Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Who is willing to kill Kaʿb bin Al-Ashraf who has hurt Allah and His Apostle?" Thereupon Muhammad bin Maslama got up saying, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Would you like that I kill him?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes," Muhammad bin Maslama said, "Then allow me to say a (false) thing (i.e. to deceive Kaʿb). "The Prophet ﷺ said, "You may say it." Then Muhammad bin Maslama went to Kaʿb and said, "That man (i.e. Muhammad demands Sadaqa (i.e. Zakat) from us, and he has troubled us, and I have come to borrow something from you." On that, Kaʿb said, "By Allah, you will get tired of him!" Muhammad bin Maslama said, "Now as we have followed him, we do not want to leave him unless and until we see how his end is going to be. Now we want you to lend us a camel load or two of food." (Some difference between narrators about a camel load or two.) Kaʿb said, "Yes, (I will lend you), but you should mortgage something to me." Muhammad bin Mas-lama and his companion said, "What do you want?" Kaʿb replied, "Mortgage your women to me." They said, "How can we mortgage our women to you and you are the most handsome of the 'Arabs?" Kaʿb said, "Then mortgage your sons to me." They said, "How can we mortgage our sons to you? Later they would be abused by the people's saying that so-and-so has been mortgaged for a camel load of food. That would cause us great disgrace, but we will mortgage our arms to you." Muhammad bin Maslama and his companion promised Kaʿb that Muhammad would return to him. He came to Kaʿb at night along with Kaʿb's foster brother, Abu Na'ila. Kaʿb invited them to come into his fort, and then he went down to them. His wife asked him, "Where are you going at this time?" Kaʿb replied, "None but Muhammad bin Maslama and my (foster) brother Abu Na'ila have come." His wife said, "I hear a voice as if dropping blood is from him, Kaʿb said. "They are none but my brother Muhammad bin Maslama and my foster brother Abu Naila. A generous man should respond to a call at night even if invited to be killed." Muhammad bin Maslama went with two men. (Some narrators mention the men as 'Abu bin Jabr. Al Harith bin Aus and ʿAbbad bin Bishr). So Muhammad bin Maslama went in together with two men, and sail to them, "When Kaʿb comes, I will touch his hair and smell it, and when you see that I have got hold of his head, strip him. I will let you smell his head." Kaʿb bin Al-Ashraf came down to them wrapped in his clothes, and diffusing perfume. Muhammad bin Maslama said. " have never smelt a better scent than this. Kaʿb replied. "I have got the best 'Arab women who know how to use the high class of perfume." Muhammad bin Maslama requested Kaʿb "Will you allow me to smell your head?" Kaʿb said, "Yes." Muhammad smelt it and made his companions smell it as well. Then he requested Kaʿb again, "Will you let me (smell your head)?" Kaʿb said, "Yes." When Muhammad got a strong hold of him, he said (to his companions), "Get at him!" So they killed him and went to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him. (Abu Rafiʿ) was killed after Kaʿb bin Al-Ashraf."