Qurʾānic Theologoumena in Ibn Al-Layth’s Missive to Byzantium: Scripting the Sīrah in Epistolary Form

Abstract

By the late eighth century, the Muslim Caliphate sought to exert pressure on the Byzantine Empire by dispatching a warning letter after the Byzantine emperor ceased paying tribute to the Abbasids. Although formally structured as a diplomatic missive, the letter predominantly contained apologetic arguments defending key tenets of the Islamic faith particularly the prophethood of Muḥammad. As a result, some scholars have regarded this letter as a supplementary source for the Sīrah Nabawiyyah. This study aims to examine the theological discourse embedded within the letter and to analyse the rationale behind the inclusion of Qurʾānic references by its author, Ibn al-Layth (d. c. 203/819). It also investigates how Qurʾānic verses operate as rhetorical and theological elements within Abbasid diplomatic letters and assesses how Ibn al-Layth’s usage both aligns with and diverges from other examples of the genre. Employing a qualitative methodology, the research utilizes textual analysis to explore each Qurʾānic verse cited in relation to the Prophet’s early life. These verses are examined within their historical context, with attention given to the evolving contours of Muslim theological thought. The findings suggest that Ibn al-Layth may have adopted rhetorical and epistolary conventions attributed to the Prophet himself, reflecting a broader practice among Muslim courts of reinforcing diplomatic correspondence with appropriate Qurʾānic citations.