Takhrij Hadith 1257: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ…"

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was in a gathering among his Companions when a Bedouin from the tribe of Banu Sulaym arrived. He had caught a spiny-tailed lizard and placed it in his sleeve, intending to take it to his lodging. Seeing a crowd gathered, he asked: "Who is this crowd gathered around?" They replied: "Around this man who claims to be a prophet." He pushed his way through the people, then turned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: "O Muhammad, no woman has ever carried a speaker more truthful to you or more hateful to me than you! Were it not that my people would call me hasty, I would have rushed upon you and killed you, bringing joy to all people by your death!" 'Umar said: "O Messenger of Allah, let me kill him!" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied: "Did you not know that the forbearing man is almost a prophet?" Then the Bedouin turned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: "By al-Lat and al-'Uzza, I will never believe in you!" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked him: "O Bedouin, what prompted you to say what you said—uttering falsehood and failing to respect my gathering?" He replied: "Do you address me with disrespect toward the Messenger of Allah? By al-Lat and al-'Uzza, I will not believe in you unless this lizard believes in you!" He then pulled the lizard out from his sleeve and threw it before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, saying: "If this lizard believes in you, I will believe in you." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "O lizard!" The lizard then spoke in clear, fluent Arabic that all the people present could understand: "Here I am, at your service and pleasure, O Messenger of the Lord of the worlds!" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked it: "Whom do you worship?" It replied: "The One Whose Throne is in the heavens, Whose authority is on the earth, Whose path is in the sea, Whose mercy is in Paradise, and Whose punishment is in the Fire." He asked: "And who am I, O lizard?" It replied: "You are the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds and the Seal of the Prophets. Successful is the one who confirms your truth, and ruined is the one who denies you." Upon hearing this, the Bedouin exclaimed: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that you are truly the Messenger of Allah! By Allah, when I came to you, no one on the face of the earth was more hateful to me than you; but by Allah, right now you are more beloved to me than myself and my own father! My hair, my skin, my inner self, my outer self, my secret thoughts, and my open actions have all believed in you." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Praise be to Allah Who guided you to this religion—a religion that surpasses and is never surpassed, and which Allah does not accept without prayer, nor does He accept prayer without the Quran." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then taught him Surah al-Fatihah (al-Hamdu lillah) and Surah al-Ikhlas (Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad). The Bedouin said: "O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I have never heard anything sweeter than this in poetry, whether in al-Basiṭ or al-Rajaz meters!" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: "This is the Word of the Lord of the worlds, not poetry. When you recite Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad once, it is as if you have recited one-third of the Quran. When you recite it twice, it is as if you have recited two-thirds of the Quran. And when you recite it three times, it is as if you have recited the entire Quran." The Bedouin said: "What an excellent God our God is! He accepts little and gives abundantly." Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Give gifts to the Bedouin." They gave to him until they enriched him generously. Thereupon, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf stood up and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I wish to give him a pregnant camel to draw closer to Allah, Mighty and Majestic—a camel superior to common Arab camels and just below the Bactrian, and she is ten months pregnant." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "You have described what you will give him, so shall I describe what Allah will give you as a reward?" He replied: "Yes." He said: "You will have a hollow camel made of pearl, its legs of green chrysolite, its neck of yellow chrysolite, bearing a canopy draped in silk and brocade. It will carry you across the Bridge (al-Sirat) like a flash of lightning!" The Bedouin then departed from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and met one thousand Bedouins mounted on one thousand beasts, bearing one thousand lances and one thousand swords. He asked them: "Where are you heading?" They said: "To fight this man who lies and claims to be a prophet!" The Bedouin said: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." They said to him: "Have you abandoned your religion?" He replied: "I have not abandoned my religion" and he related this narration to them. Thereupon, all of them declared together: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah!" When news of this reached the Prophet ﷺ, he went out to meet them wearing his cloak. They dismounted onto their knees, kissing wherever they could reach of him while saying: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah!" They said: "Command us as you wish, O Messenger of Allah!" He said: "You shall enter under the banner of Khalid ibn al-Walid."(The narrator noted: No tribe among the Arabs had a full thousand members accept Islam all at once except Banu Sulaym. This complete narration was only reported from Dawud ibn Abi Hind by Kahmas, and from Kahmas by Mu'tamir, with Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-A'la being unique in transmitting it.)