Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1053
The Detachment of Muḥammad b. Maslama ᴿᴬ against the Jew Kaʿb b. al-Ashraf
سَرِيَّةِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَسْلَمَةَ ؓ إِلَى كَعْبِ بْنِ الْأَشْرَفِ؛ وَذَلِكَ لِأَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً مَضَتْ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَبِيعٍ الْأَوَّلِ فِي السَّنَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ وذَكَرَهُ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ قَبْلَ جَلَاءِ بَنِي النَّضِيرِ وَذَكَرَهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ، وَالْبَيْهَقِيُّ بَعْدَ قِصَّةِ بَنِي النَّضِيرِ وَالصَّحِيحُ مَا ذَكَرَهُ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، فَإِنَّ بَنِي النَّضِيرِ إِنَّمَا كَانَ أَمْرُهَا بَعْدَ وَقْعَةِ أُحُدٍ وَفِي مُحَاصَرَتِهِمْ حُرِّمَتِ الْخَمْرُ. قُلْتُ -ابن كثير-: كَانَ قَتْلُ كَعْبِ بْنِ الْأَشْرَفِ عَلَى يَدَيِ الْأَوْسِ بَعْدَ وَقْعَةِ بَدْرٍ وكَانَ كَعْبٌ يَهُودِيًّا. قَالَ ابْنُ عُقْبَةَ: هُوَ مِنْ بَنِي النَّضِيرِ، يُكَنَّى أَبَا نَائِلَةَ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ وَأَبُو عُمَرَ: هُوَ مِنْ بَنِي نَبْهَانَ مِنْ طَيِّئٍ، وَأُمُّهُ مِنْ بَنِي النَّضِيرِ. وَكَانَ شَاعِرًا يُؤْذِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَيَهْجُو الصَّحَابَةَ ؓ، وَيُحَرِّضُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ. وَرَوَى ابْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: وَلَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنَ قَبْلِكُمْ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَذًى كَثِيرًا [آلُ عِمْرَانَ 186] قَالَ: هُوَ كَعْبُ بْنُ الْأَشْرَفِ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يُحَرِّضُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابِهِ يَعْنِي فِي شِعْرِهِ يَهْجُو النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابَهُ. وَلَمَّا قَدِمَ زَيْدُ بْنُ حَارِثَةَ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ رَوَاحَةَ بِالْبِشَارَةِ مِنْ بَدْرٍ بِقَتْلِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَأَسْرِ مَنْ أُسِرَ مِنْهُمْ، قَالَ كَعْبٌ: «أَحَقٌّ هَذَا ؟ أَتَرَوْنَ مُحَمَّدًا قَتَلَ هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ يُسَمِّي هَذَانِ الرَّجُلَانِ ؟ - يَعْنِي زَيْدًا وَعَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ رَوَاحَةَ- فَهَؤُلَاءِ أَشْرَافُ الْعَرَبِ وَمُلُوكُ النَّاسِ، وَاللَّهِ لَئِنْ كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَصَابَ هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمَ لَبَطْنُ الْأَرْضِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ ظَهْرِهَا». فَلَمَّا تَيَقَّنَ عَدُوُّ اللَّهِ الْخَبَرَ، وَرَأَى الْأَسْرَى مُقَرَّنِينَ كُبِتَ وَذَلَّ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ: «مَا عِنْدَكُمْ ؟ » قَالُوا: «عَدَاوَتُهُ مَا حَيِينَا». قَالَ: «وَمَا أَنْتُمْ وَقَدْ وَطِئَ قَوْمَهُ وَأَصَابَهُمْ ؟ ! وَلَكِنْ أَخْرُجُ إِلَى قُرَيْشٍ فَأُحَرِّضُهَا وَأَبْكِي قَتْلَاهَا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَنْتَدِبُونَ فَأَخْرُجَ مَعَهُمْ». فَخَرَجَ حَتَّى قَدِمَ مَكَّةَ، فَوَضَعَ رَحْلَهُ عِنْدَ الْمُطَّلِبِ بْنِ أَبِي وَدَاعَةَ [بْنِ ضُبَيْرَةَ] السَّهْمِيِّ، وَعِنْدَهُ عَاتِكَةُ بِنْتُ أُسَيْدِ بْنِ أَبِي الْعِيصِ، وَأَسْلَمَتْ هِيَ وَزَوْجُهَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ. فَأَنْزَلَتْهُ وَأَكْرَمَتْهُ، وَجَعَلَ يُحَرِّضُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَيُنْشِدُ الْأَشْعَارَ وَيَبْكِي أَصْحَابَ الْقَلِيبِ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ الَّذِينَ أُصِيبُوا بِبَدْرٍ. وَذَكَرَ ابْنُ عَائِذٍ أَنَّ كَعْبًا حَالَفَ قُرَيْشًا عِنْدَ أَسْتَارِ الْكَعْبَةِ عَلَى قِتَالِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. وَقَالَ مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ: وَكَانَ كَعْبُ بْنِ الْأَشْرَفِ أَحَدَ بَنِي النَّضِيرِ أَوْ فِيهِمْ، قَدْ آذَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالْهِجَاءِ، وَرَكِبَ إِلَى قُرَيْشٍ فَاسْتَغْوَاهُمْ، وَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو سُفْيَانَ وَهُوَ بِمَكَّةَ: أُنَاشِدُكَ اللَّهَ، أَدِينُنَا أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَمْ دِينُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَصْحَابِهِ ؟ وَأَيُّنَا أَهْدَى فِي رَأْيِكَ وَأَقْرَبُ إِلَى الْحَقِّ ؟ إِنَّا نُطْعِمُ الْجَزُورَ الْكَوْمَاءَ، وَنَسْقِي اللَّبَنَ عَلَى الْمَاءِ، وَنُطْعِمُ مَا هَبَّتِ الشَّمَالُ. فَقَالَ لَهُ كَعْبُ بْنُ الْأَشْرَفِ: أَنْتُمْ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمْ سَبِيلًا. قَالَ: فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ ﷺ: أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِنَ الْكِتَابِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْجِبْتِ وَالطَّاغُوتِ وَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هَؤُلَاءِ أَهْدَى مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا سَبِيلًا أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَمَنْ يَلْعَنِ اللَّهُ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُ نَصِيرًا [ النِّسَاءِ: 52، 51 ]
