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Sahih al-Bukhari 3022 (Book 56, Hadith 231) #2891
Killing Abu Rafi' with Cunningness

SUMMARY: The hadith is about a man who was sent by the Prophet (ﷺ) to kill Abu Rafi'. He successfully killed him and returned to the Prophet (ﷺ).

Narrated Al-Bara bin Azib: Allah's Messenger sent a group of Ansari men to kill Abu-Rafi'. One of them set out and entered their (ie the enemies) fort. That man said, "I hid myself in a stable for their animals. They closed the fort gate. Later they lost a donkey of theirs, so they went out in its search. I, too, went out along with them, pretending to look for it. They found the donkey and entered their fort. And I, too, entered along with them. They closed the gate of the fort at night, and kept its keys in a small window where I could see them. When those people slept, I took the keys and opened the gate of the fort and came upon Abu Rafi' and said, 'O Abu Rafi'. When he replied me, I proceeded towards the voice and hit him. He shouted and I came out to come back, pretending to be a helper. I said, 'O Abu Rafi', changing the tone of my voice. He asked me, 'What do you want; woe to your mother?' I asked him, 'What has happened to you?' He said, 'I don't know who came to me and hit me'. Then I drove my sword into his belly and pushed it forcibly till it touched the bone. Then I came out, filled with puzzlement and went towards a ladder of theirs in order to get down but I fell down and sprained my foot. I came to my companions and said, 'I will not leave till I hear the wailing of the women'. So, I did not leave till I heard the women bewailing Abu Rafi', the merchant pf Hijaz. Then I got up, feeling no ailment, (and we proceeded) till we came upon the Prophet and informed him".
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ زَكَرِيَّاءَ بْنِ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ رَهْطًا مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ إِلَى أَبِي رَافِعٍ لِيَقْتُلُوهُ، فَانْطَلَقَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ فَدَخَلَ حِصْنَهُمْ قَالَ فَدَخَلْتُ فِي مَرْبِطِ دَوَابَّ لَهُمْ، قَالَ وَأَغْلَقُوا باب الْحِصْنِ، ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ فَقَدُوا حِمَارًا لَهُمْ، فَخَرَجُوا يَطْلُبُونَهُ، فَخَرَجْتُ فِيمَنْ خَرَجَ أُرِيهِمْ أَنَّنِي أَطْلُبُهُ مَعَهُمْ، فَوَجَدُوا الْحِمَارَ، فَدَخَلُوا وَدَخَلْتُ، وَأَغْلَقُوا باب الْحِصْنِ لَيْلاً، فَوَضَعُوا الْمَفَاتِيحَ فِي كَوَّةٍ حَيْثُ أَرَاهَا، فَلَمَّا نَامُوا أَخَذْتُ الْمَفَاتِيحَ، فَفَتَحْتُ باب الْحِصْنِ ثُمَّ دَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَا رَافِعٍ‏.‏ فَأَجَابَنِي، فَتَعَمَّدْتُ الصَّوْتَ، فَضَرَبْتُهُ فَصَاحَ، فَخَرَجْتُ ثُمَّ جِئْتُ، ثُمَّ رَجَعْتُ كَأَنِّي مُغِيثٌ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَا رَافِعٍ، وَغَيَّرْتُ صَوْتِي، فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ لأُمِّكَ الْوَيْلُ قُلْتُ مَا شَأْنُكَ قَالَ لاَ أَدْرِي مَنْ دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ فَضَرَبَنِي‏.‏ قَالَ فَوَضَعْتُ سَيْفِي فِي بَطْنِهِ، ثُمَّ تَحَامَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى قَرَعَ الْعَظْمَ، ثُمَّ خَرَجْتُ وَأَنَا دَهِشٌ، فَأَتَيْتُ سُلَّمًا لَهُمْ لأَنْزِلَ مِنْهُ فَوَقَعْتُ فَوُثِئَتْ رِجْلِي، فَخَرَجْتُ إِلَى أَصْحَابِي فَقُلْتُ مَا أَنَا بِبَارِحٍ حَتَّى أَسْمَعَ النَّاعِيَةَ، فَمَا بَرِحْتُ حَتَّى سَمِعْتُ نَعَايَا أَبِي رَافِعٍ تَاجِرِ أَهْلِ الْحِجَازِ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقُمْتُ وَمَا بِي قَلَبَةٌ حَتَّى أَتَيْنَا النَّبِيَّ فَأَخْبَرْنَاهُ‏.‏

TOPICS
killing  *  cunningness  *  mission  *  successful  *  prophet  *  rafi  *  men

QUICK LESSONS:
Be cunning in your actions if you want success in your mission; Never give up even if something goes wrong; Inform prophet Muhammad ﷺ about what happened;
EXPLANATIONS:
This hadith is about a group of Ansari men who were sent by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ on a mission to kill Abu Rafi'. One of them set out and entered their fort. He hid himself in a stable for their animals. When they went out looking for their lost donkey he followed them and when they returned he entered with them. At night when everyone was asleep he took the keys from the window and opened the gate of the fort. He then proceeded towards Abu Rafi' and asked him his name in order to make sure it was him. When he replied yes, he hit him with his sword until it reached his bone. After that he left pretending to be one of those helping but instead ran away back to his companions where they informed Muhammad ﷺ about what happened. This hadith teaches us that we should always be cunning in our actions if we want success in our mission as this man did when killing Abu Rafi'. It also teaches us that we should never give up even if something goes wrong as this man didn't give up even after spraining his foot while trying to get down from a ladder at night while escaping from there enemies’ fort.

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