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ لِكَعْبِ بْنِ الأَشْرَفِ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ آذَى اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَامَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَتُحِبُّ أَنْ أَقْتُلَهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَأْذَنْ لِي أَنْ أَقُولَ شَيْئًا قَالَ قُلْ فَأَتَاهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ قَدْ سَأَلَنَا صَدَقَةً وَإِنَّهُ قَدْ عَنَّانَا وَإِنِّي قَدْ أَتَيْتُكَ أَسْتَسْلِفُكَ قَالَ وَأَيْضًا وَاللَّهِ لَتَمَلُّنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّا قَدِ اتَّبَعْنَاهُ فَلاَ نُحِبُّ أَنْ نَدَعَهُ حَتَّى نَنْظُرَ إِلَى أَىِّ شَىْءٍ يَصِيرُ شَأْنُهُ وَقَدْ أَرَدْنَا أَنْ تُسْلِفَنَا وَسْقًا أَوْ وَسْقَيْنِ وَحَدَّثَنَا عَمْرٌو غَيْرَ مَرَّةٍ فَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ وَسْقًا أَوْ وَسْقَيْنِ أَوْ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ فِيهِ وَسْقًا أَوْ وَسْقَيْنِ فَقَالَ أُرَى فِيهِ وَسْقًا أَوْ وَسْقَيْنِ فَقَالَ نَعَمِ ارْهَنُونِي قَالُوا أَىَّ شَىْءٍ تُرِيدُ قَالَ فَارْهَنُونِي نِسَاءَكُمْ قَالُوا كَيْفَ نَرْهَنُكَ نِسَاءَنَا وَأَنْتَ أَجْمَلُ الْعَرَبِ قَالَ فَارْهَنُونِي أَبْنَاءَكُمْ قَالُوا كَيْفَ نَرْهَنُكَ أَبْنَاءَنَا فَيُسَبُّ أَحَدُهُمْ فَيُقَالُ رُهِنَ بِوَسْقٍ أَوْ وَسْقَيْنِ هَذَا عَارٌ عَلَيْنَا وَلَكِنَّا نَرْهَنُكَ اللأْمَةَ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ يَعْنِي السِّلاَحَ فَوَاعَدَهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُ فَجَاءَهُ لَيْلاً وَمَعَهُ أَبُو نَائِلَةَ وَهْوَ أَخُو كَعْبٍ مِنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ فَدَعَاهُمْ إِلَى الْحِصْنِ فَنَزَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَتْ لَهُ امْرَأَتُهُ أَيْنَ تَخْرُجُ هَذِهِ السَّاعَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا هُوَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ وَأَخِي أَبُو نَائِلَةَ وَقَالَ غَيْرُ عَمْرٍو قَالَتْ أَسْمَعُ صَوْتًا كَأَنَّهُ يَقْطُرُ مِنْهُ الدَّمُ قَالَ إِنَّمَا هُوَ أَخِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ وَرَضِيعِي أَبُو نَائِلَةَ إِنَّ الْكَرِيمَ لَوْ دُعِيَ إِلَى طَعْنَةٍ بِلَيْلٍ لأَجَابَ قَالَ وَيُدْخِلُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ مَعَهُ رَجُلَيْنِ قِيلَ لِسُفْيَانَ سَمَّاهُمْ عَمْرٌو قَالَ سَمَّى بَعْضَهُمْ قَالَ عَمْرٌو جَاءَ مَعَهُ بِرَجُلَيْنِ وَقَالَ غَيْرُ عَمْرٍو أَبُو عَبْسِ بْنُ جَبْرٍ وَالْحَارِثُ بْنُ أَوْسٍ وَعَبَّادُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ قَالَ عَمْرٌو وَجَاءَ مَعَهُ بِرَجُلَيْنِ فَقَالَ إِذَا مَا جَاءَ فَإِنِّي قَائِلٌ بِشَعَرِهِ فَأَشَمُّهُ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُونِي اسْتَمْكَنْتُ مِنْ رَأْسِهِ فَدُونَكُمْ فَاضْرِبُوهُ وَقَالَ مَرَّةً ثُمَّ أُشِمُّكُمْ فَنَزَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ مُتَوَشِّحًا وَهْوَ يَنْفَحُ مِنْهُ رِيحُ الطِّيبِ فَقَالَ مَا رَأَيْتُ كَالْيَوْمِ رِيحًا أَىْ أَطْيَبَ وَقَالَ غَيْرُ عَمْرٍو قَالَ عِنْدِي أَعْطَرُ نِسَاءِ الْعَرَبِ وَأَكْمَلُ الْعَرَبِ قَالَ عَمْرٌو فَقَالَ أَتَأْذَنُ لِي أَنْ أَشَمَّ رَأْسَكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَشَمَّهُ ثُمَّ أَشَمَّ أَصْحَابَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَتَأْذَنُ لِي قَالَ نَعَمْ فَلَمَّا اسْتَمْكَنَ مِنْهُ قَالَ دُونَكُمْ فَقَتَلُوهُ ثُمَّ أَتَوُا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَأَخْبَرُوهُ