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

IMAM ABD AL-FIDA' ISMA'IL IBN KATHTR 447
then got up and said, 'He speaks the truth. I have the dead man's possessions, so
compensate Aba Qatada for me.' Aba Bakr then said, 'Absolutely not, by God!
You cannot expect a lion of God to fight for God and His messenger, then for
him to give you the booty he won!' The Messenger of God (SAAS) then said,
'He (Aha Bakr) spoke the truth; give it back to him!' The man did so and I used
it to purchase a piece of land from Bana Salama; it was the &st money I earned
after accepting Islam."
The rest of the scholarly community, except al-Nasz'i, related this from a
hadith of Yahya h. Sa'id.
Al-Bukhai also stated that al-Layth b. Sa'd related, quoting Yabya h. Sa'id,
from 'Amr h. Kathir h. Aflah, from Aba Muhammad, the freed-man of Aha
Qaada, who quoted Aba Qatada as saying, "At the battle of Hunayn, I noticed
one of the Muslims fighting a polytheist, while another of the polytheists
was sneaking up behind the Muslims to kill him. So I charged at the second
polytheist, who raised his hand to hit me, but I shuck it and cut it off. However,
he seized me and pulled me to himself so hard I feared (I would die). Then
he went down, loosening his grip, and I pushed him away and killed him. After
that the Muslims retreated, as did I myself. Then I saw Wmar h. al-Kha~ah
amid the army and asked him, 'What's wrong with everyone?' He replied, 'It is
God's decree.'
"After that the men returned to the Messenger of God (SAAS)(after defeating
the enemy) and he announced, 'Whoever can provide proof of hi having killed
an enemy shall receive his (the dead man's) possessions.' So I stood up to look
for some proof of my having killed an enemy, hut since I could not see anyone
who could testify for me, I Sat down again. Then it seemed to me I should tell to
the Messenger of God (SAAS) what had happened (and did so). One of the men
sitting there said, 'I have the weapons belonging to the man slain to whom he is
referring; give him compensation for me.' Abii Bakr said, 'Indeed not; he will not
give anything to some little hyena of Graysh what belongs to one of God's lions
who fought for God and His messenger.' The Messenger of God (SAAS) then
arose and awarded it to me and I used it to buy a piece of land. It was the first
property I earned."
Al-Bukhm related this in various other places, as did Muslim. Both drew it
from Qutayba, from al-Layth b. Sa'd.
It is given above from an account of Nafi' Aha Ghalib, from Anas, that the
man who spoke up on the occasion was Wmar b. al-Kha&%h. Perhaps he said it
following Ahn Bakr, or in substantiation or agreement of his words. Or there
may have been some confusion over who spoke thus. God knows best.
The hz& al-Bayhaqi stated that al-H&im informed him, quoting al-Asamm,
quoting Ahmad b. 'Ahd al-Jahhar, from Yanus b. Bukayr, from Muhammad
b. Ishaq, who said that it was related to him by 'A~im b. Wmar, from 'Ahd
al-R&mm b. Jabii, from his father Jahir b. 'Abd All&, who quoted the Messenger