Abdullah ibn Unais RA
Abdullah ibn Unais RA was a
companion (Sahaba) of Rasulullah ﷺ. Abdullah
ibn Unais RA participated in several military campaigns ordered by Rasulullah ﷺ. The first was to kill
Khaled bin Sufyan Al-Hathali who belonged to the Banu Lahyan tribe at the time
of Rasulullah ﷺ. Rasulullah
ﷺ said that he was planning
on attacking Madinah and inciting the people of Nakhlah and Uranah to attack
him. Therefore he sent Abdullah ibn Unais to assassinate him in 625 during the
Expedition of Abdullah Ibn Unais RA.
The Secret Soldier of Rasulullah ﷺ
Sometimes it is not necessary to
sacrifice many people to win a war. Ways to achieve victory with as few
casualties as possible have long been known to strategists. Rasulullah ﷺ also understood this very
well. So he, Rasulullah ﷺ
sent Abdullah bin Unais RA the secret agent, to investigate the situation.
Abdullah bin Unais RA understood the strategy of avoiding big casualties in order
to achieve victory. So Abdullah bin Unais RA attacked the enemy leader. If he
did not do that, there might be a terrible war with many casualties falling
After the Muslims were defeated
in the Battle of Uhud, many tribes began to dare to openly oppose the Prophet
and his companions. One of them is the Bani Lahyan. Rasulullah ﷺ heard the news that the
leader of Bani Lahyan, Khalid bin Sufyan, was gathering troops to attack the
Muslims. This news is very important because the Bani Lahyan includes the family
of the Bani Hudhail. The Bani Hudhail is a large tribe. When the Bani Hudhail
were influenced to join the attack, the position of the Muslims became very
critical. Especially when they join the Quraish. To overcome that, Rasulullah ﷺ did not directly send
troops, but only one person. One person is skilled and well suited for the
task. The chosen friend was Abdullah bin Unais RA.
Abdullah ibn Unais RA found
Hudayr in the company of his wife, when asked about his identity. Unais
replied:
"I am an Arab tribesman who
has heard of you and the Army you are raising to fight Muhammad, so I have come
to join your ranks"
Khaled bin Sufyan trusted him.
Then Unais asked to talk to him privately, once, while conversing, Abdullah ibn
Unais walked a short distance with ibn Sufyan, and when an opportunity came he
struck him with his sword and killed him. After killing ibn Sufyan, he cut off
his head and brought that to Muhammad.[3] Muhammad gave him his staff as a
reward and said:
This will function as a sign of
recognition for you and me, on the day of resurrection
(Musnad Ahmad 3:496)[1][6][7]
This assassination had the effect
of silencing the Banu Lahyan, for some time. But another branch of Banu Lahyan
wanted to take revenge for the killing of their leader, Khaled bin Sufyan and
were thinking of means to do so.
Rasulullah ﷺ sent him on the Expedition
of Al Raji. Some men requested that Rasulullah ﷺ
send instructors to teach them Islam, but the men were bribed by the two tribes
of Khuzayma who wanted revenge for the assassination of Khalid bin Sufyan by
Muhammad's followers.
Expedition of Abdullah Ibn Unais
RA
The Expedition of Abdullah ibn
Unais RA also known as the Assassination of Khaled bin Sufyan was the first
attacked against the Banu Lahyan, which took place in the month of Muharram in
the year A.H. 3. It was reported that Khaled bin Sufyan Al-Hathali (also known
as Hudayr, the chief of the Banu Lahyan tribe), considered an attack on Madinah
and that he was inciting the people on Nakhlah or Uranah to fight Muslims and
to kill Rasulullah ﷺ.
So Rasulullah ﷺ
sent Abdullah ibn Unais RA to assassinate him. After cutting off Khaled bin
Sufyan's head at night, Abdullah ibn Unais RA brought it back to Rasulullah ﷺ.
Other versions about Abdullah ibn Unais RA Expedition.
Sunan Abu Dawud:
“Rasulullah ﷺ sends me to Khalid b.
Sufyan al-Hudhali. This was towards ‘Uranah and ‘Arafat. He (Rasulullah ﷺ) said: Go and kill him. I
saw him when the time of the afternoon prayer had come. I said: I am afraid if
a fight takes place between me and him (Khalid b. Sufyan), that might delay the
prayer. I proceeded to walk towards him while I was praying to make a sign. When
I reached near him, he said to me: Who are you? I replied: A man from the
Arabs; it came to me that you were gathering (an army) for this man (i.e. Rasulullah
ﷺ). Hence I came to you in
connection with this matter. He said: I am (engaged) in this (work). I then
walked along with him for a while; when it became convenient for me, I
dominated him with my sword until he became cold (dead).”
