❖ The Assassination of ʿAṣmāʾ bint Marwān – A Historical & Legal Review
❖ The Question
Did ʿAṣmāʾ bint Marwān, a Jewish woman, really get killed by ʿUmayr bin ʿAdī al-Khaṭmī (RA)? And if so, what is the Sharʿī (Islamic legal) ruling on this incident?
❖ The Answer
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
The assassination of ʿAṣmāʾ bint Marwān by Ḥaḍrat ʿUmayr bin ʿAdī al-Khaṭmī (RA) is a documented historical incident, reported by several notable scholars of Hadith and history.
✿ Historical Sources
This incident is recorded by Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar in Al-Iṣābah (Vol. 3, p. 34) citing:
- Al-Wāqidī
- Ibn al-Sakan
- Abū Aḥmad al-ʿAskarī
- Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Sarāj
- Al-Baghawī
It is also mentioned by Ibn Hishām in his Sīrah (2/637) and further elaborated by Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr in Al-Istīʿāb, who notes that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“لَا يَنْطَحُ فِيهَا عَنْزَان“
✿ Meaning of the Phrase:
“لَا يَنْطَحُ فِيهَا عَنْزَان“
“Not even two goats will butt heads over this issue.”
→ Meaning: This act was so clear-cut, necessary, and undisputed, that no rational being would object to it.
Ibn al-Athīr, in Al-Nihāyah (4/162), explains:
“It is such an uncontentious issue that even two gentle animals like goats wouldn’t fight over it, unlike rams or bulls.”
❖ Who Was ʿAṣmāʾ bint Marwān?
She was a Jewish poetess who openly and consistently used poetry as a weapon of slander against the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims.
- She insulted and mocked the Muslims
- Spread psychological warfare through ridicule
- Encouraged rebellion and incited sedition
Her conduct constituted open enmity and treason against the Islamic state.
✿ Justification for Her Assassination
Ḥaḍrat ʿUmayr bin ʿAdī (RA) executed her with the approval of the Prophet ﷺ in order to eliminate this dangerous source of fitnah (tribal and ideological unrest).
The Prophet ﷺ’s response—“No two goats will butt heads over this”—signified approval and that no qisās (retributive justice) or accountability was required.
❖ A Precedent for Strategic Elimination of Fitnah
The Prophet’s ﷺ approach reflected strategic foresight in neutralizing threats to the nascent Muslim society.
This phrase was later compared to a statement of ʿAdī bin Ḥātim (RA), who downplayed the killing of ʿUthmān (RA), only to realize later the massive repercussions that followed.
❖ Final Conclusion
✔ ʿAṣmāʾ’s repeated abuse, public ridicule, and open rebellion against the Prophet ﷺ warranted punitive action.
✔ Her assassination was not an act of personal revenge, but rather a measured step in response to open hostility and treason.
✔ The Prophet ﷺ did not express disapproval, nor did he demand qisās, indicating Sharʿī legitimacy.
✔ This is an example of Prophetic wisdom in dealing with seditious threats to Islam from within society.
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي، وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
