Sirat Ibn Hisham 926
Kaʿb's amorous verses about the Muslim women and the stratagem to kill him
[ تَشْبِيبُ كَعْبٍ بِنِسَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْحِيلَةُ فِي قَتْلِهِ ] ثُمَّ رَجَعَ كَعْبُ بْنُ الْأَشْرَفِ إلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَشَبَّبَ بِنِسَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ حَتَّى آذَاهُمْ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، كَمَا حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُغِيثِ بْنِ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ مَنْ لِي بِابْنِ الْأَشْرَفِ ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، أَخُو بَنِي عَبْدِ الْأَشْهَلِ: أَنَا لَكَ بِهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَنَا أَقْتُلُهُ، قَالَ: فَافْعَلْ إنْ قَدَرْتَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ. فَرَجَعَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ فَمَكَثَ ثَلَاثًا لَا يَأْكُلُ وَلَا يَشْرَبُ إلَّا مَا يُعْلِقُ بِهِ نَفْسَهُ، فَذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَدَعَاهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: لِمَ تَرَكْتَ الطَّعَامَ وَالشَّرَابَ ؟ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، قُلْتُ لَكَ قَوْلًا لَا أَدْرِي هَلْ أَفِيَنَّ لَكَ بِهِ أَمْ لَا ؟ فَقَالَ: إنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْجَهْدُ؛ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إنَّهُ لَا بُدَّ لَنَا مِنْ أَنْ نَقُولَ: قَالَ: قُولُوا مَا بَدَا لَكُمْ، فَأَنْتُمْ فِي حِلٍّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَاجْتَمَعَ فِي قَتْلِهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، وَسِلْكَانُ بْنُ سَلَامَةَ بْنِ وَقْشٍ، وَهُوَ أَبُو نَائِلَةَ، أَحَدُ بَنِي عَبْدِ الْأَشْهَلِ، وَكَانَ أَخَا كَعْبِ بْنِ الْأَشْرَفِ مِنْ الرَّضَاعَةِ، وَعَبَّادُ بْنُ بِشْرِ بْنِ وَقْشٍ، أَحَدُ بَنِي عَبْدِ الْأَشْهَلِ، وَالْحَارِثُ بْنُ أَوْسِ بْنِ مُعَاذٍ، أَحَدُ بَنِي عَبْدِ الْأَشْهَلِ، وَأَبُو عَبْسِ بْنِ جَبْرٍ، أَحَدُ بَنِي حَارِثَةَ؛ ثُمَّ قَدَّمُوا إلَى عَدُوِّ اللَّهِ كَعْبِ بْنِ الْأَشْرَفِ، قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُوهُ، سِلْكَانَ بْنَ سَلَامَةَ، أَبَا نَائِلَةَ، فَجَاءَهُ، فَتَحَدَّثَ مَعَهُ سَاعَةً، وَتَنَاشَدُوا شِعْرًا، وَكَانَ أَبُو نَائِلَةَ يَقُولُ الشِّعْرَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: وَيْحَكَ يَا ابْنَ الْأَشْرَفِ إنِّي قَدْ جِئْتُكَ لِحَاجَةِ أُرِيدُ ذِكْرَهَا لَكَ، فَاكْتُمْ عَنِّي؛ قَالَ: أَفْعَلُ؛ قَالَ: كَانَ قُدُومُ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ عَلَيْنَا بَلَاءً مِنْ الْبَلَاءِ، عَادَتْنَا بِهِ الْعَرَبُ، وَرَمَتْنَا عَنْ قَوْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ، وَقَطَعَتْ عَنَّا السُّبُلَ حَتَّى ضَاعَ الْعِيَالُ، وَجُهِدَتْ الْأَنْفُسُ، وَأَصْبَحْنَا قَدْ جُهِدْنَا وَجُهِدَ عِيَالُنَا. فَقَالَ كَعْبٌ: أَنَا ابْنُ الْأَشْرَفِ، أَمَا وَاَللَّهِ لَقَدْ كُنْتُ أُخْبِرُكَ يَا ابْنَ سَلَامَةَ أَنَّ الْأَمْرَ سَيَصِيرُ إلَى مَا أَقُولُ؛ فَقَالَ لَهُ سِلْكَانُ: إنِّي قَدْ أَرَدْتُ أَنْ تَبِيعَنَا طَعَامًا وَنَرْهَنَكَ وَنُوثِقَ لَكَ، وَنُحْسِنُ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: أَتَرْهَنُونَنِي أَبْنَاءَكُمْ ؟ قَالَ: لَقَدْ أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَفْضَحَنَا إنَّ مَعِي أَصْحَابًا لِي عَلَى مِثْلِ رَأْيِي، وَقَدْ أَرَدْتُ أَنْ آتِيَكَ بِهِمْ، فَتَبِيعُهُمْ وَتُحْسِنُ فِي ذَلِكَ، وَنَرْهَنُكَ مِنْ الْحَلْقَةِ مَا فِيهِ وَفَاءٌ، وَأَرَادَ سِلْكَانُ أَنْ لَا يُنْكِرَ السِّلَاحَ إذَا جَاءُوا بِهَا؛ قَالَ: إنَّ فِي الْحَلْقَةِ لَوَفَاءً؛ قَالَ: فَرَجَعَ سِلْكَانُ إلَى أَصْحَابِهِ فَأَخْبَرَهُمْ خَبَرَهُ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَأْخُذُوا السِّلَاحَ، ثُمَّ يَنْطَلِقُوا فَيَجْتَمِعُوا إلَيْهِ، فَاجْتَمَعُوا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ. قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: وَيُقَالُ: أَتَرْهَنُونَنِي نِسَاءَكُمْ ؟ قَالَ: كَيْفَ نَرْهَنُكَ نِسَاءَنَا، وَأَنْتَ أَشَبُّ أَهْلِ يَثْرِبَ وَأَعْطَوْهُمْ، قَالَ: أَتَرْهَنُونَنِي أَبْنَاءَكُمْ ؟ قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: فَحَدَّثَنِي ثَوْرُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ. قَالَ مَشَى مَعَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إلَى بَقِيعِ الْغَرْقَدِ، ثُمَّ وَجَّهَهُمْ، فَقَالَ: انْطَلِقُوا عَلَى اسْمِ اللَّهِ؛ اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنْهُمْ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إلَى بَيْتِهِ، وَهُوَ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُقْمِرَةٍ، وَأَقْبَلُوا حَتَّى انْتَهَوْا إلَى حِصْنِهِ، فَهَتَفَ بِهِ أَبُو نَائِلَةَ، وَكَانَ حَدِيثَ عَهْدٍ بِعُرْسٍ، فَوَثَبَ فِي مِلْحَفَتِهِ، فَأَخَذَتْ امْرَأَتُهُ بِنَاحِيَتِهَا، وَقَالَتْ: إنَّكَ امْرُؤٌ مُحَارِبٌ، وَإِنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْحَرْبِ لَا يَنْزِلُونَ فِي هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ؛ قَالَ: إنَّهُ أَبُو نَائِلَةَ، لَوْ وَجَدَنِي نَائِمًا لَمَا أَيْقَظَنِي؛ فَقَالَتْ: وَاَللَّهِ إنِّي لَأَعْرِفُ فِي صَوْتِهِ الشَّرَّ؛ قَالَ: يَقُولُ لَهَا كَعْبٌ: لَوْ يُدْعَى الْفَتَى لِطَعْنَةٍ لَأَجَابَ. فَنَزَلَ فَتَحَدَّثَ مَعَهُمْ سَاعَةً، وَتَحَدَّثُوا مَعَهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: هَلْ لَكَ يَا ابْنَ الْأَشْرَفِ أَنْ تَتَمَاشَى إلَى شِعْبِ الْعَجُوزِ، فَنَتَحَدَّثَ بِهِ بَقِيَّةَ لَيْلَتِنَا هَذِهِ ؟ قَالَ: إنْ شِئْتُمْ. فَخَرَجُوا يَتَمَاشَوْنَ، فَمَشَوْا سَاعَةً، ثُمَّ إنَّ أَبَا نَائِلَةَ شَامَ يَدَهُ فِي فَوْدِ رَأْسِهِ، ثُمَّ شَمَّ يَدَهُ فَقَالَ: مَا رَأَيْتُ كَاللَّيْلَةِ طِيبًا أَعْطَرَ قَطُّ، ثُمَّ مَشَى سَاعَةً، ثُمَّ عَادَ لِمِثْلِهَا حَتَّى اطْمَأَنَّ، ثُمَّ مَشَى سَاعَةً، ثُمَّ عَادَ لِمِثْلِهَا، فَأَخَذَ بِفَوْدِ رَأْسِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: اضْرِبُوا عَدُوَّ اللَّهِ، فَضَرَبُوهُ، فَاخْتَلَفَتْ عَلَيْهِ أَسْيَافُهُمْ، فَلَمْ تُغْنِ شَيْئًا. قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ: فَذَكَرْتُ مِغْوَلًا فِي سَيْفِي، حِينَ رَأَيْتُ أَسْيَافَنَا لَا تُغْنِي شَيْئًا، فَأَخَذْتُهُ، وَقَدْ صَاحَ عَدُوُّ اللَّهِ صَيْحَةً لَمْ يَبْقَ حَوْلَنَا حِصْنٌ إلَّا وَقَدْ أُوقِدَتْ عَلَيْهِ نَارٌ قَالَ: فَوَضَعْتُهُ فِي ثُنَّتِهِ ثُمَّ تَحَامَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى بَلَغْتُ عَانَتَهُ فَوَقَعَ عَدُوُّ اللَّهِ، وَقَدْ أُصِيبَ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ أَوْسِ بْنِ مُعَاذٍ، فَجُرِحَ فِي رَأْسِهِ أَوْ فِي رِجْلِهِ، أَصَابَهُ بَعْضُ أَسْيَافِنَا. قَالَ: فَخَرَجْنَا حَتَّى سَلَكْنَا عَلَى بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، ثُمَّ عَلَى بَنِي قُرَيْظَةَ، ثُمَّ عَلَى بُعَاثٍ حَتَّى أَسْنَدْنَا فِي حَرَّةِ الْعَرِيضِ، وَقَدْ أَبْطَأَ عَلَيْنَا صَاحِبُنَا الْحَارِثُ بْنُ أَوْسٍ، وَنَزَفَهُ الدَّمُ، فَوَقَفْنَا لَهُ سَاعَةً، ثُمَّ أَتَانَا يَتْبَعُ آثَارَنَا. قَالَ: