al-Aratt.
He said: “I was a man who worked as a smith, and al-‘Āṣ ibn Wāʾil owed me a debt. I went to him to claim it, whereupon he said, ‘By Allah, I will not pay you until you disbelieve in Muhammad.’ I replied, ‘By Allah, I will never disbelieve in Muhammad—not until you die and are resurrected.’ He answered, ‘Well then, when I die and am resurrected, come to me; I shall have wealth and children at that time and will pay you (1).’
So Allah, Exalted is He, revealed:
“Have you seen the one who disbelieved in Our signs and said, ‘I shall surely be given wealth and children’? … and he will come to Us all alone” (Maryam 19:77–80).
Both al-Bukhārī and Muslim recorded it (2), as did others through several chains from al-Aʿmash.
In al-Bukhārī’s wording (3): “I was a smith in Mecca and I forged a sword for al-‘Āṣ ibn Wāʾil. I went to demand my payment,” and he related the rest of the incident.
Al-Bukhārī also said (4): “al-Humaydī narrated to us; Sufyān narrated to us; Bayān (5) and Ismāʿīl both said: We heard Qays say: I heard Khabbāb say: I came to the Prophet ﷺ while he was reclining on a cloak (6) in the shade of the Kaʿbah. We had been subjected to severe persecution by the idolaters, so I said, [‘O Messenger of Allah], will you not supplicate to Allah [for us]?’ He sat up, his face reddened, and said:
‘Those who were before you: a man would be combed with iron combs that tore flesh and nerves from his bones, yet that would not turn him away from his religion; and a saw (7) would be placed on the crown of his head, splitting him in two, yet that would not turn him away from his religion. By Allah, Allah will surely bring this matter to completion until a rider travels from Ṣan‘āʾ to Ḥaḍramawt fearing none but Allah ﷻ.’ ”
Bayān added: “and the wolf for his sheep.”
In another narration (8) he said, “But you are impatient.” This version is found only in al-Bukhārī, not Muslim.
The report has also come through another chain from Khabbāb in a shortened form—and Allah knows best.
Imām Aḥmad said (9): “ʿAbd al-Raḥmān narrated to us, from Sufyān; and Ibn Jaʿfar narrated to us, from Shuʿbah, from …”