He also recited:
“The millstone of Badr has ground to dust the men destined to perish …”
— and so on with the rest of the poem.

One day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Who will deal with Kaʿb ibn al-Ashraf? He has hurt us with his verse and has strengthened the idolaters against us.”
Muhammad ibn Maslamah replied, “I will, O Messenger of Allah.”
He said, “Then you may do so.”
Muhammad rose, walked away, then returned and said, “I will have to say something to him.”
The Prophet answered, “Say it; you are absolved.”

After a day or two Muhammad went out until he reached Kaʿb, who was in his orchard, and said, “Kaʿb, I have come because I need something …” — and the report continues.

Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah related: ʿAmr ibn Dīnār said, “I heard Jābir say that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, ‘Who will deal with Kaʿb ibn al-Ashraf? He has offended Allah and His Messenger.’ Muhammad ibn Maslamah stood up and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, would you like me to kill him?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ Muhammad said, ‘Permit me to say something to him first.’ He said, ‘Say it.’

So Muhammad ibn Maslamah went to Kaʿb and said, ‘This man has asked us for charity and has weighed us down; I have come to ask you for a loan.’
Kaʿb said, ‘You will soon grow even wearier of him.’
Muhammad replied, ‘We have followed him, and we dislike to leave him until we see how his affair ends, yet we do want you to lend us something.’
Kaʿb said, ‘Then pledge your women to me.’
Muhammad said, ‘Shall we pawn our women to you while you are the most handsome of the Arabs?’
Kaʿb said, ‘Then pledge your sons.’
He answered, ‘How could we pawn our sons so that people would say, “They were given as surety for a measure or two of grain”?’
Kaʿb asked, ‘Then what will you pledge?’
He said, ‘We will pledge our arms.’

They arranged that he would meet them at night. He came at night accompanied by Abū Nāʾilah, who was Kaʿb’s foster-brother. They called to him from the fortress, and he came down to them. His wife said, ‘Where are you going at this hour?’ He replied, ‘It is only my brother Abū Nāʾilah and Muhammad ibn Maslamah; a generous man would answer even a call to a stab in the night.’

Muhammad said to his companions, ‘When he comes out, I shall clasp his hair and smell it, then you smell it as well. When you see me hold his head firmly, strike.’

Kaʿb descended to them, his cloak wrapped around him, and the scent of perfume wafted from him.