THE KILLING OF KA‘B IBN AL-ASHRAF (THE JEW)
Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “Who is willing to kill Ka‘b Ibn Al-Ashraf, who has hurt Allah and His Messenger?” Thereupon Muhammad Ibn Maslamah got up saying, “O Allah’s Messenger! Would you like that I kill him?” The Prophet said, “Yes,” Muhammad Ibn Maslamah said, “Then allow me to say a (false) thing (i.e. to deceive Ka‘b). “The Prophet said, “You may say it.” Then Muhammad Ibn Maslamah went to Ka‘b and said, “That man (i.e. Muhammad) demands Sadaqah (i.e. Zakat) from us, and he has troubled us, and I have come to borrow something from you.” On that, Ka‘b said, “By Allah, you will get tired of him!” Muhammad Ibn Maslamah said, “Now as we have followed him, we do not want to leave him unless and until we see how his end is going to be. Now we want you to lend us a camel load or two of food.” (There are some differences among the narrators whether he requested for a camel load or two.) Ka‘b said, “Yes, (I will lend you), but you should mortgage something to me.” Muhammad Ibn Maslamah and his companion said, “What do you want?” Ka‘b replied, “Mortgage your women to me.” They said, “How can we mortgage our women to you and you are the most handsome of the ‘Arabs?” Ka‘b said, “Then, mortgage your sons to me.” They said, “How can we mortgage our sons to you? Later they would be abused by the people’s saying that so-andso has been mortgaged for a camel load of food. That would cause us great disgrace, but we will mortgage our arms to you.” Muhammad Ibn Maslamah and his companion promised Ka‘b that Muhammad would return to him. He came to Ka‘b at night along with Ka‘b’s foster brother, Abu Na’ilah. Ka‘b invited them to come into his fort, and then he went down to them. His wife asked him, “Where are you going at this time?” Ka‘b replied, “None but Muhammad Ibn Maslamah and my (foster) brother Abu Na’ilah have come.” His wife said, “I hear a voice as if blood is dripping from him.” Ka‘b said, “They are none but my brother Muhammad Ibn Maslamah and my foster brother Abu Na’ilah. A generous man should respond to a call at night even if invited to be killed.”
Muhammad Ibn Maslamah went with two men. (Some narrators mention the men as Abu Abs Ibn Bin Jabr, Al-Harith Ibn Aws and Abbad Ibn Bishr). So Muhammad Ibn Maslamah went in together with two men, and said to them, “When Ka‘b comes, I will touch his hair and smell it, and when you see that I have got hold of his head, strip him. I will let you smell his head.” Ka‘b Ibn Al-Ashraf came down to them wrapped in his clothes, and diffusing perfume. Muhammad Ibn Maslamah said. “I have never smelt a better scent than this. Ka‘b replied. “I have got the best Arab women who know how to use the high class of perfume.” Muhammad Ibn Maslamah requested Ka‘b “Will you allow me to smell your head?” Ka‘b said, “Yes.” Muhammad smelt it and made his companions smell it as well. Then he asked Ka‘b again, “Will you let me (smell your head)?” Ka‘b said, “Yes.” When Muhammad got a strong hold of him, he said (to his companions), “Get at him!” So they killed him and went to the Prophet and informed him.
By: Ibn Katheer
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John Doe
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John Doe
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