Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1358
The Expedition of Khaybar
قِصَّةِ الشَّاةِ الْمَسْمُومَةِ وَمَا وَقَعَ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْآيَاتِ قال ابْنِ شِهَابٍ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى -: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمَّا افْتَتَحَ خَيْبَرَ، وَقَتَلَ مَنْ قَتَلَ، وَاطْمَأَنَّ النَّاسُ، أَهَدَتْ زَيْنَبُ ابْنَةُ الْحَارِثِ امْرَأَةَ سَلَامِ بْنِ مِشْكَمٍ، وَهِيَ ابْنَةُ أَخِي مَرْحَبٍ - لِصَفِيَّةَ امْرَأَتِهِ شَاةً مَصْلِيَّةً، وَقَدْ سَأَلَتْ: أَيُّ عُضْوِ الشَّاةِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ ؟ فَقِيلَ لَهَا الذِّرَاعُ، فَأَكْثَرَتْ فِيهَا مِنَ السُّمِّ، ثُمَّ سَمَّتْ سَائِرَ الشَّاةِ، فَدَخَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى صَفِيَّةَ وَمَعَهُ بِشْرُ بْنُ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ مَعْرُورٍ - بِمُهْمَلَاتٍ - فَقُدِّمَتْ إِلَيْهِ الشَّاةُ الْمَصْلِيَّةُ، فَتَنَاوَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْكَتِفَ، وَفِي لَفْظٍ: الذِّرَاعَ، وَانْتَهَسَ مِنْهَا فَلَاكَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَتَنَاوَلَ بِشْرُ ابْنُ الْبَرَاءِ عَظْمًا، فَانْتَهَسَ مِنْهُ. قَالَ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، فَأَمَّا بِشْرٌ فَأَسَاغَهَا، وَأَمَّا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَفِظَهَا، وَقَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ: فَلَمَّا اسْتَرَطَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لُقْمَتَهُ اسْتَرَطَ بِشْرُ بْنُ الْبَرَاءِ مَا فِي فِيهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ارْفَعُوا مَا فِي أَيْدِيكُمْ، فَإِنَّ كَتِفَ هَذِهِ الشَّاةِ تُخْبِرُنِي أَنِّي نُعِيتُ فِيهَا. قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ: فَقَالَ بِشْرُ بْنُ الْبَرَاءِ: وَالَّذِي أَكْرَمَكَ لَقَدْ وَجَدْتُ ذَلِكَ فِي أَكْلَتِي الَّتِي أَكَلْتُ فَمَا مَنَعَنِي أَنْ أَلْفِظَهَا إِلَّا أَنِّي أَعْظَمْتُ أَنْ أُنَغِّصَكَ طَعَامَكَ، فَلَمَّا سُغْتَ مَا فِي فِيكَ لَمْ أَكُنْ لِأَرْغَبَ بِنَفْسِي عَنْ نَفْسِكَ وَرَجَوْتُ أَلَّا تَكُونَ اسْتَرَطْتَهَا، وَفِيهَا نَعْيٌ. فَلَمْ يَقُمْ بِشْرٌ مِنْ مَكَانِهِ حَتَّى عَادَ لَوْنُهُ كَالطَّيْلَسَانِ، وَمَاطَلَهُ وَجَعُهُ حَتَّى كَانَ لَا يَتَحَوَّلُ إِلَّا أَنْ حَوَّلَ. قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ قَالَ جَابِرٌ: وَاحْتَجَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى كَاهِلِهِ يَوْمَئِذٍ، حَجَّمَهُ أَبُو هِنْدٍ مَوْلَى بَنِي بَيَاضَةَ بِالْقَرْنِ وَالشَّفْرَةِ، وَبَقِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْدَ ثَلَاثِ سِنِينَ حَتَّى كَانَ وَجَعُهُ الَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهِ. فَقَالَ: «مَا زِلْتُ أَجِدُ مِنَ الْأُكُلَةِ الَّتِي أُكِلَتْ مِنَ الشَّاةِ يَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ عَوَّادًا حَتَّى كَانَ هَذَا وَانْقَطَعَ أَبْهَرِي» وَدَخَلَتْ أُمُّ بِشْرٍ بِنْتُ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ مَعْرُورٍ تَعُودُهُ: يَا أُمَّ بِشْرٍ، إنَّ هَذَا الْأَوَانَ وَجَدْتُ فِيهِ انْقِطَاعَ أَبْهَرِي مِنْ الْأَكْلَةِ الَّتِي أَكَلْتُ مَعَ أَخِيكَ بِخَيْبَرِ قَالَ: فَإِنْ كَانَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ لَيَرَوْنَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَاتَ شَهِيدًا، مَعَ مَا أَكْرَمَهُ اللَّهُ بِهِ مِنْ النُّبُوَّةِ. وَذَكَرَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ: أَنَّهُ أَلْقَى مِنْ لَحْمِ تِلْكَ الشَّاةِ لِكَلْبٍ فَمَا تَبِعَتْ يَدُهُ رِجْلَهُ حَتَّى مَاتَ. وَقَالَ الصَّحَابَةُ السَّابِقُ ذِكْرُهُمْ ؓ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَرْسَلَ إِلَى الْيَهُودِيَّةِ، فَقَالَ: «أَسَمَّمْتِ هَذِهِ الشَّاةَ ؟ » فَقَالَتْ: مَنْ أَخْبَرَكَ ؟ قَالَ: «أَخْبَرَتْنِي هَذِهِ الَّتِي فِي يَدِي وَهِيَ الذِّرَاعُ، قَالَتْ: نَعَمْ، قَالَ: «مَا حَمَلَكِ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتِ ؟ » قَالَتْ: بَلَغْتَ مِنْ قَوْمِي مَا لَمْ يَخْفَ عَلَيْكَ. فَقُلْتُ: إِنْ كَانَ مَلِكًا اسْتَرَحْنَا مِنْهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ نَبِيًّا فَسَيُخْبِرُ، فَتَجَاوَزَ - وَفِي لَفْظٍ - فَعَفَا عَنْهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَقَدْ قَالَ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ: حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجٌ، ثَنَا لَيْثٌ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: لَمَّا فُتِحَتْ خَيْبَرُ أُهْدِيَتْ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ شَاةٌ فِيهَا سُمٌّ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: " اجْمَعُوا لِي مَنْ كَانَ هَاهُنَا مِنَ الْيَهُودِ ". فَجَمَعُوا لَهُ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: " إِنِّي سَائِلُكُمْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ، فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ صَادِقِيَّ عَنْهُ ؟ " قَالُوا: نَعَمْ يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ. فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: " مَنْ أَبُوكُمْ ؟ قَالُوا: أَبُونَا فُلَانٌ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: " كَذَبْتُمْ، بَلْ أَبُوكُمْ فُلَانٌ ". قَالُوا: صَدَقْتَ وَبَرَرْتَ. فَقَالَ: " هَلْ أَنْتُمْ صَادِقِيَّ عَنْ شَيْءٍ إِنْ سَأَلْتُكُمْ عَنْهُ ؟ " قَالُوا: نَعَمْ يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ، وَإِنْ كَذَبْنَاكَ عَرَفْتَ كَذِبَنَا، كَمَا عَرَفْتَهُ فِي أَبِينَا. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: " مَنْ أَهْلُ النَّارِ ؟ " فَقَالُوا: نَكُونُ فِيهَا يَسِيرًا، ثُمَّ تَخْلُفُونَا فِيهَا. فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: " وَاللَّهِ لَا نَخْلُفُكُمْ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ". ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُمْ: " هَلْ أَنْتُمْ صَادِقِيَّ عَنْ شَيْءٍ سَأَلْتُكُمْ ؟ " فَقَالُوا: نَعَمْ يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ. فَقَالَ: " هَلْ جَعَلْتُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الشَّاةِ سُمًّا ؟ " فَقَالُوا: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: " مَا حَمَلَكُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ ؟ ". قَالُوا: أَرَدْنَا إِنْ كُنْتَ كَاذِبًا أَنْ نَسْتَرِيحَ مِنْكَ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ نَبِيًّا لَمْ يَضُرَّكَ. وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الْجِزْيَةِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يُوسُفَ، وَذَكَرَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَهَا: «مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى هَذَا ؟ » قَالَتْ: قَتَلْتَ أَبِي وَعَمِّي وَزَوْجِي وَأَخِي - فَأَبُوهَا الْحَارِثُ وَعَمُّهَا يَسَارٌ وَأَخُوهَا رَحْبٌ وَزَوْجُهَا سَلَامُ بْنُ مِشْكَمٍ. وَوَقَعَ عِنْدَ الْبَزَّارِ مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْدَ سُؤَالِهِ لِلْمَرْأَةِ الْيَهُودِيَّةِ وَاعْتِرَافِهَا - بَسَطَ يَدَهُ إِلَى الشَّاةِ وَقَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ: «كُلُوا بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ» قَالَ: فَأَكَلْنَا وَذَكَرْنَا اسْمَ اللَّهِ، فَلَمْ يَضُرَّ أَحَدًا مِنَّا. قَالَ الْحَافِظُ عِمَادُ الدِّينِ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ: وَفِيهِ نَكَارَةٌ وَغَرَابَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ. قُلْتُ: وَذَكَرَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَمَرَ بِلَحْمِ الشَّاةِ فَأُحْرِقَ. حَدِيثٌ ذَكَرَهُ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ بْنُ عَسَاكِرَ، فِي " تَارِيخِهِ الْكَبِيرِ " أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَهْدَتْ لَهُ الْيَهُودِيَّةُ الشَّاةَ الْمَسْمُومَةَ لَا يَأْكُلُ طَعَامًا قُدِّمَ لَهُ حَتَّى يَأْكُلَ مِنْهُ مَنْ قَدَّمَهُ. واخْتُلِفَ فِي إِسْلَامِ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ الْحَارِثِ الَّتِي أَهْدَتِ الشَّاةَ الْمَسْمُومَةَ وَفِي قَتْلِهَا، أَمَّا إِسْلَامُهَا، فَرَوَى عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ فِي مُصَنَّفِهِ عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ أَنَّهَا أَسْلَمَتْ، وَأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ تَرَكَهَا. قَالَ مَعْمَرٌ: وَالنَّاسُ يَقُولُونَ قَتَلَهَا. وَجَزَمَ بِإِسْلَامِهَا سُلَيْمَانُ التَّيْمِيُّ فِي مَغَازِيهِ وَلَفْظُهُ بَعْدَ قَوْلِهَا: «وَإِنْ كُنْتَ كَاذِبًا أَرَحْتُ النَّاسَ مِنْكَ، وَقَدِ اسْتَبَانَ لِي أَنَّكَ صَادِقٌ، وَأَنَا أُشْهِدُكَ وَمَنْ حَضَرَكَ أَنِّي عَلَى دِينِكَ، وَأَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، قَالَ: وَانْصَرَفَ عَنْهَا حِينَ أَسْلَمَتْ. وَأَمَّا قَتْلُهَا وَتَرْكُهَا، فَرَوَى الْبَيْهَقِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ أَنَّهُ ﷺ مَا عَرَضَ لَهَا، وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: فَلَمْ يُعَاقِبْهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَرَوَى ابْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنْ شَيْخِهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بِأَسَانِيدَ لَهُ مُتَعَدِّدَةٍ هَذِهِ الْقِصَّةَ، وَفِي آخِرِهَا فَدَفَعَهَا إِلَى أَوْلِيَاءِ بِشْرِ بْنِ الْبَرَاءِ فَقَتَلُوهَا قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ: وَهُوَ أَثْبَتُ وَرَوَى أَبُو دَاوُدَ مِنْ طَرِيقِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ جَابِرٍ نَحْوَ رِوَايَةِ مَعْمَرٍ عَنْهُ، وَالزُّهْرِيُّ لَمْ يَسْمَعْ مِنْ جَابِرٍ، وَرَوَاهُ أَيْضًا عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ. قَالَ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ - يُحْتَمَلُ أَنْ يَكُونَ تَرَكَهَا أَوَّلًا، ثُمَّ لَمَّا مَاتَ بِشْرُ بْنُ الْبَرَاءِ مِنَ الْأُكُلَةِ قَتَلَهَا، وَبِذَلِكَ أَجَابَ السُّهَيْلِيُّ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى - وَزَادَ: أَنَّهُ تَرَكَهَا، لِأَنَّهُ كَانَ لَا يَنْتَقِمُ لِنَفْسِهِ، ثُمَّ قَتَلَهَا بِبِشْرٍ قِصَاصًا. قَالَ الْحَافِظُ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى -: يُحْتَمَلُ أَنْ يَكُونَ تَرَكَهَا أَوَّلًا، ثُمَّ لَمَّا مَاتَ بِشْرٌ لِكَوْنِهَا أَسْلَمَتْ، وَإِنَّمَا أَخَّرَ قَتْلَهَا حَتَّى مَاتَ بِشْرٌ لِأَنَّ بِمَوْتِهِ يَتَحَقَّقُ وُجُوبُ الْقِصَاصِ بِشَرْطِهِ. وَرَوَى أَبُو سَعْدٍ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ: أَنَّهُ ﷺ قَتَلَهَا وَصَلَبَهَا، فَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ ووَقَعَ فِي سُنَنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ أَنَّهَا أُخْتُ مَرْحَبٍ، وَبِهِ جَزَمَ السُّهَيْلِيُّ، وَعِنْدَ الْبَيْهَقِيِّ فِي الدَّلَائِلِ: بِنْتُ أَخِي مَرْحَبٍ، وَبِهِ جَزَمَ الزُّهْرِيُّ كَمَا فِي مَغَازِي مُوسَى بْنِ عُقْبَةَ وفيه أَنَّ مَنْ قَتَلَ غَيْرَهُ بِسُمٍّ يَقْتُلُ مِثْلُهُ قُتِلَ بِهِ قِصَاصًا، كَمَا قُتِلَتِ الْيَهُودِيَّةُ بِبِشْرِ بْنِ الْبَرَاءِ. وَمِنْهَا: جَوَازُ الْأَكْلِ مِنْ ذَبَائِحِ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَحِلُّ طَعَامِهِمْ. وَمِنْهَا: قَبُولُ هَدِيَّةِ الْكَافِرِ ، فَإِنْ قِيلَ: فَلَعَلَّ الْمَرْأَةَ قُتِلَتْ لِنَقْضِ الْعَهْدِ لِحِرَابِهَا بِالسُّمِّ لَا قِصَاصًا، قِيلَ: لَوْ كَانَ قَتْلُهَا لِنَقْضِ الْعَهْدِ لَقُتِلَتْ مِنْ حِينِ أَقَرَّتْ أَنَّهَا سَمَّتِ الشَّاةَ، وَلَمْ يَتَوَقَّفْ قَتْلُهَا عَلَى مَوْتِ الْآكِلِ مِنْهَا. فَإِنْ قِيلَ: فَهَلَّا قُتِلَتْ بِنَقْضِ الْعَهْدِ ؟ قِيلَ: هَذَا حَجَّةُ مَنْ قَالَ: إِنَّ الْإِمَامَ مُخَيَّرٌ فِي نَاقِضِ الْعَهْدِ كَالْأَسِيرِ. فَإِنْ قِيلَ: فَأَنْتُمْ تُوجِبُونَ قَتْلَهُ حَتْمًا كَمَا هُوَ مَنْصُوصُ أحمد، وَإِنَّمَا الْقَاضِي أَبُو يَعْلَى وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُ قَالُوا: يُخَيَّرُ الْإِمَامُ فِيهِ، قِيلَ: إِنْ كَانَتْ قِصَّةُ الشَّاةِ قَبْلَ الصُّلْحِ، فَلَا حُجَّةَ فِيهَا، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ بَعْدَ الصُّلْحِ فَقَدِ اخْتُلِفَ فِي نَقْضِ الْعَهْدِ بِقَتْلِ الْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى قَوْلَيْنِ، فَمَنْ لَمْ يَرَ النَّقْضَ بِهِ فَظَاهِرٌ، وَمَنْ رَأَى النَّقْضَ بِهِ فَهَلْ يَتَحَتَّمُ قَتْلُهُ أَوْ يُخَيَّرُ فِيهِ، أَوْ يُفْصَلُ بَيْنَ بَعْضِ الْأَسْبَابِ النَّاقِضَةِ وَبَعْضِهَا، فَيَتَحَتَّمُ قَتْلُهُ بِسَبَبِ السَّبَبِ، وَيُخَيَّرُ فِيهِ إِذَا نَقَضَهُ بِحِرَابِهِ وَلُحُوقِهِ بِدَارِ الْحَرْبِ، وَإِنْ نَقَضَهُ بِسِوَاهُمَا كَالْقَتْلِ وَالزِّنَى بِالْمُسْلِمَةِ وَالتَّجَسُّسِ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِطْلَاعِ الْعَدُوِّ عَلَى عَوْرَاتِهِمْ ؟ فَالْمَنْصُوصُ تَعَيُّنُ الْقَتْلِ، وَعَلَى هَذَا فَهَذِهِ الْمَرْأَةُ لَمَّا سَمَّتِ الشَّاةَ صَارَتْ بِذَلِكَ مُحَارِبَةً، وَكَانَ قَتْلُهَا مُخَيَّرًا فِيهِ، فَلَمَّا مَاتَ بَعْضُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنَ السُّمِّ قُتِلَتْ حَتْمًا؛ إِمَّا قِصَاصًا وَإِمَّا لِنَقْضِ الْعَهْدِ بِقَتْلِهَا الْمُسْلِمَ، فَهَذَا مُحْتَمَلٌ. وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وإنْ قِيلَ مَا الْجَمْعُ بَيْنَ قَوْلِهِ - تَعَالَى: وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ [الْمَائِدَةِ 67] وَبَيْنَ حَدِيثِ الشَّاةِ الْمَسْمُومَةِ الْمَصْلِيَّةِ بِالسُّمِّ الصَّادِرِ مِنَ الْيَهُودِيَّةِ ؟ وَالْجَوَابُ: إِنَّ الْآيَةَ نَزَلَتْ عَامَ تَبُوكَ، وَالسُّمُّ كَانَ بِخَيْبَرَ، قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ.
Translation
✧ The story of the poisoned sheep and the signs that occurred in that regard Ibn Shihāb—may God Almighty have mercy on him—said: When the Messenger of God ﷺ conquered Khaybar, killed whom he killed, and the people were at ease, Zaynab bt. al-Ḥārith, the wife of Sallām b. Mishkam, who was the daughter of Marḥab’s brother, sent a roasted sheep as a gift to Ṣafiyya, his wife. She had asked: Which part of the sheep is dearest to the Messenger of God ﷺ? She was told: the foreleg. So she put a great deal of poison in it, then