LETTER TO THE VICEGERENT OF EGYPT


In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.



From Muhammad Servant of Allah and His Prophet



To Muqawqis, Vicegerent of Egypt



Peace be on him who has taken the right course. Thereafter, I invite you to accept Islam. Therefore, if you want security, accept Islam. If you accept Islam, Allah, the Sublime, shall reward you doubly. But if you refuse to do so, responsibility for the transgression of the entire nation shall be yours.



0 people of the Book! leaving aside all matters of difference and dispute, agree on a matter which is equally consistent between you and us and it is that we should not worship anyone except Allah and that we should neither associate anyone with Him, nor make anyone else as our god.



If you refuse it, you must know that we, in all circumstances, believe in Oneness of Allah.



Seal: Allah's Prophet Muhammad



Note: Muqawqis who was appointed as vicegerent of Egypt by the Roman Empire. He was a great scholar of his religion. Egypt had always been a great centre of civilisation and made great advances in various branches of art and astrology. It was also a commercial link between East and West. But like Iran, Egypt had also become morally depraved.



Muqawqis was highly affected by the sincerity of the letter and he remarked that it was the time that the awaited Prophet appeared, but that he was under the impression that he would be born in Syria. He further observed that from Torah and Bible, he had come to know that the Prophet would not eat of charity, but would accept presents and that the poor and indigent would be his companions. He ordered that the Holy letter should be placed in an ivory casket which should be preserved safely in the government treasury. He sent the following reply to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.).



TO MUHAMMAD SON OF ABDULLAH



From Muqawqis



"I read your letter and understood what you have written. I know that the coming of a Prophet is still due. But I thought, he would be born in Syria -- I have treated your messenger with respect and honour. I am sending two maids for you as presents. These maids belong to a very respectable family amongst us. In addition I send for you clothes and a duldul (steed) for riding. May Allah bestow security on you.'"



Note: Just as Caesar could not benefit from the light of Islam; power and lust pulled him back from availing himself of the blessings of Islam. The gifts sent by Muqawqis were accepted by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.).



The letter which was placed in an ivory casket by Muqawqis,



The letter which was placed in an ivory casket by Muqawqis, found its way into the Christian monastery of Akheem in Egypt. There a recluse pasted it on his Bible. The letter was written on a parchment. From there a French orientalist obtained it and sold it to Sultan Abdul Majeed Khan of Turkey, for a consideration of 300 Pounds. The Sultan had the Holy letter fixed in a golden frame and had it preserved in the treasury of the royal palace, along with other sacred relics.



High Muslim scholars have affirmed that the Holy letter was written by as high and sacred a personality as Abu Bakr Siddiq (R.A.A.).



Muqawqis, like Caesar, too had a dialogue with Mugheera bin Sh'oba, an exalted companion of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). Mugheera (R.A.A.) said: "Once I went to the court of Muqawqis, who enquired of me, about the family of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). I informed him that he belonged to a high and noble family. Muqawqis remarked that Prophets always belong to noble families. Then he asked if I had an experience of the truthfulness of the Prophet (S.A.W.). I told that he always spoke the truth. Therefore, in spite of our opposition to him, we call him Ameen (truthworthy). Muqawqis observed that a man who did not speak lies to men, how could he speak a lie about Allah? Then he enquired what sort of people were his followers and what did the Jews think of him. I replied that his followers were mostly poor, but the Jews were his bitter enemies. Muqawqis stated that the followers of the Prophets in the beginning are usually poor, and that he must be a , Prophet of Allah. He further stated that the Jews opposed him out of envy and jealousy, otherwise they must have been certain of his, truthfulness and that they too awaited a Prophet. The Messiah

(A.S.) also preached that following and submitting to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) was essential and that whatever qualities of his had been mentioned, the same were the qualities of the earlier Prophets.



Mugheera (R.A.A.) was highly impressed by the dialogue. On his return from Egypt, he happened to meet a great Christian scholar, from whom he enquired if he awaited a Prophet, and if so, what qualities of his were mentioned in Torah and Bible? The Christian scholar informed him in detail that indeed they awaited a Prophet, and he would be the last Prophet. Messiah (A.S.) preached to them that when that Prophet appeared, they would follow him. He further preached that the Prophet would be illiterate and an Arab and his name would be Ahmad and his features and characteristics would be as follows:



"Middling height; big eyes with red capillaries showing in them, his complexion would be red and white. He would use coarse clothes and eat ordinary food. He would not be afraid of the greatest power; whoever would fight against him, he would face him. His companions would be prepared to sacrifice their lives at his slightest indication, and would regard him dearer than their own offsprings, mothers, fathers and brothers. From one harem he would stay in another Harem whose land would be rocky and where date-palms would be growing in abundance. His faith would be that of Ibrahim (A.S.)! He shall not adopt the way of the arrogant. His Prophethood shall be for all. The entire earth shall be his prayer Carpet".



Mugheera wa so moved by talks that he went to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) and accepted Islam.