The Messenger sent al-Ala bin al-Hadrami to carry his message to Mundhir bin Sawa, the governor of Bahrain. In reply, Mundhir bin Sawa wrote the following letter:
"Allah’s Messenger! I received your injunctions. Prior to this, I read your letter, which you wrote to the people of Bahrain extending to them an invitation to Islam. Islam appealed to some of them and they entered the fold of Islam, while others did not find it appealing. In my country, there live Magians and Jews, and therefore you may inform me of the treatment to be extended to them."
The Messenger (saw) wrote the following letter in reply to his:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم من محمد رسول الله إلى المنذر بن ساوي سلام عليك فإني احمد الله إليك الذي لا اله غيره واشهد أن لا اله إلا الله وان محمداً عبده ورسوله أما بعد فإني أذكرك الله عز وجل فانه من ينصح فإنما ينصح النفسه ومن يطع رسلي ويتبع أمرهم فقد أطاعني ومن نصح لهم فقد نصح لي وان رسلي قد اثتوا عليك خيراً لله واني قد شفعتك ل قومك فاترك للمسلمين ما اسلموا عليه وعفوت عن أهل الذنوب فاقبل منهم وانك مهما تصلح فلن نعزلك عن عملك ومن اقام على يهوديته أو مجوسيته فعليه الجزية
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah to Mundhir bin Sawa. Peace be on you! I praise Allah with no associate, and I bear witness Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. Thereafter, I remind you of Allah, the Mighty, and the Glorious. Whoever accepts admonition, does it for his own good. Whoever follows my envoys and acts in accordance with their guidance, he, in fact, accepts my advice.
My envoys have highly praised your behavior. You shall continue in your present office. Give the new Muslims full chance to practice their deen. I accept your recommendation regarding the people of Bahrain, and I pardon the offences of the offenders; therefore, you may also forgive them. Of the people of Bahrain whoever wants to go on in their Jewish or Magian faith, should be made to pay jizya (poll-tax)." (Ibn Qayyim, Za'd al-Ma'ad)
Thus, the ruler of Bahrain gave a reply of total acceptance and remained a good Muslim until his death a few years later.
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