Abu Musa Ashari reported,

Abu Talib set out for Syria, and the Prophet ﷺ went with him among a group of elder Quraysh. When they came in sight of the monk, they descended and unloaded their mounts. The monk came out to them, though previously they had passed by him without him coming out or paying them any attention.While they were unloading their mounts, the monk began moving among them until he came and took the hand of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said, "This is the master of the worlds. This is the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds. Allah is sending him as a mercy to the worlds."The elders of Quraysh asked him, "How do you know?"He replied, "When you came over the pass, every tree and stone fell down in prostration, and they prostrate only to a prophet. I also recognize him by the seal of prophethood below the cartilage of his shoulder, shaped like an apple."Then he went back and prepared food for them. When he brought it to them, the Prophet ﷺ was tending the camels, so the monk said, "Send for him."He came forward with a cloud shading him. When he drew near the group, he found that they had taken the shade of the tree before him, but when he sat down, the shade of the tree leaned toward him. The monk said, "Look at the shade of the tree, it has leaned toward him."While the monk was standing over them, urging them not to take him to Rome, for if the Romans saw him they would recognize him by his description and kill him, he turned and saw seven men approaching from Rome. He went to meet them and asked, "What has brought you here?"They answered, "We have come because this Prophet is to appear this month, and there is no road along which men have not been sent to find him. We were told of his coming, so we were sent to this road of yours."He asked, "Has anyone better than you been left behind?"They replied, "We were only told of his coming on this road of yours."He said, "Do you think that any of mankind can turn back something that Allah has decreed to come to pass?"They said, "No."So they pledged allegiance to him and stayed with him. Then the monk said, "I ask you by Allah, which of you is his guardian?"They answered, "Abu Talib."He kept urging him until Abu Talib sent him back. Abu Bakr sent Bilal with him, and the monk gave him provisions of cake and oil.

حدثنا الفضل بن سهل أبو العباس الأعرج البغدادي حدثنا عبد الرحمن بن غزوان أبو نوح أخبرنا يونس بن أبي إسحق

عن أبي بكر بن أبي موسى عن أبيه قال

خرج أبو طالب إلى الشام وخرج معه النبي ﷺ في أشياخ من قريش فلما أشرفوا على الراهب هبطوا فحلوا رحالهم فخرج إليهم الراهب وكانوا قبل ذلك يمرون به فلا يخرج إليهم ولا يلتفت قال فهم يحلون رحالهم فجعل يتخللهم الراهب حتى جاء فأخذ بيد رسول الله ﷺ قال هذا سيد العالمين هذا رسول رب العالمين يبعثه الله رحمة للعالمين فقال له أشياخ من قريش ما علمك فقال إنكم حين أشرفتم من العقبة لم يبق شجر ولا حجر إلا خر ساجدا ولا يسجدان إلا لنبي وإني أعرفه بخاتم النبوة أسفل من غضروف كتفه مثل التفاحة ثم رجع فصنع لهم طعاما فلما أتاهم به وكان هو في رعية الإبل قال أرسلوا إليه فأقبل وعليه غمامة تظله فلما دنا من القوم وجدهم قد سبقوه إلى فيء الشجرة فلما جلس مال فيء الشجرة عليه فقال انظروا إلى فيء الشجرة مال عليه قال فبينما هو قائم عليهم وهو يناشدهم أن لا يذهبوا به إلى الروم فإن الروم إذا رأوه عرفوه بالصفة فيقتلونه فالتفت فإذا بسبعة قد أقبلوا من الروم فاستقبلهم فقال ما جاء بكم قالوا جئنا إن هذا النبي خارج في هذا الشهر فلم يبق طريق إلا بعث إليه بأناس وإنا قد أخبرنا خبره بعثنا إلى طريقك هذا فقال هل خلفكم أحد هو خير منكم قالوا إنما أخبرنا خبره بطريقك هذا قال أفرأيتم أمرا أراد الله أن يقضيه هل يستطيع أحد من الناس رده قالوا لا قال فبايعوه وأقاموا معه قال أنشدكم بالله أيكم وليه قالوا أبو طالب فلم يزل يناشده حتى رده أبو طالب وبعث معه أبو بكر بلالا وزوده الراهب من الكعك والزيت