Chapter: Ghazwa of Khaibar

I went out in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) in the year of Khaibar, and when we reached As Sahba' which is the lower part of Khaibar, the Prophet (ﷺ) offered the `Asr prayer and then asked the people to collect the journey food. Nothing was brought but Sawiq which the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered to be moistened with water, and then he ate it and we also ate it. Then he got up to offer the Maghrib prayer. He washed his mouth, and we too washed our mouths, and then he offered the prayer without repeating his abulution.

We went out to Khaibar in the company of the Prophet. While we were proceeding at night, a man from the group said to 'Amir, "O 'Amir! Won't you let us hear your poetry?" 'Amir was a poet, so he got down and started reciting for the people poetry that kept pace with the camels' footsteps, saying:-- "O Allah! Without You we Would not have been guided On the right path Neither would be have given In charity, nor would We have prayed. So please forgive us, what we have committed (i.e. our defects); let all of us Be sacrificed for Your Cause And send Sakina (i.e. calmness) Upon us to make our feet firm When we meet our enemy, and If they will call us towards An unjust thing, We will refuse. The infidels have made a hue and Cry to ask others' help Against us." The Prophet (ﷺ) on that, asked, "Who is that (camel) driver (reciting poetry)?" The people said, "He is 'Amir bin Al-Akwa`." Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy on him." A man amongst the people said, "O Allah's Prophet! has (martyrdom) been granted to him. Would that you let us enjoy his company longer." Then we reached and besieged Khaibar till we were afflicted with severe hunger. Then Allah helped the Muslims conquer it (i.e. Khaibar). In the evening of the day of the conquest of the city, the Muslims made huge fires. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "What are these fires? For cooking what, are you making the fire?" The people replied, "(For cooking) meat." He asked, "What kind of meat?" They (i.e. people) said, "The meat of donkeys." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Throw away the meat and break the pots!" Some man said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Shall we throw away the meat and wash the pots instead?" He said, "(Yes, you can do) that too." So when the army files were arranged in rows (for the clash), 'Amir's sword was short and he aimed at the leg of a Jew to strike it, but the sharp blade of the sword returned to him and injured his own knee, and that caused him to die. When they returned from the battle, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw me (in a sad mood). He took my hand and said, "What is bothering you?" I replied, "Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you! The people say that the deeds of 'Amir are lost." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever says so, is mistaken, for 'Amir has got a double reward." The Prophet raised two fingers and added, "He (i.e. Amir) was a persevering struggler in the Cause of Allah and there are few 'Arabs who achieved the like of (good deeds) 'Amir had done."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) reached Khaibar at night and it was his habit that, whenever he reached the enemy at night, he will not attack them till it was morning. When it was morning, the Jews came out with their spades and baskets, and when they saw him(i.e. the Prophet (ﷺ) ), they said, "Muhammad! By Allah! Muhammad and his army!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Khaibar is destroyed, for whenever we approach a (hostile) nation (to fight), then evil will be the morning for those who have been warned."

We reached Khaibar early in the morning and the inhabitants of Khaibar came out carrying their spades, and when they saw the Prophet (ﷺ) they said, "Muhammad! By Allah! Muhammad and his army!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allahu-Akbar! Khaibar is destroyed, for whenever we approach a (hostile) nation (to fight) then evil will be the morning for those who have been warned." We then got the meat of donkeys (and intended to eat it), but an announcement was made by the announcer of the Prophet, "Allah and His Apostle forbid you to eat the meat of donkeys as it is an impure thing."

Someone came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)s and said, "The donkeys have been eaten (by the Muslims)." The Prophet kept quiet. Then the man came again and said, "The donkeys have been eaten." The Prophet (ﷺ) kept quiet. The man came to him the third time and said, "The donkeys have been consumed." On that the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered an announcer to announce to the people, "Allah and His Apostle forbid you to eat the meat of donkeys." Then the cooking pots were upset while the meat was still boiling in them.

The Prophet (ﷺ) offered the Fajr Prayer near Khaibar when it was still dark and then said, "Allahu-Akbar! Khaibar is destroyed, for whenever we approach a (hostile) nation (to fight), then evil will be the morning for those who have been warned." Then the inhabitants of Khaibar came out running on the roads. The Prophet (ﷺ) had their warriors killed, their offspring and woman taken as captives. Safiya was amongst the captives, She first came in the share of Dahya Alkali but later on she belonged to the Prophet. The Prophet (ﷺ) made her manumission as her 'Mahr'.

