Hayber Castle-2

Hayber is an ancient Jewish settlement located about 165-180 km north of Medina, on the Medina-Syria road, and is home to some of the most fertile date palm groves in history. The name "Hayber" is thought to derive from a root meaning "fortress" in Hebrew. The Battle of Hayber took place in the month of Muharram in 628 AD (May). Upon returning from Hudaybiyyah, the Muslims were in a state of despair; therefore, Allah revealed the Opening Surah and promised a great victory soon. This victory was Hayber. Hayber consisted of a community of fortresses. The main fortresses were: Naim, Kamus (Kamûs), Natât (Netah), Shik, and Ketibe. In addition, Vatih and Sulalim were also among the fortresses in the region. Each fortress was besieged and conquered separately. The Prophet Muhammad approached the Hayber fortress with the Islamic army at night; when morning came and the people of Hayber began to go out to the fields, they saw the Islamic army. The Prophet first gave the flag to Abu Bakr, then to Umar; both experienced great battles but did not achieve a definitive victory. The Prophet then said: "I will give this flag tomorrow to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and to whom Allah will grant victory." The next morning, he called Ali; despite having discomfort in his eyes, the Prophet applied his saliva to his eyes and gave him the flag. Ali conquered Kamus, the strongest fortress of Hayber; during this time, he killed the famous Jewish warrior Merhab in single combat. After Kamus, Netah, Shik, and Ketibe were conquered in succession; some were taken peacefully, while others were taken by force. After the conquest, the Prophet Muhammad treated the Jews of Hayber very humanely: First, he spared their lives and allowed them to leave their homeland; then, becoming even more lenient, he permitted them to stay on the condition that they leave half of their harvest for themselves. This practice is considered an early example of the muzaraa (sharecropping) system. Another significant event occurred during the Battle of Hayber: A Jewish woman from Hayber named Zaynab bint al-Haris offered the Prophet Muhammad poisoned roasted sheep. As soon as the Prophet took a bite, he noticed the poison and spat it out; however, his companion Bishr b. al-Bara ate from it and died from poisoning. When Zaynab was questioned, she said that her father and husband had been killed in Hayber. [Source: "Hayber", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/hayber; "Battle of Hayber", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/hayber-gazvesi]