English translation
3911. Narrated Anas bin Mālik رضي الله عنه: Allāh's Messenger ﷺ arrived at Al-Madīna with Abū Bakr, riding behind him on the same camel. Abū Bakr was an elderly man known to the people, while Allāh's Messenger ﷺ was a youth that was unknown. Thus, if a man met Abū Bakr, he would say, "O Abū Bakr! Who is this man in front of you?" Abū Bakr would say, "This man shows me the way." One would think that Abū Bakr meant the road, while in fact, Abū Bakr meant the way of virtue and good. Then Abū Bakr looked behind and saw a horse-rider pursuing them. He said, "O Allāh's Messenger! There is a horse-rider pursuing us." The Prophet ﷺ looked behind and said, "O Allāh! Cause him to fall down." So the horse threw him down and got up neighing. After that the rider, Surāqa said, "O Allāh's Prophet! Order me whatever you want." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Stay where you are and do not allow anybody to reach us." So, in the first part of the day Surāqa was an enemy of Allāh's Prophet ﷺ and in the last part of it, he was a protector. Then Allāh's Messenger ﷺ alighted by the side of the Al-Ḥarra and sent a message to the Anṣār, and they came to Allāh's Prophet ﷺ and Abū Bakr, and having greeted them, they said, "Ride (your she-camel) safe and obeyed." Allāh's Messenger ﷺ and Abū Bakr rode and the Anṣār, carrying their arms, surrounded them. The news that Allāh's Prophet ﷺ had come circulated in Al-Madīna. The people came out and were eagerly looking and saying, "Allāh's Prophet has come! Allāh's Prophet has come!" So the Prophet ﷺ went on till he alighted near the house of Abū Ayyūb. While the Prophet ﷺ was speaking with the family members of Abū Ayyūb, 'Abdullāh bin Salām heard the news of his arrival while he himself was picking the dates for his family from his family garden. He hurried to the Prophet ﷺ, carrying the dates which he had collected for his family from the garden. He listened to Allāh's Prophet ﷺ and then went home. Then Allāh's Prophet ﷺ said, "Which is the nearest of the houses of our kith and kin?" Abū Ayyūb replied, "Mine, O Allāh's Prophet! This is my house and this is my gate.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Go and prepare a place for our midday rest.” Abū Ayyūb said, “Get up (both of you) with Allāh’s Blessings.” So, when Allāh’s Prophet ﷺ went into the house, ‘Abdullāh bin Salām came and said, “I testify that you (Muḥammad ﷺ) are the Messenger of Allāh and that you have come with the Truth. The Jews know well that I am their chief and the son of their chief and the most learned amongst them and the son of the most learned amongst them. So, send for them (Jews) and ask them about me before they know that I have embraced Islām, for if they know that they will say about me things which are not correct.” So Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ sent for them, and they came and entered. Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ said to them, “O (the group of) Jews! Woe to you; be afraid of Allāh. By Allah, except Whom none has the right to be worshipped, you people know for certain that I am the Messenger of Allāh and that I have come to you with the Truth, so embrace Islām” The Jews replied, “We do not know this.” So they said this to the Prophet ﷺ and he repeated it thrice. Then he said, “What sort of a man is ‘Abdullāh bin Salām amongst you?” They said, “He is our chief and the son of our chief and the most learned man, and the son of the most learned amongst us.” He said, “What would you think if he should embrace Islām?” They said, “Allāh forbid! He can not embrace Islām.” He said, “What would you think if he should embrace Islām?” They said, “Allāh forbid! He can not embrace Islām.” He said, “O Ibn Salām! Come out to them.” He came out and said, “O (the group of) Jews! Be afraid of Allāh except Whom none has the right to be worshipped. You know for certain that he is the Messenger of Allāh and that he has brought a true religion!” They said, “You tell a lie.” On that Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ turned them out.