Sahih al-Bukhari 4039

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كتاب المغازى ›

Chapter: The killing of Abu Rafi’, ‘Abdullah bin Abi Al-Huqaiq and he was also called Salam bin Abi Al-Huqaiq who used to live in Khaybar, and some said that he used to live in his castle in the land of Hijaz

Al Bara bin Azib

Narrated Al-Bara bin Azib:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent some men from the Ansar to ((kill) Abu Rafi`, the Jew, and appointed `Abdullah bin Atik as their leader. Abu Rafi` used to hurt Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and help his enemies against him. He lived in his castle in the land of Hijaz. When those men approached (the castle) after the sun had set and the people had brought back their livestock to their homes. `Abdullah (bin Atik) said to his companions, "Sit down at your places. I am going, and I will try to play a trick on the gate-keeper so that I may enter (the castle)." So `Abdullah proceeded towards the castle, and when he approached the gate, he covered himself with his clothes, pretending to answer the call of nature. The people had gone in, and the gate-keeper (considered `Abdullah as one of the castle's servants) addressing him saying, "O Allah's Servant! Enter if you wish, for I want to close the gate." `Abdullah added in his story, "So I went in (the castle) and hid myself. When the people got inside, the gate-keeper closed the gate and hung the keys on a fixed wooden peg. I got up and took the keys and opened the gate. Some people were staying late at night with Abu Rafi` for a pleasant night chat in a room of his. When his companions of nightly entertainment went away, I ascended to him, and whenever I opened a door, I closed it from inside. I said to myself, 'Should these people discover my presence, they will not be able to catch me till I have killed him.' So I reached him and found him sleeping in a dark house amidst his family, I could not recognize his location in the house. So I shouted, 'O Abu Rafi`!' Abu Rafi` said, 'Who is it?' I proceeded towards the source of the voice and hit him with the sword, and because of my perplexity, I could not kill him. He cried loudly, and I came out of the house and waited for a while, and then went to him again and said, 'What is this voice, O Abu Rafi`?' He said, 'Woe to your mother! A man in my house has hit me with a sword! I again hit him severely but I did not kill him. Then I drove the point of the sword into his belly (and pressed it through) till it touched his back, and I realized that I have killed him. I then opened the doors one by one till I reached the staircase, and thinking that I had reached the ground, I stepped out and fell down and got my leg broken in a moonlit night. I tied my leg with a turban and proceeded on till I sat at the gate, and said, 'I will not go out tonight till I know that I have killed him.' So, when (early in the morning) the cock crowed, the announcer of the casualty stood on the wall saying, 'I announce the death of Abu Rafi`, the merchant of Hijaz. Thereupon I went to my companions and said, 'Let us save ourselves, for Allah has killed Abu Rafi`,' So I (along with my companions proceeded and) went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and described the whole story to him. "He said, 'Stretch out your (broken) leg. I stretched it out and he rubbed it and it became All right as if I had never had any ailment whatsoever."

Reference

Sahih al-Bukhari 4039

In-book reference

Book 64, Hadith 86

USC-MSA web (English)

Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 371

Translation by Dr. M. Muhsin Khan · Language: EN Sahih

It is related that al-Bara' ibn 'Azib said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent some men of the Ansar to Abu Rafi' the Jew and he put 'Abdullah ibn 'Atik in command of them. Abu Rafi' had been injuring the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and helping people against him. He was in a fortress of his in the Hijaz. When they drew near to it after the sun had set and the people were taking their herds home, 'Abdullah ibn 'Atik said to his companions, 'Stay where you are and I will go. I will try to deceive the gatekeeper and get in.' He advanced until he was near the gate and then he covered himself with his garment as if he was relieving himself. The people went in and the gatekeeper called, 'O slave of 'Abdullah! if you want to come in, then come in! I want to close the gate.' 'So I went in and concealed myself. When the people went in, he locked the gates and then hung the keys on a peg.' He said, 'I went to the keys and took them and opned the gate. Some people with talking with Abu Rafi' while he was in some high rooms of his. When the people he was conversing with left him, I climbed up to him and whenever I opened a door, I would close it from the inside. I said, "If the people learn of me, they will not get to me before I have killed him." I reached him and he was in a dark room in the midst of his family. I did not know where he was in the room, so I said, "Abu Rafi'!" He said, "Who is it?" I made for the voice and struck him a blow with the sword. I was confused and did not finish him and he shouted. I left the room and waited a short while and then went into him and said, "What is this voice, Abu Rafi'?" He said, "Woe to your mother! A man in the house has struck me with a sword!"' He said, 'Then I struck him forcefully but did not kill him. Then I placed the point of the sword on his belly until it reached his back. Then I knew that I had killed him and I began to open the doors one by one until I reached his staircase and put my foot down, thinking that I had reached the ground, and I fell in the moonlit night and broke my leg. I bound it with a turban and proceeded until I sat at the gate. I said, "I will not go out tonight until I knew that I have killed him." When the cock crowed, someone stood on the wall and said, "I announce the death of Abu Rafi', the merchant of the people of the Hijaz!" Then I went to my companions and said, "Let's save ourselves! Allah has killed Abu Rafi'!" I went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and reported it to him and he said, "Stretch out your leg." I stretched out my leg and he rubbed it and it was as if there had never been anything wrong with it.'"

