The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 3 of 4

IMAM ABO AL-FIDA' ISMA'IL IBN KATH~R 305
""'The Messenger of God (SAAS) reiterated, 'Will you agree to accept 50
camels now and 50 when we return to Medina?' He kept on at them till they
accepted the blood-wit. The family ofMuhallim b. Jaththama now asked, 'Bring
him over so that the Messenger of God (SAAS) may forgive hi.'
""'They brought a tall, thin man dressed in a gown in which he was prepared
to he executed, and he stood before the Prophet (SAAS), who then spoke, '0
God, do not pardon Muhallim!' He repeated this three times. Muhallim arose,
wiping away his tears with the hem of his gown.""'
Muhammad b. Ishaq stated, "His people clam that after that he did forgive
him."
Abii Da%d related this similarly through Hammad b. Salama from Ibn Isbaq.
Ihn Mnja related it from Aba Bakr b. Aba Shayba, from Ahii Khdid d-Ahmar,
from Ibn Ishaq, from Muhammad b. Jacfar, from Zayd b. Darnira, from his
father and his uncle. His account contains part of the hadith.
The correct version is as Ibn Ishaq related, from Muhammad b. Jacfar, from
Ziyxd h. SaCd b. Damira, from his father and his grandfather. Ahii Da'iid related
it similarly through Ibn Wahb, from CAbd al-Ra!nnan h. Abn d-Zmnd, from 'Ahd
al-Ralpiin b. al-Hzrith, from Muhammad b. Jacfar, from Ziynd b. Saki b. I?amira,
from his father and his grandfather approximately as above.
Ibn Ishsq stated, "Szlim Aha al-Na& related to me that the account states,
'They did not accept the blood-wit until al-Aqra' b. Hsbis addressed them
privately, saying, "People of Qays, the Messenger of God (SAAS) asked you to
give up a dead man to make peace between people thereby, but you refused him
this. Are you secure against the possibility that he will be angry at you, and that
God will he angry at his anger? Or that he will curse you and that God will curse
you because of his curse? Give him over to the Messenger of God (SAAS), or I
will bring 50 men of Bana Tamim who will all swear that the dead man was an
unbeliever who never performed the prayer, and that therefore no compensation
for his death should he sought." When he said this to them they accepted the
blood-money."'
This hadith is munqa~i', "without a complete chain of transmission", and is
mu'dil, "problematic".
Ihn Ish~q related from a reliable source, from al-uasan al-Basri, that when
Muhallim sat before the Messenger of God (SAAS) the latter asked hi, "Did
you offer him security then murder him?" and that he then cursed him.
"Al-Hasan said, "And I swear Muhallim lived only seven days more thereafter
before he died. The earth spat him out. Then they buried him again, but the
earth again spat him out. When this happened yet again, they covered him over
with stones to hide hi. When news of this reached the Messenger of God
(SAAS) he said, 'The earth covers over worse than him, but God wishes to warn
you of what conduct is impermissible, by showing you this."'
Ibn Jarir said, "Wakic related to us, quoting Jarir, from Ibn Ishaq, from NafiC,
from Ibn Wmar, who said, 'The Messenger of God (SAAS) sent out Muhallim