still carrying the dates in his hands. He listened to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and then returned to his family. When the Prophet ﷺ was alone, ʿAbd Allah ibn Salam came back and said, “I testify that you are truly the Messenger of Allah and that you have brought the truth. The Jews know that I am their leader, the son of their leader, their most learned scholar, the son of their most learned scholar. (1) So summon them and ask them about me before they find out that I have accepted Islam, for if they learn that I have done so they will speak about me in a way that is untrue.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent for them, and when they entered he said, “O assembly of Jews, woe to you! Fear Allah. By Allah, besides whom there is no god, you know that I am the true Messenger of Allah and that I have come to you with the truth. Accept Islam.”

They replied, “We do not know that.” He repeated the appeal three times, and each time they answered the same.

He then asked, “What sort of man is ʿAbd Allah ibn Salam among you?” They said, “He is our chief, the son of our chief; our most learned man, the son of our most learned man.” He said, “What would you think if he were to accept Islam?” They said, “Allah forbid! He would never become Muslim.”

He said, “O Ibn Salam, come out to them.” So he came out and said, “O assembly of Jews, woe to you! Fear Allah. By Allah, besides whom there is no god, you know that he is truly the Messenger of Allah and that he has come with the truth.” They retorted, “You have lied,” whereupon the Prophet ﷺ dismissed them. (3)

Al-Bukhari also relates—through Ḥumayd, from Anas—that ʿAbd Allah ibn Salam heard of the arrival of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was on his land. He came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, “I want to ask you about three matters that only a prophet can know: What is the first of the portents