Hazrat Abu Musa Ash‘ari (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) narrates that Abu Taalib once travelled with some seniors of the Quraish to Syria. A Christian monk was living in the area where they had halted. They had passed this monk on numerous occasions previously, but he never showed any interest in them. On this occasion, however, when the trade caravan of the Quraish halted, the monk unexpectedly emerged from his monastery, came to the caravan and began to examine each one of the travelers. When he came to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), he grasped him by the hand and exclaimed:

هذا سيّد العالمين هذا رسول رب العالمين يبعثه اللّٰه رحمة للعالمين

“This is the leader of the worlds. This is the messenger of the Rabb of the worlds. Allah Ta‘ala will send him as a mercy for the people of the worlds.”