Anas bin Malik said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) took Safiya as a captive. He manumitted her and married her." Thabit asked Anas, "What did he give her as Mahr (i.e. marriage gift)?" Anas replied. "Her Mahr was herself, for he manumitted her."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (and his army) encountered the pagans and the two armies.,, fought and then Allah's Apostle returned to his army camps and the others (i.e. the enemy) returned to their army camps. Amongst the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) there was a man who could not help pursuing any single isolated pagan to strike him with his sword. Somebody said, "None has benefited the Muslims today more than so-and-so." On that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "He is from the people of the Hell-Fire certainly." A man amongst the people (i.e. Muslims) said, "I will accompany him (to know the fact)." So he went along with him, and whenever he stopped he stopped with him, and whenever he hastened, he hastened with him. The (brave) man then got wounded severely, and seeking to die at once, he planted his sword into the ground and put its point against his chest in between his breasts, and then threw himself on it and committed suicide. On that the person (who was accompanying the deceased all the time) came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Why is that (what makes you say so)?" He said "It is concerning the man whom you have already mentioned as one of the dwellers of the Hell-Fire. The people were surprised by your statement, and I said to them, "I will try to find out the truth about him for you." So I went out after him and he was then inflicted with a severe wound and because of that, he hurried to bring death upon himself by planting the handle of his sword into the ground and directing its tip towards his chest between his breasts, and then he threw himself over it and committed suicide." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) then said, "A man may do what seem to the people as the deeds of the dwellers of Paradise but he is from the dwellers of the Hell-Fire and another may do what seem to the people as the deeds of the dwellers of the Hell- Fire, but he is from the dwellers of Paradise."

We witnessed (the battle of) Khaibar. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said about one of those who were with him and who claimed to be a Muslim. "This (man) is from the dwellers of the Hell-Fire." When the battle started, that fellow fought so violently and bravely that he received plenty of wounds. Some of the people were about to doubt (the Prophet's statement), but the man, feeling the pain of his wounds, put his hand into his quiver and took out of it, some arrows with which he slaughtered himself (i.e. committed suicide). Then some men amongst the Muslims came hurriedly and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Allah has made your statement true so-and-so has committed suicide. "The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O so-and-so! Get up and make an announcement that none but a believer will enter Paradise and that Allah may support the religion with an unchaste (evil) wicked man.

When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) fought the battle of Khaibar, or when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went towards it, (whenever) the people, (passed over a high place overlooking a valley, they raised their voices saying, "Allahu-Akbar! Allahu-Akbar! None has the right to be worshipped except Allah." On that Allah's Apostle said (to them), "Lower your voices, for you are not calling a deaf or an absent one, but you are calling a Hearer Who is near and is with you." I was behind the riding animal of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he heard me saying. "There Is neither might, nor power but with Allah," On that he said to me, "O `Abdullah bin Qais!" I said, "Labbaik. O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" He said, "Shall I tell you a sentence which is one of the treasures of Paradise" I said, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Let my father and mother be sacrificed for your sake." He said, "It is: There is neither might nor power but with Allah."

I saw the trace of a wound in Salama's leg. I said to him, "O Abu Muslim! What is this wound?" He said, "This was inflicted on me on the day of Khaibar and the people said, 'Salama has been wounded.' Then I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he puffed his saliva in it (i.e. the wound) thrice., and since then I have not had any pain in it till this hour."

During one of his Ghazawat, the Prophet (ﷺ) encountered the pagans, and the two armies fought, and then each of them returned to their army camps. Amongst the (army of the) Muslims there was a man who would follow every pagan separated from the army and strike him with his sword. It was said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! None has fought so satisfactorily as so-and-so (namely, that brave Muslim). "The Prophet said, "He is from the dwellers of the Hell-Fire." The people said, "Who amongst us will be of the dwellers of Paradise if this (man) is from the dwellers of the Hell-Fire?" Then a man from amongst the people said, "I will follow him and accompany him in his fast and slow movements." The (brave) man got wounded, and wanting to die at once, he put the handle of his sword on the ground and its tip in between his breasts, and then threw himself over it, committing suicide. Then the man (who had watched the deceased) returned to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "I testify that you are Apostle of Allah." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "What is this?" The man told him the whole story. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A man may do what may seem to the people as the deeds of the dwellers of Paradise, but he is of the dwellers of the Hell-Fire and a man may do what may seem to the people as the deeds of the dwellers of the Hell-Fire, but he is from the dwellers of Paradise."

