Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 1600

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: A Bedouin from Banu Sa'd bin Bakr came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O young man of the descendants of Abd al-Muttalib! Peace be upon you." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "And upon you be peace." He said: "I am a man from your maternal relatives, from Banu Sa'd bin Bakr, and I have come to you as the messenger and delegate of my people. I am going to ask you some questions; in the questions put to you my tone may be sharp, and in my exchange with you there may be some severity." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "O man from Banu Sa'd! Speak!" He asked: "Who created you, and who created those before you? And who is the Creator of those after you?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "Allah Almighty." He said: "Then I ask you by Him: has He sent you?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "Yes!" He asked: "Who created the seven heavens and the seven earths, and who made provision flow between them?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "Allah Almighty." He said: "Then I ask you by Him: is it He who has sent you?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "Yes!" He said: "We have found this in your letter, and your messengers have commanded us that we offer five prayers in the day and night at their appointed times. I ask you by that Being: has He commanded you with this?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "Yes!" The man said: "We have found this in your letter, and your messengers have commanded us that we fast the month of Ramadan. So I ask you by that Being: has He commanded you with this as well?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "Yes!" He said: "We have found this in your letter, and your messengers have told us that we take a portion of our wealth and distribute it among our poor. I ask you by that Being: has He commanded you with this?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "Yes!" He said: "As for the fifth matter, I will not ask you about it, nor do I have any interest in it." The narrator says: He meant "indecencies (fawahish)." Then he said: "By the One who has sent you with the truth, I will act upon these things, and whoever from my people obeys me will act upon them too." Then the man went back, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) smiled until his molar teeth became visible. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If he is speaking the truth, he will certainly enter Paradise."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains Ata' bin al-Sa'ib, who is thiqah (trustworthy), but his memory became confused (ikhtilat).