MILITARY CONTINGENT OF UMAYYAH AD-DAMRI IN PURSUIT OF THE MURDERERS OF KHUBAIB
Abu Sufyan addressed a group of Quraish saying: Is there a man who could assassinate Muhammad while he walks in the markets, so that we may obtain our full retribution. A Bedouin Arab came to him at his residence and said: “If you would give me my due in full, I will proceed to assassinate him, for I am well aware of the path and with me is my dagger which is like an eagle’s wings.” Abu Sufyan then said: “You are our cohort.”
Then he provided him with a camel and provision and said: “Proceed immediately to accomplish your goal for I fear that someone might learn of this plot and pass the information on to Muhammad.” The Bedouin said: “No one will hear of it.” So, he set out the same night on his camel for his dastard mission. He traveled for five days and reached Al-Harrah in the morning of the sixth day. There, he began to inquire about the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, till he got to the place of prayer and he was informed that he (the Messenger of Allah) had gone toward Banu ‘Abdul-Ashhal. Again, the Bedouin redirected his camel till he got to the quarters of Banu ‘Abdul-Ashhal. He tethered his camel and went ahead to seek out the Messenger of Allah. Meanwhile, the Prophet was in his Mosque meeting with a group of his Companions. When the Bedouin entered the Mosque and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saw him, he said: “This man has come intending some treachery but Allah has frustrated his effort.” The man stopped and asked: “Which one of you is Ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib?” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, answered: “I am Ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib.” Then he came close and overshadowed the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, as if with an intent to please him and demonstrate his joy. Usaid Ibn Hudair pulled him aside and said: “Step aside from Allah’s Messenger,” and he seized his underpants and the dagger was revealed. “This is a treacherous fellow!” and the Bedouin became alarmed and began shouting for clemency: “My blood! My blood!! O Muhammad.”
Usaid Ibn Hudair kept shaking him violently with his cloth wrapped around his neck. The Prophet said to him: “Tell me the truth. Who are you and what has brought you? If you tell me the truth, it will benefit you but if you lie to me, be sure that I have been informed of it.” The Bedouin said: “Will I then be safe?” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Yes you will be safe.” Then he informed him of his plot in conjunction with Abu Sufyan and what he has given him in reward. The Prophet ordered that he be detained in the custody of Usaid Ibn Hudair. The next day, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, called for him and said: “I have guaranteed your security, so you may now go wherever you wish or if you desire I will present to you a better option.” “And what option is that?” the Bedouin asked. “That you bear witness that none deserves to be worshipped except Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah.” The Bedouin said: “I bear witness that none deserves to be worshipped except Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah. O Muhammad, I was most terrified the moment I saw you, my senses went away and I was weakened. Coupled with the fact that you were aware of my purpose while no man could have preceded me to this place with that information and besides, no one was privy to that information; then I realized that you are forbidden (to be harmed) and that you are upon the truth and that the party of Abu Sufyan is a party of Shaitan.”
The Prophet kept smiling at the words of the Bedouin. He remained in Madinah for a few days and then sought permission from the Prophet and went away and no words were heard about him again.
Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, then said to ‘Amr Ibn Umayyah Ad-Damri and Salamah Ibn Aslam Ibn Hareesh: “Both of you, proceed to Abu Sufyan Ibn Harb. If you find the right opportunity, kill him.”
‘Amr continued: “So I went along with my companion till we reached the center of Yajaj where we tethered our camels. My companion said: ‘O ‘Amr, do you have any desire that we go to Makkah so that we may circumambulate the House (Ka‘bah) and offer two units of prayer.” I said: “I know better than you about the character of the people of Makkah, once they are oppressed they bear all their fangs and tenaciously hang on (to the offense). Moreover, I am well-known in Makkah like a speckled horse.” My companion insisted, so we proceeded and entered Makkah. We circumambulated seven times and offered two units of prayer. When I came out, Mua‘wiyyah Ibn Abi Sufyan met me and he quickly recognized me. He said: “‘Amr Ibn Umayyah and his evil.” Then he warned the people of Makkah (of our presence). They said: “‘Amr has not come with any good intent.” ‘Amr used to be an assassin in the Jahiliyyah. When the inhabitants of Makkah gathered, ‘Amr and Salamah fled. The people went in their pursuit. They rushed to the mountain. ‘Amr narrated: “Then I entered a cave and I hid from them till next morning. They searched all over the mountain for us all through the night. But Allah blinded them to look in the direction of Madinah. At the first illumination of the early morning, ‘Uthman Ibn Malik Ibn ‘Ubaidullah At-Taimi approached to gather fodder for his horse. I said to Salamah Ibn Aslam, if he sees us he will disclose our location to the inhabitants of Makkah. Now that they have dispersed from us, he will bring back the inhabitants of Makkah on our trail. He kept coming directly to the entrance of the cave till he saw us.” ‘Amr added: “I sprang out of the cave and stabbed him below his navel with my dagger so violently that he fell down and yelled. The inhabitants of Makkah gathered again after they had dispersed. I recoiled into my position and I warned my companion not to move. They came to him and asked: “Who attacked you?” He answered as he ebbed away: “‘Amr Ibn Umayyah Ad-Damri.” Abu Sufyan said: “We knew that he has not come for any good.” However, he was not able to reveal our location to them as he was in the throes of his death. After he became cold, they again frantically searched for us without success. Afterward, they carried his dead body away. We remained in our position for two more days until the search for us calmed down. Then we came out and proceeded to At-Tan‘eem and my companion said to me: ‘O ‘Amr Ibn Umayyah, do you have any desire for lowering Khubaib Ibn ‘Adiy?” I asked him: “Where is he?” He answered: “He is over there crucified and surrounded by guards.” So I said: “Give me some time, move away from here. If you fear for anything, run to your camel, hop on it and return to Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. When you get to him, inform him of the course of events. Leave me alone for I know the way to Madinah.” I sneaked up to Khubaib’s corpse and lifted him on my back. I have not walked more than twenty cubits before the guards woke up and they came in my pursuit. I threw the bier down and I did not forget its sound. Then I stirred sand with my leg over it to cover it up. Then I took the road to As-Safra’. My pursuers soon became exhausted and they returned.
Meanwhile, my companion had run to his camel and rode as fast as possible back to Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. He informed him of the incident. I proceeded on my way back till I was overlooking Al-Ghameem. I hid inside a cave with my bow and arrows and my sword. While I was in the cave, a tall one-eyed man from Banu Ad-Dee from Banu Bakr approached, driving his sheep and goats. He entered the cave and found me. “Who are you?” I said: “A man from Banu Bakr.” The man said: “I am also from Banu Bakr.” Then he reclined and raised his voice singing:
I shall never be a Muslim as long as I live
I shall never adopt the religion of the Muslims
I said to myself: By Allah, I desire to kill you. When the man slept off, I moved close to him and killed him violently. When I proceeded on my return journey, I met two men whom the Quraish had sent to reconnoiter for them. I accosted them: “Surrender!” I said to them, One of them refused and I shot him with an arrow and killed him. When the other saw this, he willingly surrendered himself to me. I restrained and tied him up and I brought him along to the Prophet. When I arrived at Madinah, I came upon some children of the Ansar who were playing. They heard their elders saying: “Here is ‘Amr!” The children then ran to the Prophet and informed him of my arrival. I came to him leading my captive whose thumb I have tied with my bowstring. When Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saw me, he broke into laughter and he supplicated for good for me. Salamah had arrived in Madinah three days before ‘Amr.
By: Ibn Katheer
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