Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1364
The Expedition of Khaybar
أَمْرُ الْحَجَّاجِ بْنِ عِلَاطٍ السُّلَمِيِّ [ حِيلَتُهُ فِي جَمْعِ مَالِهِ مِنْ مَكَّةَ ] رَوَى الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ عَنْ أَنَسٍ ؓ وَالْبَيْهَقِيُّ عَنِ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ عَنْ شُيُوخِهِ، قَالُوا: كَانَ الْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ عِلَاطٍ بِكَسْرِ الْعَيْنِ الْمُهْمَلَةِ، وَتَخْفِيفِ اللَّامِ، السُّلَمِيُّ بِضَمِّ السِّينِ، خَرَجَ يُغِيرُ فِي بَعْضِ غَارَاتِهِ، فَذُكِرَ لَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِخَيْبَرَ، فَأَسْلَمَ، وَحَضَرَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَكَانَتْ أُمُّ شَيْبَةَ ابْنَةُ عُمَيْرِ بْنِ هَاشِمٍ - أُخْتُ مُصْعَبِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ الْعَبْدَرِيِّ - امْرَأَتَهُ، وَكَانَ الْحَجَّاجُ مُكْثِرًا، لَهُ مَالٌ كَثِيرٌ، وَلَهُ مَعَادِنُ الذَّهَبِ الَّتِي بِأَرْضِ بَنِي سُلَيْمٍ - بِضَمِّ السِّينِ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، ائْذَنْ لِي، فَأَذْهَبُ فَآخُذُ مَالِي عِنْدَ امْرَأَتِي، فَإِنْ عَلِمَتْ بِإِسْلَامِي لَمْ آخُذْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا، وَمَالٌ لِي مُتَفَرِّقٌ فِي تُجَّارِ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ، فَأَذِنَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّهُ لَا بُدَّ لِي مِنْ أَنْ أَقُولَ، قَالَ «قُلْ» قَالَ الْحَجَّاجُ: فَخَرَجْتُ فَلَمَّا انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى الْحَرَمِ، هَبَطْتُ فَوَجَدْتُهُمْ بِالثَّنِيَّةِ الْبَيْضَاءِ، وَإِذَا بِهَا رِجَالٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ يَتَسَمَّعُونَ الْأَخْبَارَ قَدْ بَلَغَهُمْ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَدْ سَارَ إِلَى خَيْبَرَ، وَعَرَفُوا أَنَّهَا قَرْيَةُ الْحِجَازِ أَنَفَةً وَمَنَعَةً وَرِيفًا وَرِجَالًا وَسِلَاحًا، فَهُمْ يَتَحَسَّبُونَ الْأَخْبَارَ، مَعَ مَا كَانَ بَيْنَهُمْ مِنَ الرِّهَانِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَوْنِي قَالُوا: الْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ عِلَاطٍ عِنْدَهُ - وَاللَّهِ - الْخَبَرُ - وَلَمْ يَكُونُوا عَلِمُوا بِإِسْلَامِي - يَا حَجَّاجُ، إِنَّهُ قَدْ بَلَغَنَا أَنَّ الْقَاطِعَ قَدْ سَارَ إِلَى خَيْبَرَ بَلَدِ يَهُودَ، وَرِيفِ الْحِجَازِ، فَقُلْتُ: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّهُ قَدْ سَارَ إِلَيْهَا وَعِنْدِي مِنَ الْخَبَرِ مَا يَسُرُّكُمْ فَالْتَبِطُوا بِجَانِبَيْ رَاحِلَتِي، يَقُولُونَ: إِيهِ يَا حَجَّاجُ ؟ ! فَقُلْتُ: لَمْ يَلْقَ مُحَمَّدٌ وَأَصْحَابُهُ قَوْمًا يُحْسِنُونَ الْقِتَالَ غَيْرَ أَهْلِ خَيَابِرَ، كَانُوا قَدْ سَارُوا فِي الْعَرَبِ يَجْمَعُونَ لَهُ الْجُمُوعَ، وَجَمَعُوا لَهُ عَشَرَةَ آلَافٍ فَهُزِمَ هَزِيمَةً لَمْ يُسْمَعْ بِمِثْلِهَا قَطُّ، وَأَسَرَ مُحَمَّدٌ أُسَرًا، فَقَالُوا: لَا نَقْتُلُهُ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ بِهِ إِلَى مَكَّةَ فَنَقْتُلُهُ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِهِمْ بِمَنْ قَتَلَ مِنَّا وَمِنْهُمْ، وَلِهَذَا فَإِنَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ إِلَيْكُمْ يَطْلُبُونَ الْأَمَانَ فِي عَشَائِرِهِمْ، وَيَرْجِعُونَ إِلَى مَا كَانُوا عَلَيْهِ، فَلَا تَقْبَلُوا