Hadith No: 3
Al-Shahrastani - al-Milal wa al-Nihal - Chapter Two: The Summary of the Arabs - Their Sciences
Volume: (3) - Page Number: (83/84)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Know that the Arabs in the Age of Ignorance were engaged in three types of knowledge: the first was the knowledge of lineages, histories, and religions, which they regarded as a noble pursuit, especially the understanding of the lineages of the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) ancestors and insight into that light stemming from the loins of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to Ismail (peace be upon him)
and its continuity in his descendants until some manifestations appeared in the countenance of Abd al-Muttalib: the Lord of the Valley, Shaybah al-Hamd, and the greatest elephant knelt before him, reflecting the story of the Companions of the Elephant.- And by the blessing of that light, Allah, the Exalted, warded off the evil of Abraha and sent against them flocks of birds in swarms.
- And by the blessing of that light, he saw that vision indicating the location of Zamzam and the finding of the gazelle and the swords that Jurhum had buried.
- And by the blessing of that light, Abd al-Muttalib was inspired to vow to sacrifice the tenth of his sons, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) later prided himself on this when he said: (I am the son of two sacrificed ones). He meant by the first sacrificed one: Ismail (peace be upon him), who was the first to whom the light descended and then vanished, and by the second sacrificed one: Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the last to whom the light descended, showing itself in all forms.
- And by the blessing of that light, Abd al-Muttalib would command his children to refrain from oppression and tyranny, encourage them towards noble morals, and forbid them from trivial matters.
- And by the blessing of that light: he said to Abraha:
"This House has a Lord who will protect it and defend it." And concerning this, he said while ascending the mountain of Qubais:
"O Allah, if a man defends his abode, defend Your own."
"Let not their cross and their deceit overpower Your chosen place."
"If You choose to leave them and our Ka'bah, then do what seems good to You."
- And by the blessing of that light: he would say in his parting admonitions: "Surely, no oppressor will leave this world until Allah exacts revenge on him and he receives punishment," until a man, an oppressor, met his end without having received punishment.
"It was said that Abd al-Muttalib was in this, and he pondered and said: 'By Allah, there is an abode beyond this one where the doer of good is rewarded for his good and the wrongdoer is punished for his wrongdoing.'"- Evidence of his belief in the origin and resurrection is that he would cast lots regarding his son Abdullah and say:
"O Lord, You are the Sovereign, the Praised,
and You are my Lord, the Initiator, and the Reinstater.
From You is the new and the ancient."