and stand behind the Messenger of Allah.’ The other angel objected, ‘How can we stand behind him when only a moment ago he was touching the idols?’ Jābir continued: After that the Prophet ﷺ never again attended the gatherings of the idol-worshippers. This narration is reported solely by Jarīr; the only person to transmit it from him is al-Bukhārī’s shaykh, ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shaybah, and it is regarded as munkar (rejected).

Ibrāhīm ibn Ṭahmān said: Budayl ibn Maysarah narrated to us, from ʿAbd al-Karīm, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Shuqayq, from his father, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī al-Ḥamsāʾ, who said: I concluded a sale with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ before he was commissioned as a Prophet. A balance remained in his favour, and I promised to bring it to him at that same spot. I forgot about it that day and the next, but on the third day I came and found him still waiting. He said, ‘Young man, you have caused me hardship; I have been here waiting for you for three days.’ Abū Dāwūd recorded this ḥadīth.

Al-Khaḍir ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Azdī told us: Abū Muḥammad ibn al-Bann related to us, my grandfather related to us, Abū al-Qāsim ʿAlī ibn Abī al-ʿAlāʾ related to us, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Naṣr related to us, ʿAlī ibn Abī al-ʿUqab related to us, Aḥmad ibn Ibrāhīm narrated to us, Muḥammad ibn ʿĀʾidh narrated to us, al-Walīd narrated to me, Muʿāwiyah ibn Sallām informed me, from his grandfather Abū Sallām al-Aswad, from an unnamed transmitter, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“While I was on the heights of Mecca, suddenly a rider dressed in black appeared and asked, ‘Is there in this town a man called Aḥmad?’ I replied, ‘There is no Aḥmad or Muḥammad here besides me.’ He struck the fore-leg of his mount and it knelt down, then he came to me, uncovered my shoulder, and looked at the seal that lies between my shoulders. He asked, ‘Are you the Prophet of Allah?’ I said, ‘Am I a prophet?’ He answered, ‘Yes.’ I asked, ‘With what have I been sent?’ He replied, ‘With the striking of the necks of your people.’ Then he asked, ‘Have you any provisions?’ I went out and came to Khadījah and informed her.”