that the matter would turn out just as I said?' Salkan said to him, 'I desire that thou shouldest sell us food, and we shall give thee a pledge and make an agreement with thee, and thou wilt be doing good in that matter.' He said, 'Will you pawn me your children?' (Abu Na'ilah) said, 'Thou desirest to insult us. Verily there are with me comrades of the same opinion as myself, and I wish to bring them to thee: then thou wilt sell to them, and in that thou wilt be doing a good action; and we shall pawn to thee of our arms that in which there is security.' Salkan wished that (Ibnu'l Ashraf) should not refuse the arms when they brought them. He said, 'Verily there is truly security in arms.' Salkan returned to his comrades and told them his news, and bade them bring the arms, and to go away and assemble to him again. Accordingly they gathered together at the house of the Apostle of God ... The Apostle of God walked with them to the Field of the Thorntree. Then he sent them off and said, 'Depart in God's name. O God, aid them!' Then the Apostle of God returned home. And it was on a moonlit night. They advanced till they reached his (Ibnu'l Ashraf's) stronghold. Abu Na'ilah called out for him. He was newly married. He leaped up in his wrapper. His wife caught hold of its skirt and said, 'Verily thou art a warrior, and warriors do not go down at this hour.' He said 'Verily it is Abu Na'ilah: if he found me asleep he would not waken me.' She said, 'By God, verily in his voice I surely recognize evil.' Ka'b said to her, 'If the lad calls me for a lance-thrust, I shall surely answer, Yes.' He went down and conversed with them for a time, and they talked with him. Then (Abu Na'ilah) said 'Art thou, Ibnu'l Ashraf inclined for us to walk together to the Old Woman's Pass, and there spend the rest of this night of ours in conversation?' (Ibriu'l Ashraf) said, ' If you please.' They went out walking together therefore. They walked along for a time Then verily Abu Na'ilah thrust his hand amid the locks of

hair on his (Ibnu'l Ashraf's) head. Then he smelt his hand and said, 'I never saw it scented and perfumed as it is tonight.' Then he walked along for a time. Then he again acted in the same manner, until Ka'b was lulled into confidence. Then he walked along for a time, then he repeated the same conduct. He seized the locks of hair on his (Ibnu'l Ashraf's) head, then he said, 'Smite the enemy of God.' Accordingly they smote him. Their swords came in collision with one another about him and effected nothing. Muhammad ibn Maslamah said, 'Then I recalled to mind my long sword blade, when I saw that our swords effected nothing. I seized it. The enemy of God cried out with such a cry that around us there remained not a stronghold on which a fire was not kindled. Then I stuck it into his abdomen, then I pressed upon it till it reached his navel, and the enemy of God fell: And Harith ibn Aus ibn Mu'adh had been struck and was wounded in his head or in his foot: one of our swords had struck him. We went away until we passed the Banu Umayyah ibn Zaid, then the Banu Quraizah, then Bu'ath, until we approached Harratu'l 'Ariz. And our comrade Al Harith ibn Aus had delayed us, and loss of blood had exhausted him. For a time we halted on his account: then there came upon us one who was following up our traces. Therefore we carried him (Al Harith) and brought him to the Apostle of God at the conclusion of the night. He was standing praying. We saluted him, and he came out to us: We informed him of the killing of the enemy of God. He spat upon our comrade's wound, and went back. And we returned to our people.'"

The story of Muhaisah and Huwaisah tells us at whose instigation another murder was committed, and shows us also how some conversions to Islam were brought about at Medinah. Ibn Ishaq is quoted by Ibn ¹ Hisham as saying: "The Apostle of God said,