The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 1 of 4

222 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
Sahnan then related their arrival in Jerusalem and that his companion worshipped
at various places there. Before he went to sleep, the priest told hi to
wake him up when the shadow arrived at a certain place. But Salmm let him rest
a little longer than he had requested and when he awoke he first praised God
then reproached Salmitn for not having done as he requested. They then left
Jerusalem and (Salmm's account continues), "A cripple begged, '0 worshipper
of God, I asked of you when you arrived, but you gave me nothing. I am now
asking you again.' The priest looked but found no one else. So he took him by
the hand and said, 'Stand up, in the name of God.' The man did so, and there
was nothing wrong with him, no diseases at all; he was moving as if with the
slightest limp. The priest then told me, '0, worshipper of God, load up my
baggage for me so I can go off to my own people and tell them the good tidings.'
I got busy doing this, but when I wanted to go over to him, I could not find hi.
I did not know where he had gone. And whenever I asked anyone about him,
they told me, 'He's out ahead of you.'
"Eventually I was met by a caravan of Arabs of Bano Kalb and I made enquiry
of them. When they heard my accent one man made his camel kneel and
mounted me up behind him, and they brought me to their land.
"There they sold me, and a Christian woman bought me and put me to work
in a garden she had.
"Then the Messenger of God (SAAS) arrived."
Sahnm related after this how he went to see him (the Prophet) and gave him
ahns, then a gift to test what his companion had told him, and asked to see the
seal. When he did see it he believed at once and informed the Messenger of God
(SAAS) what he had been told.
The account then tells of the Messenger of God (SAAS), having summoned
Abii Bakr, "the trusting", who bought Sahnm from the woman and then set him
free.
Salm~n went on: "Later I asked the Messenger of God one day about the
Christians' religion. He replied, 'There's no good in them.' I remembered all
those I had accompanied and in particular that good man who had been in
Jerusalem with me, and so his words had great impact on me. Then God sent
down to the Messenger of God (SAAS) the statement: 'Certainly you will find
that the people the most violent in their enmity to those who believe are the Jews
along with polytheists. And you will find that the closest of people in friendship
to those who believe are those who say, "We are Christians." That is because
there are priests and monks among them and because they do not behave with
conceit' (stirat al-Mii'gda, V, v.82).
"The Messenger of God (SAAS) summoned me, and I was afraid when I
came. When I sat before him he recited, 'In the name of God the most compassionate,
the most merciful. "That is because there are priests and monks