It is narrated from Sayyiduna Dahr Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was going towards Khaybar, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Sayyiduna Amir bin Akwa’ (may Allah be pleased with him)—he was the uncle of Salamah bin Amr bin Akwa’, and Akwa’s name was Sinan—in any case, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“O son of Akwa’! Come here and recite for us some of your poetry.”So he got down and, at the request of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), recited these rajaz verses:

By Allah, if it were not for Allah, we would not have been guided,
Nor would we have given charity, nor would we have prayed.
Indeed, when people transgress against us,
And if they intend to cause discord, we refuse.
So send down tranquility upon us,
And make our feet firm if we meet (the enemy).

By Allah, if it were not for Allah’s mercy and guidance, we would not have found guidance, nor would we have given charity, nor performed prayers. We are those people that when others oppress us or intend to transgress against us, we do not tolerate such behavior from them. O Allah! Send down tranquility and reassurance upon us, and if we encounter the enemy, keep us steadfast.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Salamah bin Akwa’ (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: On the day of Khaybar, my brother fought fiercely in the company of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), but it so happened that his own sword turned back on him and he was killed. The noble Companions discussed this matter in various ways and expressed different doubts regarding his martyrdom. Some said that he died by his own weapon, and others expressed doubts and suspicions about his end. Sayyiduna Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) returned from Khaybar, I said: O Messenger of Allah! If you permit, may I recite some rajaz (poetry) in your presence? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave him permission, but Sayyiduna ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: Speak carefully. Sayyiduna Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I recited:

By Allah, if it were not for Allah, we would not have been guided,
Nor would we have given charity, nor would we have prayed.

By Allah’s oath, if it were not for Allah’s mercy and guidance, we would not have found guidance, nor would we have given charity, nor would we have prayed.

Upon hearing this, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: You have spoken the truth.

So send down tranquility upon us,
And make our feet firm if we meet (the enemy),
And the polytheists have transgressed against us.

O Allah! Send down tranquility and reassurance upon us, and if we encounter the enemy, make us steadfast. And the polytheists have wronged us.

When I finished my rajaz, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: Whose words are these? I replied: These are my brother’s words. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: May Allah have mercy on him. I said: O Messenger of Allah! By Allah, some people hesitate to pray for mercy for him, thinking that he died by his own weapon. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: He died while striving in jihad. It is narrated from Ibn Shihab that when the son of Salamah bin Akwa’ was asked about this hadith, he also narrated it from his father in the same way as ‘Abdur Rahman had narrated. However, the son of Salamah bin Akwa’ said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) also said, when it was mentioned that they hesitate to pray for mercy for him, that they are lying; he died while striving in jihad. And he indicated with his two fingers and said: He will receive a double reward.

The hadith is not present in the book.