حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُرَيْحٌ ـ هُوَ ابْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ ـ حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْبَرَاءَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى أَبِي رَافِعٍ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَتِيكٍ وَعَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُتْبَةَ فِي نَاسٍ مَعَهُمْ، فَانْطَلَقُوا حَتَّى دَنَوْا مِنَ الْحِصْنِ، فَقَالَ لَهُمْ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَتِيكٍ امْكُثُوا أَنْتُمْ حَتَّى أَنْطَلِقَ أَنَا فَأَنْظُرَ‏.‏ قَالَ فَتَلَطَّفْتُ أَنْ أَدْخُلَ الْحِصْنَ، فَفَقَدُوا حِمَارًا لَهُمْ ـ قَالَ ـ فَخَرَجُوا بِقَبَسٍ يَطْلُبُونَهُ ـ قَالَ ـ فَخَشِيتُ أَنْ أُعْرَفَ ـ قَالَ ـ فَغَطَّيْتُ رَأْسِي كَأَنِّي أَقْضِي حَاجَةً، ثُمَّ نَادَى صَاحِبُ الْبَابِ مَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ فَلْيَدْخُلْ قَبْلَ أَنْ أُغْلِقَهُ‏.‏ فَدَخَلْتُ ثُمَّ اخْتَبَأْتُ فِي مَرْبِطِ حِمَارٍ عِنْدَ باب الْحِصْنِ، فَتَعَشَّوْا عِنْدَ أَبِي رَافِعٍ وَتَحَدَّثُوا حَتَّى ذَهَبَتْ سَاعَةٌ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ، ثُمَّ رَجَعُوا إِلَى بُيُوتِهِمْ، فَلَمَّا هَدَأَتِ الأَصْوَاتُ وَلاَ أَسْمَعُ حَرَكَةً خَرَجْتُ ـ قَالَ ـ وَرَأَيْتُ صَاحِبَ الْبَابِ حَيْثُ وَضَعَ مِفْتَاحَ الْحِصْنِ، فِي كَوَّةٍ فَأَخَذْتُهُ فَفَتَحْتُ بِهِ باب الْحِصْنِ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنْ نَذِرَ بِي الْقَوْمُ انْطَلَقْتُ عَلَى مَهَلٍ، ثُمَّ عَمَدْتُ إِلَى أَبْوَابِ بُيُوتِهِمْ، فَغَلَّقْتُهَا عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ ظَاهِرٍ، ثُمَّ صَعِدْتُ إِلَى أَبِي رَافِعٍ فِي سُلَّمٍ، فَإِذَا الْبَيْتُ مُظْلِمٌ قَدْ طَفِئَ سِرَاجُهُ، فَلَمْ أَدْرِ أَيْنَ الرَّجُلُ، فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَا رَافِعٍ‏.‏ قَالَ مَنْ هَذَا قَالَ فَعَمَدْتُ نَحْوَ الصَّوْتِ فَأَضْرِبُهُ، وَصَاحَ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ شَيْئًا ـ قَالَ ـ ثُمَّ جِئْتُ كَأَنِّي أُغِيثُهُ فَقُلْتُ مَا لَكَ يَا أَبَا رَافِعٍ وَغَيَّرْتُ صَوْتِي‏.‏ فَقَالَ أَلاَ أُعْجِبُكَ لأُمِّكَ الْوَيْلُ، دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ رَجُلٌ فَضَرَبَنِي بِالسَّيْفِ‏.‏ قَالَ فَعَمَدْتُ لَهُ أَيْضًا فَأَضْرِبُهُ أُخْرَى فَلَمْ تُغْنِ شَيْئًا، فَصَاحَ وَقَامَ أَهْلُهُ، قَالَ ثُمَّ جِئْتُ وَغَيَّرْتُ صَوْتِي كَهَيْئَةِ الْمُغِيثِ، فَإِذَا هُوَ مُسْتَلْقٍ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ، فَأَضَعُ السَّيْفَ فِي بَطْنِهِ ثُمَّ أَنْكَفِئُ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى سَمِعْتُ صَوْتَ الْعَظْمِ، ثُمَّ خَرَجْتُ دَهِشًا حَتَّى أَتَيْتُ السُّلَّمَ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَنْزِلَ، فَأَسْقُطُ مِنْهُ فَانْخَلَعَتْ رِجْلِي فَعَصَبْتُهَا، ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ أَصْحَابِي أَحْجُلُ فَقُلْتُ انْطَلِقُوا فَبَشِّرُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَإِنِّي لاَ أَبْرَحُ حَتَّى أَسْمَعَ النَّاعِيَةَ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي وَجْهِ الصُّبْحِ صَعِدَ النَّاعِيَةُ فَقَالَ أَنْعَى أَبَا رَافِعٍ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقُمْتُ أَمْشِي مَا بِي قَلَبَةٌ، فَأَدْرَكْتُ أَصْحَابِي قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُوا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَبَشَّرْتُهُ‏.‏

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent `Abdullah bin 'Atik and `Abdullah bin `Utba with a group of men to Abu Rafi` (to kill him). They proceeded till they approached his castle, whereupon `Abdullah bin Atik said to them, "Wait (here), and in the meantime I will go and see." `Abdullah said later on, "I played a trick in order to enter the castle. By chance, they lost a donkey of theirs and came out carrying a flaming light to search for it. I was afraid that they would recognize me, so I covered my head and legs and pretended to answer the call to nature. The gatekeeper called, 'Whoever wants to come in, should come in before I close the gate.' So I went in and hid myself in a stall of a donkey near the gate of the castle. They took their supper with Abu Rafi` and had a chat till late at night. Then they went back to their homes. When the voices vanished and I no longer detected any movement, I came out. I had seen where the gate-keeper had kept the key of the castle in a hole in the wall. I took it and unlocked the gate of the castle, saying to myself, 'If these people should notice me, I will run away easily.' Then I locked all the doors of their houses from outside while they were inside, and ascended to Abu Rafi` by a staircase. I saw the house in complete darkness with its light off, and I could not know where the man was. So I called, 'O Abu Rafi`!' He replied, 'Who is it?' I proceeded towards the voice and hit him. He cried loudly but my blow was futile. Then I came to him, pretending to help him, saying with a different tone of my voice, ' What is wrong with you, O Abu Rafi`?' He said, 'Are you not surprised? Woe on your mother! A man has come to me and hit me with a sword!' So again I aimed at him and hit him, but the blow proved futile again, and on that Abu Rafi` cried loudly and his wife got up. I came again and changed my voice as if I were a helper, and found Abu Rafi` lying straight on his back, so I drove the sword into his belly and bent on it till I heard the sound of a bone break. Then I came out, filled with astonishment and went to the staircase to descend, but I fell down from it and got my leg dislocated. I bandaged it and went to my companions limping. I said (to them), 'Go and tell Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) of this good news, but I will not leave (this place) till I hear the news of his (i.e. Abu Rafi`'s) death.' When dawn broke, an announcer of death got over the wall and announced, 'I convey to you the news of Abu Rafi`'s death.' I got up and proceeded without feeling any pain till I caught up with my companions before they reached the Prophet (ﷺ) to whom I conveyed the good news."