Anas looked at the people wearing Tailsans (i.e. a special kind of head covering worn by Jews in old days). On that Anas said, "At this moment they (i.e. those people) look like the Jews of Khaibar."

`Ali remained behind the Prophet (ﷺ) during the Ghazwa of Khaibar as he was suffering from eye trouble. He then said, "(How can) I remain behind the Prophet (ﷺ)," and followed him. So when he slept on the night of the conquest of Khaibar, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I will give the flag tomorrow, or tomorrow the flag will be taken by a man who is loved by Allah and His Apostle, and (Khaibar) will be conquered through him, (with Allah's help)" While every one of us was hopeful to have the flag, it was said, "Here is `Ali" and the Prophet (ﷺ) gave him the flag and Khaibar was conquered through him (with Allah's Help).

On the day of Khaibar, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Tomorrow I will give this flag to a man through whose hands Allah will give us victory. He loves Allah and His Apostle, and he is loved by Allah and His Apostle." The people remained that night, wondering as to who would be given it. In the morning the people went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and everyone of them was hopeful to receive it (i.e. the flag). The Prophet said, "Where is `Ali bin Abi Talib?" It was said, "He is suffering from eye trouble O Allah's Apostle." He said, "Send for him." `Ali was brought and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) spat in his eye and invoked good upon him. So `Ali was cured as if he never had any trouble. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) gave him the flag. `Ali said "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I will fight with them till they become like us." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Proceed and do not hurry. When you enter their territory, call them to embrace Islam and inform them of Allah's Rights which they should observe, for by Allah, even if a single man is led on the right path (of Islam) by Allah through you, then that will be better for you than the nice red camels.

We arrived at Khaibar, and when Allah helped His Apostle to open the fort, the beauty of Safiya bint Huyai bin Akhtaq whose husband had been killed while she was a bride, was mentioned to Allah's Apostle. The Prophet (ﷺ) selected her for himself, and set out with her, and when we reached a place called Sidd-as-Sahba,' Safiya became clean from her menses then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) married her. Hais (i.e. an 'Arabian dish) was prepared on a small leather mat. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, "I invite the people around you." So that was the marriage banquet of the Prophet (ﷺ) and Safiya. Then we proceeded towards Medina, and I saw the Prophet, making for her a kind of cushion with his cloak behind him (on his camel). He then sat beside his camel and put his knee for Safiya to put her foot on, in order to ride (on the camel).

The Prophet (ﷺ) stayed with Safiya bint Huyai for three days on the way of Khaibar where he consummated his marriage with her. Safiya was amongst those who were ordered to use a veil.

The Prophet (ﷺ) stayed for three rights between Khaibar and Medina and was married to Safiya. I invited the Muslim to h s marriage banquet and there wa neither meat nor bread in that banquet but the Prophet ordered Bilal to spread the leather mats on which dates, dried yogurt and butter were put. The Muslims said amongst themselves, "Will she (i.e. Safiya) be one of the mothers of the believers, (i.e. one of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) ) or just (a lady captive) of what his right-hand possesses" Some of them said, "If the Prophet (ﷺ) makes her observe the veil, then she will be one of the mothers of the believers (i.e. one of the Prophet's wives), and if he does not make her observe the veil, then she will be his lady slave." So when he departed, he made a place for her behind him (on his and made her observe the veil.

While we were besieging Khaibar, a person threw a leather container containing some fat and I ran to take it. Suddenly I looked behind, and behold! The Prophet (ﷺ) was there. So I felt shy (to take it then).

On the day of Khaiber, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the eating of garlic and the meat of donkeys.

On the day of Khaibar, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the Mut'a (i.e. temporary marriage) and the eating of donkey-meat.

On the day of Khaibar, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the eating of donkey meat.

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the eating of donkey-meat.

On the day of Khaibar, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the eating of donkey meat and allowed the eating of horse meat.

