Umayr ibn Adi al-Khatmi's mission to kill Asma' bint Marwan

Ibn Ishaq counts among the raids "the expedition of Umayr ibn Adi al-Khatmi against Asma bint Marwan", who was of the Banu Umayya ibn Zayd. He says: when Abu Afak was killed, she became a hypocrite. ¹ He relates it from Abd Allah ibn al-Harith ibn al-Fudayl from his father: she was married to a man of the Banu Khatma called Yazid ibn Zayd, and she composed verses disparaging Islam and its people. ¹

In her verses, as Ibn Ishaq gives them, she satirises the Banu Malik, the Nabit, Awf and the Banu al-Khazraj for obeying a stranger, a "foreigner" who is neither of Murad nor of Madhhij, whom they hope for after their leaders have been killed, as the broth of a cooked dish is hoped for. She wishes for a man of pride who seeks his opening and cuts off the hope of the one who hopes. ² Hassan ibn Thabit answered her with verses that mention the Banu Wa'il, Waqif and Khatma apart from the Banu al-Khazraj, and that when she called to folly he shook a young man of noble lineage and entrance and exit, who struck her with blood after calm and did not sin. ² See her verses and Hassan's reply.

When the Prophet heard of this, he said: will no one take for me from the daughter of Marwan? Umayr ibn Adi al-Khatmi heard him where he was. That night he went to her house, entered and killed her. In the morning he came to the Prophet and said: Messenger of God, I have killed her. The Prophet said: you have helped God and His Messenger, Umayr. Umayr asked whether there was any blame on him for her case. He said: "two goats will not butt against each other over her", meaning her case is slight and there is no claim of vengeance for it, as the scholars explain. ²

Umayr went back to his people, while the Banu Khatma were then many in the matter of the daughter of Marwan, and she had five grown sons. He said: O Banu Khatma, I have killed the daughter of Marwan; plot against me all together, and do not delay me. ^{2 3} Ibn Ishaq says: that day was the first time Islam became strong in the house of the Banu Khatma, and some among them who had been concealing their Islam declared it openly; the first of them to accept Islam were Umayr ibn Adi, "who is called the Reciter", Abd Allah ibn Aws and Khuzayma ibn Thabit. Men of the Banu Khatma accepted Islam on the day when men of their clan were killed, because of what they saw of Islam's strength. ³

The museum gives the report as Ibn Ishaq relates it with its chain. The word "hypocrisy" comes from his words, and the museum does not pass a judgement on the act. The report is placed in the first review tier together with the report of Abu Afak, because both involve a killing over speech and because Muslims themselves disagree about whether they are authentic. ²

• The chain: Abd Allah ibn al-Harith ibn al-Fudayl from his father; it is cut off from the time of the event. ¹
• "Will no one take for me" appears in one copy as "will no one take". ²
• "Asma" is given in the edition; other books have "Asma". An additional source is needed.
• Ibn Ishaq does not state a date.