for a believer does not commit assassination. (1)
This narration is found in the Musnad and in al-Jaʿdiyyāt as well.
Al-Dūlābī reports in al-Dhurriyyah al-Ṭāhirah: “Al-Daqīqī related to us; Yazīd related to us; I heard Sharīk say, on the authority of al-Aswad ibn Qays: A man who had seen al-Zubayr tracing the tracks of the cavalry, striking at them with his spear, told me that ʿAlī called out, ‘Abū ʿAbd Allāh!’
Al-Zubayr turned toward him until the necks of their two mounts were side by side. ʿAlī then said, ‘I implore you by Allah—do you remember the day I was confiding in you and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came upon us and said, “Are you two whispering together? By Allah, you will surely fight him, and you will be in the wrong.”’
As soon as al-Zubayr heard that statement, he struck the flank of his mount and withdrew. (2)
Abū Shihāb al-Ḥannāṭ—and others—narrated, through Hilāl ibn Khabbāb, from ʿIkrimah, from Ibn ʿAbbās, that he said to al-Zubayr on the Day of the Camel: ‘Son of Ṣafiyyah! There is ʿĀʾishah wielding sovereignty…’
(1) All the transmitters are reliable. The report appears in the Musnad 1/166-167 and in Abd al-Razzaq’s al-Musannaf (no. 9676).
It has a corroborating chain from Abu Hurayra transmitted by Abu Dawud (no. 2769, Book of Jihad, chapter “The enemy taken unawares”) through Muhammad b. Huzaba – Ishaq b. Mansur – Asbat al-Hamdani – al-Suddi – his father – Abu Hurayra; however, Asbat is prone to error and al-Suddi’s father is unknown.
A second supporting chain comes from Muawiya, recorded by Ahmad 4/92, but its isnad contains Ali b. Zayd, who is weak.
Despite these weaknesses, the abundance of corroboration and the trustworthiness of the remaining narrators render the hadith sound (sahih).
Al-Munziri explains that al-fathk (assassination) is when a man surprises another who is heedless and kills him. The saying “faith is a fetter for assassination” means that faith restrains one from killing, just as a fetter restrains movement, so that the act of assassination is as though shackled. The same image is used in describing a swift horse: qayd al-awabid, i.e. it overtakes wild game so quickly that they seem bound to it and cannot escape.
(2) The man who reported the incident is unidentified.
Al-Daqiqi is Muhammad b. Abd al-Malik b. Marwan al-Wasiti Abu Jaʿfar, a trustworthy transmitter. Yazid is Ibn Harun, and Sharik is the judge Sharik b. Abd Allah, who often errs.
Al-Hakim 3/366 also narrated the account through Abu Harb b. Abi al-Aswad al-Dili: “I witnessed al-Zubayr setting out to face Ali. Ali said to him, ‘I adjure you by God: did you hear the Messenger of God say, You will fight him while you are the one in the wrong?’ He replied, ‘I do not recall,’ and then al-Zubayr withdrew.” Al-Hakim graded it authentic and al-Dhahabi concurred.
Yet the chain contains Abd Allah b. Muhammad b. Abd al-Malik al-Raqashi; Abu Hatim commented, “there is some doubt about his hadith,” and Ibn Adi cites al-Bukhari saying the same. His teacher in that chain, Abd al-Malik b. Muslim, is also weak.
See Ibn Hajar, al-Matalib al-Aliya, nos. 4468, 4469, 4470, and 4476.