poisoned the rest of the sheep. The Messenger of God ﷺ entered upon Ṣafiyya accompanied by Bishr b. al-Barāʾ b. Maʿrūr—with undotted letters. The roasted sheep was brought to him. The Messenger of God ﷺ took the shoulder—in one wording: the foreleg—and bit off a piece from it; the Messenger of God ﷺ chewed it, and Bishr b. al-Barāʾ took a bone and bit off a piece from it. Ibn Isḥāq said: Bishr swallowed it, while the Messenger of God ﷺ spat it out. Ibn Shihāb said: When the Messenger of God ﷺ swallowed his morsel, Bishr b. al-Barāʾ swallowed what was in his mouth. The Messenger of God ﷺ said: “Lift what is in your hands, for the shoulder of this sheep informs me that I have been forewarned of death in it.” Ibn Shihāb said: Bishr b. al-Barāʾ said: “By the One who honored you, I felt that in the morsel I ate, and nothing prevented me from spitting it out except that I deemed it too grave to spoil your food. When you swallowed what was in your mouth, I would not prefer my own self over yours, and I hoped that you had not swallowed it while it contained a forewarning of death.” Bishr did not rise from his place until his color became like a ṭaylasān, and his pain lingered so that he could not turn except with assistance. Al-Zuhrī said: Jābir said: The Messenger of God ﷺ was cupped on his upper back that day; Abū Hind, the freedman of Banū Bayāḍa, cupped him with a horn and a scalpel. The Messenger of God ﷺ remained for three years afterward until the illness in which he died. He said: “I have continued to feel recurring pain from the morsel eaten from the sheep on the day of Khaybar, until now my aorta has been severed.” Umm Bishr bt. al-Barāʾ b. Maʿrūr entered to visit him: “O Umm Bishr, this is the moment in which I feel the severing of my aorta from the morsel I ate with your brother at Khaybar.” He said: The Muslims considered that the Messenger of God ﷺ died as a martyr, in addition to what God honored him with of prophethood. Muḥammad b. ʿUmar mentioned that a piece of that sheep’s meat was thrown to a dog, and it did not take a step before dying. The Companions mentioned above ؓ said: The Messenger of God ﷺ sent for the Jewish woman and said: “Did you poison this sheep?” She said: “Who informed you?” He said: “This which is in my hand—the foreleg—informed me.” She said: “Yes.” He said: “What led you to do what you did?” She said: “You have done to my people what is not hidden from you. I said: If he is a king, we will be rid of him; if he is a prophet, he will be informed.” He pardoned her—in one wording: the Messenger of God ﷺ forgave her. Imām Aḥmad said: Ḥajjāj narrated to us, Layth narrated to us, from Saʿīd b. Abī Saʿīd, from Abū Hurayra, who said: When Khaybar was conquered, a poisoned sheep was gifted to the Prophet ﷺ. The Messenger of God ﷺ said: “Gather for me the Jews who are here.” They were gathered for him. The Prophet ﷺ said: “I will ask you about something; will you be truthful with me about it?” They said: “Yes, O Abū al-Qāsim.” The Messenger of God ﷺ said to them: “Who is your father?” They said: “Our father is so-and-so.” The Messenger of God ﷺ said: “You have lied; rather, your father is so-and-so.” They said: “You have spoken the truth and acted rightly.” He said: “Will you be