Translation
✧ The Detachment of Muḥammad b. Maslama ؓ against Kaʿb b. al-Ashraf; and that was on the fourteenth night that had passed of the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the third year. Ibn Isḥāq mentioned it before the expulsion of Banū al-Naḍīr, and al-Bukhārī and al-Bayhaqī mentioned it after the story of Banū al-Naḍīr. What is correct is what Ibn Isḥāq mentioned, for the affair of Banū al-Naḍīr only took place after the battle of Uḥud, and during their siege wine was forbidden. I—Ibn Kathīr—say: The killing of Kaʿb b. al-Ashraf at the hands of the Aws took place after the battle of Badr, and Kaʿb was a Jew. Ibn ʿUqba said: He was from Banū al-Naḍīr, and was given the kunya Abū Nāʾila. Ibn Isḥāq and Abū ʿUmar said: He was from Banū Nabhān of Ṭayyiʾ, and his mother was from Banū al-Naḍīr. He was a poet who harmed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, satirized the Companions ؓ, and incited the disbelievers against them. Ibn Saʿd narrated from al-Zuhrī regarding the Most High's statement: 'And you will surely hear from those who were given the Scripture before you and from those who associate others with Allah much abuse' [Āl ʿImrān 186]. He said: That is Kaʿb b. al-Ashraf, for he used to incite the polytheists against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions, meaning in his poetry he satirized the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions. When Zayd b. Ḥāritha and ʿAbdallāh b. Rawāḥa came with the glad tidings from Badr of the killing of the polytheists and the capture of those taken prisoner among them, Kaʿb said: 'Is this true? Do you think Muḥammad killed these whom these two men—meaning Zayd and ʿAbdallāh b. Rawāḥa—name? These are the nobles of the Arabs and the kings of the people. By Allah, if Muḥammad has struck these people, then the belly of the earth is better than its back.' When the enemy of Allah was certain of the news and saw the captives in bonds, he was disgraced and humbled. Then he said to his people: 'What do you have?' They said: 'His enmity as long as we live.' He said: 'But what are you when he has trampled his people and struck them?! But I will go out to Quraysh and incite them and weep over their slain, perhaps they will be stirred and I will go out with them.' So he went out until he reached Makkah, and he put down his saddle at the house of al-Muṭṭalib b. Abī Wadāʿa [b. Ḍubayra] al-Sahmī, and with him was ʿĀtika bt. Usayd b. Abī al-ʿĪṣ, and she and her husband later became Muslims. She lodged him and honored him. He began to incite against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, recite poetry, and weep over the companions of the pit from Quraysh who were struck at Badr. Ibn ʿĀʾidh mentioned that Kaʿb made an alliance with Quraysh at the curtains of the Kaʿba to fight the Muslims. Mūsā b. ʿUqba said: Kaʿb b. al-Ashraf was one of Banū al-Naḍīr or among them, and he had harmed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with satire. He rode to Quraysh and sought to mislead them. Abū Sufyān said to him while he was in Makkah: 'I adjure you by Allah, is our religion dearer to Allah or the religion of Muḥammad and his Companions? And which of us is more rightly guided in your view and closer to the truth? We feed the large-humped camels, give milk to drink mixed with water, and feed whatever the north wind blows.' Kaʿb b. al-Ashraf said to him: 'You are more rightly guided than them in path.' He said: So Allah revealed to His Messenger ﷺ: 'Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture, believing in jibt and ṭāghūt and saying to those who disbelieve, "These are more rightly guided than those who believe in path"? Those are the ones whom Allah has cursed, and he whom Allah curses, you will never find for him a helper' [al-Nisāʾ: 51-52].
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