When an Emperor Tore a Letter — and History Tore His Throne
In the year 628 CE, when the deserts of Arabia still lay outside the imagination of kings, a letter began a chain of events that would one day change the fate of empires.
Across the Persian world, the throne of the mighty Sassanian Empire stood as a symbol of unmatched power. Its ruler, Khosrow II, (Parvez) known across lands as the “King of Kings,” commanded armies, governors, and gold — and believed his dominion to be eternal.
But from Medina, a man with no crown, no palace, and no army sent him a message.
The letter came from Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
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It was carried across borders and deserts by a humble companion, Abdullah ibn Hudhafa al-Sahmi. The message was brief, dignified, and direct:
“Accept Islam and you will be safe. Allah has entrusted me with this message for all humanity.”
It was not a threat.
It was not flattery.
It was an invitation.
When the letter reached the Persian court, it was read aloud before the emperor.
And the court grew silent.
Khosrow II did not see a message from Heaven.
He saw an insult.
An Arab — from a land he considered insignificant — had dared to address him without titles. No “Great King.” No “Lord of Lords.” Just his name. Worse still, the letter invited him to submit to a faith he had never heard of.
In rage, he tore the letter into pieces and threw them aside.
When news of this reached Medina, the Prophet quietly said:
“May Allah tear his kingdom apart.”
History would soon echo those words.
The Arrest Order
Still burning with humiliation, Khosrow II wrote to his governor in Yemen, the Persian-appointed ruler Badhan.
His command was sharp and merciless:
“Send two of your strongest men to bring this man from Hijaz to me.”
Badhan obeyed. Two officers, Khurayq and Kharqus, were dispatched to Medina to arrest the Prophet and escort him to Persia in chains.
When they reached Madinah, they delivered their threat, confident in the authority of their emperor.
But the man they faced did not look frightened.
He did not resist.
He did not run.
Instead, he surprised them.
“Return tomorrow,” he said calmly.
“And I will tell you what happened to your king tonight.”
The envoys were confused. Nothing had happened — or so they believed.
They returned the next day.
And the Prophet spoke:
“Khosrow has been killed by his own son, Shirawayh (Kavadh II), last night.”
The men were stunned.
They were thousands of kilometers away. No courier could have reached Arabia in a night. No rumor, no message, no news had yet travelled from Persia.
The men returned to Yemen in disbelief.
Waiting for them was a letter.
The seal was Persian.
The news was real.
Khosrow II had indeed been assassinated — betrayed and murdered by his own son, Shirawayh, also known as Kavadh II.
The new emperor’s first command?
Cancel the arrest.
Stop confrontation with Arabia.
The prophecy had come true — word for word.
The Governor Who Chose Faith Over Empire
When Badhan read the news, he did not see coincidence.
He saw truth.
“This cannot come from anyone except a true prophet,” he said.
And the Persian governor of Yemen embraced Islam.
So did many of the Persians under his rule.
Without war.
Without conquest.
Without force.
Islam entered Persian hearts through prophecy — not swords.
Badhan became the first Persian governor to accept Islam, and long before the Sassanian Empire would fall to Muslim armies decades later, its people had already begun to enter the faith through conviction.
What began as a torn letter ended as a torn empire.
And a king who rejected a message from Heaven lost a kingdom on Earth.
Sources in Classical History
This account is preserved across the works of early Islamic historians, including Ibn Ishaq, Al-Tabari, and Ibn Kathir — men who recorded not just events, but the quiet unfolding of destiny.
