“So the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—made his camel kneel, and we set out the food-cloth before him. Zayd said, ‘I do not eat anything that has been slaughtered for other than Allah.’ The two then separated, and the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—came and circumambulated the House.

Zayd said, ‘I was with him. Two bronze idols called Isaf and Na’ilah stood facing the Kaʿbah; whenever people performed tawaf they would rub themselves against them. The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, “Do not touch them or seek blessing by rubbing against them.”

‘I said to myself—after we had completed the circuits—“I will touch them and see what he says.” So I touched them, and the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, “Were you not forbidden?” By the One who honoured him, I never again touched them until Allah revealed the Book to him.’

Zayd ibn ʿAmr ibn Nufayl died before Islam, and the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘He will be raised on the Day of Resurrection as a community unto himself.’ Al-Bukhari narrated a hadith about the journey of Zayd ibn ʿAmr similar to this.”