truthful with me about something if I ask you?” They said: “Yes, O Abū al-Qāsim, and if we lie to you, you will know our lie as you knew it about our father.” The Messenger of God ﷺ said: “Who are the people of the Fire?” They said: “We will be in it for a short time, then you will succeed us in it.” The Messenger of God ﷺ said to them: “By God, we will never succeed you in it, ever.” Then he said to them: “Will you be truthful with me about something I ask you?” They said: “Yes, O Abū al-Qāsim.” He said: “Did you put poison in this sheep?” They said: “Yes.” He said: “What led you to that?” They said: “We intended, if you were a liar, to be rid of you; and if you were a prophet, it would not harm you.” Al-Bukhārī narrated it in the Book of Jizya from ʿAbd Allāh b. Yūsuf. Muḥammad b. ʿUmar mentioned: The Messenger of God ﷺ said to her: “What led you to this?” She said: You killed my father, my uncle, my husband, and my brother. Her father was al-Ḥārith, her uncle Yasār, her brother Raḥb, and her husband Sallām b. Mishkam. It occurs in al-Bazzār from the ḥadīth of Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī: After the Messenger of God ﷺ questioned the Jewish woman and she confessed, he stretched his hand toward the sheep and said to his companions: “Eat in the name of God.” He said: We ate and mentioned God’s name, and none of us was harmed. Al-Ḥāfiẓ ʿImād al-Dīn b. Kathīr said: It contains severe oddity and strangeness. I say: Muḥammad b. ʿUmar mentioned that the Messenger of God ﷺ ordered the meat of the sheep to be burned. A ḥadīth mentioned by Abū al-Qāsim b. ʿAsākir in his “Great History”: After the Jewish woman gifted him the poisoned sheep, the Messenger of God ﷺ would not eat food offered to him until the one who offered it ate from it. There is disagreement about whether Zaynab bt. al-Ḥārith, who gifted the poisoned sheep, became Muslim and whether she was killed. As for her Islam, ʿAbd al-Razzāq narrated in his Muṣannaf from Maʿmar, from al-Zuhrī, that she became Muslim and that the Messenger of God ﷺ left her. Maʿmar said: The people say he killed her. Sulaymān al-Taymī affirmed her Islam in his Maghāzī, and his wording after her statement: “If you are a liar, I would have relieved the people of you. It has become clear to me that you are truthful, and I call you and those present to witness that I am upon your religion, that there is no god but God, and that Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger.” He said: He turned away from her when she became Muslim. As for killing her or leaving her, al-Bayhaqī narrated from Abū Hurayra ؓ that he ﷺ did not confront her. From Jābir, he said: The Messenger of God ﷺ did not punish her. Ibn Saʿd narrated from his shaykh Muḥammad b. ʿUmar with multiple chains this story, and at its end: He handed her over to the heirs of Bishr b. al-Barāʾ and they killed her. Muḥammad b. ʿUmar said: This is more reliable. Abū Dāwūd narrated from the path of al-Zuhrī, from Jābir, similar to Maʿmar’s narration from him; al-Zuhrī did not hear from Jābir, and he also narrated it from Abū Hurayra. Al-Bayhaqī—may God have mercy on him—said: It is possible that he left her at first, then when Bishr b. al-Barāʾ died from the morsel, he killed her. This was the