16
In the two Ṣaḥīḥ collections it is narrated from Abū Hurayrah that he said:
“Abū Jahl once asked, ‘Does Muḥammad still press his face to the ground in front of you?’
They replied, ‘Yes.’
He said, ‘By al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā, if I catch him doing that I will surely trample his neck!’
Yet the next moment they saw him suddenly retreat, stepping backward and shielding himself with his hands. They asked, ‘What is the matter with you?’
He replied, ‘Between me and him there lies a trench of fire, terror, and wings!’
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then said, ‘Had he come any closer, the angels would have snatched him away, limb by limb.’
Thereupon Allah the Exalted revealed:
فَفِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ:
«قَالَ أَبُو جَهْلٍ هَلْ يُعَفِّرُ مُحَمَّدٌ وَجْهَهُ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِكُمْ؟
قِيلَ:
نَعَمْ.
قَالَ:
وَاللَّاتِ وَالْعُزَّى لَئِنْ رَأَيْتُهُ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ لَأَطَأَنَّ عَلَى رَقَبَتِهِ. فَمَا فَجَأَهُمْ مِنْهُ إِلَّا وَهُوَ يَنْكِصُ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ وَيَتَّقِي بِيَدَيْهِ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ مَا لَكَ؟
قَالَ:
إِنَّ بَيْنِي، وَبَيْنَهُ لَخَنْدَقًا مِنْ نَارٍ وَهَوْلًا وَأَجْنِحَةً.
فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:
" لَوْ دَنَا مِنِّي لَاخْتَطَفَتْهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ عُضْوًا عُضْوًا»
وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: