Muhammad Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ====Quraysh delegation to Yathrib==== {{See also|Seven Sleepers|Theories about Alexander the Great in the Quran}} The leaders of the Quraysh sent [[Nadr ibn al-Harith]] and [[Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt]] to [[Yathrib]] to seek the opinions of the Jewish [[rabbi]]s regarding Muhammad. The rabbis advised them to ask Muhammad three questions: recount the tale of young men who ventured forth in the first age; narrate the story of a traveler who reached both the eastern and western ends of the earth; and provide details about the spirit. If Muhammad answered correctly, they stated, he would be a Prophet; otherwise, he would be a liar. When they returned to [[Mecca]] and asked Muhammad the questions, he told them he would provide the answers the next day. However, 15 days passed without a response from his God, leading to gossip among the Meccans and causing Muhammad distress. At some point later, the angel [[Gabriel]] came to Muhammad and provided him with the answers.{{sfn|αΉ’allΔbΔ«|2005|p=460β1}}{{sfn|Peterson|2007|p=75}} In response to the first query, the Qur'an tells a story about a group of men sleeping in a cave (Qur'an 18:9β25), which scholars generally link to the legend of the [[Seven Sleepers|Seven Sleepers of Ephesus]]. For the second query, the Qur'an speaks of [[Dhu al-Qarnayn]], literally "he of the two horns" (Qur'an 18:93β99), a tale that academics widely associate with the [[Alexander Romance]].{{sfn|Peterson|2007|p=75β6}}{{sfn|Beeston|1983|p=210}} As for the third query, concerning the nature of the spirit, the Qur'anic revelation asserted that it was beyond human comprehension. Neither the Jews who devised the questions nor the Quraysh who posed them to Muhammad converted to Islam upon receiving the answers.{{sfn|Peterson|2007|p=75}} Nadr and Uqba were later executed on Muhammad's orders after the [[Battle of Badr]], while other captives were held for ransom. As Uqba pleaded, "But who will take care of my children, Muhammad?" Muhammad responded, "Hell!"{{Sfn|Phipps|2016|p=114}}{{Sfn|Schroeder|2002|p=86}}{{sfn|Rodinson|2021|p=167β8}}{{sfn|Margoliouth|2010|p=135}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page