Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2717
حَدَّثَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ، أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، أَنْبَأَنَا يُونُسُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ بْنَ حَرْبٍ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ هِرَقْلَ أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ وَكَانُوا تُجَّارًا بِالشَّامِ فَأَتَوْهُ فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ قَالَ ثُمَّ دَعَا بِكِتَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُرِئَ فَإِذَا فِيهِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلَى هِرَقْلَ عَظِيمِ الرُّومِ السَّلاَمُ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى أَمَّا بَعْدُ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَأَبُو سُفْيَانَ اسْمُهُ صَخْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibn ‘Abbas reported that Abu Sufyan ibn Harb told him: Heraclius summoned him while he was with a group of Quraysh who were trading in Syria, and they went to him. Abu Sufyan then related the hadith. He said: Heraclius called for the letter of Allah’s Messenger, and it was read. It said: ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful. From Muhammad, servant of Allah and His Messenger, to Heraclius, the great ruler of the Romans. Peace be upon whoever follows the guidance. To proceed: …’
Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan sahih hadith. Abu Sufyan’s name was Sakhr ibn Harb.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
This excerpt quotes only the opening of the letter; the Arabic says the longer hadith was related, then supplies the letter’s opening. The honorific ‘great ruler of the Romans’ translates ‘azim al-Rum.