Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (5/371)

from Muḥammad ibn Kaʿb, who said:
“I was told that ʿUtbah ibn Rabīʿah was a forbearing noble…” The narrator related the report up to the words:
‘When he sat with them they asked, “What news do you bring us, Abū al-Walīd?”
He replied, “The news is that—by Allah—I have just heard speech the like of which I have never heard before. By Allah, it is neither poetry, nor sorcery, nor soothsaying. People of Quraysh, listen to me and leave the matter to me: keep clear of this man and let him pursue what he is upon. By Allah, the words I have heard from him are bound to become momentous. If the other Arabs overcome him, then you will have been spared dealing with him yourselves; but if he prevails over the Arabs, his dominion will be your dominion, his honor your honor, and you will be the happiest of people because of him.”
They said, “By Allah, Abū al-Walīd, he has cast a spell over you with his tongue!”
He answered, “This is my advice to you; act as you see fit.” He then cited verses by Abū Ṭālib praising ʿUtbah for what he had said.’

مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، قَالَ: حُدِّثْتُ أَنَّ عُتْبَةَ بْنَ رَبِيعَةَ وَكَانَ سَيِّدًا حَلِيمًا. . وَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ إِلَى أَنْ قَالَ: " لَمَّا جَلَسَ إِلَيْهِمْ قَالُوا: مَا وَرَاءَكَ يَا أَبَا الْوَلِيدِ، قَالَ: وَرَائِي أَنِّي - وَاللَّهِ - قَدْ سَمِعْتُ قَوْلًا مَا سَمِعْتُ بِمِثْلِهِ قَطُّ، وَاللَّهِ مَا هُوَ بِالشِّعْرِ وَلَا السِّحْرِ وَلَا الْكِهَانَةِ، يَا مَعْشَرَ قُرَيْشٍ أَطِيعُونِي، وَاجْعَلُوهَا بِي، خَلُّوا بَيْنَ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ وَبَيْنَ مَا هُوَ فِيهِ، وَاعْتَزِلُوهُ، فَوَاللَّهِ لَيَكُونَنَّ لِقَوْلِهِ الَّذِي سَمِعْتُ نَبَأٌ، فَإِنْ تُصِيبُهُ الْعَرَبُ فَقَدْ كَفَيْتُمُوهُ بِغَيْرِكُمْ، وَإِنْ يَظْهَرْ عَلَى الْعَرَبِ فَمُلْكُهُ مُلْكُكُمْ، وَعِزُّهُ عِزُّكُمْ، وَكُنْتُمْ أَسْعَدَ النَّاسِ بِهِ، فَقَالُوا: سَحَرَكَ - وَاللَّهِ - يَا أَبَا الْوَلِيدِ بِلِسَانِهِ، قَالَ: هَذَا رَأْيِي لَكُمْ فَاصْنَعُوا مَا بَدَا لَكُمْ،. ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ شِعْرَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ يَمْدَحُ عُتْبَةَ فِيمَا قَالَ.