THE STORY OF KA`B B.

AL-ASHRAF
By
Omar Mohammed
SRA
Ka`b b. al-Ashraf was a Jew that belonged to the subsection of Nabhn but his mother
belonged to B. al-Nad r.1 The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) established a political treaty
with the Jews of Medina after fleeing the city of Mecca due to the torture,
persecution, abuse and killing of the Muslims by the pagans. The treaty established by
the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) with Jews entailed that they should boycott Quraysh
commercially, they shall also abstain form extending any support to them and that
they shall defend the city of Medina together with the Muslims in case of a foreign
attack.2 Ka`b b. al-Ashraf was known to have been killed because after the battle of
Badr he had went out to the city of Mecca and inveighed and provoked the pagans to
attack the Prophet (pbuh) and the Muslims. He also bewailed the dead of Quraysh
who were killed at the battle of Badr by composing poetry verses. Later on he
returned to Medina and started to produce poetry verses with an insulting nature
aimed at the Muslims women.3 It is also recorded in the historiographical sources that
an additional reason for the killing of Ka`b b. al-Ashraf was that he plotted with a
group of people to assassinate the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).4
TAFSR
What has mentioned here above is only what is recorded in the sra compilations
that are available but additional insight to the story are to be found in the tafsr
material. In a passage recorded in al-Baghaws commentary on the sra of al-Hashr it
is said that after the loss of the Muslims at the battle of Uh ud the B. al-Nad r
manifested the hatred and enmity towards the Prophet (pbuh) despite the political
treaty the agreed to. Following this event, Ka`b b. al-Ashraf rode with forty Jews to
Mecca and established a treaty with Ab Sufyn who was the leader of the pagans in
which the treaty stipulated that Quraysh and the Jews should cooperate against the
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Both parties went behind the cloth of the Ka`ba and and
swore to observe the treaty. Upon hearing this news the Prophet Muhammad ordered
the assassination of Ka`b b. al-Ashraf.5
This particular event is also recorded in works of commentators like alZamakhshar, al- Tabars, al-Rz, al-Bayd w and others.
The key difference between the reports of the sra and the reports of tafsr is that
they differ in regards to if Ka`b b. al-Ashraf was killed after the battle of Badr of after
the battle of Uh ud and if he played a role in the expulsion of B. al-Nad r due to their
treason. In Fath al-Br, Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalan narrates a report from al-Kalb which
states that a treaty was ratified under the cloth of the Ka`ba between Ka`b b. al-Ashraf
1
2
3
4
5

Ibn Hisham
Safi ar Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, Ar Raheeq al-Makhtum
Ibn Hisham
Kister, Market, 181.
Baghaw, VII, 46 ff..

and the Quraysh against the Muslims.6 Ibn Hajar al-Asqalan also stated that; Ka`b
used to incite people to murder the Muslims.7 Al-Tabar records a tradition from alSudd that when the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) went to B. al-Nad r to assist him in
collecting the blood money for B. `mir, the Jews tried to kill the Prophet (pbuh) by
putting a rock on the wall where he was sitting underneath and then push the rock on
him resulting in his death. This plot was however was exposed and the Prophet (pbuh)
was not hurt, after this Ka`b b. al-Ashraf fled to Mecca and established a treaty with
the pagans against the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).8 After the Prophet (pbuh) found
about the assassination attempt of B. al-Nad r on his life he expelled them out of
Medina due their treason.
In further sources we find that yet another reason for the killing of Ibn al-Ashraf is
given. `Ikrima said that that the Jews of B. al-Nad r had plotted to kill the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) and that they as justification for their plan consulted Ka`b b. alAshraf and he justified them, though `Ikrima does not mention any treaty between Ibn
al-Ashraf and Quraysh. The Prophet (pbuh) found about this plot of assassinations
and ordered that Ibn al-Ashraf be killed.9 `Ikrima didnt only report one tradition but
also relates another tradition where Ibn al-Ashraf and some other Jews invited the
Prophet (pbuh) to meal and plotted to kill him on that occasion: the Prophet (pbuh)
found about their plot and ordered the killing of Ka`b.10 Mughulty quoted from Ab
Nu`aym a quiet similar tradition. It says that the Prophet (pbuh) before going to B. alNad r for the blood money he went to B. Qurayza but they said that he should consult
B. al-Nad r and then come back, when he came, they where awaiting the arrival of Ibn
al-Ashraf in order to attack the Prophet (pbuh).11 Al-Zuhr narrates a report via
Ma`mar b. Rshid which is recorded by `Abd al-Razzq. Al-Zuhr states that Quraysh
sent a message to the munfiqn that if they did not expel the Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) they would attack the city of Medina with all their allies and the same message
was sent to the Jews. Upon receiving the message B. al-Nad r attempted to kill the
Prophet (pbuh) during a theological debate. Ka`b b. Malik narrated that Ibn al-Ashraf
used to satire the Prophet (pbuh) and incited the polytheists of Quraysh against him.
Ka`b b. Malik goes on to explain that the city of Medina had mixed population that
consisted of Muslims, polytheists and Jews. They used to hurt the Prophet (pbuh) and
his Companions.12
The Prophet said that: He (Ka`b) has openly assumed enmity to us and speaks evil
of us and he has gone over to the polytheists (who were at war with Muslims) and has
made them gather against us for fighting13
This all lead to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ordering the killing of Ka`b b. alAshraf. Muhammad b. Maslamah volunteered for the task and along with some
Companions they killed Ka`b b. al-Ashraf.14
CONCLUSION
6 VII, 259.
7 Ibn Hajar al-Asqalan, Fath al-Br.
8 Tafsr, V, 85.
9 Suyti, Durr, V1, 190, Tafsr of `Abd b. Hamd.
10 Ibn Hajar al-Asqalan, Fath al-Br, VII, 259-260
11 Mughult, Zahr, 270.
12 Ab Dwd, al-Sunan, Book 20, Nr. 73.
13 Zuraqn, II, p. 11.
14 Bukhr, Sahh, Nr. 4037.

One can see based on the evidence provided that the common notion that Ka`b b. alAshraf was an innocent man and was killed with no sufficient reason except for
engaging in free speech is false. All the evidence point to the fact that he was a
traitor and was killed by the by order of the Prophet (pbuh) because he was a danger
to his life and the life of the Muslims population.