فَاحْتَمَلْنَاهُ فَجِئْنَا بِهِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ، وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي، فَسَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ، فَخَرَجَ إلَيْنَا. فَأَخْبَرْنَاهُ بِقَتْلِ عَدُوِّ اللَّهِ، وَتَفَلَ عَلَى جُرْحِ صَاحِبِنَا، فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْنَا إلَى أَهْلِنَا فَأَصْبَحْنَا وَقَدْ خَافَتْ يَهُودُ لِوَقْعَتِنَا بِعَدُوِّ اللَّهِ، فَلَيْسَ بِهَا يَهُودِيٌّ إلَّا وَهُوَ يَخَافُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ
Translation
✧ [Kaʿb's love poetry about Muslim women and the stratagem to kill him] Then Kaʿb b. al-Ashraf returned to Madinah and composed love poetry about the women of the Muslims until he harmed them. The Messenger of God ﷺ said, as ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Mughīth b. Abī Burdah related to me: "Who will deal with Ibn al-Ashraf for me?" Muḥammad b. Maslamah, brother of the Banū ʿAbd al-Ashhal, said to him: "I will deal with him for you, O Messenger of God. I will kill him." He said: "Then do so if you are able." So Muḥammad b. Maslamah returned and stayed for three days without eating or drinking except the minimum to keep himself alive. That was mentioned to the Messenger of God ﷺ, so he summoned him and said to him: "Why have you abandoned food and drink?" He said: "O Messenger of God, I said something to you and I do not know whether I can fulfill it for you or not." He said: "You are only required to make the effort." He said: "O Messenger of God, we will inevitably have to say things." He said: "Say whatever seems appropriate to you; you are absolved of that." So those who gathered to kill him were Muḥammad b. Maslamah, Silkān b. Salāmah b. Waqsh—who was Abū Nāʾilah, one of the Banū ʿAbd al-Ashhal, and the foster-brother of Kaʿb b. al-Ashraf—ʿAbbād b. Bishr b. Waqsh, one of the Banū ʿAbd al-Ashhal, al-Ḥārith b. Aws b. Muʿādh, one of the Banū ʿAbd al-Ashhal, and Abū ʿAbs b. Jabr, one of the Banū Ḥārithah. Then, before they came to him, they sent Silkān b. Salāmah, Abū Nāʾilah, ahead to the enemy of God, Kaʿb b. al-Ashraf. He came to him and conversed with him for a while, and they recited poetry to one another—Abū Nāʾilah used to compose poetry. Then he said: "Woe to you, O Ibn al-Ashraf! I have come to you for a need that I want to mention to you, so keep it secret from me." He said: "I will." He said: "The arrival of this man among us has been a trial among trials: the Arabs have turned against us, they have shot at us from a single bow, and they have cut off the roads from us, so that families are lost and souls are exhausted. We have become exhausted, and our families are exhausted." Kaʿb said: "I am Ibn al-Ashraf! By God, I was telling you, O Ibn Salāmah, that the matter would come to what I said." Silkān said to him: "I wanted you to sell us food, and we would pledge something to you and give you surety, and you would be generous in that." He said: "Will you pledge your sons to me?" He said: "You want to disgrace us! I have companions with me who share my view, and I wanted to bring them to you so that you could sell to them and be generous, and we would pledge to you from the armor what would be sufficient." Silkān intended that the weapons should not be objected