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that the matter would turn out just as I said?' Salkan said to him, 'I desire that thou
shouldest sell us food, and we shall give thee a pledge and make an agreement with thee,
and thou wilt be doing good in that matter.' He said, 'Will you pawn me your children?'
(Abu Na'ilah) said, 'Thou desirest to insult us. Verily there are with me comrades of the
same opinion as myself, and I wish to bring them to thee: then thou wilt sell to them, and
in that thou wilt be doing a good action; and we shall pawn to thee of our arms that in
which there is security.' Salkan wished that (Ibnu'l Ashraf) should not refuse the arms
when they brought them. He said, 'Verily there is truly security in arms.' Salkan returned
to his comrades and told them his news, and bade them bring the arms, and to go away and
assemble to him again. Accordingly they gathered together at the house of the Apostle of
God ... The Apostle of God walked with them to the Field of the Thorntree. Then he sent
them off and said, 'Depart in God's name. O God, aid them!' Then the Apostle of God
returned home. And it was on a moonlit night. They advanced till they reached his (Ibnu'l
Ashraf's) stronghold. Abu Na'ilah called out for him. He was newly married. He leaped up
in his wrapper. His wife caught hold of its skirt and said, 'Verily thou art a warrior,
and warriors do not go down at this hour.' He said 'Verily it is Abu Na'ilah: if he found
me asleep he would not waken me.' She said, 'By God, verily in his voice I surely
recognize evil.' Ka'b said to her, 'If the lad calls me for a lance-thrust, I shall surely
answer, Yes.' He went down and conversed with them for a time, and they talked with him.
Then (Abu Na'ilah) said 'Art thou, Ibnu'l Ashraf inclined for us to walk together to the
Old Woman's Pass, and there spend the rest of this night of ours in conversation?' (Ibriu'l
Ashraf) said, ' If you please.' They went out walking together therefore. They walked
along for a time Then verily Abu Na'ilah thrust his hand amid the locks of
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hair on his (Ibnu'l Ashraf's) head. Then he smelt his hand and said, 'I never saw it
scented and perfumed as it is tonight.' Then he walked along for a time. Then he again
acted in the same manner, until Ka'b was lulled into confidence. Then he walked along for
a time, then he repeated the same conduct. He seized the locks of hair on his (Ibnu'l
Ashraf's) head, then he said, 'Smite the enemy of God.' Accordingly they smote him. Their
swords came in collision with one another about him and effected nothing. Muhammad ibn
Maslamah said, 'Then I recalled to mind my long sword blade, when I saw that our swords
effected nothing. I seized it. The enemy of God cried out with such a cry that around us
there remained not a stronghold on which a fire was not kindled. Then I stuck it into his
abdomen, then I pressed upon it till it reached his navel, and the enemy of God fell: And
Harith ibn Aus ibn Mu'adh had been struck and was wounded in his head or in his foot: one
of our swords had struck him. We went away until we passed the Banu Umayyah ibn Zaid, then
the Banu Quraizah, then Bu'ath, until we approached Harratu'l 'Ariz. And our comrade Al
Harith ibn Aus had delayed us, and loss of blood had exhausted him. For a time we halted
on his account: then there came upon us one who was following up our traces. Therefore we
carried him (Al Harith) and brought him to the Apostle of God at the conclusion of the
night. He was standing praying. We saluted him, and he came out to us: We informed him of
the killing of the enemy of God. He spat upon our comrade's wound, and went back. And we
returned to our people.'"
The story of Muhaisah and Huwaisah tells us at whose instigation another murder was
committed, and shows us also how some conversions to Islam were brought about at Medinah.
Ibn Ishaq is quoted by Ibn 1 Hisham as saying: "The Apostle of God said,
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