The Prophet ﷺ marches on Khaibar, a fertile oasis of fortresses 60–80 miles north of Madinah that the book describes as a centre of the alliance against the Muslims. After ‘Ali defeats the champion Marhab, the forts fall one after another. The people of Khaibar are allowed to stay and farm the land in return for half the harvest. Safiyyah, daughter of Huyayy bin Akhtab, taken captive at Khaibar, accepts Islam and the Prophet frees and marries her; Ja’far and the last emigrants return from Abyssinia.
As the book dates it: Muharram, 7 A.H.
Who was there
- AT‘Ali bin Abi TalibThe Prophet’s young cousin, among the very first believers, who slept in his bed on the night of the Hijrah and later married Fatimah.
- MMarhabThe leader of a Khaibar fort who challenged the Muslims to single combat and was killed by ‘Ali.
- SHSafiyyah bint HuyayyDaughter of the Banu an-Nadir leader Huyayy; freed and married after Khaibar in 7 A.H.
- JTJa’far bin Abi Talib‘Ali’s brother, who spoke for the Muslims before the Negus in Abyssinia and fell as a commander at Mu’tah.
- ZZainab bint al-HarithThe woman of Khaibar who served the Prophet ﷺ a poisoned sheep.