To Attack The Enemy By Surprise And To Imitate Them

Jabir reported:
The Messenger of Allah ( may peace be upon him) said : Who will pursue Ka’b bin Al-Ashraf, for he has caused trouble to Allah and His Apostle? Muhammad bin Maslamah stood up and said: I (shall do), Messenger of Allah. Do you want that I should kill him? He said: Yes. He said: So permit me to say something (against you). He said: Yes say. He then came to him (Ka’b b. al-Ashraf) and said to him: This man has asked us for sadaqah (alms) and has put us into trouble. He (Ka’b) said: You will be more grieved. He (Muhammad bin Maslamah) said: We have followed him and we do not like to forsake him until we see what will be the consequences of his matter. We wished if you could lend us one or two wasqs. Ka’b said: What will you mortgage with me? He asked: what do you want from us? He replied : your Women. They said: Glory be to Allah: You are the most beautiful of the Arabs. If we mortgage our women with you, that will be a disgrace for us. He said “The mortgage your children.” They said “Glory be to Allaah, a son of us may abuse saying “You were mortgaged for one or two wasqs.” They said “We shall mortgage or coat of mail with you. By this he meant arms”. He said “Yes, when he came to him, he called him and he came out while he used perfume and his head was spreading fragrance. When he at with him and he came there accompanied by three or four persons who mentioned his perfume. He said “I have such and such woman with me. She is most fragrant of the women among the people. He (Muhammad bin Maslamah) asked “Do you permit me so that I may smell? He said “Yes. He then entered his hand through his hair and smell it.” He said “May I repeat?” He said “Yes. He again entered his hand through his hair. When he got his complete control, he said “Take him. So he struck him until they killed him.”

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " مَنْ لِكَعْبِ بْنِ الأَشْرَفِ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ آذَى اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ " . فَقَامَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ فَقَالَ أَنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَتُحِبُّ أَنْ أَقْتُلَهُ قَالَ " نَعَمْ " . قَالَ فَأْذَنْ لِي أَنْ أَقُولَ شَيْئًا . قَالَ " نَعَمْ قُلْ " . فَأَتَاهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ قَدْ سَأَلَنَا الصَّدَقَةَ وَقَدْ عَنَّانَا قَالَ وَأَيْضًا لَتَمَلُّنَّهُ . قَالَ اتَّبَعْنَاهُ فَنَحْنُ نَكْرَهُ أَنْ نَدَعَهُ حَتَّى نَنْظُرَ إِلَى أَىِّ شَىْءٍ يَصِيرُ أَمْرُهُ وَقَدْ أَرَدْنَا أَنْ تُسْلِفَنَا وَسْقًا أَوْ وَسْقَيْنِ . قَالَ كَعْبٌ أَىَّ شَىْءٍ تَرْهَنُونِي قَالَ وَمَا تُرِيدُ مِنَّا قَالَ نِسَاءَكُمْ قَالُوا سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ أَنْتَ أَجْمَلُ الْعَرَبِ نَرْهَنُكَ نِسَاءَنَا فَيَكُونُ ذَلِكَ عَارًا عَلَيْنَا . قَالَ فَتَرْهَنُونِي أَوْلاَدَكُمْ . قَالُوا سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ يُسَبُّ ابْنُ أَحَدِنَا فَيُقَالُ رُهِنْتَ بِوَسْقٍ أَوْ وَسْقَيْنِ . قَالُوا نَرْهَنُكَ اللأْمَةَ يُرِيدُ السِّلاَحَ قَالَ نَعَمْ . فَلَمَّا أَتَاهُ نَادَاهُ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ وَهُوَ مُتَطَيِّبٌ يَنْضَخُ رَأْسُهُ فَلَمَّا أَنْ جَلَسَ إِلَيْهِ وَقَدْ كَانَ جَاءَ مَعَهُ بِنَفَرٍ ثَلاَثَةٍ أَوْ أَرْبَعَةٍ فَذَكَرُوا لَهُ قَالَ عِنْدِي فُلاَنَةُ وَهِيَ أَعْطَرُ نِسَاءِ النَّاسِ . قَالَ تَأْذَنُ لِي فَأَشُمُّ قَالَ نَعَمْ . فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِي رَأْسِهِ فَشَمَّهُ قَالَ أَعُودُ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِي رَأْسِهِ فَلَمَّا اسْتَمْكَنَ مِنْهُ قَالَ دُونَكُمْ . فَضَرَبُوهُ حَتَّى قَتَلُوهُ .