Question
Who killed Abu Jahl apart from Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radiyallahu ‘anhu)?
عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، قَالَ بَيْنَا أَنَا وَاقِفٌ، فِي الصَّفِّ يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ فَنَظَرْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِي، وَشِمَالِي، فَإِذَا أَنَا بِغُلاَمَيْنِ، مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ حَدِيثَةٍ أَسْنَانُهُمَا، تَمَنَّيْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ بَيْنَ أَضْلَعَ مِنْهُمَا، فَغَمَزَنِي أَحَدُهُمَا فَقَالَ يَا عَمِّ، هَلْ تَعْرِفُ أَبَا جَهْلٍ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ، مَا حَاجَتُكَ إِلَيْهِ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي قَالَ أُخْبِرْتُ أَنَّهُ يَسُبُّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَئِنْ رَأَيْتُهُ لاَ يُفَارِقُ سَوَادِي سَوَادَهُ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ الأَعْجَلُ مِنَّا. فَتَعَجَّبْتُ لِذَلِكَ، فَغَمَزَنِي الآخَرُ فَقَالَ لِي مِثْلَهَا، فَلَمْ أَنْشَبْ أَنْ نَظَرْتُ إِلَى أَبِي جَهْلٍ يَجُولُ فِي النَّاسِ، قُلْتُ أَلاَ إِنَّ هَذَا صَاحِبُكُمَا الَّذِي سَأَلْتُمَانِي. فَابْتَدَرَاهُ بِسَيْفَيْهِمَا فَضَرَبَاهُ حَتَّى قَتَلاَهُ، ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهُ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْبَرَاهُ فَقَالَ ”أَيُّكُمَا قَتَلَهُ“. قَالَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا أَنَا قَتَلْتُهُ. فَقَالَ ”هَلْ مَسَحْتُمَا سَيْفَيْكُمَا“. قَالاَ لاَ. فَنَظَرَ فِي السَّيْفَيْنِ فَقَالَ ”كِلاَكُمَا قَتَلَهُ“. سَلَبُهُ لِمُعَاذِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْجَمُوحِ. وَكَانَا مُعَاذَ ابْنَ عَفْرَاءَ وَمُعَاذَ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْجَمُوحِ
Translation
Narrated by ‘Abdur Rahman ibn ‘Awf: While I was standing in the row on the day of Badr, I looked to my right and my left and saw two young Ansari boys, and I wished I had companions stronger than them. One of them called my attention, saying, ‘O Uncle! Do you know Abu Jahl?’ I said, ‘Yes, what do you want from him, O my nephew?’ He said, ‘I have been informed that he ridicules Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). By Him in Whose Hands my life is, if I see him, then my body will not leave his body till either of us meet his fate.’ I was astonished at that statement. Then the other boy called my attention, saying the same as the other had said. After a while, I saw Abu Jahl walking amongst the people. I said (to the boys), ‘Look! This is the man you asked me about.’ So both of them attacked him with their swords and struck him to death and returned to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to inform him of that. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked, ‘Which of you has killed him?’ Each of them said, ‘I have killed him.’ Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked, ‘Have you cleaned your swords?’ They said ‘No.’ He then looked at their swords and said, ‘No doubt, you both have killed him and the spoils of the deceased will be given to Mu’adh ibn ‘Amr ibnul Jamuh.’ The two boys were Mu’adh ibn ‘Afra and Mu’adh ibn ‘Amr ibnul Jamuh.
The above narration from Bukhari states that (1) Mu’adh ibn ‘Afra and (2) Mu’adh ibn ‘Amr ibnul Jamuh killed him.
However, another narration also in Sahih Bukhari states that the two sons of ‘Afra killed him.
Is it then correct that Abu Jahl was killed by three of them?
Answer
Yes, that is correct, in addition to Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radiyallahu ‘anhum ajma’in).
Refer: Fathul Bari, Hadith: 3964.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,
Answered by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar