Khaybar Fortress-4

Khaybar is an ancient Jewish settlement located about 165-180 km north of Medina, situated on the Medina-Syria road and home to some of the most fertile date palm groves in history. The name "Khaybar" is thought to derive from a root meaning fortress in Hebrew. The Khaybar Expedition took place in the month of Muharram in 628 CE (May 628) after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. Upon returning from Hudaybiyyah, Muslims were in a state of distress; in response, Allah revealed Surah Al-Fath and promised a great victory soon. This victory was Khaybar. Khaybar consisted of a community of fortresses. The main fortresses were: Naim, Kamus, Natat, Shiq, and Katibah. Additionally, Watih and Sulalim were among the fortresses in the region. Each fortress was besieged and conquered separately. The Prophet Muhammad brought the Islamic army close to Khaybar at night; when morning came and the people of Khaybar began to go out to the fields, they saw the Islamic army. The Prophet first gave the banner to Abu Bakr, then to Umar; both faced great battles but did not achieve a decisive victory. The Prophet then 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 Ali; despite having discomfort in his eyes, the Prophet applied his saliva to Ali's eyes and gave him the banner. Ali conquered Kamus, the strongest fortress of Khaybar; during this time, he killed the famous Jewish warrior Merhab in single combat. Following Kamus, Natat, Shiq, and Katibah were also conquered in succession; 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 homes; then, becoming even more lenient, he permitted them to stay on the condition that they leave half of their harvest to themselves. This practice is considered an early example of the muzara'a (sharecropping) system. Another significant event occurred during the Khaybar Expedition: a Jewish woman from Khaybar named Zaynab bint al-Harith offered the Prophet poisoned roasted sheep. As soon as the Prophet took a bite, he noticed the poison and spat it out; however, his companion Bishr ibn al-Bara ate from it and died from poisoning. When Zaynab was interrogated, she stated that her father and husband had been killed in Khaybar. [Source: "Khaybar", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/hayber; "Khaybar Expedition", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/hayber-gazvesi]