A man searching before there was anything to find
He travelled looking for the religion of Ibrāhīm and died before the revelation came.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَشْهَدُ أَنِّي عَلَى دِينِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
Allāhumma innī ashhadu annī ʿalā dīni Ibrāhīm.
“O Allah, I bear witness that I am upon the religion of Ibrāhīm.”
Where this comes from
He questioned the Jewish and Christian scholars, refused both, and would not eat what was slaughtered for idols. He faced the Kaʿbah and said this, and died before the Prophet ﷺ was sent.
The full narration
Narrated Ibn 'Umar: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 something 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
Source
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī · 3827
- Agreed upon as authentic (al-Bukhārī / Muslim)