2064 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; ʿAyyash ibn Muhammad, the freedman of Banu Hashim, told me; al-Walid ibn Hisham al-Qaḥdami narrated to us; Khalaf ibn Aʿyan related to me:

When the delegation of Bakr ibn Waʾil came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he asked them, “What has become of Quss ibn Saʿida al-Iyadi?”

They replied, “He has died, O Messenger of Allah.”

He said, “It is as though I can see him in the market of ʿUkaz, mounted on a red camel, proclaiming:

‘O people, gather together, listen to what I say, and take it to heart! Whoever lives shall die, and whoever dies is gone; everything that is coming will surely come. A bed is spread out and a roof is raised; stars that do not wander, seas that do not recede. Now then, in the heavens there is news, and on the earth there are lessons. I swear that Allah has a religion more pleasing to Him than the faith upon which you now stand.’

He (the Prophet) added, “Then he would recite poetry.” At that point a man from the gathering said, “I will, O Messenger of Allah …”