Sahih al-Bukhari 4037

Hadith text

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Who is willing to kill Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf who has hurt Allah and His Apostle?" Thereupon Muhammad bin Maslama got up saying, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Would you like that I kill him?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Yes," Muhammad bin Maslama said, "Then allow me to say a (false) thing (i.e. to deceive Ka`b). "The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You may say it." Then Muhammad bin Maslama went to Ka`b and said, "That man (i.e. Muhammad demands Sadaqa (i.e. Zakat) from us, and he has troubled us, and I have come to borrow something from you." On that, Ka`b said, "By Allah, you will get tired of him!" Muhammad bin Maslama said, "Now as we have followed him, we do not want to leave him unless and until we see how his end is going to be. Now we want you to lend us a camel load or two of food." (Some difference between narrators about a camel load or two.) Ka`b said, "Yes, (I will lend you), but you should mortgage something to me." Muhammad bin Mas-lama and his companion said, "What do you want?" Ka`b replied, "Mortgage your women to me." They said, "How can we mortgage our women to you and you are the most handsome of the 'Arabs?" Ka`b said, "Then mortgage your sons to me." They said, "How can we mortgage our sons to you? Later they would be abused by the people's saying that so-and-so has been mortgaged for a camel load of food. That would cause us great disgrace, but we will mortgage our arms to you." Muhammad bin Maslama and his companion promised Ka`b that Muhammad would return to him. He came to Ka`b at night along with Ka`b's foster brother, Abu Na'ila. Ka`b invited them to come into his fort, and then he went down to them. His wife asked him, "Where are you going at this time?" Ka`b replied, "None but Muhammad bin Maslama and my (foster) brother Abu Na'ila have come." His wife said, "I hear a voice as if dropping blood is from him, Ka`b said, "They are none but my brother Muhammad bin Maslama and my foster brother Abu Naila. A generous man should respond to a call at night even if invited to be killed." Muhammad bin Maslama went with two men. (Some narrators mention the men as 'Abu bin Jabr. Al Harith bin Aus and `Abbad bin Bishr). So Muhammad bin Maslama went in together with two men, and said to them, "When Ka`b comes, I will touch his hair and smell it, and when you see that I have got hold of his head, strike him. I will let you smell his head." Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf came down to them wrapped in his clothes, and diffusing perfume. Muhammad bin Maslama said, "I have never smelt a better scent than this." Ka`b replied, "I have got the best 'Arab women who know how to use the high class of perfume." Muhammad bin Maslama requested Ka`b "Will you allow me to smell your head?" Ka`b said, "Yes." Muhammad smelt it and made his companions smell it as well. Then he requested Ka`b again, "Will you let me (smell your head)?" Ka`b said, "Yes." When Muhammad got a strong hold of him, he said (to his companions), "Get at him!" So they killed him and went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and informed him. (Abu Rafi`) was killed after Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf

Jabir bin Abdullah bataate hain: Allah ke Rasool ne kaha, "Kaun Ka'b bin Al-Ashraf ko qatl karne ke liye taiyaar hai jinhonne Allah aur uske Rasool ko dukh diya hai?" Ispar Muhammad bin Maslama khade hue aur kaha, "Ya Allah ke Rasool! Kya aap chahenge main unhe qatl karun?" Nabi ne kaha, "Haan." Muhammad bin Maslama ne kaha, "Phir mujhe ijazat dijiye ke main (unse dhoka dene ke liye) kuch (jhuti) baat kahun." Nabi ne kaha, "Tum yeh keh sakte ho." Phir Muhammad bin Maslama Ka'b ke paas gaye aur kaha, "Woh shaks (yaani Muhammad) humse Sadaqa (yaani Zakat) maangta hai, aur usne humein bahut takleef di hai, aur main aapse kuch udhaar lene aaya hoon." Ispar, Ka'b ne kaha, "Allah ki qasam, tum unse thak jaoge!" Muhammad bin Maslama ne kaha, "Ab jabke hum unki pairvi kar chuke hain, hum unhe chhodna nahi chahte jab tak hum dekhen unka anjaam kya hota hai. Ab hum chahte hain aap humein ek ya do unton ke bojh jitni anaaj udhaar den." (Kuch raawi ko ek unt ka bojh yaad hai, doosron ko do.) Ka'b ne kaha, "Haan (main tumhe dunga), magar tumhe kuch girwi rakhna hoga." Muhammad bin Maslama aur unke sathi ne pucha, "Aap kya chahte hain?" Ka'b ne jawab diya, "Apni aurten mere paas girwi rakho." Unhone kaha, "Hum apni aurten aapke paas kaise girwi rakhen, jabke aap Arbon mein sabse khoobsurat hain?" Ka'b ne kaha, "Phir apne beton ko mere paas girwi rakho." Unhone kaha, "Hum apne beton ko kaise girwi rakhen? Baad mein unhe apman jhelna padega, log kahenge ke falaan-falaan ek unt ke anaaj-bojh ke liye girwi rakha gaya tha. Yeh humein apmaanit karega, magar hum apne hathiyaar aapke paas girwi rakhenge." Muhammad bin Maslama aur unke sathi ne Ka'b se waada kiya ke Muhammad unke paas wapas aaenge. Woh raat ko Ka'b ke paas gaye, unke saath Ka'b ke doodh-rishte ke bhai, Abu Na'ila. Ka'b ne unhe apne qile mein aane ki dawat di, aur phir woh unke paas neeche aaye. Unki biwi ne unse pucha, "Aap is waqt kahaan ja rahe hain?" Ka'b ne jawab diya, "Koee aur nahi siwaye Muhammad bin Maslama aur mere (doodh-rishte ke) bhai Abu Na'ila ke." Unki biwi ne kaha, "Mujhe lagta hai maine unki aawaaz mein khoon tapakte suna hai." Ka'b ne kaha, "Yeh koee aur nahi siwaye mere bhai Muhammad bin Maslama aur mere doodh-rishte ke bhai Abu Na'ila ke. Ek udaar shaks ko chahiye ke woh raat mein bhi bulawe ka jawab de chahe use qatl karne ke liye bulaya jaaye." Muhammad bin Maslama do logon ke saath gaye (kuch raawi unke naam Abu bin Jabr, Al-Harith bin Aus, aur Abbad bin Bishr batate hain). Isliye Muhammad bin Maslama do logon ke saath andar gaye aur unse kaha, "Jab Ka'b aaye, main unke baal pakadunga aur unhe sungunga, aur jab tum dekho ke maine unka sar pakad liya hai, unpar hamla karo. Main tumhe unka sar sungne dunga." Ka'b bin Al-Ashraf apne kapdon mein lipete neeche aaye, khushbu mehakte hue. Muhammad bin Maslama ne kaha, "Maine kabhi isse behtar khushbu nahi soonghi." Ka'b ne jawab diya, "Mere paas Arbon ki sabse behtareen aurten hain jo behtareen khushbu ka istemal karna jaanti hain." Muhammad bin Maslama ne Ka'b se guzarish ki, "Kya aap mujhe aapka sar soonghne denge?" Ka'b ne kaha, "Haan." Muhammad ne use soongha aur apne sathiyon ko bhi soonghwaya. Phir unhone Ka'b se phir guzarish ki, "Kya aap mujhe (dobara) denge?" Ka'b ne kaha, "Haan." Jab Muhammad ne unhe mazbooti se pakad liya, unhone (apne sathiyon se) kaha, "Unpar hamla karo!" Isliye unhone unhe qatl kiya aur Nabi ke paas gaye aur unhe khabar di. (Abu Rafi Ka'b bin Al-Ashraf ke baad qatl kiye gaye.)

Sahih al-Bukhari 4037 · Book 64, Hadith 84