Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (سيرة 1/60)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

—about what I wish to ask you.” They say that he replied, “Do not question me by al-Lat and al-‘Uzza, for by Allah I have never loathed anything as much as I loathe them.” The monk said, “Then, by Allah, tell me what I ask you.” He began to question him about various matters of his life, and everything matched the description he possessed. He then inspected the place of the Seal of Prophethood on his back. Turning to Abu Talib he asked, “What relation is he to you?” Abu Talib answered, “He is my son.” The monk said, “His father ought not to be alive.” Abu Talib replied, “He is my nephew.” The monk warned, “Take him back and guard him from the Jews. By Allah, if they see him and recognize what I have recognized, they will wish him harm. Your nephew has a momentous future before him.” Abu Talib therefore departed quickly and, once his business was finished, brought him back to Mecca. Such is the report.

Al-Muʿtamar ibn Sulayman related: My father told me, from Abu Majliz, that Abu Talib traveled to Syria with Muhammad. They halted at a certain place, and a monk came to them saying, “There is a righteous man among you.” Then he asked, “Who is the father of this boy?” Abu Talib replied, “I am his guardian.” The monk said, “Protect him and do not take him on to Syria. The Jews are a jealous people, and I fear for him.” So Abu Talib turned back.

Ibn Saʿd said: Muhammad ibn ʿUmar informed us, narrating from ʿAbd Allah ibn Jaʿfar and others, on the authority of Dawud ibn al-Husayn, that Abu Talib set out as a merchant to Syria, taking Muhammad with him. They stopped with Bahira … and the account continues.

Yunus narrated from Ibn Shihab in a lengthy report: When he neared puberty, Abu Talib took him on a trading journey. They halted at Tayma, where a Jewish scholar of Tayma saw him and asked Abu Talib, “Who is this boy?” He replied, “He is my nephew.” The scholar said, “By Allah, if you carry him on to Syria you will never return him to your family; the Jews will kill him, for he is their enemy.” Abu Talib therefore brought him back from Tayma to Mecca.

عما أسألك عنه، فزعموا أنه قال: لا تسألني باللات والعزى، فوالله ما أبغضت بغضهما شيئا قط. فقال له: فبالله إلا ما أخبرتني عما أسألك عنه، فجعل يسأله عن أشياء من حاله، فتوافق ما عنده من الصفة. ثم نظر فيه أثر خاتم النبوة، فأقبل على أبي طالب، فقال: ما هو منك؟ قال: ابني. قال: ما ينبغي أن يكون أبوه حيا. قال: فإنه ابن أخي. قال: ارجع به واحذر عليه اليهود، فوالله لئن رأوه وعرفوا منه ما عرفته ليبغنه شرا، فإنه كائن لابن أخيك شأن. فخرج به أبو طالب سريعا حتى أقدمه مكة حين فرغ من تجارته. وذكر الحديث. وقال معتمر بن سليمان: حدثني أبي، عن أبي مجلز: أن أبا طالب سافر إلى الشام ومعه محمد، فنزل منزلا، فأتاه راهب، فقال: فيكم رجل صالح، ثم قال: أين أبو هذا الغلام؟ قال أبو طالب: ها أنذا وليه. قال: احتفظ به ولا تذهب به إلى الشام، إن اليهود قوم حسد، وإني أخشاهم عليه. فرده. وقال ابن سعد: أخبرنا محمد بن عمر، قال: حدثني عبد الله بن جعفر وجماعة، عن داود بن الحصين، أن أبا طالب خرج تاجرا إلى الشام، ومعه محمد، فنزلوا ببحيرا ... الحديث. وروى يونس عن ابن شهاب حديثا طويلا فيه: فلما ناهز الاحتلام، ارتحل به أبو طالب تاجرا، فنزل تيماء فرآه حبر من يهود تيماء، فقال لأبي طالب: ما هذا الغلام؟ قال: هو ابن أخي، قال: فوالله إن قدمت به الشام لا تصل به إلى أهلك أبدا، لتقتلنه اليهود إنه عدوهم. فرجع به أبو طالب من تيماء إلى مكة.