Sirat Ibn Hisham 330
The account of the leaders of Quraysh with the Messenger ﷺ
[ أَرْسَلَتْ قُرَيْشٌ النَّضْرَ وَابْنَ أَبِي مُعَيْطٍ إلَى أَحْبَارِ يَهُودَ يَسْأَلَانِهِمْ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ ] فَلَمَّا قَالَ لَهُمْ ذَلِكَ النَّضْرُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ بَعَثُوهُ، وَبَعَثُوا مَعَهُ عُقْبَةَ بْنَ أَبِي مُعَيْطٍ إلَى أَحْبَارِ يَهُودَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ، وَقَالُوا لَهُمَا: سَلَاهُمْ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَصِفَا لَهُمْ صِفَتَهُ، وَأَخْبِرَاهُمْ بِقَوْلِهِ، فَإِنَّهُمْ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ الْأُوَلِ، وَعِنْدَهُمْ عِلْمٌ لَيْسَ عِنْدَنَا مِنْ عِلْمِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، فَخَرَجَا حَتَّى قَدِمَا الْمَدِينَةَ، فَسَأَلَا أَحْبَارَ يَهُودَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَوَصَفَا لَهُمْ أَمْرَهُ، وَأَخْبَرَاهُمْ بِبَعْضِ قَوْلِهِ، وَقَالَا لَهُمْ: إنَّكُمْ أَهْلُ التَّوْرَاةِ، وَقَدْ جِئْنَاكُمْ لِتُخْبِرُونَا عَنْ صَاحِبِنَا هَذَا. فَقَالَتْ لَهُمَا أَحْبَارُ يَهُودَ: سَلُوهُ عَنْ ثَلَاثٍ نَأْمُرُكُمْ بِهِنَّ، فَإِنْ أَخْبَرَكُمْ بِهِنَّ فَهُوَ نَبِيٌّ مُرْسَلٌ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ فَالرَّجُلُ مُتَقَوِّلٌ، فَرَوْا فِيهِ رَأْيَكُمْ. سَلُوهُ عَنْ فِتْيَةٍ ذَهَبُوا فِي الدَّهْرِ الْأَوَّلِ مَا كَانَ أَمْرُهُمْ؛ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ كَانَ لَهُمْ حَدِيثٌ عَجَبٌ، وَسَلُوهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ طَوَّافٍ قَدْ بَلَغَ مَشَارِقَ الْأَرْضِ وَمَغَارِبَهَا مَا كَانَ نَبَؤُهُ، وَسَلُوهُ عَنْ الرُّوحِ مَا هِيَ ؟ فَإِذَا أَخْبَرَكُمْ بِذَلِكَ فَاتَّبِعُوهُ، فَإِنَّهُ نَبِيٌّ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ، فَهُوَ رَجُلٌ مُتَقَوَّلٌ، فَاصْنَعُوا فِي أَمْرِهِ مَا بَدَا لَكُمْ. فَأَقْبَلَ النَّضْرُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، وَعُقْبَةُ بْنُ أَبِي مُعَيْطِ بْنِ أَبِي عَمْرِو بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ شَمْسِ بْنِ عَبْدِ مَنَافِ بْنِ قُصَيٍّ حَتَّى قَدِمَا مَكَّةَ عَلَى قُرَيْشٍ، فَقَالَا: يَا مَعْشَرَ قُرَيْشٍ، قَدْ جِئْنَاكُمْ بِفَصْلِ مَا بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَدْ أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْبَارُ يَهُودَ أَنْ نَسْأَلَهُ عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ أَمَرُونَا بِهَا، فَإِنْ أَخْبَرَكُمْ عَنْهَا فَهُوَ نَبِيٌّ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ فَالرَّجُلُ مُتَقَوِّلٌ، فَرَوْا فِيهِ رَأْيَكُمْ
Translation
✧ Quraysh sent al-Naḍr and Ibn Abī Muʿayṭ to the learned men of the Jews to ask them about Muḥammad ﷺ. When al-Naḍr b. al-Ḥārith said that to them, they sent him, and they sent with him ʿUqbah b. Abī Muʿayṭ to the learned men of the Jews in Madinah, and they said to the two of them: Ask them about Muḥammad, describe his description to them, and tell them of his speech, for they are the people of the first scripture, and they have knowledge of the prophets that we do not have. So the two went forth until they came to Madinah, and they asked the learned men of the Jews about the Messenger of God ﷺ, described his affair to them, told them some of his speech, and said to them: You are the people of the Torah, and we have come to you so that you may inform us about this companion of ours. The learned men of the Jews said to the two of them: Ask him about three things that we will command you with. If he tells you about them, then he is a prophet sent [by God]; if he does not, then the man is a forger, so form your own opinion about him. Ask him about the young men who went away in the first age—what was their affair? For they had a wondrous tale. And ask him about a man who traveled about and reached the easts of the earth and its wests—what was his news? And ask him about the spirit—what is it? If he tells you about that, then follow him, for he is a prophet; if he does not, then he is a man who forges, so do with his affair what seems good to you. So al-Naḍr b. al-Ḥārith and ʿUqbah b. Abī Muʿayṭ b. Abī ʿAmr b. Umayyah b. ʿAbd Shams b. ʿAbd Manāf b. Quṣayy came back until they arrived in Makkah to Quraysh, and they said: O assembly of Quraysh, we have come to you with the decisive matter between you and Muḥammad. The learned men of the Jews have told us to ask him about things they commanded us with. If he tells you about them, then he is a prophet; if he does not, then the man is a forger, so form your own opinion about him.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.