They had wanted to harm him but were unable to reach him; once they understood what he had told them and accepted it as true, they left him alone and went away.

Yūnus ibn Bukayr reports from Ibn Isḥāq that Abū Ṭālib composed three odes on that occasion (1).

Such is Ibn Isḥāq’s account, which he gives without his own chain of transmission, though a similar version exists with an unbroken, elevated isnād.

Al-ḥāfiẓ Abū Bakr al-Kharāʾiṭī (2) said: “ʿAbbās ibn Muḥammad al-Dūrī narrated to us; Qurrād Abū Nūḥ narrated to us; Yūnus ibn Abī Isḥāq (3) narrated to us, from Abū Bakr ibn Abī Mūsā, from his father, who said:

‘Abū Ṭālib set out for Syria, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went with him, together with some elders of Quraysh. When they came into view of the monk—meaning Baḥīrā—they dismounted and unpacked their loads. The monk came out to them, though before this they had often passed him and he had neither come out nor paid them any attention.

He approached while they were unloading, moved among them, took the Prophet’s ﷺ hand, and said, “This is the master of all beings.” (Al-Bayhaqī’s version (4) adds: “This is the Messenger of the Lord of all beings; Allah has sent him as a mercy to the worlds.”)

The elders of Quraysh asked, “How do you know that?” (5)

He replied, “When you appeared from the pass, not a tree nor a stone remained without prostrating itself; they prostrate only to a prophet. I also recognize him by the Seal of Prophethood that lies beneath the cartilage of his shoulder.”

He then went back and prepared a meal for them. When he brought it—while the Prophet ﷺ was tending the camels—he said, “Send for him.” The Prophet ﷺ came, and a cloud was shading him.

As he approached, the monk said, “Look at him—there is a cloud above him!” When he reached the group he found they had already taken the tree’s shade, but when he sat down the shade inclined toward him.

The monk said, “Look—the shade of the tree has inclined toward him!”

While he was standing among them, imploring them not to take the boy to the Romans—for if the Romans see him and recognize him by his description they will kill him—he turned and saw seven Romans approaching.

He went to meet them and asked, “What has brought you here?”

They said, “We have come because the prophet who is to appear this month is on the move. No road has been left without people being dispatched to it, and we have been informed that his route passes by your road.” [He asked, “Have you left behind anyone better than yourselves?” They replied, “No, we were simply informed of his whereabouts and directed to your road.”] (6)

He said, “Tell me: if Allah has decreed a matter, can any human being avert it?”

They answered, “No.”

He said, “Then pledge allegiance to him.” They pledged allegiance and stayed with him.

The monk then said, “I adjure you by Allah—who is his guardian?” They said, “Abū Ṭālib.” He kept pleading with him until Abū Ṭālib took the boy back. Abū Bakr sent Bilāl with him, and the monk supplied them with some cakes and olive oil.

Al-Tirmidhī (7) recorded this narration from Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Faḍl ibn Sahl al-Aʿraj, from Qurrād Abū Nūḥ.