How accurate is the narration that Malik ibn Nuwayra said to his wife on the day Khalid ibn al-Walid killed him: "Did you kill me?", after Khalid saw her and she was exceptionally beautiful?

Khalid ibn al-Walid was an eminent Companion and Muslim leader. Some Orientalists and Shiites disparaged him for killing Malik ibn Nuwayra. Historical accounts mention that Malik ibn Nuwayra refused to pay zakat and withheld the zakat camels, while some indicate his relationship with Sajjaḥ and his utterance of words understood as apostasy. Some Companions, such as Umar ibn al-Khattab, objected to Khalid, perhaps because Malik's position was initially ambiguous. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq justified Khalid's action by saying he made an interpretation and erred, and he paid Malik's blood money and returned the captives. Nevertheless, this did not constitute a blemish on Khalid.

As for the accusation that he killed Malik to marry his wife, some narrations mention that Malik himself said to his wife, "You have killed me," when Khalid saw her. However, Ibn Hajar and others considered this a mere assumption on Malik's part. Scholars have refuted this accusation, affirming that Khalid was too pious to commit such a vile act, and that he married the woman after her waiting period (istibra') and as a captive, which is a lawful act. It has been mentioned that Umar ibn al-Khattab did not censure Khalid after assuming the caliphate, which indicates his conviction in the righteousness of Abu Bakr's actions.