Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Unays (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called me and said: "It has reached me that Khalid bin Sufyan bin Nubayh al-Hudhali is gathering people against me in order to wage war against me. Go to him and kill him." The narrator says: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, describe his appearance to me so that I may recognise him." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you see him, a shiver will come over you on seeing him." The narrator says: I set out with my sword and came to that place. He was at the place called Uranah with some women, who were preparing a place of lodging for him. The time of Asr had come. When I saw him, a shiver came over me just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had described to me. I came towards him, and I feared that something else might come as an obstacle between me and him, so I began to pray, performing the bowing and prostration by gesturing with my head. When I reached him, he asked: "Who are you?" I said: "I am a man who has heard about you, that you are gathering people against this man, so I have come to you in that connection." He said: "Right, I am doing this." The narrator says: I kept walking with him until, when I got the chance, I attacked him with the sword and killed him. Then I left that place, leaving his women bent over him. When I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he saw me, he said: "This is a successful face." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have killed him." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You have spoken the truth." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) got up, taking me with him, and brought me to his house. He gave me a staff and said: "O Abdullah bin Unays, keep this with you." The narrator says: I came out with it to the people, and the people said: "Where has this staff come from?" I said: "The Messenger of Allah gave it to me, and he has ordered me to keep it with me." The people said: "Why do you not go to the Messenger of Allah and ask him about it?" So I went back to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, why have you given me this staff?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "So that it may be a sign between me and you on the Day of Resurrection. On that day there will be few people who lean on a staff." The narrator says: So Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) kept it together with his sword, and it remained with him constantly, until, when his death drew near, he gave instructions about it, and that staff was placed in his shroud, and then the two were buried together. (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Abu Dawud recorded part of this report in the chapter on the prayer of fear.
Ahmad recorded it, and Abu Ya'la recorded something similar. Its chain contains a narrator who has not been named, and he is the son of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Unays (may Allah be pleased with him); the rest of the narrators of this report are thiqat (trustworthy).
Muhammad bin Ka'b al-Qurazi narrates: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Unays (may Allah be pleased with him) stated: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Who will (kill) Khalid bin Nubayh for my sake?" The narrator says: He was a man belonging to the tribe of Hudhayl, and he was at the place called Uranah. Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I will do it. Describe his appearance to me." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If you see him, you will be frightened." I said: "By the One who has honoured you, I have never been frightened of anything." The narrator says: I set out from there until I met him near Uranah a little before the sun set. When I met him, I was overawed by him, and when I was overawed by him, I understood the meaning of what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had said. He asked: "Who are you?" I replied: "I have come on some business; is there room to stay the night?" He said: "Yes, stay with me." The narrator says: I set off behind him. I offered the two rak'ahs of Asr briefly, then I went on, fearing that he might see me. Then I reached him and struck him with the sword. Then I climbed the mountain and hid, until, when the people had gone, I came out and presented myself before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Madinah, and I told him about the situation. The narrator Muhammad bin Ka'b states: So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Unays (may Allah be pleased with him) a staff and said: "Walk with this, until you meet me with it on the Day of Resurrection; and on that day there will be few people who have a staff." The narrator named Muhammad bin Ka'b states: When Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Unays (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away, by his instruction that staff was placed on his stomach, he was shrouded over it, and it was buried along with him.
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Unays (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Who will (kill) Sufyan al-Hudhali? He satirises me, reviles me and hurts me." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I will take care of him; send me to him." So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent him to him. When he came to him at night and entered his house, he asked: "Where is Sufyan?" One of his household looked out and asked: "What do you want?" He said: "I want to meet Sufyan; tell him to come to me." Sufyan looked out at him and said: "What do you want?" He said: "I want you to come down to me, for I have a coat of mail that I want to show you." He asked: "Where is it?" He said: "It is here with me. Come down to me, and come wearing your cloak, so that I may show it to you." So he came out with him. He drew his sword, attacked him and made him cold. Then he came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in the mosque at that time. He told the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he had killed him. At that time the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had a staff with him, which he used to walk with. He handed it to him and said: "Walk with this, for on the Day of Resurrection those who walk with a staff will be few." The narrator says: That staff remained with him constantly, until, when he passed away, that staff was buried with him.
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains al-Wazi' bin Nafi', and he is matruk (abandoned).
Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O company of the Ansar, will no man take revenge on my behalf on Sufyan al-Hudhali? For he has satirised me." So Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Unays (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said: "O Messenger of Allah, where is he?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He is at the place called Uranah." He said: "O Messenger of Allah, describe his appearance to me." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you see him, you will be afraid on seeing him." He said: "O Messenger of Allah, since I accepted Islam I have never been afraid of anything." Then Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Unays (may Allah be pleased with him) set out running, until he killed that man; then he came back to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Al-Tabarani recorded it. The narrator named Ishaq bin Yahya did not live in the time of Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him).