Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 39300 — What the Prophet (peace and blessings)

Abu Bakr bin Abi Musa narrates from his father (may Allah be pleased with him) that Abu Talib set out for Syria, and with him were the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and some elders of Quraysh. When they reached the monk, they made camp and dismounted from their mounts. The monk came out to them. Before this they used to pass by the monk, but he would not come out to them nor pay them any attention. The narrator said: While they were dismounting from their mounts, the monk began to move about among them, until he came and took the hand of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "This is the master of the worlds, and this is the messenger of the Lord of the worlds, and Allah Almighty has sent him as a mercy to the worlds." The men of Quraysh said to the monk: "What do you know of this?" He said: "When you came up from the mountain pass, no tree and no stone remained without bowing down in prostration, and these things prostrate only to prophets. And I recognize him by the seal of prophethood, which is below the soft bone of his shoulder, like an apple." 2. Then the monk returned and prepared food for them (the people of the caravan). When he brought the food to the people of the caravan, he (peace and blessings be upon him) was (assigned to) guarding the camels. The monk said: "Send (someone) to him." So he (peace and blessings be upon him) came, and a cloud was shading him (peace and blessings be upon him). The monk said: "Look at him! There is a cloud over him shading him." When he (peace and blessings be upon him) drew near the people, they had already gone ahead into the shade of the tree. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) sat down, the shade of the tree inclined toward him (peace and blessings be upon him). The monk said: "Look at the shade of the tree: it (too) has leaned toward him." 3. The narrator said: While the monk was standing by the people of the caravan and urging them not to take him to the Romans, because if the Romans saw him they would recognize him by (his) attributes and kill him, he turned and saw a group of nine (9) men who had come from the Romans. The monk turned toward them and asked: "What has brought you here?" They said: "We have received word that this prophet is to come forth in this very month. So no road remains without people having been sent to it. We have been informed about him, and we have been sent to this road of yours." The monk said to them: "Have you left behind you anyone better than yourselves?" They said: "No! We were informed of news about him only on this road of yours." The monk said: "Tell me about a matter that Allah Almighty has resolved to bring about: can anyone among people turn it back?" They said: "No!" The narrator said: So they accepted what the monk said and stayed with him. 4. Then the monk came to the people of the caravan and said: "I adjure you by Allah! Who is the guardian of this (boy)?" Abu Talib said: "I am his guardian." The monk kept pressing Abu Talib until Abu Talib sent him (peace and blessings be upon him) back, and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sent Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) with him (peace and blessings be upon him). The monk gave him (peace and blessings be upon him) cake and olive oil as provisions for the journey.