Detailed Account

Shortly after the Treaty of Hudaybiyah, the Prophet ﷺ led approximately 1,600 Muslims to confront the Jewish settlements of Khaybar, located about 150 km north of Madinah. This military campaign addressed a serious security threat, as Khaybar had become the center of anti-Muslim activity after the expulsion of the Jewish tribes from Madinah. Its leadership had been instrumental in forming the confederation against Muslims during the Battle of the Trench and continued plotting against the Islamic state. Despite being heavily fortified with multiple strongholds on elevated terrain, the fortresses of Khaybar fell one after another. The most famous incident occurred during the siege of the fortress of Al-Qamus, which had resisted for several days. The Prophet ﷺ announced: 'Tomorrow I will give the banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and whom Allah and His Messenger love. Allah will grant victory under his leadership.' Companions spent the night wondering who would receive this honor. The next morning, the Prophet ﷺ called for Ali ibn Abi Talib, who was suffering from an eye infection. After the Prophet ﷺ applied his saliva to Ali's eyes, healing them miraculously, he handed him the banner. Ali then defeated the Jewish champion Marhab in single combat and led the Muslims to victory. After the conquest, the Prophet ﷺ established a precedent in dealing with conquered agricultural settlements: rather than expelling the inhabitants, he allowed them to remain as tenant farmers, giving half their produce to the Muslim state—an arrangement that optimized land productivity while ensuring state revenue. The spoils included food stores that alleviated the severe hunger Muslims had been experiencing. During this campaign, a Jewish woman named Zaynab bint Al-Harith attempted to assassinate the Prophet ﷺ by poisoning a lamb she presented to him. Though he spat out the poisoned morsel after realizing something was wrong, traces of the poison reportedly contributed to his illness years later.