مِنْهُمْ، وَقَدْ صَنَعُوا بِكُمْ مَا صَنَعُوا، قَالَ: فَصَاحُوا بِمَكَّةَ، وَقَالُوا: قَدْ جَاءَكُمُ الْخَبَرُ، هَذَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِنَّمَا تَنْتَظِرُونَ أَنْ يَقْدَمَ بِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ فَيُقْتَلَ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِكُمْ، وَقُلْتُ: أَعِينُونِي عَلَى جَمْعِ مَالِي عَلَى غُرَمَائِي فَإِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَقْدَمَ فَأُصِيبَ مِنْ غَنَائِمِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، قَبْلَ أَنْ تَسْبِقَنِي التُّجَّارُ إِلَى مَا هُنَاكَ، فَقَامُوا فَجَمَعُوا إِلَيَّ مَالِي كَأَحَثِّ جَمْعٍ سَمِعْتُ بِهِ، وَجِئْتُ صَاحِبَتِي فَقُلْتُ لَهَا: مَالِي، لَعَلِّي أَلْحَقُ بِخَيْبَرَ فَأُصِيبُ مِنَ الْبَيْعِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَسْبِقَنِي التُّجَّارُ. وَفَشَا ذَلِكَ بِمَكَّةَ، وَأَظْهَرَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ الْفَرَحَ وَالسُّرُورَ، وَانْكَسَرَ مَنْ كَانَ بِمَكَّةَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. [ الْعَبَّاسُ يَسْتَوْثِقُ مِنْ خَبَرِ الْحَجَّاجِ وَيُفَاجِئُ قُرَيْشًا ] وَسَمِعَ بِذَلِكَ الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، فَقَعَدَ وَجَعَلَ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَقُومَ فَأَشْفَقَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ دَارَهُ فَيُؤْذَى وَعَلِمَ أَنَّهُ يُؤْذَى عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأَمَرَ بِبَابِ دَارِهِ أَنْ يُفْتَحَ وَهُوَ مُسْتَلْقٍ فَدَعَا بِقُثَمَ، فَجَعَلَ يَرْتَجِزُ وَيَرْفَعُ صَوْتَهُ لِئَلَّا يَشْمَتَ بِهِ الْأَعْدَاءُ، وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: حَيَّ قُثَمْ حَيَّ قُثَمْ شَبِيهُ ذِي الْأَنْفِ الْأَشَمْ نَبِيِّ ذِي النِّعَمْ يُرْغِمُ مَنْ رَغِمْ وَحَضَرَ بَابَ الْعَبَّاسِ بَيْنَ مُغِيظٍ وَمَحْزُونٍ، وَبَيْنَ شَامِتٍ، وَبَيْنَ مُسْلِمٍ وَمُسْلِمَةٍ مَقْهُورِينَ بِظُهُورِ الْكُفْرِ، وَالْبَغْيِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْمُسْلِمُونَ الْعَبَّاسَ طَيِّبَةً نَفْسَهُ، طَابَتْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ، وَاشْتَدَّتْ مِنَّتُهُمْ، فَدَعَا غُلَامًا لَهُ يُقَالُ لَهُ أَبُو زَبِيبَةَ، بِلَفْظِ وَاحِدَةِ زَبِيبِ الْعِنَبِ، وَلَمْ أَجِدْ لَهُ ذِكْرًا فِي الْإِصَابَةِ، فَقَالَ: اذْهَبْ إِلَى الْحَجَّاجِ فَقُلْ لَهُ: يَقُولُ لَكَ الْعَبَّاسُ: اللَّهُ أَعْلَى وَأَجَلُّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ الَّذِي جِئْتَ بِهِ حَقًّا، فَقَالَ لَهُ الْحَجَّاجُ: اقْرَأْ عَلَى أَبِي الْفَضْلِ السَّلَامَ، وَقُلْ لَهُ: لِيُخَلِّ لِي فِي بَعْضِ بُيُوتِهِ، لِآتِيَهُ بِالْخَبَرِ عَلَى مَا يَسُرُّهُ، وَاكْتُمْ عَنِّي، وَأَقْبَلَ أَبُو زَبِيبَةَ يُبَشِّرُ الْعَبَّاسَ، فَقَالَ: أَبْشِرْ يَا أَبَا الْفَضْلِ، فَوَثَبَ الْعَبَّاسُ فَرَحًا كَأَنْ لَمْ يَمَسَّهُ شَيْءٌ، وَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ أَبُو زَبِيبَةَ، وَاعْتَنَقَهُ الْعَبَّاسُ، وَأَعْتَقَهُ، وَأَخْبَرَهُ بِالَّذِي قَالَهُ. فَقَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ: لِلَّهِ عَلَيَّ عِتْقُ عَشْرِ رِقَابٍ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ ظُهْرًا، جَاءَهُ الْحَجَّاجُ، فَنَاشَدَهُ اللَّهُ: لَتَكْتُمُنَّ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ، وَيُقَالُ: