Qāʿidah fī al-Inghimās fī al-ʿAdū - Ibn Taimiya - (48)

When ʿĀsim and his companions realized that they were being pursued, they withdrew to a defensible spot. In another version: to a fadfad1—that is, a piece of high ground. Their enemies surrounded them and called out, “Come down and surrender; we give you our pledge and covenant that none of you will be killed.”

The Killing of ʿĀsim ibn Thābit and Seven of His Companions

ʿĀsim ibn Thābit replied, “People! As for me, by Allah, I shall never surrender under the protection of a disbeliever. O Allah, convey news of us to Your Prophet ﷺ.” They thereupon let fly their arrows and killed ʿĀsim—one of seven2.

Three men—Khubayb, Zayd ibn al-Dathinna, and another man—then came down to them on the strength of that covenant and pledge.

The Unbelievers’ Treachery Toward the Remaining Three

Once the captors had them in their power, they unstrung their bows3 and used the bowstrings to tie them up. The third man said, “This is the first act of treachery. By Allah, I will not go with you; in these slain men I have an example.” They dragged him and struggled with him, but he refused to accompany them, so they killed him and departed.

(1) Concerning the phrase “they withdrew to a fadfad”: *fadfad* is written with two fa’s, each bearing a fatḥa, and two undotted da’s, the first da being unvocalized; the term refers to an elevated knoll. (2) “Among seven” means as one of a total of seven individuals. (3) “The awtar qasihim” refers to the strings of their bows.

فلما أحس بهم عاصم وأصحابه لجئوا إلى موضع. وفي رواية: إلى فدفد١- أي: مكان مرتفع - وأحاط بهم القوم، فقالوا لهم: انزلوا فأعطوا أيديكم ولكم العهد والميثاق، لا يقتل منكم أحد. مقتل عاصم بن ثابت في جملة سبعة من أصحابه فقال عاصم بن ثابت: أيها القوم! أما أنا فو الله فلا أنزل على ذمة كافر، اللهم أخبر عنا نبيك ﷺ. فرموهم بالنبل فقتلوا عاصما في سبعة٢. فَنَزَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ ثَلاَثَةُ نفر على الْعَهْدِ وَالْمِيثَاقِ مِنْهُمْ خُبَيْبٌ وزيد َابْنُ الدَثِنَةَ وَرَجُلٌ آخَرُ. غدر الكفار بالثلاثة الآخرين فَلَمَّا اسْتَمْكَنُوا مِنْهُمْ أَطْلَقُوا أَوْتَارَ قِسِيِّهِمْ٣ فربطوهم بها. قَالَ الرَّجُلُ الثَّالِثُ: هَذَا أَوَّلُ الْغَدْرِ، وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَصْحَبُكُمْ لِي بهَؤُلاَءِ أسْوَةً؛ يُرِيدُ الْقَتْلَى. فَجَرَّرُوهُ وَعَالَجُوهُ، فأبى أَنْ يَصْحَبَهُمْ، فَقَتَلُوهُ، وَانْطَلَقُو

١ قوله: "لجئوا إلى فدفد" بفائين مفتوحتين ومهملتين الأولى ساكنة وهي الرابية المشرفة. ٢ قوله: "في سبعة" أي في جملة سبعة. ٣ قوله: "أوتار قسيهم" أوتار أقواسهم.