We where afflicted with severe hunger on the day of Khaibar. While the cooking pots were boiling and some of the food was well-cooked, the announcer of the Prophet (ﷺ) came to say, "Do not eat anything the donkey-meat and upset the cooking pots." We then thought that the Prophet (ﷺ) had prohibited such food because the Khumus had not been taken out of it. Some others said, "He prohibited the meat of donkeys from the point of view of principle, because donkeys used to eat dirty things."

That when they were in the company of the Prophet, they got some donkeys which they (slaughtered and) cooked. Then the announcer of the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Turn the cooking pots upside down (i.e. throw out the meat).

On the day of Khaibar when the cooking pots were put on the fire, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Turn the cooking pots upside down."

During the Ghazwa of Khaibar, the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered us to throw away the meat of the donkeys whether it was still raw or cooked. He did not allow us to eat it later on.

I do not know whether the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade the eating of donkey-meat (temporarily) because they were the beasts of burden for the people, and he disliked that their means of transportation should be lost, or he forbade it on the day of Khaibar permanently.

On the day of Khaibar, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) divided (the war booty of Khaibar) with the ratio of two shares for the horse and one-share for the foot soldier. (The sub-narrator, Nafi` explained this, saying, "If a man had a horse, he was given three shares and if he had no horse, then he was given one share.")

`Uthman bin `Affan and I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "You had given Banu Al-Muttalib from the Khumus of Khaibar's booty and left us in spite of the fact that we and Banu Al-Muttalib are similarly related to you." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib only are one and the same." So the Prophet (ﷺ) did not give anything to Banu `Abd Shams and Banu Nawfal.

The news of the migration of the Prophet (from Mecca to Medina) reached us while we were in Yemen. So we set out as emigrants towards him. We were (three) I and my two brothers. I was the youngest of them, and one of the two was Abu Burda, and the other, Abu Ruhm, and our total number was either 53 or 52 men from my people. We got on board a boat and our boat took us to Negus in Ethiopia. There we met Ja`far bin Abi Talib and stayed with him. Then we all came (to Medina) and met the Prophet (ﷺ) at the time of the conquest of Khaibar. Some of the people used to say to us, namely the people of the ship, "We have migrated before you." Asma' bint 'Umais who was one of those who had come with us, came as a visitor to Hafsa, the wife the Prophet (ﷺ). She had migrated along with those other Muslims who migrated to Negus. `Umar came to Hafsa while Asma' bint 'Umais was with her. `Umar, on seeing Asma,' said, "Who is this?" She said, "Asma' bint 'Umais," `Umar said, "Is she the Ethiopian? Is she the sea-faring lady?" Asma' replied, "Yes." `Umar said, "We have migrated before you (people of the boat), so we have got more right than you over Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) " On that Asma' became angry and said, "No, by Allah, while you were with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who was feeding the hungry ones amongst you, and advised the ignorant ones amongst you, we were in the far-off hated land of Ethiopia, and all that was for the sake of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). By Allah, I will neither eat any food nor drink anything till I inform Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) of all that you have said. There we were harmed and frightened. I will mention this to the Prophet (ﷺ) and will not tell a lie or curtail your saying or add something to it."

Abu Musa said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I recognize the voice of the group of Al- Ashariyun, when they recite the Qur'an, when they enter their homes at night, and I recognize their houses by (listening) to their voices when they are reciting the Qur'an at night although I have not seen their houses when they came to them during the day time. Amongst them is Hakim who, on meeting the cavalry or the enemy, used to say to them (i.e. the enemy). My companions order you to wait for them.' "

We came upon the Prophet (ﷺ) after he had conquered Khaibar. He then gave us a share (from the booty), but apart from us he did not give to anybody else who did not attend the Conquest.

When we conquered Khaibar, we gained neither gold nor silver as booty, but we gained cows, camels, goods and gardens. Then we departed with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to the valley of Al-Qira, and at that time Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had a slave called Mid`am who had been presented to him by one of Banu Ad-Dibbab. While the slave was dismounting the saddle of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) an arrow the thrower of which was unknown, came and hit him. The people said, "Congratulations to him for the martyrdom." Allah's Apostle said, "No, by Him in Whose Hand my soul is, the sheet (of cloth) which he had taken (illegally) on the day of Khaibar from the booty before the distribution of the booty, has become a flame of Fire burning him." On hearing that, a man brought one or two leather straps of shoes to the Prophet and said, "These are things I took (illegally)." On that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "This is a strap, or these are two straps of Fire."

