Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1052
The Detachment of Muḥammad b. Maslama ᴿᴬ against the Jew Kaʿb b. al-Ashraf
سَرِيَّةُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَسْلَمَةَ ؓ إِلَى كَعْبِ بْنِ الْأَشْرَفِ الْيَهُودِيِّ. وَقَعَتْ سَرِيَّةُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَسْلَمَةَ فِي سَنَةِ ثَلَاثٍ مِنَ الْهِجْرَةِ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ كَعْبَ بْنَ الْأَشْرَفِ الْيَهُودِيَّ كَانَ شَاعِرًا وَكَانَ يَهْجُو الصَّحَابَةَ وَيُؤْذِي النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَيُحَرِّضُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْكَفَّارَ، وَكَانَ يَتَشَبَّبُ فِي شِعْرِهِ بِنِسَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. فَقَالَ حِينَئِذٍ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: مَنْ لِي بِكَعْبِ بْنِ الْأَشْرَفِ ; فَقَدْ آذَى اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ؟ » وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: فَقَدْ آذَانَا بِشِعْرِهِ وَقَوَّى الْمُشْرِكِينَ عَلَيْنَا فَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ: أَنَا لَكَ بِهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَنَا أَقْتُلُهُ. قَالَ: أَنْتَ لَهُ فَافْعَلْ إِنْ قَدَرْتَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فَاجْتَمَعَ [فِي قَتْلِهِ] مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، وَعَبَّادُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، وَأَبُو نَائِلَةَ سَلْكَانُ بْنُ سَلَامَةَ، وَالْحَارِثُ بْنُ أَوْسِ بْنِ مُعَاذٍ، بَعَثَهُ عَمُّهُ سَعْدُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ، وَأَبُو عَبْسِ بْنُ جَبْرٍ، فَقَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَحْنُ نَقْتُلُهُ; فَأْذَنْ لَنَا فَلْنَقُلْ شَيْئًا; فَإِنَّهُ لَا بُدَ لَنَا مِنْ أَنْ نَقُولَ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «قُولُوا مَا بَدَا لَكُمْ; فَأَنْتُمْ فِي حِلٍّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ» فَاسْتَعْمَلَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ الْحِيلَةَ فِي قَتْلِهِ، وَجَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مُكَبِّرًا فَكَبَّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «أَفْلَحَتِ الْوُجُوهُ». فَقَالُوا: «وَوَجْهُكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ».
Translation
✧ The Detachment of Muḥammad b. Maslama ؓ against the Jew Kaʿb b. al-Ashraf. The detachment of Muḥammad b. Maslama took place in the year three of the Hijrah. That was because Kaʿb b. al-Ashraf, the Jew, was a poet. He used to satirize the Companions, harm the Prophet ﷺ, and incite the disbelievers against them. In his poetry, he used to make amatory advances toward the women of the Muslims. At that time, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Who will deal with Kaʿb b. al-Ashraf for me? For he has harmed Allah and His Messenger." In another narration: "For he has harmed us with his poetry and strengthened the polytheists against us." Muḥammad b. Maslama said: "I will deal with him for you, O Messenger of Allah; I will kill him." He said: "You are the one for him, so do it if you are able to do that." Then gathered [for his killing] Muḥammad b. Maslama, ʿAbbād b. Bishr, Abū Nāʾila Silkān b. Salāma, al-Ḥārith b. Aws b. Muʿādh—sent by his paternal uncle Saʿd b. Muʿādh—and Abū ʿAbs b. Jabr. They said: "O Messenger of Allah, we will kill him; permit us that we may say something, for we must say something." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Say whatever seems fit to you, for you are absolved in that regard." Muḥammad b. Maslama employed a stratagem in killing him. He came to the Prophet ﷺ saying "Allāhu akbar," and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said "Allāhu akbar," and said to them: "May the faces prosper." They said: "And your face, O Messenger of Allah."
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