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

426 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
him in charge. He did, however, declare his own innocence of what Khnlid had
done and paid compensation for the loss of life and property.
In this there is substantiation of a statement made by scholars that the mistake
of the Im&n rests with his treasury, not with his own funds! But God knows
best.
This is why the Caliph Abii Bakr did not dismiss him when he killed Mnlik b.
Nuwayra during the r&a wars, first executing hi, then choosing for himself
Mitlik's wife Umm Tamim. Wmar b. al-Khac@b then advised, "Dismiss him;
there's a fault in his sword!" Abii Bakr replied, "I'll not sheathe a sword that God
drew against the polytheists."
Ibn Ishxq stated that Yacqiib b. Wtba b. al-Mughira b. al-Akhnas related to
hi, from al-Zuhri, from Ibn Abii Hadrad al-Aslarni, who said, "That day I was
with the cavalry of Khnlid b. al-Walid and a young man of Bans Jadhima, of
about my own age, whose hands had been tied up to his neck with a rope, spoke
to me. The women were all gathered together a little way off. He asked me,
'Take me by the rope and lead me over to where the women are so that I can say
something, and then bring me back and you can do with me whatever you will.'
"I replied that what he had asked was easily granted and took his rope and led
him over to stand near them. He then said, 'Hubaysh, accept that life is at an
end.' He then spoke the following verses,
'Don't you agree that when I sought and found you at
Hilya or came to you at al-Khawiiniq
Was it not right to reward a lover who had travelled
hard through long nights and hot days?
There was no blame in my saying, when our peoples were
together,
"Grant me love, before some tragedy occurs."
"Grant me love before distance intervenes and the chief
leads my lover away."
I never betrayed our secret pact and, after meeting
yon, was never attracted by another.
And even when distracted from love by tribal matters,
my passion persisted.'
"She replied, 'May you live on for ten, or nine odd numbered years and then
eight more in succession!'
"I then led hi back and he was beheaded."
Ibn Ishnq went on to relate, quoting Abii Firs b. Abii Sanbala al-Aslami who
quoted some of their sheikhs, from others who were present there, to the effect
that the girl, Hubaysh, went over to hi when he was beheaded and bent down
over, kissing him until she herself died right there with him!
The hzfi? al-Bayhaqi related, through alaumaydi, from Sufynn h. Wyayna,
from 'Abd d-Malik b. Nawfal h. Musnhiq, who said that he heard a man of
Muzayna named Ibn 'IS- quote his father as having said, "The Messenger of