Khaybar Fort

Khaybar 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 "Khaybar" is thought to derive from a root meaning "fort" in Hebrew. The Battle of Khaybar took place in the month of Muharram in 7 AH (May 628 AD) after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. Upon returning from Hudaybiyyah, the Muslims were in a state of despair; upon this, Allah revealed the Opening Surah and promised a great victory soon. This victory was Khaybar. Khaybar consisted of a group of forts. The main forts were: Nâim, Kamus (Kamûs), Natât (Netah), Shik, and Ketîbe. In addition, Vatîh and Sulâlim were also among the forts in the region. Each fort was besieged and conquered separately. The Prophet Muhammad brought the Islamic army closer to Khaybar at night; when morning came and the Khaybarites began to go out to the fields, they saw the Islamic army. The Prophet first gave the banner to Hz. Abu Bakr, then to Hz. Umar; both experienced great battles but did not achieve a definitive victory. Upon this, the Prophet said: "I will give this banner tomorrow to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and to whom Allah will grant victory." The next morning, he called Hz. Ali; despite having discomfort in his eyes, the Prophet wiped his eyes with his saliva and gave him the banner. Hz. Ali conquered Kamûs, the strongest fort of Khaybar; during this time, he killed the famous Jewish warrior Merhab in a one-on-one battle. After Kamûs, Netah, Shik, and Ketîbe were conquered in turn; some were taken peacefully, while others were taken by force. After the conquest, the Prophet treated the Jews of Khaybar 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 muzâraa (sharecropping) system. Another significant event occurred during the Battle of Khaybar: A Jewish woman from Khaybar named Zaynab bint al-Haris offered the Prophet a 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-Barâ ate from that meat and died from poisoning. When Zaynab was questioned, she said that her father and husband were killed in Khaybar. [Source: "Khaybar", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/hayber; "Battle of Khaybar", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/hayber-gazvesi]