He had lived in the days of ignorance and then embraced Islam. He said, "I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with my own eyes at the market of Dhul-Majaz, saying, 'People, say there is no god but Allah and you will succeed.' He was making his way through its pathways, with people crowding around him. I did not see anyone saying anything to him, yet he would not fall silent. He kept saying, 'People, say there is no god but Allah and you will succeed.' Behind him, however, was a cross-eyed man with a bright face and two long braids of hair, saying, 'He is a renegade and a liar.'I asked, 'Who is this man?'They replied, 'Muhammad bin Abdullah, and he is proclaiming prophethood.'I asked, 'And who is this one calling him a liar?'They said, 'His uncle, Abu Lahab.'"Someone said to him, "You must have been very young at that time."He replied, "No, by Allah, I was old enough to understand what I saw."
حدثنا عبد الله حدثني أبو سليمان الضبي داود بن عمرو بن زهير المسيبي قال حدثنا عبد الرحمن بن أبي الزناد عن أبيه
وكان جاهليا أسلم فقال رأيت رسول الله ﷺ بصر عيني بسوق ذي المجاز يقول يا أيها الناس قولوا لا إله إلا الله تفلحوا ويدخل في فجاجها والناس متقصفون عليه فما رأيت أحدا يقول شيئا وهو لا يسكت يقول أيها الناس قولوا لا إله إلا الله تفلحوا إلا أن وراءه رجلا أحول وضيء الوجه ذا غديرتين يقول إنه صابئ كاذب فقلت من هذا قالوا محمد بن عبد الله وهو يذكر النبوة قلت من هذا الذي يكذبه قالوا عمه أبو لهب قلت إنك كنت يومئذ صغيرا قال لا والله إني يومئذ لأعقل