Envoy to Muqawqis
Hatib bore the Prophet’s ﷺ letter to Muqawqis the ruler of Alexandria, and returned from that mission with the Coptic gifts and the gift of Maria the Copt. 1 History of Islam · Vol 1 · pp. 211 — Najeebabadi — Hatib ibn Abi Balta'a envoy to Muqawqis of Egypt.
The Letter to Quraysh
Before the conquest of Makkah, Hatib secretly sent a letter to the Quraysh warning them of the Prophet’s ﷺ approach. Allah revealed the affair to the Prophet ﷺ; horsemen overtook the messenger-woman, and the letter was recovered. When Umar demanded to strike off his head, the Prophet ﷺ forbade it and said:
“He is one of the men of Badr. Perhaps Allah has looked at the men of Badr and said: ‘Do as you wish — I have forgiven you.’”
And Allah revealed the opening verse of Surah al-Mumtahina concerning the affair. 2 History of Islam · Vol 1 · pp. 220 — Najeebabadi — Hatib's letter to Quraysh discovered; the Prophet ﷺ forgives him for Badr.
3 Seerat-e-Mustafa · Vol 3 · pp. 21–27 — Idris Kandhlawi — the Badr-forgiveness pronouncement of the Prophet ﷺ over Hatib's letter.Life Timeline
Present at Badr
Envoy of the Prophet ﷺ to Muqawqis the ruler of Alexandria
His letter to Quraysh exposed; the Prophet ﷺ forgives him for Badr
References
- History of Islam — Najeebabadi — Hatib ibn Abi Balta'a envoy to Muqawqis; the letter to Quraysh and the Prophet's ﷺ forgiveness Vol 1 · pp. 211, 220
- Seerat-e-Mustafa — Idris Kandhlawi — Badri Sahabi; envoy to Muqawqis; letter to Quraysh affair Vol 3 · pp. 21–27, 49