The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 298
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 298 Banū Naḍīr and become their confederate. Ultimately, he managed to gain such power and influence that Abū Rāfi‘ bin Abil-Ḥuqaiq, head-chief of the Banū Naḍīr, gave him his daughter in marriage. 1 It was this very daughter who gave birth to Ka‘b, who grew to attain an even greater status than that of his father. This was to such extent that ultimately he took on such a capacity that all the Jews of Arabia began to accept him as their chief. In addition to being a well-built and attractive man, Ka‘b was also an eloquent poet and a very wealthy man. Through generous spending, he would always keep the scholars and other influential personalities of his nation under his own control. 2 However, from a moral perspective, he was a man of extremely ill morals, and was a master in the art of secret schemes and conspiracies. When the Holy Prophet sa migrated to Madīnah, along with the other Jews, Ka‘b bin Ashraf also participated in the treaty which the Holy Prophet sa drafted between the Jews with regards to mutual friendship, peace and security, and collective defence. 3 However, deep within, the fire of malice and enmity began to burn in the heart of Ka‘b and he began to oppose Islām and the Founder of Islām through secret schemes and conspiracies. As such, it is recorded that every year Ka‘b would give a large sum of charity to Jewish scholars and religious leaders. However, after the migration of the Holy Prophet sa , when these people came to collect their yearly allowances, within the course of discussion, he began to mention the Holy Prophet sa and inquired of them as to their opinion of the Holy Prophet sa in light of religious scriptures. They responded that apparently it seemed as if he was the very same Prophet who had been promised to them. Ka‘b was greatly displeased at this response and sent them away referring to them as immensely dull, and did not give them their usual charity. When the Jewish scholars lost their bread and butter, after some time, they came back to Ka‘b and said that they had misinterpreted the signs and that they had contemplated again to discover 1 * As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, p. 516, Maqtalu Ka‘bibnil- Ashraf, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001) * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 2, p. 368, Qatlu Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf. . . . . , Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) [Publishers] 2 Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 2, p. 368, Qatlu Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf. . . . . , Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 3 Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 2, p. 369, Qatlu Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf. . . . . , Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)