1035 – Sahl ibn Abī Ḥathmah (may Allah be pleased with him) related—on the authority of several elders of his tribe—that ‘Abd Allah ibn Sahl and Muḥayyiṣah ibn Mas‘ūd once travelled to Khaybar because severe hardship had struck them. Muḥayyiṣah was then approached and informed that ‘Abd Allah ibn Sahl had been killed and his body thrown into a well. He went to the Jews and said, “By Allah, you are the ones who killed him!” They replied, “By Allah, we did not kill him.”

He returned with his brother Ḥuwayyiṣah and with ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Sahl. Muḥayyiṣah began to speak, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Let the elder speak, let the elder speak,” meaning the oldest in age. Thus Ḥuwayyiṣah spoke first, after which Muḥayyiṣah spoke. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said, “Either they pay the blood-money for your companion, or they must be ready for war.” He wrote to the Jews about the matter, and they replied, “By Allah, we did not kill him.”

The Prophet ﷺ then said to Ḥuwayyiṣah, Muḥayyiṣah, and ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Sahl, “Will you swear an oath and thereby claim the blood of your companion?” They answered, “No.” He asked, “Then will the Jews swear for you?” They said, “They are not Muslims.” Thereupon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ paid the compensation from his own resources and sent them one hundred she-camels. Sahl added, “One of those camels, a red one, even struck me with its hoof.” Agreed upon (1).

Vocabulary:
• Muḥayyiṣah: personal name, pronounced with ḍamma on the mīm, followed by ḥā’, a doubled yā’, and ṣād.
• jahd: hardship, difficulty.
• Ḥuwayyiṣah: personal name, pronounced with ḍamma on the ḥā’, fatḥa on the wāw, a doubled yā’, and ṣād.