Sahih al-Bukhari 3911

It is related that Anas ibn Malik said, ÒThe Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, arrived in Madina with Abu Bakr riding behind him. Abu Bakr was an older man who was known while the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was a young man who was not known." He said, "A man would meet Abu Bakr and say, 'O Abu Bakr! Who is this man in front of you?' He would say, 'This man guides me to the way.' One should reckon that he meant the road, but he meant the way to good. Abu Bakr looked behind and there was a horseman who had caught up to them. He said, 'Messenger of Allah! This is a horseman who has caught up to us!' The Messenger of Allah of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, turned and said, 'O Allah, throw him down!' and the horse threw him. Then it got up whinnying. He said, 'O Prophet of Allah! command me what you wish.' He said, 'Stay where you are and do not let anyone catch us.'" He said, "At the beginning of the day he was striving against the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and at the end of the day he was defending him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then alighted beside the lava-bed and then sent to the Ansar who came to the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr. They greeted the two of them and then said, 'Mount in security, being obeyed.' So the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr mounted and they surrounded them with weapons. It was said in Madina, 'The Prophet of Allah has come. The Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came and they began to look and say, 'The Prophet of Allah has come! The Prophet of Allah has come!' He went until he alighted beside the house of Abu Ayyub. He was speaking with his family when 'Abdullah ibn Salam heard of him. He was his family's palm trees harvesting them for them. He went so quickly that he did not put down what he had harvested for them in the palms. He came with the dates and listened to the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and then returned to his family. The Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Which is the nearest of the houses of our people?' Abi Ayyub said, 'Mine, Prophet of Allah! This is my house and is my door.' He said, 'Go and prepare a place for our midday rest.' He said, 'Get up with the blessing of Allah.' "When the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came, 'Abdullah ibn Salam came and said, 'I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah and that you have brought the truth. The Jews know that I am their chief and the son of their chief and the most knowledgeable of them and the son of the most knowledgeable among them. Summon them and ask them about me before they know that I have become Muslim. If they know that I have become Muslim, they will say things about me that are not true.' So the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent and they came and came in to him, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to them, 'Company of Jews! Woe to you! Fear Allah. By Allah, there is no god but Him, you know that I am truly the Messenger of Allah and that I have brought the truth, so become Muslim!' They said, 'We do not know it.' They said it to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said that three times. Then he said, 'What kind of man is 'Abdullah ibn Salam among you?' They said, 'That is chief of us and the son of the chief of us and the most knowledgeable of us, and the son of the most knowledgeable of us.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'What would you think if 'Abdullah were to become Muslim'Ó They said, 'We seek refuge with Allah! He would not become Muslim!' He said, 'Ibn Salam! Come out to them!' He came out and said, 'O company of Jews! Fear Allah. By Allah, there is no god but He! you know that he is the Messenger of Allah and that he has brought the truth.' They said, 'You lied!' So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent them out."

Muhammad related to me: ‘Abd as-Samad related to us: My father ‘Abd al-Warith related to us: ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Suhayb related to us: Anas ibn Malik related to us, saying: The Prophet of God went forth to Madinah, riding in front of Abu Bakr on the same camel. Abu Bakr was an elderly man, well-known to the people, while the Prophet of God was young in appearance and was unknown. Thus, when people saw Abu Bakr, they used to ask him: O Abu Bakr! Who is this man in front of thee? And he would answer: This man guideth me on my way. And the people thought that he alluded to the road; but Abu Bakr meant only “the way of righteousness”. And Abu Bakr looked back, and lo! he saw a horseman who had almost reached them; and he cried out: O Apostle of God! This horseman hath already reached us! Thereupon the Prophet looked back and said: O God! Cause him to fall! And the mare threw him down, and started neighing. Thereupon Suraqah said: O Prophet of God! Bid me do whatever thou willest! And the Prophet answered: Stay where thou art, and allow no one to reach us. Thus, at the beginning of the day, Suraqah was an enemy of the Prophet of God, and at the end of the day he became his protector. The Apostle of God alighted on the border of the harrah and sent a message to the Ansar. And they came to the Prophet of God and to Abu Bakr, greeted them and said: Ride on! Ye two are safe now, and we shall obey you! Then the Prophet of God and Abu Bakr rode on, surrounded by armed men. Someone said in Madinah: The Prophet of God is come! The Prophet of God is come! And all people were eagerly looking, and were crying: The Prophet of God is come! The Prophet of God is come! The Prophet went on, and alighted near the house of Abu Ayyub. And while he was speaking with the latter’s family, ‘Abd Allah ibn Salam, who was gathering dates in a palm-orchard belonging to his family, heard of him. He made haste to put away the dates which he had been gathering for his family, and came to the Prophet laden with them. He listened a while to the Prophet of God, and then went home. The Prophet of God asked: Which is the nearest of the houses of our kinsfolk? Abu Ayyub answered: Mine, O Prophet of God! This here is my house, and here is my door! The Prophet said: Go, then, and prepare our resting-place! Abu Ayyub said: Dwell here with God’s blessing! When the Prophet of God entered the house, there came ‘Abd Allah ibn Salam again and said: I bear witness that thou art an Apostle of God and that thou hast brought a true message! The Jews know well that I am their chief and the son of their chief, as well as the most learned and the son of the most learned among them. Call them, then, and ask them about me ere they come to know that I have embraced Islam; for, behold, if they know that I have embraced Islam, they will say about me things which are not true. So the Prophet of God sent for them, and they came and went in unto him. Thereupon the Apostle of God addressed them thus: O Jewish people! Woe unto you! Fear God! For, by the One and Only God! ye know well that I am truly an Apostle of God, and that I have brought you a true message. Accept, then, Islam! They answered: We do not believe all this. Thus they spake to the Prophet, although he said thrice the same. Then he asked: What kind of man is ‘Abd Allah ibn Salam among you? They answered: He is our chief and the son of our chief, as well as the most learned and the son of the most learned among us. The Prophet said: What would ye think if he accepted Islam? They cried out: God forbid! Never could he accept Islam! The Prophet repeated: What would ye think if he accepted Islam? They said: God forbid! Never could he accept Islam! Again the Prophet said: What would ye think if he accepted Islam? They repeated: God forbid! Never could he accept Islam! Thereupon the Prophet said: O Ibn Salam! Shew thyself unto them! And ‘Abd Allah ibn Salam shewed himself and said: O Jewish people! Fear God! For, by the One and Only God! ye know well that he is truly an Apostle of God and that he hath brought a true message! But they said unto him: Thou liest! Thereupon the Apostle of God bade them go.