The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Who will deal with Kaab bin al-Ashraf? He has harmed Allah and His Messenger."Muhammad bin Maslama stood up and said, "Messenger of Allah, would you like me to kill him?"He replied, "Yes."Muhammad said, "Then permit me to say something."He said, "Speak."So Muhammad bin Maslama went to him and said, "This man has demanded charity from us and has caused us hardship. I have come to ask you for a loan."Kaab said, "By Allah, you will grow even more weary of him."Muhammad said, "We have followed him, so we do not wish to abandon him until we see how his affair turns out. We would like you to lend us a wasq or two."Amr narrated this to us several times but did not mention "a wasq or two." So I asked him about it, "A wasq or two?" He said, "I think it was a wasq or two."Kaab said, "Yes, but give me a pledge."They asked, "What do you want?"He said, "Pledge me your women."They replied, "How can we pledge our women to you when you are the most handsome of the Arabs?"He said, "Then pledge me your sons."They said, "How can we pledge our sons to you, so that one of them would be reproached and it would be said, 'He was pledged for a wasq or two'? That would be a disgrace upon us. But we will pledge you our weapons."Sufyan said, this means weapons. So he agreed to meet him and came to him by night, accompanied by Abu Naila, who was Kaab's foster brother. They called him out to the fortress, and he came down to them.His wife said to him, "Where are you going at this hour?"He replied, "It is only Muhammad bin Maslama and my brother Abu Naila."In another narration besides Amr's, she said, "I hear a voice as though blood is dripping from it."He said, "It is only my brother Muhammad bin Maslama and my foster brother Abu Naila. A noble man, if invited to be stabbed at night, would answer the call."Muhammad bin Maslama brought two men with him. Sufyan was asked, "Did Amr name them?" He said, "He named some of them." Amr said, "He came with two men." Others besides Amr said they were Abu Abs bin Jabr, Harith bin Aws, and Abbad bin Bishr.Amr said, he came with two men, and Muhammad said, "When he comes, I will reach for his hair and smell it. When you see that I have a firm grip on his head, then strike him."In another narration, "Then I will let you smell it."Kaab came down to them wrapped in his garment, and the scent of perfume wafted from him.Muhammad said, "I have never smelled a fragrance like today's, that is, sweeter."In another narration besides Amr's, Kaab said, "I have with me the most fragrant of Arab women and the most perfect of Arabs."Amr said, Muhammad asked, "Will you permit me to smell your head?"He said, "Yes."So Muhammad smelled it, then let his companions smell it. Then he said, "Will you permit me again?"He said, "Yes."When Muhammad had a firm hold on him, he said, "Get him!" So they killed him, then came to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him.
حدثنا علي بن عبد الله حدثنا سفيان قال عمرو سمعت
قال رسول الله ﷺ من لكعب بن الأشرف فإنه قد آذى الله ورسوله فقام محمد بن مسلمة فقال يا رسول الله أتحب أن أقتله قال نعم قال فأذن لي أن أقول شيئا قال قل فأتاه محمد بن مسلمة فقال إن هذا الرجل قد سألنا صدقة وإنه قد عنانا وإني قد أتيتك أستسلفك قال وأيضا والله لتملنه قال إنا قد اتبعناه فلا نحب أن ندعه حتى ننظر إلى أي شيء يصير شأنه وقد أردنا أن تسلفنا وسقا أو وسقين و حدثنا عمرو غير مرة فلم يذكر وسقا أو وسقين أو فقلت له فيه وسقا أو وسقين فقال أرى فيه وسقا أو وسقين فقال نعم ارهنوني قالوا أي شيء تريد قال ارهنوني نساءكم قالوا كيف نرهنك نساءنا وأنت أجمل العرب قال فارهنوني أبناءكم قالوا كيف نرهنك أبناءنا فيسب أحدهم فيقال رهن بوسق أو وسقين هذا عار علينا ولكنا نرهنك اللأمة قال سفيان يعني السلاح فواعده أن يأتيه فجاءه ليلا ومعه أبو نائلة وهو أخو كعب من الرضاعة فدعاهم إلى الحصن فنزل إليهم فقالت له امرأته أين تخرج هذه الساعة فقال إنما هو محمد بن مسلمة وأخي أبو نائلة وقال غير عمرو قالت أسمع صوتا كأنه يقطر منه الدم قال إنما هو أخي محمد بن مسلمة ورضيعي أبو نائلة إن الكريم لو دعي إلى طعنة بليل لأجاب قال ويدخل محمد بن مسلمة معه رجلين قيل لسفيان سماهم عمرو قال سمى بعضهم قال عمرو جاء معه برجلين وقال غير عمرو أبو عبس بن جبر والحارث بن أوس وعباد بن بشر قال عمرو جاء معه برجلين فقال إذا ما جاء فإني قائل بشعره فأشمه فإذا رأيتموني استمكنت من رأسه فدونكم فاضربوه وقال مرة ثم أشمكم فنزل إليهم متوشحا وهو ينفح منه ريح الطيب فقال ما رأيت كاليوم ريحا أي أطيب وقال غير عمرو قال عندي أعطر نساء العرب وأكمل العرب قال عمرو فقال أتأذن لي أن أشم رأسك قال نعم فشمه ثم أشم أصحابه ثم قال أتأذن لي قال نعم فلما استمكن منه قال دونكم فقتلوه ثم أتوا النبي ﷺ فأخبروه