Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent one of his Companions to the great men of the Days of Ignorance to invite them to Allah Almighty. That man (that is, the man of the Days of Ignorance) said: "Tell me about your Lord to whom you are inviting me: is He made of iron, or made of brass, or is He of silver, or of gold?" The Companion came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and told him about it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent that Companion to the man a second time, and he said the same thing again. The Companion came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and told him about it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent him to the man a third time, and he said the same thing again. The Companion again came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and told him about it, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah Almighty has sent down a thunderbolt upon your man, and it has burnt him." Then this verse was revealed: "And He sends thunderbolts and strikes with them whom He wills, while they dispute concerning Allah; and He is severe in seizing."
Imam Abu Ya'la recorded it, and Imam al-Bazzar recorded something similar, except that he recorded these words: He sent the Companion to a man from among the pharaohs of the Arabs, and the Companion said about him: "O Messenger of Allah, this man has shown defiance." When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent him to him a third time and he repeated the same words, then, while that disbeliever was talking with the Muslim, Allah Almighty sent a cloud which came right over that man's head; thunder rumbled in it, a thunderbolt came out of it, and his head was gone. Imam al-Tabarani recorded a similar narration in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and in it the words are: "Thunder rumbled in it and lightning flashed." The narrators of Imam al-Bazzar are the narrators of the Sahih, except for Daylam bin Ghazwan, and he is thiqah (trustworthy). Among the narrators of Imam Abu Ya'la and Imam al-Tabarani is Ali bin Abi Sarah, and he is da'if (weak).
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب التفسير / 11092
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسنادہ حسن
Hadith Takhrij«اخرجه البزار فى المسند (2221) اخرجه أبو يعلى فى المسند (3341) ، أخرجه المعجم الكبير للطبراني برقم: 37، وأخرجه المعجم الأوسط للطبراني برقم: 9123، 2623، وأخرجه البحر الزخار المعروف بمسند البزار 10 - 18 برقم: 7007»