Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 13912

Muhammad bin Ka'b al-Qurazi narrates: Once Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting in the mosque. Meanwhile a man passed by him from the rear part of the mosque, and a man said: "O Commander of the Faithful! Do you recognise this man who is coming?" He said: "No! Who is he?" He said: "This is Sawad bin Qarib. He is a man from the people of Yemen who holds a prominent position in Yemen, and his familiar spirit had told him about the appearance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Bring him to me." They called him and brought him, and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: "Are you Sawad bin Qarib?" He replied: "Yes!" Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: "Are you the man whose familiar spirit told him about the appearance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?" He replied: "Yes!" Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Are you still practising the soothsaying you used to practise before?" He became extremely angry, and the man said: "O Commander of the Faithful! Since I accepted Islam, no one has ever confronted me with such a thing." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Subhan Allah! The polytheism we people followed was a greater thing than the soothsaying you followed. Now tell me how you learned that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was about to appear." He said: "Yes! O Commander of the Faithful! One night I was in a state between sleep and wakefulness, and meanwhile my familiar spirit came to me. He struck me with his foot and said: 'O Sawad bin Qarib! Get up, understand the matter and keep it in mind, if you can understand. A Messenger has been sent from Lu'ayy bin Ghalib, who will call to Allah Almighty and to His worship.' Then he recited these verses: 'I marvel at the jinn and their spying, that they have put cloths on the camels and are heading to Makkah seeking guidance; the best of the jinn are not like their unclean ones. So you too journey to the chosen one from Hashim, and with your two eyes set your mark upon his head (that is, behold him).'" Sawad bin Qarib says: "I paid no attention to what he said, and I said: 'Leave me alone; I was already drowsy this evening.' When the next night came, he came to me again, struck me with his foot again and said: 'O Sawad bin Qarib! Did I not tell you to get up, understand and keep it in mind, if you can keep it in mind, that a Messenger has been sent from Lu'ayy bin Ghalib who calls to Allah Almighty and to His worship?' Then that jinn recited these verses: 'I marvel at the jinn and their seeking, that they have tied the saddles on the camels and are heading to Makkah seeking guidance; the truthful jinn is not like the lying one. So go to the chosen one from (the family of) Hashim; its front is not like its tail (that is, its rear).'" The narrator says: "I paid no attention to what he said. When the third night came, he came to me again, struck me with his foot and said: 'O Sawad bin Qarib! Did I not tell you to understand and keep it in mind, if you can keep it in mind, that a Messenger has been sent from Lu'ayy bin Ghalib who calls to Allah Almighty and His worship?' Then that jinn recited these verses: 'I marvel at the jinn and their giving of news, that they have loaded their gear on the camels and are heading to Makkah seeking guidance; the believing jinn are not like the disbelieving jinn. So go to the chosen one from (the family of) Hashim, who is there between the high ground and the stones of that land.'" The narrator says: "Then love of Islam and a longing for it arose in my heart. When morning came, I tied the saddle on my mount and set off for Makkah. At some place on the way I learned that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had migrated to Madinah, so I came to Madinah. I asked about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and was told that he would be in the mosque. I came to the mosque and tied up my mount. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was seated, with people around him. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, please listen to what I have to say!' Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'Let him come near!' I came near, and I kept coming nearer until I was right in front of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Tell me! What did your familiar spirit come and say?' So I said: 'My familiar spirit came to me while I was in a state between sleep and wakefulness; whenever I had tested him before this, he had not proved to be a liar. He kept coming to me for three nights, and each time he kept telling me: A Messenger from Lu'ayy bin Ghalib has come to you. So I began preparing for the journey, and a sturdy, well-fed she-camel with a large mouth carried me through the deserts. I bear witness that Allah Almighty is the One besides whom there is no other god, and that you are trustworthy regarding everything unseen. Among the Messengers you are the nearest (or most fitting) as a means of approach to the presence of Allah Almighty, O son of the most honoured and the purest people! Command us regarding what (religion) has come to you, O best of all Messengers, even if what (religion or command) has come should turn the locks of hair white. And be my intercessor on the Day when there will be no intercessor besides you who could be of any use to Sawad bin Qarib.'" The narrator says: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions were very pleased at my acceptance of Islam, so much so that this could be seen on their faces." (When he narrated this incident during the caliphate of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), then) the narrator says: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) got up and went towards him, embraced him and said: "I wanted to hear this from your own lips."
Al-Tabarani recorded it.