Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 29630 — Reports on the qasamah

Sulayman bin Yasar said: Qasamah (the collective oath) is true; the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ruled by it. While the people of the Ansar were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), one of them suddenly went out. Then they all left the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and found their companion drenched in his blood. They returned to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "The Jews have struck us down." They named a man among the Jews, though they had no evidence. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "Let two witnesses other than yourselves testify, and I shall hand him over to you completely." They had no evidence. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Establish your right through fifty oaths, and I shall hand him over to you completely." They said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we dislike swearing about what we did not see." Then the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to take oaths from fifty of the Jews. The Ansar said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the Jews do not care about swearing. Whenever we accept this from them, they will come upon the last of us." So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) paid his blood money from his own funds.