The Killing of the Jew, Kaab al-Ashraf

Kaab Al-Ashraf was a Jew. He used to insult Muslims, and especially Muslim women. He had been later killed by a Muslim, through the permission of the Noble Prophet. This account is also present in Sahih Al-Bukhari as well as the thee earliest Sirah of the Noble Prophet, Sirah Rasul Allah by Ibn Ishaq.

The following is the account in my words:

The Prophet asked who would get rid of Kaab for him. A Muslim man responded that he would. Sadly, the Muslim who agreed with the Prophet, did not eat for three days (except for that which was required). When this was informed to the Prophet, the Prophet asked him the reason. The man told him that he had taken a responsibility (to kill Kaab) which he could not handle. So the Muslim asked the Prophet's permission to tell lies, or to deceive Kaab. The Prophet gave him the permission. The Muslim went to Kaab, said something deceptive, and made him come out of his house and then killed him.

The attack which is raised by Anti-Islamics here is that the Prophet gave another man do the filthy work and even gave him the permission to lie.

I quote Ibn Ishaq's Sirah, which was compiled decades before Sahih Al-Bukhari:

The apostle said-according to what Abdullah b. Al-Mughith told me-"Who will get rid me of  Ibnul-Ashraf?" Muhammad b. Maslama, a brother of B. 'Abdu'l-Ashlal, said, "I will deal with him for you, O apostle of God, I will kill him." He said, "So so if you can." 

[stuff deleted but is won't change the meaning, trust me]

He said, "O apostle of God, we shall have to tell lies." He answered, "Say what you like, for you are free in the matter."

Now, quoting Sahih Al-Bukhari:

No need to quote. Except for "Say what you like, for you are free in the matter," this report mentions that the Prophet gave permission to tell lies by saying, "You may have so."

Please note the major difference in these two versions. The account from Bukhari is completely in the agreement with missionaries, that the Prophet gave permission to lie. However, the earliest account from Ibn Ishaq, disagrees with them. In Ibn Ishaq's Sirah, we are told that the Prophet said, "You are free in the matter."

Saying "you are free in the matter" (meaning to do what ever the Muslim wanted, and that he was free and its his problem) and "you may have so" (the permission to lie) are to very big different things...

This variant changes the meaning of the whole story. However, Ibn Ishaq's Sirah was compiled before the Al-Bukhari. That's why I take the side of the version from Ibn Ishaq. Sahih Al-Bukhari was compiled almost one hundred years later so such a variant could have arisen. But Allah knows best.

Further more, Kaab Al-Ashraf was not only a poet insulting Muslims and women, he was a rich man and had also once made a plot to kill the Prophet. This is recorded in Dr. Abdur Rauf's book, "Stories from Prophet's Life," in the chapter of the book called, "Murderous attempts on the Prophet's life."

Even more, let me lay emphasis on the words of the Apostle as recorded by Ibn Ishaq:

Say what you like, for you are free in the matter.

Clearly, the Prophet told him to say whatever HE (the Muslim) liked, because HE (Muslim) was free in the matter, because the Prophet was not involved.

Allah knows what really happened and only He, if He wills, can tell us which variant to accept. I am only dependant on the knowledge which I have from the Almighty.