Historical Context

This narration from Sunan Abi Dawud 4509 references an incident where a Jewish woman from Khaybar offered poisoned meat to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) after the Muslim conquest. The Prophet's restraint demonstrates Islamic principles of justice and forbearance even when personally harmed.

Legal Analysis

Scholars note this incident establishes that poisoning constitutes a form of injury requiring blood-wit (diyah) under Islamic law, as it falls under the category of intentional or quasi-intentional harm.

The Prophet's non-interference indicates that retaliation isn't mandatory when the ruler deems forgiveness more beneficial for community harmony, though the right to compensation remains.

Scholarly Commentary

Classical commentators explain that the Prophet's forbearance served multiple wisdoms: demonstrating mercy to new converts, establishing judicial discretion, and showing that Islamic rulings consider broader societal interests beyond individual retaliation.

The identification of the woman as sister of Marhab (a prominent Jewish warrior) contextualizes this as part of post-conquest reconciliation efforts in Khaybar.