and does not eat from charity, and between his shoulder-blades is the seal of prophethood. Should you live to see him, follow him and believe in him.”

I asked, “Even if he commands me to leave Christianity?” He said, “Yes. He is a prophet who commands only what is right and speaks only the truth. By Allah, if I were to meet him and he ordered me to throw myself into the fire, I would do it.”

We then departed from Jerusalem and passed by that cripple once more. The man said to my companion, “You came in and gave me nothing; now you are leaving—give me something.” My companion looked around and, seeing no one, said, “Give me your hand.” He took the beggar’s hand and said, “Rise, by Allah’s leave.” The man rose up, whole and sound, and headed toward his family while I kept my eyes on him, astonished at what I had seen. My companion hurried on and I followed him, but a caravan of the tribe of Kalb overtook me. They abused me, hoisted me onto a camel, bound me, and sold me from one trader to another until I was brought to Madinah.

There a man from the Anṣār bought me and put me to work in his orchard. It was there that I learned to weave palm fronds: I would buy the raw fronds for one dirham, braid them, and sell the finished work for two, spending one dirham— for I liked to eat from the earnings of my own hands. (At the time I am relating this, I am the governor over twenty thousand men.)

While we were in Madinah news reached us that a man in Mecca claimed that Allah had sent him. We remained as Allah willed, and then he emigrated to us. I said to myself, “I shall test him.” So I went and bought camel meat for a dirham, cooked it, and prepared a bowl of tharīd. I carried it on my shoulder and set it before him. He asked, “Is this charity or a gift?” I replied, “Charity.” He said to his Companions, “Eat, in the name of Allah,” but he himself did not eat.

A few days later I bought meat again, prepared the dish, and brought it to him. He asked, “What is this?” I said, “A gift.” He said to his Companions, “Eat, in the name of Allah,” and he ate with them. I looked and saw between his shoulders the seal of prophethood, the size of a pigeon’s egg, and I embraced Islam.

Then I asked him, “O Messenger of Allah, what do you say about the Christians?” He replied, “There is no good in them.” A few days later I asked again and he said, “There is no good in them, nor in anyone who loves them.” I said to myself, “By Allah, I do love them.” At that time the Prophet had already begun dispatching expeditions and had unsheathed the sword; one detachment would return while another set out, the blade still dripping. I thought, “If I tell him now that I love them, he will send…"