JIHAD SECTION · 115 – THE CAPTURE OF A PERSON
Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) sent ten spies to Mecca, appointing Asim ibn Sabit as their leader. The Banu Huyail tribe dispatched nearly one hundred archers to track them. When Asim sensed their pursuit, they sought refuge on a hilltop. [The enemy] said to them: “Come down from the mountain and give up your swords, and we promise you that we will not kill any of you.” But Asim said, "I will not enter into the covenant of a disbeliever." They shot arrows at them and killed seven people along with Asim. Three men – Hubayb, Zayd ibn Desina, and another man – descended to them upon their pledge and promise. When they captured them, they first untied the strings from the arrows and used them to bind them. The third [man] said, “This is the first breach of a covenant.” He said, "I cannot go with you; these slain ones are a warning to me." They dragged him, and he resisted not going with them, so they killed him. Hubayb remained captive for a while. [Finally, when the sacred months arrived,] they decided to kill him too. Thereupon, Hubayb took a trusted razor and shaved his garment. When they set out to kill him, Hubayb said to them: “Let me pray two rak’ahs, then…” He said: "I swear by Allah, if I knew that you feared death, I would pray more."
The preceding hadith was narrated by Amr ibn Abu Sufyan ibn Esid ibn Jarifa as-Sakafi, a companion of Abu Huraira.