By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, were I not afraid that the other Muslims might be left in poverty, I would divide (the land of) whatever village I may conquer (among the fighters), as the Prophet (ﷺ) divided the land of Khaibar. But I prefer to leave it as a (source of) a common treasury for them to distribute it revenue amongst themselves.

But for the other Muslims (i.e. coming generations) I would divide (the land of) whatever villages the Muslims might conquer (among the fighters), as the Prophet (ﷺ) divided (the land of) Khaibar.

Abu Huraira came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked him (for a share from the Khaibar booty). On that, one of the sons of Sa`id bin Al-`As said to him, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Do not give him." Abu Huraira then said (to the Prophet (ﷺ) ) "This is the murderer of Ibn Qauqal." Sa`id's son said, "How strange! A guinea pig coming from Qadum Ad-Dan!"

Aban bin Sa`id came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and greeted him. Abu Huraira said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! This (Aban) is the murderer of the Ibn Qauqal." (On hearing that), Aban said to Abu Huraira, "How strange your saying is! You, a guinea pig, descending from Qadum Dan, blaming me for (killing) a person whom Allah favored (with martyrdom) with my hand, and whom He forbade to degrade me with his hand.'

Fatima the daughter of the Prophet (ﷺ) sent someone to Abu Bakr (when he was a caliph), asking for her inheritance of what Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had left of the property bestowed on him by Allah from the Fai (i.e. booty gained without fighting) in Medina, and Fadak, and what remained of the Khumus of the Khaibar booty. On that, Abu Bakr said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Our property is not inherited. Whatever we leave, is Sadaqa, but the family of (the Prophet) Muhammad can eat of this property.' By Allah, I will not make any change in the state of the Sadaqa of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and will leave it as it was during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and will dispose of it as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to do." So Abu Bakr refused to give anything of that to Fatima. So she became angry with Abu Bakr and kept away from him, and did not task to him till she died. She remained alive for six months after the death of the Prophet. When she died, her husband `Ali, buried her at night without informing Abu Bakr and he said the funeral prayer by himself. When Fatima was alive, the people used to respect `Ali much, but after her death, `Ali noticed a change in the people's attitude towards him. So `Ali sought reconciliation with Abu Bakr and gave him an oath of allegiance. `Ali had not given the oath of allegiance during those months (i.e. the period between the Prophet's death and Fatima's death). `Ali sent someone to Abu Bakr saying, "Come to us, but let nobody come with you," as he disliked that `Umar should come, `Umar said (to Abu Bakr), "No, by Allah, you shall not enter upon them alone " Abu Bakr said, "What do you think they will do to me? By Allah, I will go to them' So Abu Bakr entered upon them, and then `Ali uttered Tashah-hud and said (to Abu Bakr), "We know well your superiority and what Allah has given you, and we are not jealous of the good what Allah has bestowed upon you, but you did not consult us in the question of the rule and we thought that we have got a right in it because of our near relationship to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)." Thereupon Abu Bakr's eyes flowed with tears. And when Abu Bakr spoke, he said, "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is to keep good relations with the relatives of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) is dearer to me than to keep good relations with my own relatives. But as for the trouble which arose between me and you about his property, I will do my best to spend it according to what is good, and will not leave any rule or regulation which I saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) following, in disposing of it, but I will follow." On that `Ali said to Abu Bakr, "I promise to give you the oath of allegiance in this after noon." So when Abu Bakr had offered the Zuhr prayer, he ascended the pulpit and uttered the Tashah-hud and then mentioned the story of `Ali and his failure to give the oath of allegiance, and excused him, accepting what excuses he had offered; Then `Ali (got up) and praying (to Allah) for forgiveness, he uttered Tashah-hud, praised Abu Bakr's right, and said, that he had not done what he had done because of jealousy of Abu Bakr or as a protest of that Allah had favored him with. `Ali added, "But we used to consider that we too had some right in this affair (of rulership) and that he (i.e. Abu Bakr) did not consult us in this matter, and therefore caused us to feel sorry." On that all the Muslims became happy and said, "You have done the right thing." The Muslims then became friendly with `Ali as he returned to what the people had done (i.e. giving the oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr).

When Khaibar was conquered, we said, "Now we will eat our fill of dates!"

We did not eat our fill except after we had conquered Khaibar.