Reference

Sahih al-Bukhari 4039

In-book reference

Book 64, Hadith 86

USC-MSA web (English)

Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 371

Translation by Aisha Bewley · Language: EN Sahih

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا يُوسُفُ بْنُ مُوسَى، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ، قَالَ بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى أَبِي رَافِعٍ الْيَهُودِيِّ رِجَالاً مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ، فَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَتِيكٍ، وَكَانَ أَبُو رَافِعٍ يُؤْذِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَيُعِينُ عَلَيْهِ، وَكَانَ فِي حِصْنٍ لَهُ بِأَرْضِ الْحِجَازِ، فَلَمَّا دَنَوْا مِنْهُ، وَقَدْ غَرَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ، وَرَاحَ النَّاسُ بِسَرْحِهِمْ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ لأَصْحَابِهِ اجْلِسُوا مَكَانَكُمْ، فَإِنِّي مُنْطَلِقٌ، وَمُتَلَطِّفٌ لِلْبَوَّابِ، لَعَلِّي أَنْ أَدْخُلَ‏.‏ فَأَقْبَلَ حَتَّى دَنَا مِنَ الْبَابِ ثُمَّ تَقَنَّعَ بِثَوْبِهِ كَأَنَّهُ يَقْضِي حَاجَةً، وَقَدْ دَخَلَ النَّاسُ، فَهَتَفَ بِهِ الْبَوَّابُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتَ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَدْخُلَ فَادْخُلْ، فَإِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُغْلِقَ الْبَابَ‏.‏ فَدَخَلْتُ فَكَمَنْتُ، فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ النَّاسُ أَغْلَقَ الْبَابَ، ثُمَّ عَلَّقَ الأَغَالِيقَ عَلَى وَتَدٍ قَالَ فَقُمْتُ إِلَى الأَقَالِيدِ، فَأَخَذْتُهَا فَفَتَحْتُ الْبَابَ، وَكَانَ أَبُو رَافِعٍ يُسْمَرُ عِنْدَهُ، وَكَانَ فِي عَلاَلِيَّ لَهُ، فَلَمَّا ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ أَهْلُ سَمَرِهِ صَعِدْتُ إِلَيْهِ، فَجَعَلْتُ كُلَّمَا فَتَحْتُ بَابًا أَغْلَقْتُ عَلَىَّ مِنْ دَاخِلٍ، قُلْتُ إِنِ الْقَوْمُ نَذِرُوا بِي لَمْ يَخْلُصُوا إِلَىَّ حَتَّى أَقْتُلَهُ‏.‏ فَانْتَهَيْتُ إِلَيْهِ، فَإِذَا هُوَ فِي بَيْتٍ مُظْلِمٍ وَسْطَ عِيَالِهِ، لاَ أَدْرِي أَيْنَ هُوَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَا رَافِعٍ‏.‏ قَالَ مَنْ هَذَا فَأَهْوَيْتُ نَحْوَ الصَّوْتِ، فَأَضْرِبُهُ ضَرْبَةً بِالسَّيْفِ، وَأَنَا دَهِشٌ فَمَا أَغْنَيْتُ شَيْئًا، وَصَاحَ فَخَرَجْتُ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ، فَأَمْكُثُ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ ثُمَّ دَخَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ مَا هَذَا الصَّوْتُ يَا أَبَا رَافِعٍ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لأُمِّكَ الْوَيْلُ، إِنَّ رَجُلاً فِي الْبَيْتِ ضَرَبَنِي قَبْلُ بِالسَّيْفِ، قَالَ فَأَضْرِبُهُ ضَرْبَةً أَثْخَنَتْهُ وَلَمْ أَقْتُلْهُ، ثُمَّ وَضَعْتُ ظُبَةَ السَّيْفِ فِي بَطْنِهِ حَتَّى أَخَذَ فِي ظَهْرِهِ، فَعَرَفْتُ أَنِّي قَتَلْتُهُ، فَجَعَلْتُ أَفْتَحُ الأَبْوَابَ بَابًا بَابًا حَتَّى انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى دَرَجَةٍ لَهُ، فَوَضَعْتُ رِجْلِي وَأَنَا أُرَى أَنِّي قَدِ انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى الأَرْضِ فَوَقَعْتُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُقْمِرَةٍ، فَانْكَسَرَتْ سَاقِي، فَعَصَبْتُهَا بِعِمَامَةٍ، ثُمَّ انْطَلَقْتُ حَتَّى جَلَسْتُ عَلَى الْبَابِ فَقُلْتُ لاَ أَخْرُجُ اللَّيْلَةَ حَتَّى أَعْلَمَ أَقَتَلْتُهُ فَلَمَّا صَاحَ الدِّيكُ قَامَ النَّاعِي عَلَى السُّورِ فَقَالَ أَنْعَى أَبَا رَافِعٍ تَاجِرَ أَهْلِ الْحِجَازِ‏.‏ فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى أَصْحَابِي فَقُلْتُ النَّجَاءَ، فَقَدْ قَتَلَ اللَّهُ أَبَا رَافِعٍ‏.‏ فَانْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَحَدَّثْتُهُ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ ابْسُطْ رِجْلَكَ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَبَسَطْتُ رِجْلِي، فَمَسَحَهَا، فَكَأَنَّهَا لَمْ أَشْتَكِهَا قَطُّ‏.‏