The Story of Ibn Salām’s Conversion to Islam:

ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Ṣuhayb related on the authority of Anas: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām came and said, “I bear witness that you are truly the Messenger of Allah. The Jews know that I am their chief and the son of their chief, the most learned among them and the son of their most learned. Summon them and ask them about me before they learn that I have embraced Islam.”

The Prophet ﷺ sent for them and they arrived. He said, “O assembly of Jews, woe to you! Fear Allah. By Him besides whom there is no god, you know that I am the Messenger of Allah—so accept Islam.” They replied, “We do not know that.” He repeated this to them three times and then asked, “What sort of man is ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām among you?” They said, “He is our chief and the son of our chief, our most learned man and the son of our most learned man.” He said, “What would you say if he were to accept Islam?” They exclaimed, “Allah forbid! He would never become a Muslim.” He then said, “Ibn Salām, come out to them.”

Ibn Salām emerged and said, “Woe to you! Fear Allah. By Him besides whom there is no god, you know that he is truly the Messenger of Allah.” They retorted, “You have lied,” whereupon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ dismissed them. Al-Bukhārī records this report in a longer version.

Al-Bukhārī also transmits—from Ḥumayd, on the authority of Anas—that when ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām heard of the Prophet’s arrival while he was in his field, he came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “I am going to ask you about three matters that only a prophet can know: What is the first of the portents of the Hour? What will be the first food the people of Paradise eat? And why does a child sometimes resemble its father and sometimes its mother?”

The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Gabriel has just informed me of them.” Ibn Salām said, “That is the angel whom the Jews regard as their enemy.” Then the Prophet recited: “Say, whoever is an enemy to Gabriel—for it is he who has brought it down upon your heart” (Q 2:97). He continued: “The first of the portents of the Hour is a fire that will drive the people from the East to the West. The first food the people of Paradise will eat is the extra lobe of a great fish’s liver. And when the man’s fluid outstrips the woman’s, the child—"