The Emperor of Rome asked AbuSufyan (one of Muhammad’s enemies): “What is his family status amongst you?”
AbuSufyan: “He belongs to a good (noble) family amongst us.”
Heraclius: “Has anybody amongst you ever claimed to be a Prophet before him?”
AbuSufyan: “No.”
Heraclius: “Was anybody amongst his ancestors a king?”
AbuSufyan: “No.”
Heraclius: “Do the nobles or the poor follow him?”
AbuSufyan: “It is the poor who follow him.”
Heraclius, “Are his followers increasing or decreasing by day?”
AbuSufyan: “They are increasing.”
Heraclius: “Does anybody amongst those who embrace his religion become displeased and renounce the religion afterwards?”
AbuSufyan: “No.”
Heraclius: “Was he ever accused of lying before his claim to be a Prophet?”
AbuSufyan: “No.”
Heraclius: “Does he break his promises?”
AbuSufyan: “No. We are at truce with him, but we do not know what he will do in it.” I could not find opportunity to say anything against him except that.
Heraclius: “Have you ever had a war with him?”
AbuSufyan: “Yes.”
Heraclius: “What was the outcome?”
AbuSufyan: “Sometimes he was victorious and sometimes we.”
Heraclius: “What does he order you to do?'
AbuSufyan: “He tells us to worship Allah alone, and to renounce all that our ancestors had said, he orders us to pray, speak the truth, to be chaste and to keep good relations with our kin.”
Heraclius: “I asked you about his family, all Apostles come from noble families amongst their respective peoples. I questioned you whether anybody else amongst you claimed such a thing, if the answer had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man was following the previous man's statement. Then I asked you whether anyone of his ancestors was a king, had it been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man wanted to take back his ancestral kingdom.
I asked whether he was ever accused of telling lies before he said what he said, I wondered how a person who does not tell a lie about others could ever tell a lie about God. I then asked you whether the rich people followed him or the poor, all the Apostle have been followed by this very class of people. Then I asked you whether his followers were increasing or decreasing, and in fact this is the way of true faith, till it is complete in all respects. I further asked you whether there was anybody, who, after embracing his religion, became displeased and discarded his religion, and in fact this is a sign of true faith, when its delight enters the hearts and mixes with them completely. I asked you whether he had ever betrayed, likewise the Apostles never betray. Then I asked you what he ordered you to do. You replied that he ordered you to worship Allah alone and forbade you to worship idols, ordered you to pray, to speak the truth and to be chaste. If what you have said is true, he will very soon occupy this place underneath my feet.”
