Mishkat al-Masabih 5918

Abu Musa told that Abu Talib went to Syria accompanied by the Prophet alone with some shaikhs of Quraish. When they came near where the monk was, they alighted and loosened their baggage, and the monk came out to them although when they had passed that way previously, he had not done so. While they were loosening their baggage the monk began to go about among them till he came and, taking God's messenger by the hand, said, "This is the chief of the universe:

this is the messenger of the Lord of the universe whom God is commissioning as a mercy to the universe." Some shaikhs of Quraish asked him how he knew, and he replied, "When you came over the hill not a tree or a stone failed to bow in prostration, and they prostrate themselves only before a prophet. I recognise him by the seal of prophecy, like an apple, below the end of his shoulder-blade." He then went and prepared food for them, and when he brought it to them the Prophet was looking after the camels, so he told them to send for him. He came with a cloud above him shading him, and when he approached the people, he found they had gone before him into the shade of a tree. Then when he sat down the shade of the tree inclined over him, and the monk said, "Look how the shade of the tree has inclined over him. I adjure you by God to tell me which of you is his guardian." On being told that it was Abu Talib he kept adjuring him to send him back until he did so. Abu Bakr sent Bilal along with him and the monk gave him provision of coarse bread and olive-oil. Tirmidhi transmitted it.