(Abu Dawud Book 002, Hadith Number 1244)
Kitab al-tabaqat al-Kabir – Ibn Sa’d:
“SARRIYAH OF ABD ALLAH IBN UNAYS
Then (occurred) the Saniyah of
Abd Allah Ibn Unais against Sufyan Ibn Khalid Ibn Nubayh al-Hudhali at Uranah.
He set out from al-Madinah on 5 Muharram after the commencement of the
thirty-fifth month from Hijrah of Rasulullah ﷺ.
It was because (a report) had reached Rasulullah ﷺ,
that Sufyan Ibn Khali al-Hudhali, later of Al-Lahyan, used to halt at Uranah
and adjoining places and was mobilizing the men of his tribe, and others (to
fight against Rasulullah ﷺ).
Thereupon Rasulullah ﷺ,
sent Abd Allah Ibn Unays to kill him. He (Ibn Unays) said: O Apostle of Allah!
Describe him before me. He said: When you will see him, you will be frightened
and bewildered and you will recall Satan. He said: I am not afraid of men …
Then I took my sword, and went out, pretending to be one of the Khuza’ah, till
I entered Unranah. There I met him with his followers from different tribes,
and those who had joined him. I recognized him by the description (given by) Rasulullah
ﷺ. I feared him and I found
myself perspiring. … He asked: Who is this man? I said: A man from the
Khuza’ah, I heard about your mobilizing the people against Muhammad, so I came
to you to join. He said: Yes, I have been mobilizing (forces) against him. Then
I walked with him and talked to him, and he enjoyed talking till I reached his
tent. His companions dispersed were separated from him and went to sleep; then
I killed him when he was unprepared.”
Ibn Ishaq:
“ABDULLAH B. UNAYS’S RAID TO KILL
KHALID B. SUFYAN B. NUBAYH
Rasulullah ﷺ sent him against Khali,
who was in Nakhla or Urana collecting men to attack the Rasulullah ﷺ, and he killed him. … Rasulullah
ﷺ called me and said that he
had heard that Ibn Sufyan b. Nubayh al-Hudhali was collecting a force to attack
him, and that he was in Nakhla or Urana and that I was to go and kill him. I
asked him to describe so that I might know him, and he said, ‘If you see him he
will remind you of Satan. A sure sign is that when you see him you will feel a
shudder,’ I went out girding on my sword until I came on him with a number of
women in a howdah seeking halting-place for them. It was the time for afternoon
prayer, and when I saw him I felt a shuddering as the Apostle had said. I
advanced towards him fearing that something would prevent my praying, so I
prayed as I walked towards him bowing my head. When I came to him he asked who
I was and I answered, ‘An Arab who has heard of you and your gathering a force
against this fellow [Muhammed] and has come to you.’ He said, ‘Yes I am doing
so.’ I walked a short distance with him and when my chance came I struck him with
my sword and killed him…”
Al-Tabari:
“Rasulullah ﷺ sent Abdullah b. Unays to
Khalid b. Sufyan b. Nubayh al-Hudhali while he was in Nakhlah or Uranah
preparing to attack Rasulullah ﷺ and
killed him. …
Rasulullah ﷺ called me and said, ‘It
has reached me that Khalid B. Sufyan b. Nubayh al-Hudhali is gathering a force
to attack me. He is either in Nakhlah or Uranah, so go to him and kill him.’ I
replied, ‘Rasulullah ﷺ,
describe him to me so that I might know him.’ He said, ‘When you see him he
will remind you of Satan. [A sure] sign between you and him is that when you
see him you will feel a shudder.’ I went out, girding on my sword, until I came
to him while he was in howdah with the women, seeking a halting-place for them
at the time for afternoon prayer.
When I saw him I found him to be
as Rasulullah ﷺ had
described. I advanced toward him, but fearing that there might be acrimony
between me and him which would distract me from the prayer, I prayed, making
gestures with my head and I walked toward him.
When I got to him he asked who I
was, and I replied, ‘An Arab who has come to you because he has heard about you
and your gathering [a force] against this fellow [i.e., Muhammed]. He said,
‘Yes, I am doing that.’ I walked a short distance with my sword and killed him.
