The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 267
VI - Rukhsatānah of Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra and an Exposition of Her Age at the Time, the Issue of Polygamy and Two Fabricated Incidents 267 and would inflame people to murder the Holy Prophet sa. Finally, in his rage, a blind companion named ‘Umair bin ‘Adiyy killed her whilst she was in her home at night, during her sleep. When the Holy Prophet sa was informed of this occurrence, the Holy Prophet sa did not reprimand him; rather, in a way, he even commended the action. 1 The second incident which has been mentioned is that of an elderly Jewish man named Abū ‘Afak, who lived in Madīnah. This person would also recite provocative couplets against the Holy Prophet sa and would incite the disbelievers to wage war against the Holy Prophet sa and assassinate him. Eventually, he too was killed by a Companion named Sālim bin ‘Umair in his fury, during the night, whilst he was in the veranda of his own home. 2 Wāqidī and Ibni Hishām have even written some of the provocative couplets which ‘Aṣmā’ and Abū ‘Afak had composed against the Holy Prophet sa. 3 Sir William Muir and others have embellished their books with these two incidents in a very unpleasant manner. However, the truth is that in the face of scrutiny and criticism, these incidents cannot even be proven to have occurred at all. The first argument, which puts the authenticity of these two incidents into question is that they are nowhere to be found among the books of Aḥādīth. In other words, there is not a single Ḥadīth in which an occurrence of this nature has been related, along with the names of the assassin or victim. 4 As a matter of fact, putting the Aḥādīth to one side, even various historians have 1 * Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 2, p. 263, Sariyyatu ‘Umairibni ‘Adiyy, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, p. 887, Ghazwatu ‘Umairibni ‘Adiyyin Al-Khaṭmiyyi Li-Qatli ‘Aṣmā’a binti Marwān, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001) 2 * Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 2, p. 263, Sariyyatu Sālimibni ‘Umair, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, pp. 886-887, Sariyyatu Sālimibni ‘Umairin Li-Qatli Abī ‘Afak , Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001) 3 * As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, pp. 886-887, Sariyyatu Sālimibni ‘Umairin Li-Qatli Abī ‘Afak , Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001) * Kitābul-Maghāzī, By Abū ‘Abdillāh Muḥammad bin ‘Umar bin Wāqid Al-Wāqidī, Volume 1, pp. 161/163, Dhikru Sariyyati Qatli ‘Aṣmā’i binti Marwān Wa Dhikru Sariyyati Qatli Abī ‘Afak, Dārul- Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon (2004) 4 There is no doubt that in Abū Dāwūd, Kitābul-Ḥudūd, Bābul-Ḥukmi Fī Man Sabba, an incident has been recorded which somewhat resembles the account of the execution of ‘Aṣmā’. However, firstly, the name of the assassin and victim have not been mentioned; secondly, certain details in the account contradict the one mentioned here. Furthermore, in the very next Ḥadīth of this chapter, the above-mentioned incident has been related in a completely different manner, which shows the confusion that surrounds this incident.