Mukhtasar Bukhari

Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Who will deal with Ka'b bin Ashraf? He has greatly hurt Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)." Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said, "Do you wish that I kill him?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Yes." So he said, "Give me permission so that I may say something (to him)." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "You have permission." So Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) went to him and said, "This man (meaning Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) has asked us for charity and has put us in hardship. I have come to you to borrow something." Ka'b said, "What is it now? By Allah, you will face much hardship in the future." He replied, "Well, now we have followed him, so suddenly leaving him does not seem good, but we are watching to see what the outcome will be. Anyway, I have come to you to borrow one or two wasqs." Ka'b bin Ashraf said, "Leave something with me as a pledge." He asked, "What do you want as a pledge?" Ka'b said, "Leave your women with me as a pledge." He replied, "How can we leave our women with you? For you are extremely handsome among the Arabs." Ka'b said, "Then leave your sons with me as a pledge." He replied, "How can we leave them as a pledge? Whoever fights with them will taunt us that they were pledged for one or two wasqs, and that would be a disgrace for us. But we will leave our weapons with you." So they made an appointment to meet Ka'b again, and at night they came to Ka'b, bringing with them Abu Na'ilah, Ka'b's foster brother. Ka'b called them near the fort and himself came down from the fort to meet them. His wife asked, "Where are you going at this hour?" Ka'b replied, "Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) and my brother Abu Na'ilah are calling me (there is nothing to fear)." The woman said, "It seems as if blood is dripping from this voice." Ka'b said, "It is only my friend Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) and my foster brother Abu Na'ilah. And if a noble man is called at night to be struck with a spear, he should immediately accept." Meanwhile, Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) had brought two other men with him. (In narrations other than that of Abu Amr, it is mentioned that they were Abu Abs bin Jabr, Harith bin Aws, and Abbad bin Bishr, may Allah be pleased with them.) (Amr) says that he had told the two men he brought with him, "When Ka'b bin Ashraf comes, I will hold his hair and smell it. When you see that I have firmly held his head, then quickly kill him." (Once, the narrator Amr said) that Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Then I will let you smell it." When Ka'b came to them with his head wrapped in a sheet and the fragrance was spreading from him, Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I have never smelled a better fragrance than today's." Ka'b replied, "I have the most perfumed woman among the Arab women and the most accomplished woman in all of Arabia." Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, "Do you allow me to smell your head?" He said, "Yes, why not." Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) smelled it and let his companions smell it. He asked, "May I smell it again?" He said, "Yes, you may." So when Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) held him firmly, he said to his companions, "Strike him." So they killed Ka'b bin Ashraf and gave the good news of his killing to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).