يَوْمًا وَلَيْلَةً، فَوَافَقَهُ الْعَبَّاسُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: إِنِّي قَدْ أَسْلَمْتُ، وَلِي مَالٌ عِنْدَ امْرَأَتِي، وَدَيْنٌ عَلَى النَّاسِ، وَلَوْ عَلِمُوا بِإِسْلَامِي لَمْ يَدْفَعُوهُ إِلَيَّ وَتَرَكْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَقَدْ فَتَحَ خَيْبَرَ، وَجَرَتْ سِهَامُ اللَّهِ - تَعَالَى - وَرَسُولِهِ ﷺ فِيهَا وَانْتَشَلَ مَا فِيهَا، وَتَرَكْتُهُ عَرُوسًا بِابْنَةِ مَلِيكِهِمْ حُيَيِّ بْنِ أَخْطَبَ، وَقَتَلَ ابْنَ أَبِي الْحَقِيقِ فَلَمَّا أَمْسَى الْحَجَّاجُ مِنْ يَوْمِهِ خَرَجَ وَطَالَتْ عَلَى الْعَبَّاسِ تِلْكَ اللَّيَالِي، وَيُقَالُ: إِنَّمَا انْتَظَرَهُ الْعَبَّاسُ يَوْمًا وَلَيْلَةً، فَلَمَّا كَانَ بَعْدَ ثَلَاثٍ، وَالنَّاسُ يَمُوجُونَ فِي شَأْنِ مَا تَبَايَعُوا عَلَيْهِ، عَمِدَ الْعَبَّاسُ إِلَى حُلَّةٍ فَلَبِسَهَا، وَتَخَلَّقَ بِخَلُوقٍ، وَأَخَذَ بِيَدِهِ قَضِيبًا، ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ يَخْطِرُ، حَتَّى وَقَفَ عَلَى بَابِ الْحَجَّاجِ بْنِ عِلَاطٍ فَقَرَعَهُ، فَقَالَتْ زَوْجَتُهُ: أَلَا تَدْخُلُ يَا أَبَا الْفَضْلِ ؟ قَالَ: فَأَيْنَ زَوْجُكِ ؟ قَالَتْ: ذَهَبَ يَوْمَ كَذَا وَكَذَا، وَقَالَتْ: لَا يَحْزُنُكَ اللَّهُ يَا أَبَا الْفَضْلِ، لَقَدْ شَقَّ عَلَيْنَا الَّذِي بَلَغَكَ، قَالَ: أَجَلْ، لَا يَحْزُنُنِي اللَّهُ، لَمْ يَكُنْ بِحَمْدِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا مَا أَحْبَبْنَا، فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ خَيْبَرَ، وَجَرَتْ فِيهَا سِهَامُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَاصْطَفَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَفِيَّةَ لِنَفْسِهِ، فَإِنْ كَانَتْ لَكَ حَاجَةٌ فِي زَوْجُكِ فَالْحَقِي بِهِ، قَالَتْ: أَظُنُّكَ وَاللَّهِ صَادِقًا. ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ حَتَّى أَتَى مَجْلِسَ قُرَيْشٍ وَهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِذَا مَرَّ بِهِمْ: لَا يُصِيبُكَ إِلَّا خَيْرٌ يَا أَبَا الْفَضْلِ!! هَذَا وَاللَّهِ التَّجَلُّدُ لِحَرِّ الْمُصِيبَةِ، قَالَ: كَلَّا وَاللَّهِ الَّذِي حَلَفْتُمْ بِهِ، لَمْ يُصِبْنِي إِلَّا خَيْرٌ بِحَمْدِ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنِي الْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ عِلَاطٍ أَنَّ خَيْبَرَ فَتَحَهَا اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ، وَجَرَى فِيهَا سِهَامُ اللَّهِ وَسِهَامُ رَسُولِهِ، فَرَدَّ اللَّهُ - تَعَالَى - الْكَآبَةَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ بِالْمُسْلِمِينَ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ، وَخَرَجَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مَنْ كَانَ دَخَلَ فِي بَيْتِهِ مُكْتَئِبًا حَتَّى أَتَوُا الْعَبَّاسَ فَأَخْبَرَهُمُ الْخَبَرَ، فَسُرَّ الْمُسْلِمُونَ. وَقَالَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ [يَا لَعِبَادِ اللَّهِ] انْفَلَتَ عَدُوُّ اللَّهِ، - يَعْنِي الْحَجَّاجَ أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَوْ عَلِمْنَا لَكَانَ لَنَا وَلَهُ شَأْنٌ، وَلِمَ يَنْشَبُوا أَنْ جَاءَهُمُ الْخَبَرُ بِذَلِكَ. وَفيه: جَوَازُ كَذِبِ الْإِنْسَانِ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَعَلَى غَيْرِهِ إِذَا لَمْ يَتَضَمَّنْ ضَرَرَ ذَلِكَ الْغَيْرِ إِذَا كَانَ يَتَوَصَّلُ بِالْكَذِبِ إِلَى حَقِّهِ، كَمَا كَذَبَ الحجاج