At a glance
- Era
- The Prophetic Era
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it
In time
In space
Map: Natural Earth, public domain · places and route from the graph
Peace-making and coexistenceConferences and declarations
The kings of Yemen of Himyar sent the Prophet ﷺ a letter after his return from Tabuk announcing their entry into Islam; he wrote them a letter and sent them a teacher.
The kings of Himyar — al-Harith ibn Abd Kulal, Nu'aym ibn Abd Kulal and al-Nu'man, qayl of Dhu Ru'ayn, Hamdan and Ma'afir — wrote to the Prophet ﷺ after his return from Tabuk announcing their Islam and their leaving polytheism; their messenger was Malik ibn Murra al-Rahawi (may God be pleased with him). The Prophet wrote them a letter setting out what the believers have and owe, giving the covenant-bound among them God's and His messenger's dhimma if they paid the jizya, and sent men of his Companions led by Mu'adh ibn Jabal. The letter mentions what they owe of prayer, zakat, the fifth of spoils and the ordained alms, and that whoever stayed on his Judaism or Christianity would not be turned from it, owing the jizya of a dinar per adult.
Storytellers (10–12) read the Explorers text, then cross to the Scholars text.
The kings of Himyar wrote to the Prophet ﷺ after his return from Tabuk announcing their Islam and their leaving polytheism; he answered with a letter on what the believers have and owe, and sent a mission led by Mu'adh ibn Jabal. Their letter arrived — the kings being al-Harith ibn Abd Kulal, Nu'aym ibn Abd Kulal and al-Nu'man, qayl of Dhu Ru'ayn, Hamdan and Ma'afir — after the Prophet's return from Tabuk. Their messenger was Malik ibn Murra al-Rahawi (may God be pleased with him), sent with their Islam and their leaving of polytheism and its people. The Prophet wrote them a letter setting out what the believers have and owe, and gave the covenant-bound among them God's and His messenger's dhimma if they paid the jizya owed; and he sent men of his Companions led by Mu'adh ibn Jabal. Ibn Ishaq records that Zur'a Dhu Yazan sent Malik ibn Murra al-Rahawi with their Islam, and that the letter mentioned meeting their messenger in Medina on his return from the Romans' land, what they owed of prayer, zakat, the fifth of spoils and the ordained alms, and that whoever stayed on his Judaism or Christianity would not be turned from it, owing a dinar's jizya per adult — then commends to Zur'a Dhu Yazan his messengers and their leader Mu'adh ibn Jabal.
Summary
The kings of Himyar wrote to the Prophet after his return from Tabuk, declaring their Islam and their renunciation of polytheism. He answered them with a letter setting out what is due to the believers and what is upon them, and sent a group led by Mu'adh ibn Jabal. 1
The letter
The letter of the kings of Himyar reached the Prophet after his return from Tabuk. They were al-Harith ibn Abd Kulal, Nu'aym ibn Abd Kulal, and al-Nu'man ibn Qayl Dhu Ru'ayn, of Hamdan and Ma'afir. 1 Their envoy to him was Malik ibn Murra al-Rahawi, whom they sent to announce their Islam and their renunciation of polytheism and its people. 1 The Prophet wrote to them a letter setting out what is due to the believers and what is upon them, and granted those of them who were under treaty the protection of God and of His Messenger, once they paid what was due from them in jizya. 1 He sent them men of his Companions, led by Mu'adh ibn Jabal. 1
Ibn Ishaq's account
The letter of the kings of Himyar reached the Prophet on his return from Tabuk. Their envoy, who brought news of their Islam, was al-Harith ibn Abd Kulal, Nu'aym ibn Abd Kulal and al-Nu'man Qayl Dhu Ru'ayn, of Ma'afir and Hamdan. Zur'a Dhu Yazan sent to him Malik ibn Murra al-Rahawi with their Islam and their renunciation of polytheism and its people. 2 The Prophet then wrote them a letter mentioning the meeting of their envoy with him at Medina on his return from the land of Rum, and what is due from them of prayer, zakat, a fifth of the spoils and the obligatory alms. It stated that whoever remained on his Judaism or Christianity would not be turned from it, but would owe a dinar of jizya for every adult. He then commended to Zur'a Dhu Yazan his envoys and their leader, Mu'adh ibn Jabal; see the sending of Mu'adh to Yemen. 2 3 4
For young visitors
The kings of Yemen sent the Prophet a letter announcing their entry into Islam. He wrote back to them and sent them a teacher to teach them their religion.
Your choice is kept in this browser only.
Connections
- Had participant
- al-Harith ibn Abd Kulal· al-Nu'man, qayl of Dhu Ru'ayn, Ma'afir and Hamdan· Malik ibn Murra al-Rahawi· Nu'aym ibn Abd Kulal· Zur'a Dhu Yazan· Himyar· Mu'adh ibn Jabal· Muhammad
- Occurred at
- Medina
- Led to
- The sending of Mu'adh ibn Jabal to Yemen and the Prophet's charge to him
- Part of
- The Year of Delegations
- Mentioned in
- The Prophet's letter to the kings of Himyar
People and things also explored
Himyar· The sending of Mu'adh ibn Jabal to Yemen and the Prophet's charge to him· The Prophet's letter to the kings of Himyar· Mu'adh ibn Jabal· Muhammad· Medina· The plot of Amir ibn al-Tufayl and Arbad ibn Qays· The delegation of Abd al-Qays
Sources
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.449
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/235
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/236
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/237
- Zad al-Ma'ad — Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The letter of the kings of Himyar”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/letter-of-himyar-kings/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-26.