Heraclius was not the only ruler to recognize the Prophethood of Muhammad. Negus, the ruler of, Abyssinia, similarly recognised the message of Islam and the words of Qur'an as being of divine origin when he questioned the Muslims who had emigrated to escape the tortures and oppression of the pagan Quraish. The Prophet's claim is given added weight by numerous Christian and Jewish scholars, both in Muhammad's time, and afterwards who recognised him as the final messenger foretold in their scriptures. The case of Heraculus has already been mentioned. Bahira, the monk whom some Orientalists have vainly tried to suggest was the teacher of Muhammad, recognised the signs of Prophethood on him whilst Muhammad was a boy accompanying his uncle Abu Talib's caravan to Syria, as did Waraqa, one of the few Christians in Mecca, who had translated some parts of the Christian scriptures into Arabic, who was the cousin of Muhammad's wife Khadija. Indeed, after the Prophet had received the first revelation, he went to this same Waraqa, who said
"Surely, by Him in whose hand is Waraqa's soul, thou art the Prophet of these people. There has come unto you the greatest angel, who came unto Moses. You will be called a liar, and they will use you despitefully, and cast you out and fight against you."
Al Jurud ibn Ak Ala, a Christian scholar and ruler of his people came to visit the Prophet and said:
"By Allah you have come with the truth, and have spoken truly, as a Prophet I have found your description in the Gospel, and the son of the Virgin has announced your coming."
Al Jurud then accepted Islam along with his people. Also Muqauqas, the King of the Copts, in his response to the letter sent to him by the Prophet inviting him to Islam wrote:
"I have read your message and have understood what you have mentioned in it, and what you are calling to. I have known that a Prophet would be sent and thought that he would appear in Sham, and I have honoured your messenger."
The story of one the Prophet's companions, Salman
the Persian, further illustrates this:
"I was a Persian man from the peoples of Isfahaan
from a town known as Jayi. My father was the town chief. To him, I was the most
beloved of the creature Allah. His love of me reached the point whereby he trusted
me to supervise the fire he lit, which was not allowed to be let to die down.
My father owned land, and one day while he was busy he told me to go and inspect
the land and to bring from it some things he wanted. On my way I came across a
Christian church. I heard the voices of the prayers of the people inside. I did
not know what goes on with the lives of other people because my father had kept
me confined to his house. So when I came across those people and I heard their
voices I went inside watching what they were doing. When I saw them I liked their
prayers and became interested in their religion. I said to myself:
"By Allah, this religion of theirs is better than that of ours." By Allah I did not leave them until sunset, and never inspected my father's land. I asked: "Where is the origin of this religion?" They said: "In As-Shaam (i.e. Greater Syria)." I returned to my father who had become worried and sent after me. Upon my arrival he said: "O son! Where have you been? Didn't I trust you with an assignment?" I said: "I came across some people praying in their church and I liked what they were on from their religion. By Allah I stayed with them until sunset." My father said: "O Son! There is no good in that religion. The religion of your fathers is better." I said: "No, by Allah, it is better than our religion."
He threatened me and chained me by my foot and kept me confined to the house. I sent to the Christians requesting to let me know of the arrival of any Christian trade caravan coming from as-Shaam. A trade caravan arrived and they informed me about it. I told them to keep me informed about the people of the caravan, and when they were about to finish their business and return to their country. I took off the chains from my foot and joined the caravan until we reached as-Sham. Upon my arrival I asked:
"Who is the best amongst the people of this religion of yours?" They said: "The Bishop in the Church." I went to him and said: "I like this religion and I love to be with you, serving you in your Church, to learn from you and to pray with you."
The Bishop agreed. After a while I learnt that this Bishop ordered and motivated his people to pay charity only to keep it for himself. He did not give it to the poor. He heaped up seven jars with gold and silver! I hated him so much because of what I saw him doing. The Bishop died. The Christians gathered to bury him. I told them that he was a bad man who ordered you to release your money for charities only to keep if for himself and that he did not give anything of it to the poor. They said:
"How do you know this?" I said: "I can show his treasure." They said: "Show us!" I showed them the place and when they saw it they said: "By Allah we will never bury him!"