بن علاط عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ حَتَّى أَخَذَ مَالَهُ مِنْ مَكَّةَ مِنْ غَيْرِ مَضَرَّةٍ لَحِقَتِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْكَذِبِ، وَأَمَّا مَا نَالَ مَنْ بِمَكَّةَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنَ الْأَذَى وَالْحُزْنِ فَمَفْسَدَةٌ يَسِيرَةٌ فِي جَنْبِ الْمَصْلَحَةِ الَّتِي حَصَلَتْ بِالْكَذِبِ، وَلَا سِيَّمَا تَكْمِيلُ الْفَرَحِ وَالسُّرُورِ وَزِيَادَةُ الْإِيمَانِ الَّذِي حَصَلَ بِالْخَبَرِ الصَّادِقِ بَعْدَ هَذَا الْكَذِبِ، فَكَانَ الْكَذِبُ سَبَبًا فِي حُصُولِ هَذِهِ الْمَصْلَحَةِ الرَّاجِحَةِ، وَنَظِيرُ هَذَا الْإِمَامُ وَالْحَاكِمُ يُوهِمُ الْخَصْمَ خِلَافَ الْحَقِّ؛ لِيَتَوَصَّلَ بِذَلِكَ إِلَى اسْتِعْلَامِ الْحَقِّ، كَمَا ( أَوْهَمَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ إِحْدَى الْمَرْأَتَيْنِ بِشَقِّ الْوَلَدِ نِصْفَيْنِ حَتَّى تَوَصَّلَ بِذَلِكَ إِلَى مَعْرِفَةِ عَيْنِ الْأُمِّ )
Translation
✧ The affair of al-Ḥajjāj b. ʿIlāṭ al-Sulamī [His stratagem in collecting his wealth from Makkah] Imām Aḥmad narrated from Anas ؓ, and al-Bayhaqī from Ibn Isḥāq, and Muḥammad b. ʿUmar from his shaykhs; they said: al-Ḥajjāj b. ʿIlāṭ—with a kasrah on the unpointed ʿayn and a lightening of the lām—al-Sulamī—with a ḍammah on the sīn—went out raiding in one of his raids, and it was mentioned to him that the Messenger of God ﷺ was at Khaybar, so he became a Muslim and was present with the Messenger of God ﷺ. His wife was Umm Shaybah bt. ʿUmayr b. Hāshim, the sister of Muṣʿab b. ʿUmayr al-ʿAbdarī. Al-Ḥajjāj was wealthy, possessing much property, and he owned the gold mines in the land of Banū Sulaym—with a ḍammah on the sīn. He said: "O Messenger of God, give me permission to go and take my wealth from my wife, for if she learns of my Islam I will not take any of it. And I have wealth scattered among the merchants of the people of Makkah." The Messenger of God ﷺ gave him permission. He said: "O Messenger of God, I will have to say some things." He said, "Say (them)." Al-Ḥajjāj said: I set out, and when I reached the Sanctuary, I descended and found them at al-Thaniyyah al-Bayḍāʾ, and there were men of Quraysh listening for news. It had reached them that the Messenger of God ﷺ had marched to Khaybar, and they knew that it was the town of the Ḥijāz most disdainful, most impregnable, most fertile, richest in men and weapons. So they were reckoning over the news, along with the wagers that were among them. When they saw me, they said: "Al-Ḥajjāj b. ʿIlāṭ has the news by God"—they did not yet know of my Islam—"O Ḥajjāj, it has reached us that the cutter has marched to Khaybar, the land of the Jews and the fertile part of the Ḥijāz." I said: "It has reached me that he has marched to it, and I have news that will please you." They crowded at both sides of my mount, saying: "What is it, O Ḥajjāj?!" I said: "Muḥammad and his companions have not met people skilled in fighting other than the people of Khaybar. They had gone about among the Arabs gathering forces against him, and they gathered ten thousand for him. He was defeated with a defeat the like of which has never been heard, and