Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (2/371)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

Ibn Saʿd said: Muhammad ibn Maslamah embraced Islam at the hands of Musʿab ibn ʿUmayr, before Saʿd ibn Muʿadh had become Muslim.

He also said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ made him and Abu ʿUbaydah brothers, and during the expedition of Tabuk he left him in charge of Medina (1).

Hammad ibn Salamah—on the authority of Ibn Judʿan, from Abu Burdah—reported:

“We passed by al-Rabadhah and saw the tent of Muhammad ibn Maslamah. I said to him, ‘Why do you not come out to the people and instruct them, enjoining and forbidding?’ He replied, ‘The Prophet ﷺ said to me, “O Muhammad, there will be dissension, turmoil, and division. Break your sword, sever its bow-string, and stay in your house.” So I have done as he commanded me.’” (2)

Shuʿbah narrated—from Ashʿath—from Abu Burdah—from Dubayʿah (3):

Hudhayfah said, “I know a man whom the coming trials will not harm.” He continued, “When we came to Medina, we saw a tent—and it was Muhammad ibn Maslamah.” (4)

Ibn Yunus stated: Muhammad was present at the conquest of Egypt and was among those who scaled the fortress with al-Zubayr.

ʿAbayah ibn Rifaʿah said: Muhammad ibn Maslamah was dark-skinned, tall, and imposing.

(1) Ibn Saʿd, 3/443; al-Mustadrak, 3/433. Tabuk is a site located between Wadi al-Qura and al-Sham; it was the scene of the expedition. Consult the account in Ibn Hisham, 2/515, 537; Ibn Saʿd, 2/165, 168; Ibn Sayyid al-Nas, 2/215; and Zad al-Maʿad, 3/536–537, Dar al-Resala edition (our critical edition). (2) Ibn Jidʿan is ʿAli b. Zayd; he is weak, whereas the rest of the transmitters are trustworthy. Also narrated by Ahmad, 3/493. (3) This is Dubayʿa b. al-Husayn al-Thalabi—some say Thalaba b. Dubayʿa; no one deemed him reliable except Ibn Hibban. (4) Related by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak, 3/433, who declared it authentic; al-Dhahabi agreed. His wording: Hudhayfa said, “I know a man whom fitna (civil strife) will not harm.” We reached al-Madinah and found a tent pitched, inside which was Muhammad b. Maslama al-Ansari. We questioned him, and he replied, “We shall not enter any of their garrison-towns until the matter becomes as clear as it is destined to become.” Ibn Saʿd also records it, 3/444–445, through the chain of ʿAffan b. Muslim – Abu ʿAwana – Ashʿath b. Sulaym – Abu Burda – Dubayʿa b. Husayn al-Thalabi – Hudhayfa.

قَالَ ابْنُ سَعْدٍ: أَسْلَمَ مُحَمَّدُ بنُ مَسْلَمَةَ عَلَى يَدِ مُصْعَبِ بنِ عُمَيْرٍ، قَبْلَ إِسْلاَمِ سَعْدِ بنِ مُعَاذٍ. قَالَ: وَآخَى رَسُوْلُ اللهِ ﷺ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ، وَاسْتَخْلَفَهُ عَلَى المَدِيْنَةِ عَامَ تَبُوْكٍ (١) . حَمَّادُ بنُ سَلَمَةَ: عَنِ ابْنِ جُدْعَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، قَالَ: مَرَرْنَا بِالرَّبَذَةِ، فَإِذَا فُسْطَاطُ مُحَمَّدِ بنِ مَسْلَمَةَ، فَقُلْتُ: لَوْ خَرَجْتَ إِلَى النَّاسِ، فَأَمَرْتَ، وَنَهَيْتَ؟ فَقَالَ: قَالَ لِي النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: (يَا مُحَمَّدُ، سَتُكُوْنُ فُرْقَةٌ، وَفِتْنَةٌ، وَاخْتِلاَفٌ، فَاكْسِرْ سَيْفَكَ، وَاقْطَعْ وَتَرَكَ، وَاجْلِسْ فِي بَيْتِكَ) . فَفَعَلْتُ مَا أَمَرَنِي (٢) . شُعْبَةُ: عَنْ أَشْعَثَ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ ضُبَيْعَةَ (٣) : قَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ: إِنِّي لأَعْرِفُ رَجُلاً لاَ تَضُرُّهُ الفِتْنَةُ. قَالَ: فَإِذَا فُسْطَاطٌ لَمَّا أَتَيْنَا المَدِيْنَةَ، وَإِذَا مُحَمَّدُ بنُ مَسْلَمَةَ (٤) . قَالَ ابْنُ يُوْنُسَ: شَهِدَ مُحَمَّدٌ فَتَحَ مِصْرَ، وَكَانَ فِيْمَنْ طَلَعَ الحِصْنَ مَعَ الزُّبَيْرِ. قَالَ عَبَايَةُ بنُ رِفَاعَةَ: كَانَ مُحَمَّدُ بنُ مَسْلَمَةَ أَسْوَدَ، طَوِيْلاً، عَظِيْماً.

(١) ابن سعد ٣ / ٤٤٣، و" المستدرك " ٣ / ٤٣٣. وتبوك: موضع بين وادي القرى والشام، وبه كانت الغزوة، انظر خبرها في ابن هشام ٢ / ٥١٥، ٥٣٧، وابن سعد ٢ / ١٦٥، ١٦٨، وابن سيد الناس ٢ / ٢١٥، و" زاد المعاد " ٣ / ٥٣٦، ٥٣٧، طبع مؤسسة الرسالة بتحقيقنا. (٢) ابن جدعان: هو علي بن زيد وهو ضعيف، وباقي رجاله ثقات، وأخرجه أحمد ٣ / ٤٩٣. (٣) هو ضبيعة بن الحصين الثعلبي، ويقال: ثعلبة بن ضبيعة، لم يوثقه غير ابن حبان. (٤) أخرجه الحاكم في " المستدرك " ٣ / ٤٣٣ وصححه، ووافقه الذهبي، ولفظه: قال حذيفة: إني لاعرف رجلا لا تضره الفتنة، فأتينا المدينة، فإذا فسطاط مضروب، وإذا محمد بن مسلمة الأنصاري ; فسألناه، فقال: لا نشتمل على شيء من أمصارهم حتى ينجلي الامر على ما انجلى. وأخرجه ابن سعد ٣ / ٤٤٤، ٤٤٥ من طريق عفان بن مسلم، عن أبي عوانة، عن أشعث ابن سليم عن أبي بردة، عن ضبيعة بن حصين الثعلبي، عن جذيفة.