Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (1/266)

[The Conversion of the Arab Christians Who Embraced Islam]
Section
When the first revelation descended upon him—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—his wife Khadijah presented his situation to a prominent Christian scholar named Waraqah ibn Nawfal, one of the Arabs who had adopted Christianity. He said, “This is the nāmūs (the Angel of Revelation) who used to come to Moses son of ʿImrān. How I wish I could be a vigorous youth when your people drive you out!”—that is, “how I wish I were young,” for he was an elderly man whose sight had failed.
The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—asked, “Will they really drive me out?” He replied, “Yes. No one has ever brought what you have brought without encountering hostility. If I live to see that day, I shall support you with decisive aid.” This report is recorded by the compilers of the authentic collections.
A group of Christians from the People of the Book later came to him in Mecca and believed in him. The polytheists harmed them, yet they remained patient and endured the abuse. Concerning them Allah revealed:

[إِسْلَامُ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ مِنْ نَصَارَى الْعَرَبِ] فَصْلٌ «وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْوَحْيُ، عَرَضَتْ خَدِيجَةُ امْرَأَتُهُ أَمْرَهُ عَلَى عَالِمٍ كَبِيرٍ مِنْ عُلَمَاءِ النَّصَارَى يُقَالُ لَهُ وَرَقَةُ بْنُ نَوْفَلٍ، وَكَانَ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ الْمُتَنَصِّرَةِ، فَقَالَ: هَذَا هُوَ النَّامُوسُ الَّذِي كَانَ يَأْتِي مُوسَى بْنَ عِمْرَانَ، يَا لَيْتَنِي أَكُونُ فِيهَا جَذَعًا حِينَ يُخْرِجُكَ قَوْمُكَ. يَعْنِي: لَيْتَنِي أَكُونُ شَابًّا فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا، قَدْ كُفَّ بَصَرُهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَوَمُخْرِجِيَّ هُمْ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، لَمْ يَأْتِ أَحَدٌ بِمِثْلِ مَا أَتَيْتَ بِهِ إِلَّا عُودِيَ، وَإِنْ يُدْرِكْنِي يَوْمُكَ أَنْصُرْكَ نَصْرًا مُؤَزَّرًا» . رَوَاهُ أَصْحَابُ الصَّحِيحِ. وَقَدِمَ إِلَيْهِ بِمَكَّةَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مِنَ النَّصَارَى، فَآمَنُوا بِهِ، فَآذَاهُمُ الْمُشْرِكُونَ، فَصَبَرُوا وَاحْتَمَلُوا أَذَاهُمْ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِمْ: