The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 3 of 4

356 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
"Eventually there we were before him. And I swear I never saw a man more
astute than him," -he was refbg
to Heraclius.
He went on, "Caesar asked us, 'Which of you is most closely related to
that man?' I told him that I was and he asked me to approach closer. He then
seated me before him and told my companions also to sit behind me. He
told them, 'If he lies, then refute him.' I knew that they would not refute me
even if I did lie, but I was a man of dignity and honour and would have been
ashamed to lie. I also knew that if I did it was likely that they would report what
I had said to others and that people would talk abont me in Mecca. So I did not
lie to him.
"Caesar asked, 'Tell me about this man who has come forth among you.' I
responded by telling him a little about him, minimizing his importance. He was
not impressed by this and told me to answer his questions abont him. I said
I would.
"He then asked, 'How do you view his lineage amongst you?'
"'To be pure and of our fmest lineage,' I replied.
"'Tell me', he asked, 'has any other member of his family made claims similar
to his and is he imitating that person?'
"'No,' I replied.
"'Tell me', he went on, 'is there any property involved that you have taken
from him which might make hi say these things so that you will return them
to him?'
"'No,' I replied.
'"Tell me about his followers,' he asked. 'Who are they?'
"'They are the young, the powerless and the poor; his followers include no
chiefs of high birth.'
"'Tell me about his companions; do they love and honour him, or (do they
come to) despise and abandon him?'
"'No man who has accompanied hi has ever abandoned him,' I replied.
"'Tell me about the warfare between yourselves and him,' he asked.
"' Well', I replied, 'it varies; sometimes it goes in our favour, sometimes in
theirs.'
"'Tell me, would he betray?' This was the only thing he had asked that I could
deceive him about, so I said, 'No; we now have a truce with him, yet we don't
feel secure against some treachery by hi.' But, I swear, Caesar took no account
of this remark of mine.
"'He went on to talk further. He commented, 'You say he is of your purest
lineage. God selects prophets that way; He only takes men from the purest lines
in their people. I asked you whether any others of his family members were
saying similar things that he is imitating; you said no. I asked whether he had
some property you might have seized and suggested he might be saying what he
is to get you to return it to him. But you said no. I asked you about his followers