[Machine] I went as a merchant to Sham (Syria) during the pre-Islamic period. When I was near Sham, a man from the People of the Book met me and asked, "Do you have a fortune-teller among you?" I replied, "Yes." He said, "Bring him to me." So I took him to a house where there were depictions (of various things), for I had not seen a depiction before that. When I came to know what a depiction was, I saw him holding the anklet of the Prophet ﷺ . I said, "Who is this man holding the anklet?" He replied, "He is not a prophet, but there is no prophet after him. He is the successor after him." Then he mentioned Abu Bakr's characteristics.  

خَرَجْتُ تَاجِرًا إِلَى الشَّامِ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَلَمَّا كُنْتُ بِأَدْنَى الشَّامِ لَقِيَنِي رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ فَقَالَ هَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ رَجُلٌ تَنَبَّأَ؟ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ هَلْ تَعْرِفُ صُورَتَهُ إِذَا رَأَيْتَهَا؟ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ فَأَدْخَلَنِي بَيْتًا فِيهِ صُوَرٌ فَلَمْ أَرَ صُورَةَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَبَيْنَا أَنَا كَذَلِكَ إِذْ دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ عَلَيْنَا فَقَالَ فِيمَ أَنْتُمْ؟ فَأَخْبَرْنَاهُ فَذَهَبَ بِنَا إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ فَسَاعةَ مَا دَخَلْتُ نَظَرْتُ إِلَى صُورَةِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَإِذَا رَجُلٌ آخِذٌ بِعَقِبِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الْقَائِمُ عَلَى عَقِبِهِ؟ قَالَ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ نَبِيٌّ إِلَّا كَانَ بَعْدَهُ نَبِيٌّ إِلَّا هَذَا فَإِنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ وَهَذَا الْخَلِيفَةُ بَعْدَهُ وَإِذَا صِفَةُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ؓ