It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that :the Quraish went to a sorceress and they said to her: “Tell us whose footprints most resemble those of the owner of Al-Maqam (the station of Ibrahim).” She said: “If you spread a piece of cloth over this soft earth and walk over it, I will tell you.” So they spread out a piece of cloth and the people walked over it. She saw the footprints of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: “This one most closely resembles him among you.” After that twenty years passed, of as long as Allah willed, then Allah sent Muhammad (ﷺ) (i.e., missioned him as the Prophet).
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، حَدَّثَنَا سِمَاكُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ قُرَيْشًا، أَتَوُا امْرَأَةً كَاهِنَةً فَقَالُوا لَهَا أَخْبِرِينَا أَشْبَهَنَا أَثَرًا بِصَاحِبِ الْمَقَامِ . فَقَالَتْ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ جَرَرْتُمْ كِسَاءً عَلَى هَذِهِ السِّهْلَةِ ثُمَّ مَشَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهَا أَنْبَأْتُكُمْ . قَالَ فَجَرُّوا كِسَاءً ثُمَّ مَشَى النَّاسُ عَلَيْهَا فَأَبْصَرَتْ أَثَرَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . فَقَالَتْ هَذَا أَقْرَبُكُمْ إِلَيْهِ شَبَهًا . ثُمَّ مَكَثُوا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً أَوْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ بَعَثَ اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم .
IbnMaja
The Chapters on Rulings • Hadith 2350