Muḥammad was taken captive. They said: 'We will not kill him until we send him to Makkah and kill him in their midst in revenge for those of us and of them he has killed.' For this reason they will return to you seeking protection among their clans and go back to what they were upon, so do not accept it from them, for they have done to you what they have done." He said: They shouted throughout Makkah and said: "The news has come to you! This Muḥammad—you only await his being brought to you to be killed in your midst." And I said: "Help me collect my wealth from my debtors, for I want to go ahead and obtain some of the spoils of Muḥammad and his companions before the merchants beat me to what is there." So they rose and collected my wealth for me in the swiftest collection I have ever heard of. I went to my wife and said to her: "My wealth—perhaps I will catch up with Khaybar and obtain some trade before the merchants beat me to it." That spread throughout Makkah, and the polytheists showed joy and delight, and the Muslims who were in Makkah were broken. [Al-ʿAbbās verifies al-Ḥajjāj's news and surprises Quraysh] Al-ʿAbbās b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib heard of that and sat down, unable to rise. He feared to enter his house lest he be harmed, and he knew that he would be harmed at that time. He ordered the door of his house to be opened while he was lying down. He called for Qutham and began to chant in rajaz, raising his voice so that the enemies would not gloat over him, saying: Ḥayya Qutham, ḥayya Qutham resembling the one with the lofty nose the Prophet of blessings he humiliates whoever is humiliated At the door of al-ʿAbbās there gathered the angry and the grieving, the gloating, and oppressed Muslim men and women with the triumph of unbelief and tyranny. When the Muslims saw al-ʿAbbās in good spirits, their own spirits were restored and their resolve strengthened. He called a servant of his named Abū Zabībah—with the form of a single raisin (zabīb)—and I have not found mention of him in al-Iṣābah. He said: "Go to al-Ḥajjāj and say to him: 'Al-ʿAbbās says to you: God is too high and too mighty for what you have brought to be true.'" Al-Ḥajjāj said to him: "Convey peace to Abū al-Faḍl and tell him: 'Let him vacate for me one of his rooms so that I may bring him news that will please him, and keep it secret from me.'" Abū Zabībah returned bringing good tidings to al-ʿAbbās and said: "Rejoice, O Abū al-Faḍl!" Al-ʿAbbās leaped up in joy as if nothing had touched him. Abū Zabībah entered upon him, and al-ʿAbbās embraced him, freed him, and told him what he had said. Al-ʿAbbās said: "Upon me is a vow to God to free ten slaves." When noon came, al-Ḥajjāj came to him and adjured him by God: "You must keep it secret for three days"—and it is also said: a day and a night—and al-ʿAbbās agreed to that. He said: "I have embraced Islam, and I have wealth with my wife and debts owed by people. If they knew of my Islam they would not pay me. I left the Messenger of God ﷺ having conquered Khaybar, and the arrows of God—Exalted is He—and