THE MURDER OF KA’B B. ALASHRAF.

Wâqidi says that after his lordship the apostle—u. w. b— had conquered his opponents at Bedr, no hypocrites or infidels could remain in Madinah, except degraded and humbled. Some Jews said: ‘After this, Muhammad will overcome his enemies wherever he goes.’ Ka’b B. Alash­raf, who was a grandee among the Jews, but had now become abject and contemptible, said: ‘Now that the princes and chiefs of the Qoraish have been killed, it is better for me to be under than above ground.’ He then betook himself to Mekkah, at the invitation of the Qoraish, and composed a threnody on those of the idolaters who had been slain; the purport of it was, however, at the same time to invite the infidels to wage war against the prince of the righteous. Although the Mekkans had, by the advice and instigation of Abu Sofyân, abstained from bemoaning their dead, lest the Musalmâns should rejoice, they began to weep and to lament as soon as they had obtained cognizance of the poem of Ka’b B. Alashraf, and continued to mourn a whole month. The just-named accursed individual had already, before the fight of Bedr, uttered satires against his holy and prophetic lordship— u. w. b.—and against his noble companions, and had always harboured ill-will towards the professors of mono­theism. When Ka’b returned from Mekkah, his lordship the seat of apostleship heard of his doings, and exclaimed: ‘O God, requite Ebnu-l-ashraf with whatever Thou willest for his evil machinations and for his poetry.’ Then he turned to his friends, saying: ‘Who will punish the wickedness of Ebn Ashraf, because he has insulted God the Most High and His prophet?’ Muhammad B. Mos­lamah said: ‘O apostle of God, art thou willing that I should kill him?’ His lordship replied: ‘Yes.’ Then B. Moslamah returned to his own house, and abstained three days from eating and from drinking. When the information of this behaviour reached the august hearing of his prophetic lordship, he asked for the reason thereof, and Muhammad B. Moslamah replied: ‘I have made thee a promise, but I know not whether I shall keep it or not.’ The apostle—u. w. b.—continued: ‘Act with reference to this matter according to thy ability and power.’ Hereon Muhammad B. Moslamah represented that in order to execute his intention he would have to utter words deroga­tory to his lordship, but the latter gave him full permission to do so. Then Muhammad B. Moslamah conspired with Abu Nâylah Salakân B. Salâmah, who was the milk-brother of Ka’b, with A’bad B. Bashar, Hâreth B. Moa’adh, and with Abu I’ysa to kill Ebn Ashraf. It is said that even Muhammad B. Moslamah himself was a milk-brother of Ka’b B. Alashraf. The tradition is that Abu Nâylah arrived before his companions at the house of Ka’b B. Alashraf, by whom he was politely received, and asked for what purpose he had taken the trouble to pay him a visit. Abu Nâylah replied: ‘The coming of that man [i.e., of Muhammad] is a calamity to us, because all the Arabs are quarrelling and fighting with us, the people being unable to travel freely and to have intercourse with each other. Misery has come upon us. Our families are suffering, and though we have ourselves scarcely enough to eat, he is nevertheless every now and then making new demands.’ Ka’b replied: ‘I have ere this spoken these very words to thee, and I am the son of my father, but wherefore are you yourselves still? I swear by God that you will be fatigued and distressed.’ Abu Nâylah then con­tinued: ‘Many others are of the same opinion with me. We have fallen into trouble, and wish to borrow some food and dates from thee. We are ready to leave with thee whatever pledge thou likest.’ Ka’b consulted his family, and said: ‘Give your wives as a pledge.’ But Abu Nâylah rejoined: ‘How could we, who are the best of Arabs, give our wives for a pledge?’ Ka’b then said: ‘If you do not wish to surrender your females, give me your children.’ Abu Nâylah rejoined: ‘Thus we would incur the blame of everybody; but, if you like, we shall give our weapons as a pledge, and will bring them to thee as soon as night sets in.’ Ka’b agreed to this proposal, saying: ‘Bring them whenever you like.’ When Abu Nâylah had left the house of Ka’b, he informed his friends, and they went together to his lordship the refuge of apostleship—u. w. b.—and acquainted him with their intention. Accordingly, on the 14th of the month Ssafar Muhammad B. Moslamah departed with the four individuals whose names have been mentioned above, by the command of the best of men, and were accompanied by him as far as Baqyi’; and when they arrived in that place he uttered with his wonderfully eloquent tongue the words: ‘Proceed, in the name of Allah!’ Then his lordship the refuge of the apostolate returned home, and when those blessed five individuals arrived at the gate of Ka’b’s fort, they requested him to come down. When Ka’b heard their voices he rose to meet his acquaintances and intimate friends; but one of his wives, whom he had acquired in the vicinity, said: ‘Where art thou going out at this hour?’ He replied: ‘My brothers Muhammad B. Moslamah and Abu Nâylah have come, and I am going to meet them.’ The intelligent woman rejoined, however: ‘The man whose voice I have heard seemed to me to be dripping with blood.’ Ka’b said: ‘There is nobody besides them.’ The woman never­theless caught hold of the skirts of her husband’s garment, and, desiring to hinder him from going out, said: ‘I adjure thee by God, I felt the redness of blood in that voice.’ Ka’b expostulated: ‘Let me go! for this is my brother Abu Nâylah, who [is so fond of me that he] would not awake me if he saw me asleep.’ The woman again said: ‘By Allah, I smell the odour of evil in that voice.’ Ka’b asked: ‘When a noble-hearted man is called, shall he not answer?’ Then he disengaged his robe from the woman, came out from his fort, emitting perfume [from his garments]. He conversed awhile with Abu Nâylah concerning the matter in hand, whereon Muhammad B. Moslamah said to Ka’b: ‘If thou art so inclined, let us promenade awhile in the moonlight, go to the “old woman’s pass,” and spend the rest of the night in conversation.’ Ka’b agreed, and as they were walking Abu Nâylah said: ‘Ka’b, thou exhalest a wonderfully sweet perfume.’ Ka’b replied: ‘The hand­somest and most pleasantly smiling Arab woman is my wife.’ Abu Nâylah asked: ‘Permit me to smell the hair of thy head?’ Being allowed to do so, he caught hold of his hair and smelt it; he held it also to the noses of the other men, and again let it go. After awhile he made the same request, and again took hold of the hair, but caught it this time strongly, and exclaimed to his companions: ‘Strike the enemy of God with your swords!’ The Musal­mâns did as they were bid, but their sabres took little effect until Muhammad B. Moslamah placed a dagger on the navel of Ka’b and ripped open his breast. On that occasion Ka’b uttered so fearful a shout that, on account of the dreadfulness thereof, the inhabitants of all the forts who had heard it kindled bonfires. The professors of Islâm separated the head of that unworthy man from his body, and started in the direction of Madinah; and though the friends and followers of Ka’b went in pursuit of the Musal­mâns, they were unable to overtake them, because they had missed the road. It is related that when the noble com­panions desired to slay Ka’b, and struck him with their sabres, one of them inadvertently wounded Hâreth B. Moa’adh so that he was not able to walk, on account of the great loss of blood he had sustained, and requested his com­panions to convey his salutation to the apostle. They took him, however, up, and proceeded towards their desti­nation. When they had arrived near the cemetery of Madinah* they shouted the Takbir [magnification], which his lordship heard, and thereby knew that Ebn Alashraf had been slain. When the companions waited upon the lord of apostleship—u. w. b.—he exclaimed: ‘Are your countenances honoured?’ And they replied: ‘Thy countenance, O apostle of Allah.’ They then threw the head of that worthless individual upon the ground of degradation and misery. His lordship first thanked God, and then put a little saliva from his blessed mouth upon the wound of Hâreth, which was thereby immediately healed.