-
English_Children_Stories_Poems, page : 7
him, but we do not know the outcome." The interview continued, Heraclius asked,
"Have you ever been to war with him?" "Yes," replied Abu Sufyan, "and what was
the outcome?" Abu Sufyan replied, "Sometimes he was victorious and at other
times we were." In conclusion Heraclius asked "What does he order you to do?"
Abu Sufyan replied " He tells us to worship Allah and Allah alone, and not to
worship anything except Him. He tells us to renounce all that our ancestors said.
He tells us to pray, speak the truth, to be chaste and to have a good relationship
with our family and relatives."
Heraclius explained why he had asked all these questions saying, "You told me
that he came from a noble family, the fact is that all prophets are descended from
noble families. I asked if anyone else amongst you had claimed the prophethood,
but you replied no one had. If your answer had been otherwise, I would have
assumed that this man was just following someone else's claim. I proceeded to
ask you whether anyone of his ancestors had been a king. Your reply was that
they had not. If this had been the case I would have been inclined to think that he
wanted to reclaim his ancestral kingdom. I then asked you if he had ever been
accused of lies before his claim. You replied that he had not, therefore, I
wondered how a person who did not lie about others would ever tell a lie about
"Have you ever been to war with him?" "Yes," replied Abu Sufyan, "and what was
the outcome?" Abu Sufyan replied, "Sometimes he was victorious and at other
times we were." In conclusion Heraclius asked "What does he order you to do?"
Abu Sufyan replied " He tells us to worship Allah and Allah alone, and not to
worship anything except Him. He tells us to renounce all that our ancestors said.
He tells us to pray, speak the truth, to be chaste and to have a good relationship
with our family and relatives."
Heraclius explained why he had asked all these questions saying, "You told me
that he came from a noble family, the fact is that all prophets are descended from
noble families. I asked if anyone else amongst you had claimed the prophethood,
but you replied no one had. If your answer had been otherwise, I would have
assumed that this man was just following someone else's claim. I proceeded to
ask you whether anyone of his ancestors had been a king. Your reply was that
they had not. If this had been the case I would have been inclined to think that he
wanted to reclaim his ancestral kingdom. I then asked you if he had ever been
accused of lies before his claim. You replied that he had not, therefore, I
wondered how a person who did not lie about others would ever tell a lie about