Life event
Killed by Muhallim ibn Juthama immediately after professing Islam with the greeting of salam, while his own tribe had not yet accepted Islam.
~8 AH, before the Conquest of Makkah; the dispute was resolved after the Battle of Hunayn · 8 AH
Strength of the report
The exact sariyya this incident belongs to is not named in this account; Ibn Ishaq is the sole source given for the account of Muhallim's repeated failed burials.
Before the Conquest of Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ sent a small expedition (sariyya) against a tribe that was threatening the Muslims. The lecture does not name the tribe. On the way, the Muslims passed Amir ibn al-Adbat al-Ashja'i. He was secretly a Muslim, although his tribe had not accepted Islam. He was happy to see them and greeted them with the Islamic greeting of peace, "Assalamu alaykum".
One of the Muslims, Muhallim ibn Juthama, had a personal feud with Amir from the days before Islam. The rest of the group accepted Amir's greeting and welcomed him. Muhallim refused, saying Amir was only pretending to be a Muslim. He attacked and killed Amir on his own, and took his belongings as spoils of war.
When the news reached the Prophet ﷺ, Allah revealed verse 94 of Surah al-Nisa. It rebukes believers who reject someone's greeting of peace because they want worldly gain. A bitter dispute followed between the tribe of Muhallim and the tribe of Amir. Both tribes later accepted Islam. After the Battle of Hunayn, their chieftains came angrily to the Prophet ﷺ and demanded that the killing be settled. The Prophet ﷺ calmed them down. As the leader who had sent Muhallim, he paid 100 camels in blood money himself. Muhallim's tribe then asked him to pray for Allah to forgive Muhallim. The Prophet ﷺ refused, one of the very few times in his life that he did so, because of Muhallim's character and what was in his heart.
Ibn Ishaq reports that Muhallim died a few days later. His tribe buried him, but the next morning they found his body lying face down on top of the ground. They buried him again, and the same thing happened, and then a third time. In the end they laid his body in a valley and covered it with stones. The Prophet ﷺ then said, "Verily, the earth covers up people worse than him, but Allah wanted to warn you through him by showing you the sanctity of life between you."
Outcome: The Prophet ﷺ paid 100 camels in blood money and refused to ask Allah's forgiveness for Muhallim. Muhallim died soon afterwards and, according to Ibn Ishaq, his body would not stay buried.
It teaches a basic lesson about the sanctity of human life. A declaration of Islam, even a simple greeting of peace, must be accepted at face value. Suspicion or a personal grudge cannot override it, least of all for the sake of worldly gain. The incident is the reason Surah al-Nisa 4:94 was revealed. The Prophet ﷺ paid the blood money himself but refused to ask forgiveness for Muhallim. This shows that a leader taking responsibility for what his men do is not the same as excusing their sin.
Other events recorded in 8 AH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
Killed by Muhallim ibn Juthama immediately after professing Islam with the greeting of salam, while his own tribe had not yet accepted Islam.
Assalamu'alaykum!
Killed Amir ibn al-Adbat al-Ashja'i despite his profession of Islam, over a pre-Islamic vendetta, and took his belongings as war booty.
You are not a Muslim. He was just pretending to be a Muslim.
Said to Amir ibn al-Adbat al-Ashja'i when he greeted the sariyya with salam, and repeated afterward to the other sahaba to justify having killed him.
Paid 100 camels in blood money for the killing of Amir ibn al-Adbat al-Ashja'i, taking responsibility as the one who had sent Muhallim, but refused the request of Muhallim's tribe that he ask Allah to forgive him.
Verily, the earth covers up people worse than him, but Allah wanted to warn you through him by showing you the sanctity of life between you.
Said after Muhallim's tribe repeatedly failed to bury him, and after the Prophet ﷺ had refused their request that he ask Allah to forgive Muhallim.
Died a few days after the Prophet ﷺ paid the blood money for Amir's killing. Ibn Ishaq reports that his tribe buried him, but each morning found his body surfaced on the ground; after burying him a third time with the same result, they finally left him uncovered in a valley under a pile of stones.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَتَبَيَّنُوا وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَنْ أَلْقَىٰ إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامَ لَسْتَ مُؤْمِنًا تَبْتَغُونَ عَرَضَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فَعِندَ اللَّهِ مَغَانِمُ كَثِيرَةٌ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كُنتُم مِّن قَبْلُ فَمَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَتَبَيَّنُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا
“O believers! When you struggle in the cause of Allah, be sure of who you fight. And do not say to those who offer you [greetings of] peace, "You are no believer!" -- seeking a fleeting worldly gain. Instead, Allah has infinite bounties [in store]. You were initially like them, then Allah blessed you [with Islam]. So be sure! Indeed, Allah is All-Aware of what you do.”
Revealed rebuking the killing of Amir ibn al-Adbat al-Ashja'i after he offered the greeting of salam.