answer of al-Suhaylī—may God Almighty have mercy on him—and he added: He left her because he did not take vengeance for himself, then he killed her in retaliation for Bishr. Al-Ḥāfiẓ—may God Almighty have mercy on him—said: It is possible that he left her at first, then when Bishr died, because she had become Muslim; he only delayed her killing until Bishr died because with his death the obligation of retaliation became established under its conditions. Abū Saʿd al-Naysābūrī narrated: He ﷺ killed her and crucified her—God knows best. In the Sunan of Abū Dāwūd it occurs that she was the sister of Marḥab, and this was affirmed by al-Suhaylī. In al-Bayhaqī’s Dalāʾil: the daughter of Marḥab’s brother, and this was affirmed by al-Zuhrī as in the Maghāzī of Mūsā b. ʿUqba. In it: Whoever kills another with poison is killed in like manner in retaliation, just as the Jewish woman was killed for Bishr b. al-Barāʾ. Among the lessons: the permissibility of eating from the slaughtered animals of the People of the Book, and the lawfulness of their food. Among them: accepting the gift of an unbeliever. If it is said: Perhaps the woman was killed for breaking the covenant by waging war with poison, not in retaliation, the response is: If her killing had been for breaking the covenant, she would have been killed from the moment she confessed that she had poisoned the sheep, and her killing would not have been suspended until the death of the one who ate from it. If it is said: Why was she not killed for breaking the covenant? The response is: This is the argument of those who say the ruler has discretion regarding one who breaks the covenant, like a captive. If it is said: You obligate his killing as mandatory, as is the text of Aḥmad, and only al-Qāḍī Abū Yaʿlā and his followers said the ruler has discretion, the response is: If the sheep incident was before the treaty, there is no argument in it. If it was after the treaty, there is disagreement about whether breaking the covenant by killing a Muslim constitutes a breach, with two opinions. For those who do not regard it as a breach, it is obvious. For those who regard it as a breach, is his killing mandatory or discretionary, or is there a distinction between some of the breaching causes and others, so that his killing is mandatory for a specific cause, and discretionary when he breaches by waging war or joining the abode of war; and if he breaches by other means, such as killing, adultery with a Muslim woman, spying on Muslims, or informing the enemy of their weak points? The text is that killing is determined. On this basis, when this woman poisoned the sheep, she became a combatant by that act, and her killing was discretionary. When some Muslims died from the poison, her killing became mandatory, either in retaliation or for breaking the covenant by killing a Muslim. This is a possibility. And God knows best. If it is said: How do we reconcile His saying—Exalted is He—: “And God will protect you from the people” [al-Māʾida 67] with the ḥadīth of the poisoned roasted sheep with poison from the Jewish woman? The answer: The verse was revealed in the year of Tabūk, while the poison was at Khaybar, before that.
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