Musnad Ahmad Hadith 16694

Abdullah bin Ahmad narrated to us, he said: Abu ‘Amir Hawtharah bin Ashras dictated to me, he said: Hammad bin Salamah narrated to me, from Abdullah bin ‘Uthman bin Khuthaym, from Sa‘id bin Abi Rashid, who said: The messenger of Caesar was my neighbor during the time of Yazid bin Mu‘awiyah, so I said to him: Tell me about the letter of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, to Caesar. He said: Indeed, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Dihyah al-Kalbi to Caesar, and wrote a letter with him to him, and he mentioned something similar to the hadith of ‘Abbad bin ‘Abbad, and the hadith of ‘Abbad is more complete and better in relating the story, and he added: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, laughed when he invited him to Islam, but he refused to accept Islam, and he recited this verse: “Indeed, you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills” __QUR_28_56__, then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “You are a messenger of a people and you have a right, but you have come to us while we are in hardship.” So ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan said: I will clothe him with a saffron-colored garment, and a man from the Ansar said: I will host him.