The Prophet's letter to the kings of Himyar

A letter the Prophet wrote to the kings of Himyar in reply to their letter declaring their Islam, which their envoy Malik ibn Murra al-Rahawi brought when the Prophet returned from Tabuk. See the letter of the kings of Himyar. ¹

The letter opens with the basmala, then: from Muhammad, Messenger of God, the Prophet, to al-Harith ibn Abd Kulal, Nu'aym ibn Abd Kulal and al-Nu'man, the Qayl of Dhu Ru'ayn, Ma'afir and Hamdan. ¹ The editors explain "qayl" as the singular of "aqyal", the kings who are below the supreme king. ¹

The Prophet praises God to them, and mentions that their envoy met him in Medina on his return from the land of the Byzantines. He delivered what they had sent him, informed him of their Islam and their killing of the polytheists, and said that God has guided them by His guidance if they set things right and obey God and His Messenger. ¹ He then sets out what is due from them: establishing the prayer and giving the alms, paying a fifth of the spoils and the portion of the Prophet and his chosen share, and what is due from the believers on produce: a tenth of what is watered by springs or rain, and half a tenth of what is watered by bucket. ^{1 2} He spells out the obligations on camels, cattle and sheep: for forty camels a bint labun, for thirty a ibn labun; for every five a sheep, for every ten two sheep; for every forty cattle one cow, for every thirty a yearling bull; for every forty free-grazing sheep one sheep. These are God's obligation on the believers, and whoever gives more has done better. ² Whoever pays these and bears witness to his Islam, and supports the believers against the polytheists, is among the believers, with what they have and the duties they bear, and has the protection of God and of His Messenger. ² Whoever among Jews or Christians embraces Islam is among the believers. Whoever keeps to Judaism or Christianity is not turned from it, but owes the tribute: on every adult, male or female, free or slave, a full dinar worth of the Ma'afir cloth, or its equivalent in cloth. Whoever pays it has the protection of God and of His Messenger; whoever refuses it is an enemy of God and His Messenger. ²

The letter says that the Prophet sent to Zur'a Dhu Yazan to commend his messengers well: Mu'adh ibn Jabal, Abdullah ibn Zayd, Malik ibn Ubada, Uqba ibn Namir, Malik ibn Murra and their companions. He asked him to gather what they had of alms and tribute from their districts and send it to his messengers, and said that their leader is Mu'adh ibn Jabal, who should not return except content. ² It informs him that Malik ibn Murra al-Rahawi (may God be pleased with him) told him that he was among the first of Himyar to embrace Islam and to kill the polytheists; so he gives him good news and orders him to deal well with Himyar, that they should neither betray nor forsake one another, and that the Messenger of God is the guardian of their rich and their poor. ^{2 3} Alms are not lawful for Muhammad or for his family; they are only a purifying alms distributed to the poor among the Muslims and the wayfarer. He sent them some of his righteous people, of his household, and of their own religious men and scholars. Peace. ³

"Al-Safi" is what the leader chooses from the spoils for himself before division; "al-'aqar" is land; "al-gharb" is a bucket; "zahara" means helped; "al-ma'afir" are garments from Yemen. In one copy "mawla" stands in the place of "wali". ²

Ibn Ishaq gives the whole text of the letter. The museum records its content in its own words, because the text goes beyond the limit of a quotation. ¹