Musnad Ahmad

It is narrated from Hazrat Rabee’ah (may Allah be pleased with him), who had witnessed the era of ignorance and later became a Muslim, that I saw the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) presenting his message to the people in the market called Dhul-Majaz, saying: “O people! Say La ilaha illallah so that you may succeed.” He would enter the streets and people would gather around him. No one was saying anything to him, and he kept repeating his words without pausing. Behind the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was a squint-eyed man, whose complexion was fair and who had two braids, and he was saying: “This man is irreligious and a liar” (God forbid). I asked, “Who is this person?” People replied, “This is Muhammad bin Abdullah, who claims prophethood.” I asked the people, “Who is the man behind him who is denying him?” People replied, “This is the uncle of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Lahab.” The narrator said to him, “You must have been very young at that time.” He replied, “No, by Allah, I was sensible at that time.”

It is narrated from Hazrat Rabee’ah (may Allah be pleased with him), who had witnessed the era of ignorance and later became a Muslim, that I saw the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) presenting his message to the people in the market called Dhul-Majaz, saying: “O people! Say La ilaha illallah so that you may succeed.” He would enter the streets and people would gather around him. No one was saying anything to him, and he kept repeating his words without pausing. Behind the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was a squint-eyed man, whose complexion was fair and who had two braids, and he was saying: “This man is irreligious and a liar” (God forbid). I asked, “Who is this person?” People replied, “This is Muhammad bin Abdullah, who claims prophethood.” I asked the people, “Who is the man behind him who is denying him?” People replied, “This is the uncle of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Lahab.” The narrator said to him, “You must have been very young at that time.” He replied, “No, by Allah, I was sensible at that time.”

Suraij narrated to us, Ibn Abi al-Zinad narrated to us, from his father, from Rabi'ah ibn 'Abbad al-Du'ali, and he was from the Jahiliyyah then accepted Islam, he said: I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he mentioned the hadith, he said: So I said: Who is this? They said: This is Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, and he is mentioning prophethood. I said: Who is this who is denying him? They said: This is his uncle Abu Lahab. Abu al-Zinad said: So I said to Rabi'ah ibn 'Abbad: On that day you were young. He said: No, by Allah, on that day I was discerning, for I used to carry the water-skin.