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

IMAM ABU AL-FIDA' ISMA'IL IBN KATHfR 415
Imw Ahmad stated that it was related to h i by Y&ya, from Husayn, from
'Amr b. Shu'ayb, from his father, from his grandfather, who said, "When Mecca
was conquered by the Messenger of God (SAAS) he said, 'Cease using weapons;
except for Khuza'a against B aa Bakr.' He gave them permission (to fight on)
until the al-casr, late afternoon, prayer. He then announced, 'Cease using your
weapons!' A man of Khuzaca encountered and killed another from Bana Kalb
next day at al-Muzdalifa. When news of this reached the Messenger of God
(SAAS) he arose and said, (the narrator added that he saw him and that he was
resting his hack on the ka'ba), 'The people God dislikes most are those who kill
others in the sanctuary, those who kill those not fighting them, and those who
kill for the blood-money of the j~hiliyya period."'
He went on to relate the hadith to its end.
This hadith is completely unique.
The al-sunan scholars relate this hadith in part.
His giving permission here to Khuza'a to take revenge on Bann Bakr up to the
al-cay prayer of the day of the conquest is something I have seen only in this
hadiih. If true, it seems that this is in special consideration for what they suffered
at their hands on the night of their attack, known as al-matir. But God knows best.
Imw Ahmad related, from Yahya h. SaSd and Sufya b. Wyayna and Yazid
b. Wbayd, all of whom quoted Zakariyya' b. Abti Za'ida, from 'Amr al-Sha'bi,
from al-Haith b. Mdii b. al-Bare' al-KhuzaS (who said), "I heard the Messenger
of God (SAAS) say on the day of the conquest of Mecca, 'This (city) will never
be conquered after today until the day of Resurrection."'
Al-Tirmidhi related it from Band&, from Yahya b. Sacid al-Qattan. He said,
"It is hasan, sahib, Lgood and authentic'."
I comment that if this statement is a proscription, then it is devoid of
ambiguity. If it be a negation, then, as al-Bayhaqi said, "Its meaning is 'by those
whose people are unbelievers'."
In the sahib collection of Muslim, it is stated, from a hadith of Zakariyy~' b.
Abii Za'ida, from chir al-Sha'bi, from 'Abd All& b. Mutic, from his father Mutic
b. al-Aswad &'Adam, who said, "The Messenger of God (SAAS) stated on the
day of the conquest of Mecca, 'After this day and on up to Resurrection Day, no
man of Quraysh will ever be killed in captivity.'"
The objection to the first statement, above, could equally well be made against
this too."'
Ibn Hisbzm stated that when the Messenger of God (SAAS) entered Mecca
following its conquest and went up to al-Safa to pray, the an$& watched him
and asked one another, "Do you think that since God has conquered for the
Messenger of God (SAAS) his own land and city that he will remain there?
117. The author is attempting to explain the purport of the hodirh in light of the fact that sevd
inter-communal conflicts between Muslim forces did indeed occur in apparent contradiction of
the prophecy.