A Research on the Letters of the Prophet (PBUH)

The topic of the letters which the Prophet (PBUH) wrote to the kings, heads of States, and the leaders of the nations and groups in that era plays an important role in Islamic history. Therefore, this issue has attracted the attention of the scholars of hadith studies as well asSirah (Prophetic biography) studies, the historians, and literary scholars at all times. According to the author of the following paper, two important points concerning the topic of these letters were brought up in the second half of the 20th century which invite everyone to more consideration upon the issue of the letters. The first point is related to the studiesdone by some orientalists and later some Muslim writers which question the authenticity of the letters. These researches indicate that all the letters and dispatches were made up by the Muslim writers, and so cannot be verified historically. The second point is about the discovering of five written skins which are considered to be the original forms of the Prophet’s five important letters, but there is a difference of opinion about their verification. Hence, in the present paper, the author, before talking about these doubtful issues, pays attention to the content of these letters and the related reviews in Islamic sources. Afterwards, he introduces these two points briefly, and states his ideas.