The Death of ʿĀmir ibn al-Akwaʿ

During the siege of one of the fortresses, one of the fighters of the Yahūd — Marḥab, it seems — came out asking for a duel, challenging the Muslims. So ʿĀmir ibn al-Akwaʿ was the one who came out to meet him. They exchanged a few blows with their swords, and then Marḥab struck ʿĀmir with his sword, but the sword got stuck in ʿĀmir's shield — it was leather or wood, so it held the sword in it — and Marḥab was unable to pull it out. So ʿĀmir took this as an opportunity to strike at Marḥab and kill him. But his sword was short, so it came back on him, and it struck the upper part of his knee, and it hit an artery or a vein, and ʿĀmir bled to death, and he died.

So now some people started saying that ʿĀmir had lost all of his deeds, because he had killed himself. Salamah, who was his nephew, was very upset and depressed at what the people were saying. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw that on his face, so he asked him: what is wrong with you? He said: people are claiming that my uncle ʿĀmir — baṭala ʿamaluh — has lost all of his deeds. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, kadhabū: whoever said that has lied. He will receive a double reward — and he raised both of his fingers to signify the double reward. Innahu la-jāhidun mujāhid, qalla ʿarabiyyun mashā bihā mithlah: he was a striver and a mujāhid, who struggled his best, and few Arabs have matched him. So this is a badge of honour ʿĀmir ibn al-Akwaʿ (may Allah be pleased with him) received from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). And what was just told earlier — the duʿāʾ of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) — happened. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, yarḥamuhu Allāh, the duʿāʾ was accepted, and it was accepted very soon: he was killed in the same battle, the Battle of Khaybar.