Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ أَنْبَأَنَا الْمَسْعُودِيُّ حَدَّثَنِي عَاصِمٌ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ قَالَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ حَيْثُ قُتِلَ ابْنُ النَّوَّاحَةِ إِنَّ هَذَا وَابْنَ أُثَالٍ كَانَا أَتَيَا النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَسُولَيْنِ لمُسَيْلِمَةَ الْكَذَّابِ فَقَالَ لَهُمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَتَشْهَدَانِ أَنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ قَالَا نَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُسَيْلِمَةَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ لَوْ كُنْتُ قَاتِلًا رَسُولًا لَضَرَبْتُ أَعْنَاقَكُمَا قَالَ فَجَرَتْ سُنَّةً أَنْ لَا يُقْتَلَ الرَّسُولُ فَأَمَّا ابْنُ أُثَالٍ فَكَفَانَاهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَأَمَّا هَذَا فَلَمْ يَزَلْ ذَلِكَ فِيهِ حَتَّى أَمْكَنَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ الْآنَ.
English Translation
Yazid told us: al-Mas’udi informed us: Asim told me, from Abu Wa’il, who said: Abdullah said, when Ibn al-Nawwahah was killed, "This one and Ibn Uthal came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as two envoys of Musaylimah the Liar. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to them, ‘Do you two testify that I am the Messenger of Allah?’ They said, ‘We testify that Musaylimah is the messenger of Allah.’ He said, ‘Had I been one to kill envoys, I would have struck off both your necks.’" He said: So it became an established practice that an envoy is not to be killed. As for Ibn Uthal, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, spared us the trouble of him; but as for this one, the matter remained outstanding until Allah now enabled us to deal with him.