As it has been mentioned above, after the Treaty of Ḥudaibiyyah, as a result of the agreement with the Makkans, the Holy Prophet(sa) found himself somewhat free from Jihād by the sword. Making use of this opportunity and in light of the universal mission of Islām, the first undertaking of the Holy Prophet(sa) was to propose that letters be dispatched to the leaders of various kingdoms inviting them to Islām. In this manner, the message of Islām would be conveyed to these leaders and through them, to the common people. For this was the primary purpose of the mission of the Holy Prophet(sa). As such, immediately after his return from Ḥudaibiyyah, the Holy Prophet(sa) consulted his companions on this matter. When it was mentioned to him that the common practice of worldly leaders is that they do not give regard to letters which have not been attested with a seal, the Holy Prophet(sa) had a silver ring prepared, which had the words Muḥammadur-Rasūlullāhi engraved on it.1 With the thought of keeping the name of God the Exalted, superior and prominent, the order of the words as set by the Holy Prophet(sa) were that the word Allāh was written at the very top. The word Rusūl was engraved in the middle and the word Muḥammad was placed in the lowermost line.2 Furthermore, since these letters were meant to take an imprint of this ring, to facilitate this purpose, these words were reversely engraved on the ring itself, so that when its imprint is put down, the words appeared straight, like the printing of a press.3
Therefore, this ring of the Holy Prophet(sa) always remained on his finger and after his demise, Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr(ra), the first Caliph wore it on his finger. After him it remained on the finger of Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar(ra), the second Caliph and then Ḥaḍrat ‘Uthman(ra), the third Caliph, until one day it fell from his hand into a well named Arīs and was lost.4 Ḥaḍrat ‘Uthman(ra) and his companions searched for three days, and emptied the well of all its water, but the ring was no where to be found.5
1 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-‘Ilm, Bābu Mā Yudhkaru Fil-Munāwalati Wa Kitābu Ahlil-‘Ilmi Bil-‘Ilmi Ilal-Buldān, Ḥadīth No. 65
Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Jihādi Was-Siyar, Bābu Da‘watil-Yahūdiyyi Wan-Naṣrāniyyi..., Ḥadīth No. 2938
2 Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, p. 3, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was-Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) — (Note: This reference is authenticated by the letter of the Holy Prophet(sa) to Maqauqis of Egypt, the original of which has been discovered, and we have included its facsimile in this book ahead.)
3 Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 5, p. 3, Wa Ammā Mukātabatuhū ‘Alaihiṣ-Ṣalātu Was-Salāmu Ilal-Mulūki Wa Ghairihim, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) — (Furthermore, refer to the copy of the letter of the Holy Prophet(sa) to Maqauqis of Egypt, which has been included at another place in this book, wherein the writing Muḥammadur-Rasūlullāhī can be seen written straight, which is clear evidence of the fact that the engraving on the original ring was in reverse.)
4 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Libās, Bābu Khātamil-Fiḍḍah, Ḥadīth No. 5866
5 Musnad, By Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal
Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Libās, Bābu Hal Yuj‘alu Naqshul-Khātami Thālathata Aṣṭurin, Ḥadīth No. 5879 [Publishers]