حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي بُكَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ عَنْ سِمَاكٍ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ مَرَّ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي سُلَيْمٍ بِنَفَرٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ يَسُوقُ غَنَمًا لَهُ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالُوا مَا سَلَّمَ عَلَيْنَا إِلَّا لِيَتَعَوَّذَ مِنَّا فَعَمَدُوا إِلَيْهِ فَقَتَلُوهُ وَأَتَوْا بِغَنَمِهِ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَنَزَلَتْ الْآيَةُ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَتَبَيَّنُوا
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 2023
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said: A man of Banu Sulaim passed by a group of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), driving some sheep of his, and greeted them with salam. They said: He only greeted us with salam so as to protect himself from us. So they went and killed him, and brought his sheep to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). Then this verse was revealed: "O you who believe! When you go (to fight) in the Cause of Allah, verify (the truth)." [an-Nisa' 4:94].
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020