Ahbar, became believers on seeing the prophetic attributes in their Books, and silenced those who did not accept faith.1
There was also the famous Christian scholar and monk, Bahira,2 who was mentioned above: God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was twelve years old when he went to Damascus with his uncle, and it was for his sake that Bahira invited the Quraysh. For he had seen a cloud casting its shadow on the travelling caravan. When it continued to do so, he realized that the one he was seeking had remained with the caravan, and he sent someone to fetch him. He told Abu Talib: “Return to Mecca! The Jews are exceedingly jealous and will resort to treachery, for his attributes are described in the Torah.”3
Also, Nestor the Abyssinian, and the ruler of that country, the Negus, came to believe on seeing Muhammad’s attributes written in their Books.4
Also, a well-known Christian scholar called Daghatr became a believer on seeing the description of the Prophet (UWBP), and was martyred when he proclaimed this among the Byzantines.5
Also, from the Christian leaders, Harith b. Abi Shumar al-Ghasani and the prominent rulers and religious leaders of Damascus such as Sahib al-Ilya, Heraclius, Ibn Natur and al-Jarud, entered the fold of Islam after seeing the Prophet’s (UWBP) description in their Books.6 Of them, only Heraclius concealed his belief, for the sake of worldly rule.7
Also, like these, Salman al-Farsi had formerly been a Christian. He
Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 364; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 739; Ibn al-Jawzi, Sifat al-Safwa, i, 87; Yusuf Nabhani, Hujjat Allah ‘ala’l-‘Alamin, 87-8, 135; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, 161-3; Abu Nu’aym, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, i, 78-9.
Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 308; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 631; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 3 (Bab: Maja’ fi Badi’ al-Nubuwwa); al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi, no: 3699; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 615; Ibn Hisham, Sirat al-Nabi, 115; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa ii, 24; Yusuf Nabhani, Hujjat Allah ‘ala’l-‘Alamin 158.
Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 3; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, ii, 6155-6; Ibn Hisham, al-Sirat al-Nabawiyya, i, 191-4; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, ii, 27-9.
Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 364; ^Alê al-Qari Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 744.
Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, i, 367; ii, 526; vi, 240-9; al-Hindi, Kanz al-‘Ummal, xi, 401; xii, 390-408; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 364; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 739-43; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, viii, 240.
‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 744-5; Ibn Hisham, al-Sirat al-Nabawiyya, iv, 221-2; Abu Nu’aym, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, i, 101.
Bukhari, Bad’ al-Wahy, 6; Shahadat, 28; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 744; Yusuf Nabhani, Hujjat Allah ‘ala’l-‘Alamin, 121, 150-1; Qastalani, al-Mawahib al-Ladunniya, vi, 198; Tabarani, al-Mu’jam al-Kabir, iii, 2108; Ibn ‘Adiyy, al-Kamil fi’l-Du’afa, iii, 1094; Abu Nu’aym, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, i, 101-2.