His Messenger ﷺ fell in it, and he extracted what was in it. I left him as a bridegroom with the daughter of their king, Ḥuyayy b. Akhṭab, and he killed Ibn Abī al-Ḥuqayq." When evening came on that day, al-Ḥajjāj departed, and those nights grew long for al-ʿAbbās. It is also said: al-ʿAbbās waited only a day and a night. When three days had passed, while the people were in turmoil over what they had wagered, al-ʿAbbās took a fine garment and put it on, perfumed himself with khalūq, took a staff in his hand, and came strutting until he stood at the door of al-Ḥajjāj b. ʿIlāṭ and knocked. His wife said: "Will you not enter, O Abū al-Faḍl?" He said: "Where is your husband?" She said: "He went on such-and-such a day." And she said: "May God not grieve you, O Abū al-Faḍl. What has reached you has distressed us." He said: "Indeed, may God not grieve me. It was, praise be to God, only what we love. God granted conquest to His Messenger over Khaybar, and the arrows of God and His Messenger fell in it, and the Messenger of God ﷺ chose Ṣafiyyah for himself. If you have any need of your husband, join him." She said: "By God, I think you are truthful." Then he went until he came to the assembly of Quraysh, and they were saying as he passed by them: "Nothing but good shall befall you, O Abū al-Faḍl!! This, by God, is fortitude in the face of the heat of calamity." He said: "No, by the God by whom you have sworn, nothing but good has befallen me, praise be to God. Al-Ḥajjāj b. ʿIlāṭ informed me that God granted His Messenger conquest over Khaybar, and the arrows of God and the arrows of His Messenger fell in it. So God—Exalted is He—turned the sorrow that had been upon the Muslims back upon the polytheists. And the Muslims who had entered their houses dejected came out until they reached al-ʿAbbās, and he told them the news, and the Muslims rejoiced. The polytheists said: "[O servants of God!] The enemy of God has slipped away"—meaning al-Ḥajjāj—"by God, had we known, there would have been a matter between us and him." It was not long before the news of that came to them. In this: it is permissible for a person to lie about himself and about others, provided it does not entail harm to that other person, when by that lie he obtains his right, just as al-Ḥajjāj b. ʿIlāṭ lied against the Muslims until he took his wealth from Makkah without any harm befalling the Muslims from that lie. As for the harm and sorrow that befell the Muslims in Makkah, it is a minor corruption in comparison to the benefit obtained by the lie, especially the completion of joy and delight and the increase of faith that resulted from the truthful news after this lie. Thus the lie was a cause of obtaining this preponderant benefit. The parallel is an imam or a judge who gives a litigant the impression of the opposite of the truth in order thereby to arrive at knowledge of the truth, just as Sulaymān b. Dāwūd gave one of the two women the impression that he would split the child in two, until he thereby arrived at identifying the actual mother.
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