made special notion of, you, should not work him up until I give you my orders).

When the message of Kavadh II reached Badhan, Badhan said: this man, Muhammad, is a Messenger. Badhan together with Persians dwelled in Yemen embraced Islam.

Gahrmanh said to Badhan: I never found a dignity for a man like that of him, Muhammad. Badhan asked Gahrmanh: have he policemen? Gahrmanh replied: No[3].

The Prophet Muhammad's manners on dealing with messengers and kings

Here, I will pinpoint wonderful aspects of the prophet's manners on dealing with the opposite to him. To exemplify, two messengers were sent by Khosrau in Median to take the prophet Muhammad with them back to Khosrau.  They addressed the prophet arrogantly, yet; the prophet discussed them politely and quietly. Moreover, the prophet Muhammad objectively and assuredly informed them over revelation from Allah to him and asked them to inform Badhan that if he embraced Islam, the prophet will keep the property in his possession as it is.

Over and above, the prophet gave one of the two messengers a precious present that is a district full of gold and silver.

This noble diplomatic approach of the prophet Muhammad applied to the opposite in creed, religion and the political attitude, rater; morals and innate disposition, is a matter calls for meditation. This is because it never found a law in the world decrees a leader to treat gently with arrogant messengers who threaten him. This attitude of the prophet Muhammad is based on his inner supervision which regulates all his emotions and acts in pursuance to the ordinances of Allah, Almighty. This nobleness is available only in Islam. How different are those ruled by the ordinances of Allah and those ruled by their own whims! Indeed, it is like the difference between the East and the West.

The prophet's Muhammad messages to kings and leaders of the world

These morals of the prophet Muhammad with non-Muslims were not applied casually. However; they were applied to all non-Muslims, the matter proven in his messages to the kings and leaders of the world at that time. To illustrate, the prophet Muhammad has never restricted these morals to one and not the other, however; he treated them all diplomatically and in the highest degree of manners regardless of their tenets or religions, whether be Christians, Magicians or idols worshippers. More than that, the prophet paid no special attention to their races, on contrary; he glorified all Arabs and non-Arabs.

The prophet Muhammad had sent many messages to the kings of the world at that time calling them to Islam. Strikingly, he attributed them with honor regardless of their deviated tenets.

Here are examples for the messages texts sent by the prophet Muhammad

- The prophet Muhammad addressed Hercules: (From Muhammad, Allah's Messenger to Hercules, the chief of Byzantines[4]….)

- The prophet Muhammad addressed Khosrau, king of Persia: (From Muhammad, Allah's Messenger to Khosrau, the chief of Persians….[5])

- The prophet Muhammad addressed Cyrus, the ruler of Egypt: (From Muhammad, Allah's slave to Cyrus, the chief of Copts[6]….)

- The prophet Muhammad addressed An-Najashi (Negus: the ruler of Ethiopia): (From Muhammad, Allah's prophet to Ass-Humah "Negus", the chief of Ethiopia[7]….).

In that way, the prophet addressed kings of the world calling them to Islam.

The prophet's Muhammad messages to delegations

The way the prophet Muhammad treated the two arrogant messengers sent by Khosrau was the same applied to all delegations coming to Medina regardless of their political or religious attitude. The prophet Muhammad welcomed, hospitalized and also gifted his delegations and used to interview them in the best dress[8].

More and above, the prophet Muhammad reserved some residents to meet in the way he conducted with Slaman[9] delegation where he addressed his servant, Thawban: (receive this delegation in the reserved resident[10]).

Based on that, there was a reserved house for this purpose. In some other narrations, it is said that such house was to Ramlah[11] bint Al-Harith An-Najaryah (May Allah be pleased with her).

The same was applied to the delegations of Kilab, Muharib, `Adhrah, `Abd-Qays, Taghlib, Ghassan and others[12].

The prophet Muhammad used to gift these delegations which were silver in most[13].

The salutation the prophet Muhammad conducted with the delegations in their variant tenets coming to Medina was the centre of his will at the last period of his lifetime. One of the wills of the prophet was: (gift the delegations in the way I used[14]).

The prophet Muhammad preserves the sheets of Torah

It is worth mentioning to conclude this article by citing the fact that the prophet's respect to the opposite in tenets reached its climax. To illustrate, the prophet Muhammad preserved their books though he was sure they were perverted and distorted and having insults against prophets and messengers of Allah to an extent abhorrent by reason and religion. Yet; the prophet Muhammad preserved the sheets and books of them. To exemplify, the prophet captured from the forts of Khaibar many sheets including Torah, Jews came to the prophet asking to take it back. The prophet Muhammad consulted his companions over it and handed it over to them[15].

Has that happened throughout history!!

If comparison is to be drawn between Muslims and non-Muslims, you have to read on the crusaders attitude when Andalusia fell down and the Romans attitude when Jerusalem fell down.

By drawing comparisons, matters become plain