قَالَ مُوسَى حَدَّثَنِي سَالِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، وَلاَ أَعْلَمُهُ إِلاَّ تُحُدِّثَ بِهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ أَنَّ زَيْدَ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ نُفَيْلٍ خَرَجَ إِلَى الشَّأْمِ، يَسْأَلُ عَنِ الدِّينِ وَيَتْبَعُهُ فَلَقِيَ عَالِمًا مِنَ الْيَهُودِ، فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ دِينِهِمْ، فَقَالَ إِنِّي لَعَلِّي أَنْ أَدِينَ دِينَكُمْ، فَأَخْبِرْنِي‏.‏ فَقَالَ لاَ تَكُونُ عَلَى دِينِنَا حَتَّى تَأْخُذَ بِنَصِيبِكَ مِنْ غَضَبِ اللَّهِ‏.‏ قَالَ زَيْدٌ مَا أَفِرُّ إِلاَّ مِنْ غَضَبِ اللَّهِ، وَلاَ أَحْمِلُ مِنْ غَضَبِ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا أَبَدًا، وَأَنَّى أَسْتَطِيعُهُ فَهَلْ تَدُلُّنِي عَلَى غَيْرِهِ قَالَ مَا أَعْلَمُهُ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ حَنِيفًا‏.‏ قَالَ زَيْدٌ وَمَا الْحَنِيفُ قَالَ دِينُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَهُودِيًّا وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلاَ يَعْبُدُ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ‏.‏ فَخَرَجَ زَيْدٌ فَلَقِيَ عَالِمًا مِنَ النَّصَارَى، فَذَكَرَ مِثْلَهُ، فَقَالَ لَنْ تَكُونَ عَلَى دِينِنَا حَتَّى تَأْخُذَ بِنَصِيبِكَ مِنْ لَعْنَةِ اللَّهِ‏.‏ قَالَ مَا أَفِرُّ إِلاَّ مِنْ لَعْنَةِ اللَّهِ، وَلاَ أَحْمِلُ مِنْ لَعْنَةِ اللَّهِ وَلاَ مِنْ غَضَبِهِ شَيْئًا أَبَدًا، وَأَنَّى أَسْتَطِيعُ فَهَلْ تَدُلُّنِي عَلَى غَيْرِهِ قَالَ مَا أَعْلَمُهُ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ حَنِيفًا‏.‏ قَالَ وَمَا الْحَنِيفُ قَالَ دِينُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَهُودِيًّا وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلاَ يَعْبُدُ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ‏.‏ فَلَمَّا رَأَى زَيْدٌ قَوْلَهُمْ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ خَرَجَ، فَلَمَّا بَرَزَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَشْهَدُ أَنِّي عَلَى دِينِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ‏.‏

Zaid bin 'Amr bin Nufail went to Sham, inquiring about a true religion to follow. He met a Jewish religious scholar and asked him about their religion. He said, "I intend to embrace your religion, so tell me some thing about it." The Jew said, "You will not embrace our religion unless you receive your share of Allah's Anger." Zaid said, "'I do not run except from Allah's Anger, and I will never bear a bit of it if I have the power to avoid it. Can you tell me of some other religion?" He said, "I do not know any other religion except the Hanif." Zaid enquired, "What is Hanif?" He said, "Hanif is the religion of (the prophet) Abraham who was neither a Jew nor a Christian, and he used to worship None but Allah (Alone)" Then Zaid went out and met a Christian religious scholar and told him the same as before. The Christian said, "You will not embrace our religion unless you get a share of Allah's Curse." Zaid replied, "I do not run except from Allah's Curse, and I will never bear any of Allah's Curse and His Anger if I have the power to avoid them. Will you tell me of some other religion?" He replied, "I do not know any other religion except Hanif." Zaid enquired, "What is Hanif?" He replied, Hanif is the religion of (the prophet) Abraham who was neither a Jew nor a Christian and he used to worship None but Allah (Alone)" When Zaid heard their Statement about (the religion of) Abraham, he left that place, and when he came out, he raised both his hands and said, "O Allah! I make You my Witness that I am on the religion of Abraham."