Abdullah ibn Unays's mission to kill Khalid ibn Sufyan ibn Nubayh al-Hudhali

The Prophet sent Abd Allah ibn Unays against Khalid ibn Sufyan ibn Nubayh al-Hudhali, who was at Nakhla or Urana gathering people to attack the Prophet. He killed him and returned, and the Prophet gave him a staff. ^{1 2}

Ibn Ishaq relates it from Muhammad ibn Jafar ibn al-Zubayr, who said: Abd Allah ibn Unays said. ¹

The Prophet called him and said: I have been told that Ibn Sufyan ibn Nubayh al-Hudhali is gathering people to attack me, and he is at Nakhla or Urana; go to him and kill him. He said: describe him to me so that I know him. He said: when you see him, Satan will remind you of me, and the sign between you and him is that when you see him you will feel a shiver. ¹

Ibn Unays set out with his sword girded, until he came upon him at the time of the afternoon prayer, while he was in a party of women seeking a camping place for them. When he saw him he felt the shiver, and feared that a struggle between them would distract him from the prayer; so he prayed while walking toward him, making signs with his head. ² When he reached him, he said: who is the man? He said: a man of the Arabs who heard about you and your gathering against this man, so I came to you for that. He said: yes, I am in that. He walked with him for a while, and when he had the chance he struck him with the sword and killed him, then went out and left his women bent over him. ² When he came to the Prophet and saw him, the Prophet said: the face has prospered. He said: I have killed him, Messenger of God. He said: you have spoken the truth. ²

The Prophet then took him into his house and gave him a staff and said: keep this staff with you, Abd Allah ibn Unays. He went out with it among the people, and when they asked him about it he said that the Prophet had given it to him and ordered him to keep it with him. They said: will you not go back and ask him why? He went back and asked, and the Prophet said: it is a sign between me and you on the Day of Resurrection, for the fewest of people that day will be those who lean on staffs. He put it beside his sword, and it stayed with him until he died; then it was ordered put in his shroud, and they were buried together. See the staff of Ibn Unays. ²

Ibn Hisham says that Ibn Unays composed verses on this; see his verses on the killing of Ibn Nubayh. ²

"Al-zu'n" are women in their litters; "yartad lahunna manzilan" means he seeks a place for them; "al-mutakhassirun" are those who lean on staffs, that is, the sticks; "al-qash'ariyra" is a trembling. ^{1 2}

• "At Nakhla or Urana" is an uncertainty about the place. ¹
• One copy has "I am in that" in place of "I am in that, yes". ²
• Ibn Ishaq gives no date.