[It is also narrated with a chain from one of the recent ‘giants’ of al-Ahsa scholarship: Sh. Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Bakr al-Mulla who studied in al-Ahsa and in the Hijaz, passing away aged nearly 100 (Allah have mercy on him). The isnad is mentioned at the end of the post.]
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Imam al-Bayhaqi narrates in Dalail al-Nubuwwah (5/327) that:
Whilst the Prophet (Allah bless Him and give Him peace) was talking to his companions He said to them: A group of riders will appear here who are the best of the people of the east. Umar stood up and went in their direction and met thirteen riders. He said : who are you? They replied: from Bani Abd al-Qais. He said: What has brought you to this land? Is it for trade? They replied: No
He said: Indeed the Prophet just mentioned good regarding you, he then walked with them until they came to the Prophet (Allah bless Him and give Him peace).
Umar said to them: this is the person who you are looking for
The group (of riders) jumped off their mounts, amongst them were those that walked, those that ran, and those that sprinted until they reached the Prophet (Allah bless Him and give Him peace), they took His hand and kissed it.
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The Isnad stretching back to Imam al-Bayhaqi:
-Sh. Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Bakr al-Mulla (d.1421) narrates
-from the Musnid of the world in his time: Sh. Abd al-Hayy al-Kattani (d.1382)
-from Sh. Badr al-Din Abdullah bin Darwesh al-Rikabi al-Sukri (d.1329)
-from Sh. Wajihuddin Abd al-Rahman al-Kuzbari (d.1262)
-from Sh. Zayn al-Din Mustafa al-Ayyubi al-Ansari al-Rahmati (d.1205)
-from Sh. Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi (d.1143)
-from Sh. Najm al-Din al-Ghazzi (d.1061)
-from Sh. Badr al-Din al-Amiri al-Ghazzi (d.984)
-from Sh. Zakariyyah bin Muhammad al-Ansari (d.926)
-from al-Hafidh Ahmad bin Hajar al-Asqalani (d.852)
-from Sh. Siraj al-Din al-Bulqini (d.805)
-from Sh. Abul Hajjaj al-Mizzi (d.743)
-from Sh. Muhammad al-Muafiri
-from Sh. Abul Qasim Ibn al-Harastani
-from Sh. Muhammad bin al-Fadl al-Furawi (d.530)
-from Imam Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi (d.458)