Ibn Hibban

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) sent out an expedition for reconnaissance and appointed Asim bin Thabit as their leader. They set out until they camped between ‘Usfan and Makkah. A branch of the Hudhail tribe, Banu Lihyan, found out about them. They came after them with one hundred archers, following their footprints, until they camped at the same place where the Muslims had camped. There, they found date pits from Madinah, so it was said: “These are the dates of the people of Yathrib.” Then they continued following their tracks until they reached them. When Sayyiduna Asim bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) and his companions sensed them, they took cover behind a mountain. The enemy came and surrounded them. They said: “We give you a firm covenant and promise that if you come down to us, we will not kill any one of you.” Sayyiduna Asim (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I will not come down under the protection of a disbelieving people. O Allah, inform Your Messenger about us.” They fought them at their place of residence until they killed Sayyiduna Asim (may Allah be pleased with him) and seven others. Only Sayyiduna Khubaib bin ‘Adi (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Zayd bin Dathinnah (may Allah be pleased with him), and another man remained. They gave these men a promise that if they came down to them, (nothing would be done to them), but when they overpowered them, they untied the strings of their bows and tied them up with them. The third man with them said: “This is the first act of treachery,” and refused to go with them. They dragged him, but he refused to follow them and said: “For me, the way of those who have been killed is the best example.” So they beheaded him as well. They took Sayyiduna Khubaib bin ‘Adi (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Zayd bin Dathinnah (may Allah be pleased with him) and sold them in Makkah. Sayyiduna Khubaib (may Allah be pleased with him) was bought by the sons of Harith bin ‘Amir, because Harith had been killed on the day of Badr. He remained as a captive with them until they decided to kill him. Sayyiduna Khubaib (may Allah be pleased with him) asked a daughter of Harith for a razor for temporary use, so that he could remove excess hair. The woman gave him the razor. She narrates: I became heedless of my child until the child went to him. He took the child and placed him on his lap while the razor was in his hand. When I saw the child, I became very anxious. He asked: “Are you afraid that I will kill him? If Allah wills, I will not do so.” The woman narrates: I have never seen a captive better than Sayyiduna Khubaib (may Allah be pleased with him). I saw him eating grapes, even though there was no such fruit in Makkah at that time, and he was shackled in iron. This was sustenance that Allah provided for him. Then they (i.e., Banu Harith) took him outside the boundaries of the Haram to kill him. Sayyiduna Khubaib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Give me a chance to perform two rak‘ahs.” He then performed two rak‘ahs and said: “If I did not fear that you would think I am prolonging it out of fear of death, I would have prayed more.” (The narrator says) He was the first person to establish the practice of performing two rak‘ahs before being killed. Then he said: “If I am killed as a Muslim, then I do not care on which side I fall before Allah.” Then ‘Uqbah bin Harith came forward and martyred him. The Quraysh sent someone to the place of Asim to bring some part of his body so they could recognize him, because Asim had killed one of their leaders at Badr. Allah sent a shade over him, so they could not obtain anything from his body.

This narration was related to us by Ibn Qutaybah in his writing, in which are the words: “So they fought them while remaining in their homes,” whereas the words are: “They fought them while remaining in their place.”

This same narration is transmitted with another chain, however, at the end of it are these words: "Allah Almighty sent upon them a swarm of flies like a cloud, so those people were not able to overpower any part of their bodies." (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) The word "dabal" refers to a swarm of honey bees.