to when they brought them. He said: "In armor there is sufficient security." He said: So Silkān returned to his companions, told them the news, and instructed them to take their weapons, then go and gather with him. So they gathered at the Messenger of God ﷺ. Ibn Hishām said: It is also said: "Will you pledge your women to me?" He said: "How can we pledge our women to you when you are the most handsome man in Yathrib and have given them?" He said: "Will you pledge your sons to me?" Ibn Isḥāq said: Thawr b. Zayd related to me, from ʿIkrimah, from Ibn ʿAbbās. He said: The Messenger of God ﷺ walked with them to Baqīʿ al-Gharqad, then sent them off, saying: "Go in the name of God. O God, help them." Then the Messenger of God ﷺ returned to his house. It was a moonlit night. They went on until they reached his fortress. Abū Nāʾilah called out to him—he had recently married. Kaʿb sprang up in his sheet, and his wife took hold of its edge and said: "You are a warrior, and warriors do not come down at this hour." He said: "It is Abū Nāʾilah. If he found me sleeping, he would not wake me." She said: "By God, I recognize evil in his voice." He said: Kaʿb said to her: "If a young man is called to a thrust, he answers." So he came down and conversed with them for a while, and they conversed with him. Then he said: "Would you, O Ibn al-Ashraf, like to walk with us to the ravine of al-ʿAjūz, so that we may talk there for the rest of this night?" He said: "If you wish." So they went out walking together. They walked for a while, then Abū Nāʾilah put his hand into the hair at the side of Kaʿb's head, then smelled his hand and said: "I have never seen perfume more fragrant than tonight." Then he walked for a while, then repeated the same until he felt at ease. Then he walked for a while, then repeated the same, and seized the hair at the side of his head, then said: "Strike the enemy of God!" So they struck him, but their swords clashed against each other and accomplished nothing. Muḥammad b. Maslamah said: "I remembered a dagger that was in my sword when I saw that our swords were accomplishing nothing. I took it out. The enemy of God let out a cry, and there was no fortress around us but that a fire was kindled on it. He said: I placed the dagger in the hollow of his throat, then pressed upon it until it reached his pubic bone, and the enemy of God fell. Al-Ḥārith b. Aws b. Muʿādh was wounded—injured in his head or his leg—struck by one of our swords." He said: "We went out and took the route past the Banū Umayyah b. Zayd, then past the Banū Qurayẓah, then past Buʿāth, until we climbed up into the ḥarrah of al-ʿArīḍ. Our companion al-Ḥārith b. Aws was delayed, and blood was draining from him, so we waited for him for a while. Then he came to us following our tracks. He said: We carried him and brought him to the Messenger of God ﷺ at the end of the night while he was standing in prayer. We greeted him, and he came out to us. We told him of the killing of the enemy of God, and he spat on the wound of our companion, and he returned. We returned to our families, and by morning the Jews were in fear because of our attack on the enemy of God; there was not a Jew among them who did not fear for his own life."
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