“You see,” he continued, “what affected me was that I went to that scholar and questioned him about various matters. Then I said to him, ‘Tell me about the Prophet who is awaited.’
He answered, ‘He is a man from among the Arabs.’
I said, ‘I already know he is an Arab, but from which branch of the Arabs?’ He replied, ‘From a household to which the Arabs make pilgrimage.’
I said, ‘Among us there is a House to which the Arabs make pilgrimage.’
He responded, ‘He is one of your own kinsmen—of Quraysh.’
By Allah, something seized me then the like of which I had never felt before; the gain of this world and the next slipped from my grasp, for I had hoped I might be that very man. I said, ‘When the matter comes to pass, describe him to me.’
He said, ‘He will be a young man just entering middle age. At the outset of his mission he will shun injustice and all that is unlawful; he will maintain the ties of kinship and command that they be maintained. Though in need, he will be noble on both sides of his lineage, of moderate standing within his clan, and the greater part of his host will be angels.’
I asked, ‘What will be the sign of that?’
He replied, ‘Since the death of Jesus son of Mary—peace be upon him—Syria has experienced thirty tremors, each of which brought a calamity. One general tremor remains, and it will bring many calamities.’
Abū Sufyān said: I declared, ‘By Allah, this is false! If Allah were to send a Messenger, He would only choose an aged nobleman.’
Umayyah said, ‘By the One by whom you swore, it is exactly as the Christian told us, Abū Sufyān, yet you say the Christian’s word is true. Shall we spend the night here?’ I said, ‘Yes—what loss is there for me in that?’
So we stayed the night until our baggage joined us, and then we set out again. When we were two nights’ journey from Mecca, a rider overtook us from behind. We questioned him and he said, ‘After you left, a quake struck the people of Syria, destroying them and bringing upon them terrible calamities.’
Abū Sufyān said: Umayyah turned to me and asked, ‘What do you think of the Christian’s statement now, Abū Sufyān?’ I replied, ‘By Allah, I see—and I am inclined to believe—that what your companion told you is true.’
Abū Sufyān said: We reached Mecca, where I settled my accounts. Then I set out to Yemen on a trading journey and stayed there for five months before returning to Mecca. While I was at home, people came to greet me and enquire about their goods until Muḥammad son of ʿAbd Allāh arrived, Hind being with me and playing with her children. He greeted me, welcomed me, and asked about my journey and my stay, yet he did not ask about his merchandise, and then he left.
I said to Hind, ‘By Allah, that pleases me: everyone in Quraysh who had goods with me has asked about them, but this man has not asked about his.’
Hind replied, ‘Do you not know his affair?’ Startled, I asked, ‘What affair?’ She said, ‘He claims that he is the Messenger of Allah.’ Her words jolted me, and I recalled the Christian’s statement.