A Man from Lahab Foretells Something Concerning the Messenger

Ibn Ishaq said: Yahya ibn ‘Abbad ibn Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr narrated to me that his father told him: A man from Lahab—Ibn Hisham says Lahab belonged to Azd Shanua—

[2] Yahya was considered reliable and narrated many reports. He narrated from his father, grandfather, uncle Hamzah, and his father’s cousin Abdullah ibn ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr. Among those who narrated from him were Hisham ibn ‘Urwah, Musa ibn ‘Uqbah, Hafs ibn ‘Umar ibn Thabit ibn Zurarah, Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Hazm, and Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn al-Had. He died at thirty-six. See Tahdhib al-Tahdhib and biographical works. [3] Lahab is also identified as Lahab ibn Ahjan ibn Ka‘b ibn al-Harith ibn Ka‘b ibn Abdullah ibn Malik ibn Nasr ibn al-Azd, a tribe known for divination and augury. A man of Lahab reportedly interpreted a pebble striking ‘Umar’s bald head during pilgrimage as a portent that he would not perform Hajj again; this came to pass. The note cites a lexicon under the entry for Lahab and al-Rawd al-Unuf.

…was a diviner. Whenever he came to Makkah, men of Quraysh would bring their boys to him; he would look at them and divine their fortunes. Abu Talib brought the Messenger, then still a boy, among those who came to him. The man looked at the Messenger, then something distracted him. When he was finished, he said, ‘Bring me the boy.’ Seeing how eager the man was for him, Abu Talib concealed him. The man kept saying, ‘Woe to you! Bring back to me the boy I just saw. By Allah, he will have a great destiny.’ Abu Talib then left.

[1] A ‘a’if is someone who studies a person’s appearance and claims to foretell what will happen to him.