They took his dead body and crucified and stoned it. They replaced their bishop. I never saw a man from those who do not pray the five prescribed prayers better than him; nor a man detached from this worldly life and attached to the hereafter more than him; nor a committed person who works day and night better than him. I loved him more than anything else I loved before. I stayed with him for sometime before his death. When his death approached I told him:
"O teacher, I stayed with you and loved you more than anything else I loved before. Now you are approached by the decree of Allah, so who would you recommend for me and what would you like to order me?" The Bishop said: "By Allah! People are in a total loss, they altered and changed what they were on. I do not know of anyone who is still holding to what I am on except a man in Al-Moosil, so join him."
When the man died, I moved to Al-Moosil and met the recommended person. I told him that my former master at the time of his death recommended that I join you. He also told me that you are holding to the same as he was. The man of Al-Moosil told me to stay with him; I stayed with him and found that he was the best man holding onto the matter of his friend. Soon he died. When death approached him I asked him to recommend some other person who is on the same religion. The man said:
"By Allah! I don't know of anyone who is on the same matter of ours except a man in Nasiyeebeen, so join him."
Following his death I moved to the man of Nasiyeebeen and stayed with him for a while. The same story repeated itself. Death approached and before he died, I came to the man and asked for his advice as to whom and where to go. The man recommended that I join another man on the same religion in Am'mooriyeeyah, which I did, and earned some cows and one sheep. When death approached the man of Am'mooriyeeyah, I repeated my request. The answer was different. The man said:
"O son! I do not know of anyone who is on the same religion as we are. However, the time of emergence of a Prophet will shade you. This Prophet is on the same religion of Abraham. He comes from Arabia and migrates to a place located between landscapes of black stones. Palm trees are spread between these scapes. He has certain well known signs. He eats food given as a gift and he does not eat from charity. The seal of Prophethood is between his shoulders. If you could move to that land, then do so."
After he died I stayed in Am'mooriyeeyah until one day some merchants from the tribe of Kalb passed by me. I told them, "Take me to Arabia and I will give you my cows and the only sheep I have." They agreed. When we reached Wadee Al-Qura (close to Madinah) they sold me as a slave to a Jew and I saw the palm trees, and I hoped that this would be the same place described by my friend. A man who was a first cousin to my master came visiting one day and bought me. He took me with him to Madinah. By Allah! When I saw it I knew it was the place my friend had described. Then Allah sent His Messenger. He stayed in Mecca as long as he did. I did not hear anything about him because I was very much busy with the work of slavery. He the migrated to Madinah. I was on a palm tree doing some work for my master. A first cousin of his came and stood in front of him and said:
"Woe to Banee Qeelah, they are gathered in Quba around a man whom came today from Mecca claiming that he was a Prophet!" When I herd that I shivered thinking that I was about to fall down on my master. I came down and I said: "What did you say, what did you say?" My master became angry and punched me with a powerful punch and said: "What kind of business do you have in this matter? Go back to your work!" I said: "Nothing! I just wanted to be sure of what he was saying."
On that evening I went to see the Messenger of Allah while he was in Quba. I took with me something I had saved. I went in and said: "I was told you are a righteous man and that your company are strangers in need, and I want to offer you something I saved as charity. I found that you deserve it more than anyone else." I offered it to him; he said to his companions: "Eat!" and he kept his hand off. I said to myself: "This is one of the signs!" The next time I visited the Prophet in Madinah I said: "I see you don"t eat from the charity, here is a gift that I wanted to honour you with." The Prophet ate from it and ordered his companions to do the same which they did. I said to myself: "Now they are two."
On the third encounter I went to funeral of one of the Prophet's companions. I greeted him with the Salaam, then I moved towards his back attempting to see the seal that was described to me by my friend. When he saw me he knew I was trying to confirm something described to me. He took the garment off his back and I looked at the seal. I recognised it. I came down on it kissing it and crying. The Messenger of Allah told me to move around and talk to him, and I told him my story."
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