He also said: Umm Salamah died in Dhū al-Qaʿdah of the year 59 AH, as reported by al-Bayhaqī. (1)

I add: At the end of the events for this same year, in the month of Shawwāl, we shall discuss the Prophet’s marriage—peace and blessings be upon him—to Umm Salamah, the question of a son’s guardianship over his mother for purposes of marriage, and the various juristic opinions on the matter, God willing, for in Him alone we trust.

The Expedition of al-Rajīʿ (2)

Al-Wāqidī states: It took place in the month of Ṣafar, that is, in the fourth year, when the Messenger of God—peace and blessings be upon him—sent the detachment to the people of Mecca to bring him intelligence.

He adds: al-Rajīʿ lies seven miles from ʿUsfān.

Al-Bukhārī relates (3): Ibrāhīm ibn Mūsā told us, Hishām ibn Yūsuf told us, from Maʿmar, from al-Zuhrī, from ʿAmr ibn Abī Sufyān al-Thaqafī, from Abū Hurayrah, who said:

The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—dispatched a reconnaissance party and appointed ʿĀṣim ibn Thābit as their commander; he was the grandfather of ʿĀṣim ibn ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb. They proceeded until, between ʿUsfān and Mecca, word of them reached a clan of Hudhayl known as Banū Lihyān. About one hundred archers set out in pursuit, following their tracks until they reached a campsite where the Muslims had stayed and found date pits the men had carried as provisions from Medina.

“They are dates of Yathrib,” they said, and resumed the chase until they caught up with them. Realizing this, ʿĀṣim and his companions took refuge on a rise, and the pursuers surrounded them.

They called out, “We pledge you our word and covenant: if you come down to us, not a single one of you will be killed.”

ʿĀṣim replied, “As for me, I will never place myself in the protection of a polytheist. O Allah, convey news of us to Your Messenger.” They fought on until ʿĀṣim and seven of his men were killed by arrows. Khubayb, Zayd, and another man remained alive; the enemy renewed their pledge of safety, and the three descended. Once the attackers had them in their power, they loosed the bow-strings from their bows and bound them with them.

The third captive said, “This is the first act of treachery.” He refused to go with them; they dragged and coaxed him, but he would not comply, so they killed him. Khubayb and Zayd were taken to Mecca and sold. Khubayb was bought by the Banū al-Ḥārith ibn ʿĀmir ibn Nawfal, for he had slain al-Ḥārith at Badr. He remained their prisoner until they resolved to kill him. At that point he borrowed a razor from one of al-Ḥārith’s daughters to groom himself, and she lent it to him.

She later said: “I became distracted from a toddler of mine, and the child toddled over to Khubayb until he sat in his lap. When I saw this I panicked, and he noticed my distress while the razor was in his hand. He said, ‘Are you afraid I will kill him? I would never do that—God willing.’”

She would add, “I never saw a prisoner better than Khubayb. I saw him eating a cluster of grapes at a time when there was no fruit at all in Mecca, though he was bound in iron chains. It was nothing but sustenance God had provided him.”

They then led him outside the Sacred Precinct to execute him. He said, “Allow me to pray two rakʿahs.”

After finishing, he turned to them and said, “Had I not feared that you would think I was prolonging my prayer out of dread of death, I would have lengthened it further.” And he was