Islam. In order to authenticate the credentials of his envoys, a silver seal was made in which were graven the words, "Muhammad the Messenger of Allah." [2] The manner in which two of these letters were received reveal much of the mindset of their respective civilisations, but more importantly, they provide an insight into the final end of those who ridicule or insult the Prophets of God. The first of these letters was sent to Heraclius, King of the Byzantine Empire, also known as the eastern Roman Empire with its capital in Constantinople. It simply read: "In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the slave of Allah and His Messenger to Hercules, King of the Romans. Blessed are those who follow true guidance. I invite you to embrace Islam so that you may live in security. If you come within the fold of Islam, Allah will give you a double reward, but in case you turn your back upon it, then the burden of the sins of all your people shall fall on your shoulders" [3 ] . The response of Heraclius was completely consistent with an empirical rational approach that was to become the forte of progressive western societies. He investigated, questioned and then arrived at an evidence-based conclusion free of bias. He summoned Abu Sufyan, who was the chief of the pagan Arabs and an adversary of the Prophet Muhammad, and placed behind him his companions, instructing them to contradict Abu Sufyan