Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 9824

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: One day the Quraysh gathered regarding the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "Look for the one among you who knows the most about magic, soothsaying and poetry, and let him go to this man who has scattered our community, dispersed our affairs and found fault with our religion. Let him talk to him and then see what reply he gives him." They said: "As far as we know, this quality is found in Utbah bin Rabi'ah." They said: "O Abu al-Walid, you do this." Utbah came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Muhammad! Are you better, or (your father) Abdullah?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent. He asked: "Are you better, or Abd al-Muttalib?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent. He said: "If you think that these people are better than you, then they used to worship the very gods you find fault with; and if you think that you are better than them, then speak so that we may hear what you say. By Allah! We have never seen any displeasure more ill-omened for a people than yours has been for your people. You have scattered our unity, dispersed our affairs, found fault with our religion and disgraced us among the Arabs, until it has spread among them that there is a magician in the Quraysh and that there is a soothsayer in the Quraysh. By Allah! We are only waiting for something like the scream of a woman in labour, and then we will come at one another with swords and annihilate one another. O man, if you have some need, we will gather our wealth for you until you become the richest man of the Quraysh. If you wish to marry, choose whichever women of the Quraysh you like, and we will marry you to ten women." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: "Have you finished?" He replied: "Yes." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited these verses: "Ha Mim. A revelation from the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful", up to this verse: "But if they turn away, then say: I warn you of a thunderbolt (of punishment) like the thunderbolt (of punishment) of Ad and Thamud." Utbah said: "Enough, enough! Do you have nothing other than this?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "No." Utbah went back to the Quraysh. They asked: "What happened?" He said: "I said to him everything that you used to mention about him." They asked: "Then what reply did he give you?" Utbah replied: "By the One who set up the building (that is, built the Ka'bah), I did not understand anything of what he said, except that he said: 'I warn you of a thunderbolt (of punishment) like the thunderbolt (of punishment) of Ad and Thamud.'" They said: "Woe to you! A man speaks with you in Arabic and you do not understand what he is saying?" He said: "By Allah! I did not understand anything of what he said, except the mention of the thunderbolt."
Abu Ya'la recorded it. Its chain contains al-Ajlah al-Kindi, whom Yahya bin Ma'in and others declared thiqah (trustworthy), while al-Nasa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) and others called him da'if (weak). The remaining narrators of this report are thiqat (trustworthy).