A Ring Prepared for Letters of Preaching — Seal of the Prophets Vol. 3
Introduction
In this discourse from The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 3), Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) details the historical events and scholarly insights surrounding A Ring Prepared for Letters of Preaching.
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 3)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra)
Section: VI – All Races Invited to Islam
Pages: Book pp. 181–182 (PDF pp. 199–200)
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: [Everlasting Shari‘at of Islam] | Next: [Use of Wisdom in Discharging the Obligation of Preaching] »
Historical Account
As it has been mentioned above, after the Treaty of Ḥudaibiyyah, as a result of the agreement with the Makkans, the Holy Prophetsa found himself somewhat free from Jihād by the sword. Making use of this opportunity and in light of the universal mission of Islām, the first undertaking of the Holy Prophetsa was to propose that letters be dispatched to the leaders of various kingdoms inviting them to Islām. In this manner, the message of Islām would be conveyed to these leaders and through them, to the common people. For this was the primary purpose of the mission of the Holy Prophetsa. As such, immediately after his return from Ḥudaibiyyah, the Holy Prophetsa consulted his companions on this matter. When it was mentioned to him that the common practice of worldly leaders is that they do not give regard to letters which have not been attested
with a seal, the Holy Prophetsa had a silver ring prepared, which had the words Muḥammadur-Rasūlullāhi engraved on it. With the thought of keeping the name of God the Exalted, superior and prominent, the order of the words as set by the Holy Prophetsa were that the word Allāh was written at the very top. The word Rusūl was engraved in the middle and the word Muḥammad was placed in the lowermost line. Furthermore, since these letters were meant to take an imprint of this ring, to facilitate this purpose, these words were reversely engraved on the ring itself, so that when its imprint is put down, the words appeared straight, like the printing of a press.
[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-‘Ilm, Bābu Mā Yudhkaru Fil-Munāwalati Wa Kitābu Ahlil-‘Ilmi Bil-‘Ilmi Ilal-Buldān, Ḥadīth No. 65 * Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Jihādi Was-Siyar, Bābu Da‘watil-Yahūdiyyi Wan-Naṣrāniyyi…, Ḥadīth No. 2938]
[Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, p. 3, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was-Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) — (Note: This reference is authenticated by the letter of the Holy Prophetsa to Maqauqis of Egypt, the original of which has been discovered, and we have included its facsimile in this book ahead.)]
[Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, p. 3, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was-Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) — (Furthermore, refer to the copy of the letter of the Holy Prophetsa to Maqauqis of Egypt, which has been included at another place in this book, wherein the writing Muḥammadur-Rasūlullāhī can be seen written straight, which is clear evidence of the fact that the engraving on the original ring was in reverse.)]
Therefore, this ring of the Holy Prophetsa always remained on his finger and after his demise, Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakrra, the first Caliph wore it on his finger. After him it remained on the finger of Ḥaḍrat ‘Umarra, the second Caliph and then Ḥaḍrat ‘Uthmanra, the third Caliph, until one day it fell from his hand into a well named Arīs and was lost. Ḥaḍrat ‘Uthmanra and his companions searched for three days, and emptied the well of all its water, but the ring was no where to be found.
[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Libās, Bābu Khātamil-Fiḍḍah, Ḥadīth No. 5866]
[Musnad, By Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Libās, Bābu Hal Yuj‘alu Naqshul-Khātami Thālathata Aṣṭurin, Ḥadīth No. 5879 [Publishers]]
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 3)
Section: VI – All Races Invited to Islam | Navigation: « Previous: [Everlasting Shari‘at of Islam] | Next: [Use of Wisdom in Discharging the Obligation of Preaching] »