Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 11483

Abd al-Rahman bin Khalid al-Adwani narrates from his father that he saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the eastern part of (the territory of) Thaqif. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was standing at that time holding a bow, or perhaps a staff, and he had come to the people of Thaqif to seek their help. The narrator says: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reciting Surah al-Tariq; he recited the whole surah, and I memorized the entire surah. This was in the Days of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah), and I was a polytheist at that time. Then later, after becoming Muslim, I recited this surah as well. Once the people of Thaqif called me and said: "Did you hear anything from this man?" I recited Surah al-Tariq to them. The people of Quraysh who were with the people of Thaqif said: "We know our own man better. If we knew that what he says is the truth, we would have followed him."
Ahmad and Tabarani recorded it. The narrator Abd al-Rahman is mentioned by Ibn Abi Hatim, and no one has criticized him; the rest of its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).