…”
Kitab Al-Maghazi – Waqidi:
“THE EXPEDITION OF ABDULLAH B.
UNAYS TO SUFYAN B. KHALID B. NUBAYH
Abdullah b. Unais RA said: I set out
from Medina on Monday the fifth of al-Muharram, the fifty-fourth month AH. I
was absent for twelve nights, and arrived on the Sabbath, with seven days left
in al-Muharram. … It reached Rasulullah ﷺ that
Sufyan B. Khalid b. Nubayh al-Huhali, the Lihyani, had alighted at Urana and
its suburbs with people from his and other tribes: he had gathered a group to
attack Rasulullah ﷺ.
Many people from the exhausted crowds had recourse to him. Rasulullah ﷺ called Abdullah b. Unais RA and sent him, by himself, on an expedition to kill Sufyan. Rasulullah ﷺ said to him, ‘Attach
yourself to Khuza’a.’ And Abdullah said, ‘O Rasulullah ﷺ I do not know him. Describe him to me.’ Rasulullah ﷺ said, ‘Indeed when you see
him you will dread him, fear him, and remember Satan.’ But I do not fear men,
so I said, ‘O Rasulullah ﷺ, I
have not feared anything, ever.’
Rasulullah ﷺ said, ‘It will be a sign
between you and him that you will shudder when you see him.’ … He said: I took
my sword and nothing more, and set out to find the Khuza’a. I took the road
until I reached Qudayd, where I found many Khuza’a who offered me beasts to
ride on and escorts, but I did not desire that. I set out until I came to Batn
Sarif, and then turned until I arrived at Urana. I began to tell those whom I
met that I desired Sufyan b. Kahlid, for I would be with him until I was in
Batn Urana I met him marching, and behind him were the Ahabish and those who
were attracted and drawn to him. When I saw him I feared him and recognized
him by the description that Rasulullah ﷺ gave
me. I saw myself drip with perspiration and I said, ‘By Allah, Rasulullah ﷺ said truly.’
It was the time of the Asar
prayer when I saw him, and I prayed while walking and pointing with my head.
When I was near him, he said, ‘Who is this man?’ I said, ‘A man from the
Khuza’a. I heard that you were gathering against Muhammed, and I have come to
be with you.’ He said, ‘Yes, indeed, I am in the group against him.’ …” [4]
Scholars
Shaykh Allamah Shibli Nomani:
“SIRYA IBN UNAIS
Later on, in the same month,
Sufyan Ibn Khalid who belonged to the tribe of Lahyan and was the chieftain of
the mountainous areas of Uraina planned an attack on Medina. Rasulullah ﷺ sent, Abdullah Ibn Unais RA
who by his diplomacy got an opportunity to kill Sufyan.”
Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri:
“THE MOBILIZATION OF ABDULLAH BIN
UNAIS RA
On the fifth day, in the same
month of Muharram, 4 A.H., the new news that Khalid bin Sufyan Al-Hudhali was
gathering a force to raid the Muslim positions was received. Rasulullah ﷺ commanded Abdullah bin
Unais RA to march out against the enemy and destroy them.
The Muslim force stayed away for
eighteen days, during which time he successfully fulfilled his appointed task.
He killed the leader of the rebels and brought his head back to Madinah on
Saturday, seven before the end of Muharram. Rasulullah ﷺ gave him a staff as a reward while saying: ‘This will
function as a sign of recognition for you and me on the Day of Resurrection.’
On his death bed, Abdullah requested that the staff also places with him in
his shroud.”
The incident is also mentioned in the Sunni Hadith collection Sunan Abu
Dawud:
Rasulullah ﷺ send me to Khalid b.
Sufyan al-Hudayr. This was towards 'Uranah and 'Arafat. Rasulullah ﷺ said: Go and kill him. I
saw him when the time of the afternoon prayer had come. I said: I am afraid if
a fight takes place between me and him (Khalid b. Sufyan), that might delay the
prayer. I proceeded to walk towards him while I was praying to make a sign. When
I reached near him, he said to me: Who are you? I replied: A man from the
Arabs; it came to me that you were gathering (an army) for this man (i.e. the
Prophet). Hence I came to you in connection with this matter. He said: I am
(engaged) in this (work). I then walked along with him for a while. When it
became convenient for me, I dominated him with my sword until he became cold
(dead).
[Abu Dawud, book 2 no.1244][11]
