Abraham and about his way. He is reported to have remained in that state of search until he reached Mosul and the whole region of al-Jazīrah. From there he turned back toward Syria, roaming through it until he met a monk in a church in the land of al-Balqāʾ—said to be a foremost authority on Christianity. Zayd asked him about al-Ḥanīfiyyah, the religion of Abraham.

The monk replied, “You are inquiring about a religion for which, today, you will find no one to carry you upon it. Its knowledge has faded and those who knew it have vanished. Yet the emergence of a Prophet is now imminent, and this is his era.”

Zayd had already examined Judaism and Christianity but found no satisfaction in either. As soon as he heard the monk’s words, he hurried off, intending to return to Mecca. When he reached the territory of the Lakhm tribe, however, they attacked and killed him.

Waraqah ibn Nawfal composed an elegy for him:
“You chose the right path and prospered, O son of ʿAmr,
for you avoided a furnace of blazing fire.
You worshipped a Lord unrivaled by any lord
and left the idols, those false gods, just as they stood.
The mercy of one’s Lord may still overtake a man
even were he buried beneath sixty valleys of earth.”

Muhammad ibn ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shaybah said: Ahmad ibn Ṭāriq al-Wābishī narrated to us, ʿAmr ibn ʿAṭiyyah narrated to us from his father, from Ibn ʿUmar, that Zayd ibn ʿAmr ibn Nufayl used to devote himself to worship during the Age of Ignorance. He went to a Jewish man and said, “I wish you would admit me into your religion.”

The Jew replied, “I will not admit you into it until you take upon yourself a share of Allah’s wrath.”

Zayd said, “From Allah’s wrath I flee!” He then went to a Christian and said, “I wish you would admit me into your religion.”

The Christian answered, “I will not admit you into it until you assume your portion of misguidance.”

Zayd replied, “From misguidance I flee!” The Christian then said, “Shall I direct you to a religion which, if you follow it, you will be rightly guided?”

“What religion is that?” Zayd asked.

“The religion of Abraham,” he responded.

Zayd thereupon declared, “O Allah, I bear witness before You that I am upon the religion of Abraham; upon it I live and upon it I die.”

His story was later mentioned to the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—who said,
“He will be raised on the Day of Resurrection as a nation of one.”

Mūsā ibn ʿUqbah transmitted a similar report from Sālim, from Ibn ʿUmar.

Muhammad ibn Saʿd said: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sayf al-Qurashī narrated to us, from Ismāʿīl ibn Mujālid