And al-As ibn Wa’il passed by him, and Gabriel said, “What do you think of this man, O Muhammad?” He replied, “What an evil servant of Allah.” Gabriel then gestured toward the soles of his feet and said, “You have been spared him.”

He set out on his mount with two of his sons for an excursion. He descended into one of those mountain passes and stepped on a thornbush; a thorn from it pierced the sole of his foot. He cried, “I have been stung! I have been stung!” They searched, but found nothing. His leg then swelled until it was like a camel’s neck, and he died there on the spot.

Then al-Aswad ibn al-Muttalib passed by him, and Gabriel said, “What do you think of this man?” He replied, “An evil servant.” Gabriel gestured with his hand toward his eyes and said, “You have been spared him.” He was then blinded.

Ibn Abbas said: Gabriel threw a green leaf at him, and he lost his sight and suffered pain in his eyes. He began striking his head against the wall until he perished.

In al-Kalbi’s narration, Gabriel came to him while he was sitting at the foot of a tree with one of his servants. He began butting his head against the tree and striking his face against the thorns. He appealed to his servant for help, but the servant said, “I do not see anyone doing anything to you except yourself.” He continued thus until he died, saying, “The Lord of Muhammad has killed me.”

Then al-Aswad ibn Abd Yaghuth passed by him, and Gabriel said, “What do you think of this man, O Muhammad?” He replied, “What an evil servant of Allah, though he is the son of my maternal uncle.” Gabriel said, “You have been spared him,” and gestured toward his abdomen. His abdomen became swollen with dropsy, and he died soon afterward.

In another narration from al-Kalbi, he left his people and was struck by the scorching desert wind. He blackened until he looked like an Abyssinian. When he came to his family, they did not recognize him and shut the door against him until he died, saying, “The Lord of Muhammad has killed me.”

Then al-Harith ibn Qays passed by him, and Gabriel said, “What do you think of this man, O Muhammad?” He replied, “An evil servant.” Gabriel gestured toward his head and said, “You have been spared him.” He blew out pus through his nose, and it killed him.

Ibn Abbas said: He ate a salted fish, and was overcome by thirst. He kept drinking water after it until his abdomen burst and he died (2). This is the meaning of His saying, exalted is He: “Indeed, We are sufficient for you against the mockers”—those who mocked you and the Quran.

“Those who set up another god alongside Allah will come to know.”

“Those who set up another god alongside Allah will come to know (96).”

It has also been said that [their mockery] (3) and their dividing it up consisted in the fact that, when Allah, glorified and exalted is He, revealed in the Quran Surat al-Baqarah,