اللؤلؤ والمرجان
Lu'lu' wal-Marjan
كتاب الجهادBook of Jihad
باب قتل كعب بن الأشرف طاغوت اليهود
Killing of Ka‘b ibn al-Ashraf, the tyrant of the Jews
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Hadith 1179
1179 صحيح حديث جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : مَنْ لِكَعْبِ بْنِ الأَشْرَفِ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ آذَى اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَامَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَتُحِبُّ أَنْ أَقْتُلَهُ قَالَ: نَعَمْ قَالَ: فَأْذَنْ لِي أَنْ أَقُولَ شَيْئًا قَالَ: قُلْ فَأَتَاهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّ هذَا الرَّجُلَ قَد سَأَلَنَا صَدَقَةً، وَإِنَّهُ قَدْ عَنَّانَا، وَإِنِّي قَدْ أَتَيْتُكَ أَسْتَسْلِفُكَ قَالَ: وَأَيْضًا، وَاللهِ لَتَمَلُّنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّا قَدِ اتَّبَعْنَاهُ فَلاَ نُحِبُّ أَنْ نَدَعَهُ حَتَّى نَنْظرَ إِلَى أَيِّ شَيْءٍ يَصِيرُ شَأْنُهُ وَقَدَ أَرَدْنَا أَنْ تُسْلِفَنَا وَسْقًا أَوْ وَسْقَيْنِ فَقَالَ: نَعَمْ، ارْهَنُونِي قَالُوا: أيَّ شَيْءٍ تُرِيدُ قَالَ: ارْهَنُونِي نِسَاءَكُمْ قَالُوا: كَيْفَ نَرْهَنُكَ نِسَاءَنَا، وَأَنْتَ أَجْمَلُ الْعَرَبِ قَالَ: فَارْهَنُونِي أَبْنَاءَكمْ قَالُوا: كَيْفَ نَرْهَنُكَ أَبْنَاءَنَا، فَيُسَبُّ أَحَدُهُمْ فَيُقَالُ رُهِنَ بِوَسْقٍ أَوْ وَسْقَيْنِ، هذَا عَارٌ عَلَيْنَا، وَلكِنَّا نَرْهَنُكَ الَّلأْمَةَ (يَعْنِي السِّلاَحَ) فَوَاعَدَهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُ، فَجَاءَهُ لَيْلاً وَمَعَهُ أَبُو نَائِلَةَ، وَهُوَ أَخو كَعْبٍ مِنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ فَدَعَاهُمْ إِلَى الْحِصْنِ، فَنَزَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ؛ فَقَالَتْ لَهُ امْرَأَتُهُ: أَيْنَ تَخْرُجُ هذِهِ السَّاعَةَ فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا هُوَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ وَأَخِي أَبُو نَائِلَةَ قَالَتْ: أَسْمَعُ صَوْتًا كَأَنَّهُ يَقْطُرُ مِنْهُ الدَّمُ قَالَ: إِنَّمَا هُوَ أَخِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ وَرَضِيعِي أَبُو نَائِلَةَ، إِنَّ الْكَرِيمَ لَوْ دُعِيَ إِلَى طَعْنَةٍ بِلَيْلٍ لأَجَابَ قَالَ: وَيُدْخِلُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ مَعَهُ رَجُلَيْنِ فَقَالَ: إِذَا مَا جَاءَ فَإِنِّي قَائِلٌ بَشَعَرِهِ فَأَشَمُّهُ، فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُونِي اسْتَمْكَنْتُ مِنْ رَأْسِهِ فَدُونَكُمْ فَاضْرِبُوهُ وَقَالَ مَرَّةً: ثُمَّ أُشِمُّكُمْ فَنَزَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ مَتَوَشِّحًا، وَهُوَ يَنْفَحُ مِنْهُ رِيحُ الطِّيبِ فَقَالَ: مَا رَأَيْتُ كَالْيَوْمِ رِيحًا، أَيْ أَطْيَبَ قَالَ: عِنْدِي أَعْطَرُ نِسَاءِ الْعَرَبِ وَأَكْمَلُ الْعَرَبِ؛ فَقَالَ: أَتَأْذَنُ لِي أَنْ أَشَمَّ رَأْسَكَ قَالَ: نَعَمْ فَشَمَّهُ ثُمَّ أَشَمَّ أَصْحَابَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَتأْذَنُ لِي قَالَ: نَعَمْ فَلَمَّا اسْتَمْكَنَ مِنْهُ، قَالَ: دُونَكُمْ فَقَتَلُوهُ، ثُمَّ أَتَوُا النَبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَخْبَرُوهُ
Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah Al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Who will deal with Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf? He has greatly troubled Allah and His Messenger.” Upon this, Muhammad bin Maslamah Al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said, “O Messenger of Allah! Will you permit me to kill him?” The Prophet said, “Yes, I would like that.” He said, “Then grant me permission to say something to him.” The Prophet gave him permission.
So Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) went to Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf and said to him, “This man (meaning the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him) keeps asking us for charity and has exhausted us, so I have come to you to borrow something.” Ka‘b said, “Just wait and see, by Allah! You will become completely weary.” Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Since we have now followed him, it is not appropriate to leave him until it becomes clear what his end will be. I have come to borrow a wasq or (the narrator said) two wasqs of grain from you.” (And ‘Amr bin Dinar narrated this hadith once but did not mention a wasq or two wasqs of grain. I asked him, “Is there mention of a wasq or two wasqs in the hadith?” He said, “I also think that a wasq or two wasqs are mentioned in the hadith.”)
Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf said, “Yes, but leave something with me as a pledge.” He asked, “What do you want as a pledge?” He said, “Leave your women with me.” He replied, “You are the most handsome man among the Arabs. How can we leave our women with you as a pledge?” He said, “Then leave your children as a pledge.” He replied, “How can we leave our children as a pledge? Tomorrow they will be insulted for having been pledged for a wasq or two wasqs of grain. That would be a great disgrace. However, we can leave our ‘lamah’ with you as a pledge (meaning weapons).” Sufyan said that by ‘lamah’ he meant weapons.
Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) promised to meet him again and came to him at night. With him was Abu Na‘ilah, who was the foster brother of Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf. Then, coming near his fortress, they called out to him. He was about to come out when his wife said, “Where are you going at this hour (so late at night)?” He said, “It is Muhammad bin Maslamah and my brother Abu Na‘ilah.” (Except for ‘Amr, the other narrator said that) his wife said to him, “This voice sounds to me as if blood is dripping from it.” Ka‘b replied, “It is my brother Muhammad bin Maslamah and my foster brother Abu Na‘ilah. If a nobleman is called to spearplay even at night, he goes out.”
The narrator said that when Muhammad bin Maslamah entered, there were two other men with him. Sufyan was asked, “Did ‘Amr bin Dinar mention their names?” He replied, “He mentioned the names of some of them.” ‘Amr narrated that when they came, there were two other men with them, and except for ‘Amr bin Dinar, they were instructed that when Ka‘b comes, I will take hold of his (head) hair and start smelling it. When you realize that I have fully seized his head, then be ready and kill him. ‘Amr narrated once that then I will smell his head.
Eventually, Ka‘b came out wrapped in a cloak, and his body was exuding fragrance. Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I have never smelled a better fragrance than today.” Ka‘b replied, “I have with me an Arab woman who is always perfumed and whose beauty has no equal.” Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, “Will you allow me to smell your head?” He said, “You may smell it.” Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) smelled his head, and then his companions also smelled it. Then he said, “May I smell it again?” He allowed it again. Then, when Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) had fully seized him, he signaled to his companions to be ready, and so they killed him and went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of it.
So Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) went to Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf and said to him, “This man (meaning the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him) keeps asking us for charity and has exhausted us, so I have come to you to borrow something.” Ka‘b said, “Just wait and see, by Allah! You will become completely weary.” Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Since we have now followed him, it is not appropriate to leave him until it becomes clear what his end will be. I have come to borrow a wasq or (the narrator said) two wasqs of grain from you.” (And ‘Amr bin Dinar narrated this hadith once but did not mention a wasq or two wasqs of grain. I asked him, “Is there mention of a wasq or two wasqs in the hadith?” He said, “I also think that a wasq or two wasqs are mentioned in the hadith.”)
Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf said, “Yes, but leave something with me as a pledge.” He asked, “What do you want as a pledge?” He said, “Leave your women with me.” He replied, “You are the most handsome man among the Arabs. How can we leave our women with you as a pledge?” He said, “Then leave your children as a pledge.” He replied, “How can we leave our children as a pledge? Tomorrow they will be insulted for having been pledged for a wasq or two wasqs of grain. That would be a great disgrace. However, we can leave our ‘lamah’ with you as a pledge (meaning weapons).” Sufyan said that by ‘lamah’ he meant weapons.
Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) promised to meet him again and came to him at night. With him was Abu Na‘ilah, who was the foster brother of Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf. Then, coming near his fortress, they called out to him. He was about to come out when his wife said, “Where are you going at this hour (so late at night)?” He said, “It is Muhammad bin Maslamah and my brother Abu Na‘ilah.” (Except for ‘Amr, the other narrator said that) his wife said to him, “This voice sounds to me as if blood is dripping from it.” Ka‘b replied, “It is my brother Muhammad bin Maslamah and my foster brother Abu Na‘ilah. If a nobleman is called to spearplay even at night, he goes out.”
The narrator said that when Muhammad bin Maslamah entered, there were two other men with him. Sufyan was asked, “Did ‘Amr bin Dinar mention their names?” He replied, “He mentioned the names of some of them.” ‘Amr narrated that when they came, there were two other men with them, and except for ‘Amr bin Dinar, they were instructed that when Ka‘b comes, I will take hold of his (head) hair and start smelling it. When you realize that I have fully seized his head, then be ready and kill him. ‘Amr narrated once that then I will smell his head.
Eventually, Ka‘b came out wrapped in a cloak, and his body was exuding fragrance. Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I have never smelled a better fragrance than today.” Ka‘b replied, “I have with me an Arab woman who is always perfumed and whose beauty has no equal.” Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, “Will you allow me to smell your head?” He said, “You may smell it.” Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) smelled his head, and then his companions also smelled it. Then he said, “May I smell it again?” He allowed it again. Then, when Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) had fully seized him, he signaled to his companions to be ready, and so they killed him and went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of it.
