Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي عَنِ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ فَحَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَهْلِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ أَخُو بَنِي حَارِثَةَ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ خَرَجَ مَرْحَبٌ الْيَهُودِيُّ مِنْ حِصْنِهِمْ قَدْ جَمَعَ سِلَاحَهُ يَرْتَجِزُ وَيَقُولُ قَدْ عَلِمَتْ خَيْبَرُ أَنِّي مَرْحَبُ شَاكِي السِّلَاحِ بَطَلٌ مُجَرَّبُ أَطْعَنُ أَحْيَانًا وَحِينًا أَضْرِبُ إِذَا اللُّيُوثُ أَقْبَلَتْ تَلَهَّبُ كَانَ حِمَايَ لَحِمًى لَا يُقْرَبُ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ مَنْ مُبَارِزٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ لِهَذَا فَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ ابْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ أَنَا لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَأَنَا وَاللَّهِ الْمَوْتُورُ الثَّائِرُ قَتَلُوا أَخِي بِالْأَمْسِ قَالَ فَقُمْ إِلَيْهِ اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنْهُ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمَّا دَنَا أَحَدُهُمَا مِنْ صَاحِبِهِ دَخَلَتْ بَيْنَهُمَا شَجَرَةٌ عُمْرِيَّةٌ مِنْ شَجَرِ الْعُشَرِ فَجَعَلَ أَحَدُهُمَا يَلُوذُ بِهَا مِنْ صَاحِبِهِ كُلَّمَا لَاذَ بِهَا مِنْهُ اقْتَطَعَ بِسَيْفِهِ مَا دُونَهُ حَتَّى بَرَزَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا لِصَاحِبِهِ وَصَارَتْ بَيْنَهُمَا كَالرَّجُلِ الْقَائِمِ مَا فِيهَا فَنَنٌ ثُمَّ حَمَلَ مَرْحَبٌ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ فَضَرَبَهُ فَاتَّقَى بِالدَّرَقَةِ فَوَقَعَ سَيْفُهُ فِيهَا فَعَضَّتْ بِهِ فَأَمْسَكَتْهُ وَضَرَبَهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ حَتَّى قَتَلَهُ.
English Translation
Ya'qub told us, my father told us, from Ibn Ishaq, who said: Abdullah ibn Sahl ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Sahl, brother of Banu Haritha, told me, from Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, who said: Marhab the Jew came out of their fortress, having gathered his weapons, chanting in verse and saying: Khaybar already knows that I am Marhab, armed and equipped, a tested hero. Sometimes I thrust and sometimes I strike, when the lions advance blazing. My protected ground is a sanctuary that cannot be approached. And he said: Who will duel me? So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Who will face him? Muhammad ibn Maslama said: I will face him, O Messenger of Allah; by Allah, I am the avenger seeking retribution, they killed my brother yesterday. He said: Then go to him; O Allah, aid him against him. When each of the two drew near his companion, a mature tree of the ushar plant came between them, and one of them began to take shelter behind it from the other. Every time he sheltered behind it, the other cut away with his sword what was in front of him, until each of the two was exposed to his companion, and it stood between them like a standing man, without any branch left on it. Then Marhab charged at Muhammad and struck him, but he warded it off with his shield, and Marhab's sword struck into it and got stuck, gripped by it. Then Muhammad ibn Maslama struck him until he killed him.