104 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMADand Glorious is He. He would tell them that he was a prophet who had been
given a mission, and would ask for their belief and their protection so that he
could explain what God had entrusted to him."
Ibn Ishzq continued, "One of our fellow scholars, a man in whom I trust,
related the following to me, from Zayd b. Aslam, from Rabi'a b. %ad al-Du'ali,
and another person from whom Aba Zinsd had narrated. I was also related this
by Husayn b. 'Ahd Allah b. 'Wbayd Allah b. (Abbas, who said, 'I heard Rabi'a b.
'Ibzd being addressed by my father who said, "I was once, when a young lad,
with my father at Mina when the Messenger of God (SAAS) would stop at the
camps of the Arab tribes and say to them, 'I am the Messenger of God to you. I
tell you to worship God and to associate no other with Him and to abandon those
others you revere; and you should have faith and belief in me and protect me so
that I make evident that with which God sent me."'
"'Behind him stood a squint-eyed, neatly dressed man, his hair in two braids
and wearing a cloak from Aden. When the Messenger of God (SAAS) had finished
his prayer and address, that man would say to the tribe, "This man is only trying
to get you to strip al-Lat and al-Wzi% off your necks, along with your allies the jinn
of the Bana Malik b. Uqaysh in favour of the wrongful innovation he himself
brings. Do not obey him and do not listen to him."
"'I asked my father, "Who is that man who follows behind him and contra-
dicts what he says?"
"'He replied, "That is his uncle, 'Ahd al-Uzza h. 'Abd al-Mutmlib, Aba
Lahab." "'
Imsm Ahmad recounted this hadith from Ihrzhim b. Aba al-'Abbss saying,
"'Abd al-Rahman b. Abo Zinad related to us, from his father, who said, 'A man
named Rabi'a b. 'Ibid of the Bana al-Dil informed me - he having been a
polytheist before Islam who converted - as follows, "I saw the Messenger of God
(SAAS) in the market of Dha al-Majaz in the period before Islam was accepted;
he was saying, '0 people, say, L'There is no god but God" and you will prosper.'
As people gathered around him there was one man with a handsome face, squint-
eyed and wearing two plaits who would say, 'He's a Sabian; a liar.' And he would
follow behind hi wherever he went. I asked about him and was told he was his
uncle Abii Lahab." "'
Al-Bayhaqi related this, through Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah al-An~ari, from
Muhammad b. 'Amr, from Muhammad b. al-Munkadir, from Rabi'a al-Dili, as
follows, "I saw the Messenger of God (SAAS) at the market of Dhii al-Majaz
following people into their homes and inviting them to God. Behind him came
a squint-eyed man with flaming-red cheeks who was saying, 'Do not let this man
lead you astray from your religion and that of your forefathers.' I asked who he
was, and I was told that this was Abii Lahab."
Abii Nu'aym related this similarly in the Dalz'il (The Signs), through Ibn Abii
Dhi'b and Sa'id h. Salama h. Abn al-Hu-, both of them relating a similar
account from Muhammad b. al-Muukadir.