JIHAD SECTION · 166 – THE ENVOYS
According to a narration from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, he said:
Musaylima al-Kazzab (the liar) wrote a letter to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Nuaym bin Mas’ud al-Ashja'i (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, after reading Musaylima’s letter to his two envoys, “What do you say about Musaylima’s words?” They replied, "We say what Musaylima says." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “If it were not for the prohibition against killing messengers, I would have struck the necks of both of you.” [508]
COMMENTARY:
Ibn Nawwah and Ibn Asal came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as envoys of Musaylima. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked them, "Do you bear witness that I am the Messenger of Allah?" they replied, “No, we believe in Musaylima’s prophethood.” Upon this, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ narrated this hadith.
Harisah ibn Mudarrā reported:
I came to ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd, and said, “There is no animosity between me and any Arab.” I then passed by the mosque of Banū Hanīfah and saw that they were believing in Musaylamah. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd sent for them, and they were brought, and he called them to repentance. All of them repented except Ibn an-Nawārah. Then Ibn Mas‘ūd said to him, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, say to you, ‘If you had not been a messenger, I would have struck your neck.’ You are no longer a messenger.” Kurraz ibn Kābi’ then commanded, and his neck was struck in the marketplace. Afterwards, he said, "Whoever wishes to see Ibn an-Nawārah dead in the marketplace, let him go and see him."