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The Story of Killing an Old Jewish Man

Question

Assalamualaikum,One thing I have noticed from critics is that they try defaming the Prophet SAW by mentioning Ibn Ishaq and Tabari as their sources. In most of the stories where the Prophet SAW is alleged to have done something, they cite Ibn Ishaq as their source. One story which is frequently mentioned is of an old Jewish man. It is alleged by critics that the companions of the Prophet SAW supported him by killing the old Jewish man for throwing dust at them and the Prophet SAW :Abu Khaythama, brother of B. Haritha b. al-Haritha, undertook to d so, and he took him through the harra of B. Haritha and their property until he came out in the territory of Mirba b. Qayzi who was a blind man, disaffected person. When he perceived the approach of the apostle and his men he got up and threw dust in their faces saying, ‘You may be the apostle of God, but I won’t let you through my garden!’ I was told that he took a handful of dust and said, ‘By God, Muhammad, if I could be sure that I should not hit someone else I would throw it in your face.’ The People rushed on him to kill him, and the apostle said, ‘Do not kill him, for this blind man is blind of heart, blind of sight.’ Sa’d b Zayd, brother of b Abdu’l-Ashhal, rushed at him before the apostle had forbidden this and hit him on the head with his bow…What is the authenticity of Ibn Ishaq's report above? Need help.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

This report was mentioned by Ibn Is-Haaq without any chain of narrators –as in the biography of Ibn Hishaam –so it is not authentic as it is interrupted because between Ibn Is-Haaq and the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) there were many stages of narrators and Ibn Is-Haaq did not mention these narrators between him and the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ).

Even if we presume that the story is authentic, there is no defamation to the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ); rather, it includes evidence of the mercy and kindness of the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) as he forbade his companions from killing that hypocrite.

In addition to this, that man was a hypocrite and not a Jew as you claimed. Moreover, the report indicates that Sa’d ibn Zayd beat him on his head and injured him, but he did not kill him.

Allah knows best.

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