Hadith #231

Arabic Text

English Translation

Yaʿqūb narrated to us: my father narrated to us, from Ibn Isḥāq: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar ibn al-Zubayr narrated to me, from a son of ʿAbdullāh ibn Unays, from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ called me and said: 'It has reached me that Khālid ibn Sufyān ibn Nubayḥ is gathering people to fight me. He is at ʿUranah. Go to him and kill him.' I said: 'O Messenger of Allāh, describe him so I can recognize him.' He said: 'When you see him, you will feel a shudder.' So I went out with my sword slung across my shoulder until I found him at ʿUranah, with traveling women, scouting a camping place for them, around the time of ʿAṣr prayer. When I saw him, I felt what the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ had described of shuddering. I advanced toward him but feared there might be a confrontation between us that would distract me from the prayer, so I prayed while walking toward him, gesturing with my head for the bowing and prostration. When I reached him, he said: 'Who are you?' I said: 'A man from the Arabs who heard about you and your gathering against this man, so I came to you for that.' He said: 'Indeed, I am engaged in that.' I walked with him a while, and when I had the opportunity, I struck him with the sword and killed him. Then I departed, leaving his women bending over him. When I came to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and he saw me, he said: 'The face has succeeded!' I said: 'I killed him, O Messenger of Allāh.' He said: 'You have spoken the truth.' Then the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ stood with me, entered his house, and gave me a staff. He said: 'Keep this with you, O ʿAbdullāh ibn Unays.' I went out with it to the people and they said: 'What is this staff?' I said: 'The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ gave it to me and told me to keep it.' They said: 'Will you not go back to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and ask him about it?' So I returned and said: 'O Messenger of Allāh, why did you give me this staff?' He said: 'It is a sign between you and me on the Day of Resurrection. The fewest of people on that day will be those carrying staffs.' ʿAbdullāh attached it to his sword, and it remained with him until he died. He ordered that it be placed with him in his shroud, and they were buried together. Yaḥyā ibn Ādam narrated to us: Ibn Idrīs narrated to us, from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, from Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar ibn al-Zubayr, from some of the descendants of ʿAbdullāh ibn Unays, from the father of ʿAbdullāh ibn Unays, that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ sent him to Khālid ibn Sufyān ibn Nubayḥ al-Hudhalī to kill him, as he was gathering forces to fight the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. He said: I came to him at ʿUranah while he was with his livestock, and ʿAṣr time had entered. I feared there might be a confrontation that would distract me from the prayer, so I prayed while walking, gesturing. When I reached him, I said such-and-such — until he mentioned the hadith. Then he came to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him of his killing — and he mentioned the hadith.