"As I was coming to Madinah, I pitched my tent in a valley where I saw two persons trading. The buyer was saying to the seller, "Make me a good deal on this purchase." I said to myself, "Could this not be the Haashimy who is misleading his people?" As I watched them, another man approached. He was extremely handsome with a broad forehead, slender nose, fine eyebrows and a black line of hair running from his chest to his navel. He was wearing two old sheets of cloth.
He greeted us with "As Salaamu Alaykum" and we all replied to his greeting. He has just arrived when the buyer said, "0 Rasulullaah (s.a.w.)! Tell this seller to make a good deal with me." To this, Rasulullaah (s.a.w.) raised his hands and said, "You people are the owners of your goods. All I want is to meet Allaah on the Day of Qiyaamah without any of you claiming from me any wealth, any blood or any honour that I may have wrongfully taken from you. Allaah showers His mercy on a person who is lenient when he sells, lenient when he buys, lenient when he takes, lenient when he gives, lenient when he pays his debts and lenient when he asks for payment." After saying this, Rasulullaah (s.a.w.) left.
I said to myself, 'By Allaah! I must certainly have to find out about this man because his words are excellent." I therefore followed him and shouted, "0 Muhammad" He turned around to face me and said, "What is it?" I asked, "Are you the person who has misled your people, destroyed them and stopped them from worshipping what their.forefathers worshipped?" He replied, "That is Allaah." I asked, "To what are calling people?" "I am calling the servants of Allaah to Allaah," he responded. "What have you to say?" I asked further. He said, "That you should testify that there is none worthy of worship but Allaah, that Muhammad is the Rasul of Allaah, that you believe in everything revealed to me, that you renounce Laat and Uzza and that you establish salaah and pay Zakaah." "What is Zakaah?" I asked. "Wealth that our rich give to our poor," came the reply. I responded by saying, "These are excellent things you are calling towards."
Prior to this, there was no one on earth whom I hated more than Rasulullaah (s.a.w.) However, it was not long that he became more beloved to me than even my children, my parents and all of mankind. I then said to him, "I have understood." "YOU have understood?" he asked. "Yes," I replied. He asked, "Do you testify that there is none worthy of worship but Allaah, that I Muhammad am the Rasul of Allaah and do you believe in everything revealed to me?" "Yes, 0 Rasulullaah" I replied. I then asked him, "There is an oasis where many people are settled. May I invite them towards that which you have invited me? I feel that they will want to follow you." He replied, "Yes, you may invite them." "
Consequently, all the men and women of the oasis accepted Islaam and (in appreciation and happiness) Rasulullaah (s.a.w) stroked the head of this Sahabi.
Abu Ya'la. Haythami (Vol. 9 Pg. 18) says that although the narrators of the report are reliable, the identity of one of them is unknown.
(from Hayatus Sahabah by Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Khandhlawi)
Islamic wallpaper by Al Mubid. Image found on http://islamicstyle.al-habib.info/
