What is the authenticity of the story of the Jew who inquired about a newborn born in Mecca on the night of the Prophet Muhammad's birth, upon whom be peace and blessings, then saw Abdul-Muttalib, and then saw the Seal of Prophethood on the Prophet's back?
The gist of the Fatwa:
The report narrated by Ibn Sa'd in "Al-Tabaqat" about the Jew who foretold the birth of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is weak due to the anonymity of some of its narrators. As for the report by Al-Hakim in "Al-Mustadrak," which Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar deemed "hasan" (good), Al-Dhahabi commented on it, stating that it is not authentic because one of its narrators (Yahya Al-Kinani) is of unknown standing, in addition to the presence of Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who was described as a mudallis (one who conceals defects in a narration) and did not explicitly state hearing in this report. Therefore, the chain of narration for the report is not authentic.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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