IMAM ABU AL-FIDA' ISMA~L IBN KATHiR 295In both ~ahih collections, moreover, there is an account from Abii Sulaymzn
al-Taymi quoting Anas b. M3ik as saying, "The Messenger of God (SAAS)
asked, 'Who will find out what became of Abii Jahl?' Ibn Mas'iid offered to do
so and went off and located him; he had been struck down by 'AfrP's two sons
and was on the point of death. Ihn Mas'iid then took him by the beard and asked,
"Are you Abii Jahl?" He replied, "Is any man superior whom you have killed?"
Or he said, "It is his people who killed him!""'
According to al-Bukhwi, from Abii Uszma, IsmitCil b. Qays quoted Ibn
Mas'iid as having said that he went to Abii Jahl and asked hi, "Has God dis-
graced you then?" He replied, "Aren't I the most noble man you have killed?"
Al-A'mash stated, from Abii Ishaq, from Abii Wbayda, from 'Abd Allxh, who
said, "When I reached Abii Jahl he was stretched out, wearing a helmet and
holding a fine sword. My own sword was a poor one. I was about to sever his
head with my sword, remembering bow my own head had been struck with
swords in Mecca till the hands of my attackers tired. Then I picked up his sword,
whereupon he raised his head and asked, 'Which side won the day? Us or them?
And aren't you our young herdsman from Mecca?'
"'Abd Allah went on, 'So I killed him. Then I went to the Prophet (SAAS)
and told hi I had killed Abii Jahl. He exclaimed, "Did you really, by God other
than Whom there is none!" He made me swear it three times. He then arose and
went outside, with me accompanying him, and cursed them (those polytheists
killed in battle)."'Imzm Ahmad stated, "Waki' related to us, quoting Isra'il, from Abii Ish~q, from
Abii Wbayda, who said, "Abd Allah stated, "When I reached Abii Jahl at the
battle of Badr, I found that his leg had been severed, but he was still using his
sword to defend himself. I said, 'Praise be to God for disgracing you, you enemy
of God!' He responded, 'Is he any but a man killed by his own people!'
""'I set about fighting him with a blunt sword I had and struck hi on the
hand. His sword fell, and I picked it up and hit him with it till I had killed hi."'
"'Abd All& went on, 'I then went to the Prophet (SAAS) as though walking
on air, and told him. He responded, "Is it really so, by God other than Whom
there is none!" He repeated this three times. I then replied, "It really is, by God
other than whom there is none!"'
"'Abd All& continued, 'The Messenger of God (SAAS) then went out,
accompanied by myself, stood over him and said, "Praise be to God! God has
disgraced you, you enemy of God! This man was the Pharoah of his people!"'"
In another account, Ihn Mas'iid stated, "And he gave me his sword as booty."
Abii Ishnq al-Fazm stated, from al-Thawri, from Abii Ishaq, from Abii
Wbayda, from Ihn Masciid, who said, "I went to the Messenger of God (SAAS)
at the battle of Badr and told him I had killed Abii Jahl. He replied, 'Is it really
so, by God other than whom there is none?' I replied, 'It really is, by God other
than whom there is none!' I said this twice or thrice.'