Abu Na'ilah

Abū Nāʾilah (given name Silkān ibn Salāmah) was an Anṣārī Companion from Banū ʿAbd al-Ashhal of the Aws tribe. He was the radāʿī (foster brother) of Kaʿb ibn al-Ashraf, they had been suckled by the same woman, which gave him a unique access to Kaʿb that no other Muslim possessed.

When Muḥammad ibn Maslamah organized the operation against Kaʿb ibn al-Ashraf, Abū Nāʾilah was recruited precisely because of this foster-brother relationship. On the night of the operation, Kaʿb trusted Abū Nāʾilah's presence and agreed to come outside his fortress when called. During the encounter, while the group made casual conversation in the moonlight, Abū Nāʾilah deployed the decisive ruse: he admired the fine fragrance Kaʿb was wearing and asked to smell it. As Kaʿb leaned in, Abū Nāʾilah said the scent seemed to come from his hair, and when Kaʿb lowered his head, Abū Nāʾilah seized him firmly. The others then completed the operation.