ʿUmar used to admit me (into his house) along with the old men who had fought in the Badr battle. Some of them said (to ʿUmar), "Why do you allow this young man to enter with us, while we have sons of his own age? " ʿUmar said, "You know what person he is." One day ʿUmar called them and called me along with them, I had thought he called me on that day to show them something about me (i.e. my knowledge). ʿUmar asked them, "What do you say about (the Sura): "When comes the help of Allah and the Conquest (of Mecca) And you see mankind entering the Religion of Allah (i.e. Islam) in crowds. 'So celebrate the Praises Of your Lord and ask for His forgiveness, Truly, He is the One Who accepts repentance and forgives." (110.1-3) Some of them replied, "We are ordered to praise Allah and repent to Him if we are helped and granted victory." Some said, "We do not know." Others kept quiet. ʿUmar then said to me, "Do you say similarly?" I said, "No." ʿUmar said "What do you say then?" I said, "This Verse indicates the approaching of the death of Messenger of Allah ﷺ of which Allah informed him. When comes the help of Allah and the Conquest, i.e. the Conquest of Mecca, that will be the sign of your Prophet's) approaching death, so testify the uniqueness of your Lord (i.e. Allah) and praise Him and repent to Him as He is ready to forgive." On that, ʿUmar said, "I do not know about it anything other than what you know."
كَانَ عُمَرُ يُدْخِلُنِي مَعَ أَشْيَاخِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِمَ تُدْخِلُ هَذَا الْفَتَى مَعَنَا وَلَنَا أَبْنَاءٌ مِثْلُهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ مِمَّنْ قَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ قَالَ فَدَعَاهُمْ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ وَدَعَانِي مَعَهُمْ قَالَ وَمَا رُئِيتُهُ دَعَانِي يَوْمَئِذٍ إِلاَّ لِيُرِيَهُمْ مِنِّي فَقَالَ مَا تَقُولُونَ {إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ * وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ} حَتَّى خَتَمَ السُّورَةَ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ أُمِرْنَا أَنْ نَحْمَدَ اللَّهَ وَنَسْتَغْفِرَهُ إِذَا نُصِرْنَا وَفُتِحَ عَلَيْنَا وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لاَ نَدْرِي أَوْ لَمْ يَقُلْ بَعْضُهُمْ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ لِي يَا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَكَذَاكَ تَقُولُ قُلْتُ لاَ قَالَ فَمَا تَقُولُ قُلْتُ هُوَ أَجَلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَعْلَمَهُ اللَّهُ لَهُ {إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ} فَتْحُ مَكَّةَ فَذَاكَ عَلاَمَةُ أَجَلِكَ {فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا} قَالَ عُمَرُ مَا أَعْلَمُ مِنْهَا إِلاَّ مَا تَعْلَمُ