What Abū Sufyān Told Heraclius

Even Abū Sufyān — an archenemy of Islam at the time — bears witness to this. Travelling with a trade caravan, he came to Jerusalem, Iliyā as it was then called. Heraclius had heard of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and asked whether there were any Arabs in the city; and it turned out to be the party of Abū Sufyān, an enemy of Islam.

Heraclius announced that he would put some questions. He seated Abū Sufyān in front, and the other men of his party behind him — a clever arrangement. He said: I am going to ask you certain questions, and you had better tell the truth; I shall ask you, and the men at the back had better tell me if you do not. Abū Sufyān was thus prevented from doing what he might otherwise have done. Had his men been seated in front of him, he could have given a small wink, a signal that this part was going to be invented. With them seated behind him, he could not.

One of the questions he asked was whether this Prophet, this so-called Prophet, had ever told a lie before, or laid claim to prophecy, or anything of the sort. Abū Sufyān answered that he had not. Heraclius then drew the conclusion himself: if he has never spoken a lie against any man, why would he speak a lie against Allah? Why would a man invent a lie against Allah when he will not tell a lie against people — when lying about people is the easier thing, and the need for it greater, since one deals with people far more often?

Imam al-Rāzī makes this point: that they knew everything about him. For this reason many of them were convinced, though others were not. Such was the singular situation into which the Prophet (peace be upon him) was born and in which he was brought up — losing his father early, and remaining unlettered — and for a very good reason: to make the point stronger still.