by a man sent by the King of Ghassan to report on the news of the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam). When Heraclius inquired of him, he said: Go and see if he is circumcised or not. They looked at him and informed him that he was circumcised. He asked about the Arabs, and was told: They are circumcised. Heraclius said: This is the king of this nation who has appeared. Then Heraclius wrote to a companion of his in Rome, who was his equal in knowledge, and Heraclius traveled to Homs. He did not leave Homs until a letter came to him from his companion agreeing with Heraclius' opinion about the emergence of the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and that he is a prophet. Heraclius then permitted the nobles of the Romans to gather in a courtyard of his in Homs, and he ordered the doors to be closed. Then he looked out and said: O Romans! Would you like success and guidance, and for your kingdom to remain firm, then pledge allegiance to this Prophet? They rushed like wild donkeys to the doors, but found them closed. When Heraclius saw their aversion and despaired of their faith, he said: Bring them back to me, and said: I said what I said earlier to test your adherence to your religion, and I have seen [your reaction]. They prostrated to him and were pleased with him, and that was the end of Heraclius' affair. I said: The same ḥadīth has been narrated in another form: It was narrated by al-Bukhārī (2936 and 2940), Abū Dāwūd (5136), al-Nasāʾī in "al-Kubrā" (5858 and 8845), Aḥmad (1/162 - 263 and 263), and al-Bayhaqī in "al-Dalāʾil" (4/377 - 380), and Ibn ʿAsākir in "Tārīkh" (23/422) through the route of al-Zuhrī from ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿAbd Allāh that ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās informed him: that the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam)... and he mentioned the ḥadīth without mentioning Abū Sufyān as informing Ibn ʿAbbās. This is considered among the mursal reports of the Companions; they are accepted by the majority of Ahl al-Sunnah and the scholars of ḥadīth - all praise is due to Allāh. (Benefit): The statement of Abū Sufyān - in the ḥadīth -: (The matter of Ibn Abī Kabshah has become significant); its meaning - as Ibn al-Athīr said in "al-Nihāyah" (4/144) -:
برجل أرسل به ملك غسان يخبر عن خبر رسول الله ﷺ فلما استخبره هرقل؛ قال: اذهبوا فانظروا أمختتن هو أم لا؟ فنظروا إليه، فحدثوه أنه مختتن، وسأله عن العرب؟ فقال: هم يختتنون، فقال هرقل: هذا ملك هذه الأمة قد ظهر، ثم كتب هرقل إلى صاحب له برومية، وكان نظيره في العلم، وسار هرقل إلى حمص، فلم يَرِمْ حمص حتى أتاه كتاب من صاحبه يوافق رأي هرقل على خروج النبي ﷺ وأنه نبي. فأذن هرقل لعظماء الروم في دَسْكَرة له بحمص، ثم أمر بأبوابها فغلقت، ثم اطَّلع فقال؛ يا معشر الروم! هل لكم في الفلاح والرشد، وأن يثبت ملككم، فتبايعوا هذا النبي؟ فحاصوا حيصة حُمُرِ الوحش إلى الأبواب؛ فوجدوها قد غلقت، فلما رأى هرقل نفرتهم، وأيس من الإيمان قال: ردوهم علي، وقال: إني قلت مقالتي آنفا ً؛ أختبر بها شدتكم على دينكم، فقد رأيت، فسجدوا له ورضوا عنه، فكان ذلك آخر شأن هرقل. قلت: وقد ورد الحديث نفسه على وجه آخر:فرواه البخاري (٢٩٣٦ و ٢٩٤٠) ، وأبو داود (٥١٣٦) ، والنسائي في " الكبرى " (٥٨٥٨ و ٨٨٤٥) ، وأحمد (١/١٦٢ - ٢٦٣ و ٢٦٣) ، والبيهقي في "الدلائل " (٤/٣٧٧ - ٣٨٠) ، وابن عساكر في "تاريخه " (٢٣/٤٢٢) من طريق الزهري عن عبيد الله بن عبد الله أن عبد الله بن عباس أخبره:أن رسول الله ﷺ ... فذكر الحديث دون ذكر أبي سفيان مخبراً ابن عباس. وهذا معدود من مراسيل الصحابة؛ وهي مقبولة عند جماهير أهل السنة والحديث - بحمد الله تعالى -.(فائدة) : قول أبي سفيان- في الحديث -: (لقد أمِرَ أمرُ ابن أبي كبشة) ؛ معناه - كما قال ابن الأثير في "النهاية" (٤/١٤٤) -: