The Battle of Khyber
· This Battle took place on Muharram 7 A.H
·
The leader Of the Muslims The Holy Prophet (SAW)
·
The leader of the
Polytheist: Marhab
·
The Muslim Army: 1600
· The enemies were Jews of Khyber
· Causalities: The
enemy was surrendered. 17 Muslims were martyred and 93
Jews were killed.
Location of Khyber
Khyber is a township 90 miles north of Medina, in a harra or
volcanic tract, well-watered with many springs issuing forth from its basaltic
rocks. It is
the valley full of flowers and dates. It has an excellent irrigation system
and produces rich harvests of dates and grain.
Long before the time
of the Prophet (SAW), the valley of Khyber and other valleys in its north and south
were populated by the Jews. these Jews were not only the best farmers of the
country, they were also well versed in industry and business, and they enjoyed
a monopoly of the armaments industry.
In the times of the
Prophet (SAW), the best arsenals of Arabia were all in Khyber. Those Jews who
had been exiled from Medina, had also resettled in Khyber, and they were noted
for their skills in metallurgy. They had learned the art of making weapons used
in the warfare. They made fine bronze armor, beaten and burnished, with helmets
to match and gleaming swords.
Khyber is a central point of Jews where they built many strong
castles; nine castles are prominent. Some famous castles names are Salalim,
Al-Qamos, Al-Wateh, Naham, Zubair and nataat. Al-Qamors is famous because of
its power and strength and strongest of all castles. Protection of this castle
was under a wrestler known as Marhab. Some of the people of Banu Nadeer Tribe
also lived in Khyber along with Jews.
Their three leaders were succeeded in establishing their leadership. Hai bin
Aktab was the leader who made problems in way of Prophet (SAW) until he was
murdered in Gazwa Bnu Kareza. Jews of Khyber mixed
up with FADAK Jews, they also persuaded Ghatafan tribe to join them. On the
other hand Prophet’s (SAW) army was not so strong to face upcoming battle. When
the battle begins Muslims prevent Ghatafan allies. Some mysterious voice came
towards Ghatafan and warned about the danger. So they return to their homes and
Muslims succeeded.
Main cause of this
Battle
The Jews of Khyber also heard about the Treaty of Hudaybiyah
and its terms. Just as the Quraysh in Makkah and some other “hawks” among the
Muslims in Medina had interpreted the treaty as the “surrender” of the Muslims,
so also did the Jews of Khyber consider it a symptom of the emerging decline of
the power of the State of Medina?
Banking on this theory of “decline,” they began to instigate
the Arab tribes between Khyber and Medina to attack the Muslims. One of these
tribes was the Ghatafan, the allies of the Jews of Khyber.
They began to send their raiding expeditions into the
pastures around Medina. One of these pastures belonged to the Prophet himself.
On one occasion, the son of Abu Dharr el-Ghiffari was grazing the camels of the
Prophet when the Ghatafan struck. They killed him, and captured his mother who
was with him, and they drove with them the herd of camels. The Muslims,
however, were able, just in time, to overtake the marauders and to rescue the
wife of Abu Dharr el-Ghiffari.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) decided to eradicate
these gratuitous provocation. He thought that it would not be prudent to wait
until the Jews and their allies laid another siege to Medina, and that it would
be better to forestall them. He, therefore, ordered the Muslims to mobilize,
and to march on Khyber.
Departure from
Madina
In Jamadi ul Awwal, 7 AH, September 628 AD the Prophet (SAW)
left Medina with 1600 companions. Some Muslim women also accompanied the army
to work as nurses and to give first aid to the wounded and the sick.
Khyber had eight fortresses. The strongest and the most
important of them all was the fortress of al-Qamus. The commander of its
garrison was a famous champion called Merhab. He had, under his command, the
best fighting men of Khyber, and they were the best-equipped soldiers of the
time in all Arabia. Muhammad
Husayn Haykal write in the book “the life of Muhammad (SAW)”, The campaign of Khaybar was one of the greatest.
The masses of Jews living in Khaybar were the strongest, the richest, and the
best equipped for war of all the peoples of Arabia.
The Muslims, however,
were able to capture all the fortresses of Khyber except al-Qamus which proved
to be impregnable. The Holyy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) send Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA)
on one occasion, and Hazrat Umar (RA) on another, with hand-picked warriors, to
attempt the conquest of al-Qamus. Both made the attempt and both failed. Some
other captains also tried to capture the fortress but they also failed. These
repeated failures began to undermine the morale of the army.
Muhammad (SAW) realized that something dramatic had to be
done to restore the wilting morale of the Muslims, and immediately. And when
one more attempt to capture al-Qamus had also aborted, his mind was made up,
and he declared: “Tomorrow I shall give the banner of Islam to a hero who loves
God and His Apostle, and God and His Apostle love him. He is one who attacks
the enemy but does not run, and he will conquer Khyber.”
The companions knew that the prediction of the Messenger of
God would come true, and that Khyber would be conquered on the following day.
Every one of them, therefore, became a candidate for the glory and honor of
conquering it. Many of them were kept awake all night by the ambition to become
“the beloved of God and His Apostle,” and to become the hero who would capture
Khyber.
On the following morning, the companions gathered in front
of the tent of the Prophet (SAW). Each of them was decked out in martial array,
and was competing with others in looking the most impressive figure.
Presently, the Messenger of God came out of his tent, and
the vast throng began to show signs of restlessness. Each of the companions
tried to make himself more conspicuous than others in the hope of catching the
eye of the master. But the latter didn't appear to notice any of them and only
posed one question: “Where is Ali?”
Hazrat Ali (RA) at this time was in his tent. He knew that
if he was the “beloved of God and His Apostle,” then he, and no one else would
capture the fortress of al-Qamus. The Prophet sent for him.
When Hazrat Ali (RA) came, the Prophet (SAW) solemnly placed
the banner of Islam in his hand. He invoked God's blessings upon him, prayed for
his victory, and bade him farewell. The young hero then advanced toward the
most formidable fortress in all Arabia where the bravest of the Hebrew warriors
were awaiting him. He fought against them all, overcame them, and planted the
banner of Islam on its main tower.
When the conqueror returned to the camp, the
Messenger of God greeted him with smiles, kisses and embraces, and prayed to
God to bestow His best rewards upon His lion.
Encounter with
Marhab
Arabian writers dwell with fond exaggeration on the exploits
of Khyber, of this their favorite hero. He was dressed, they say, in a scarlet
vest, over which was buckled a cuirass of steel. Scrambling with his followers
up the great heap of stones in front of the breach, he planted the standard on
the top, determined never to recede until the citadel was taken. The Jews
sallied forth to drive down the assailants.
In the conflict which followed, Hazrat Ali (RA) fought hand
to hand with the Jewish commander, Al-Hareth, whom he slew. The brother of the
slain advanced to revenge his death. He was of gigantic stature; with a double
cuirass, a double turban, wound round a helmet of proof, in front of which
sparked an immense diamond.
He had a sword girt to each side, and brandished a
three-pronged spear, like a trident. The warriors measured each other with the
eye, and accosted each other in boasting oriental style. “I,” said the Jew, “am
Merhab, armed at all points, and terrible in battle.” “And I am Ali, whom his
mother, at his birth, surnamed Al-Haider (the rugged lion).
The Moslem writers make short work of the Jewish champion.
He made a thrust at Ali with his three pronged lance, but it was dexterously
parried; and before he could recover himself, a blow from the scimitar,
Dhu'l-Fiqar divided his buckler, passed through the helm of proof, through
double turban, and stubborn skull, cleaving his head even to his teeth. His
gigantic form fell lifeless to the earth.
The Jews now retreated into the citadel, and a general
assault took place. In the heat of the action the shield of Hazrat Ali (RA) was
detached from his arm, leaving his body exposed; wrenching a gate, however,
from its pivots, he used it as a buckler through the remainder of the fight.
Abu Rafe, a servant of Mohammed (SAW), testified to the
fact: “I afterwards,” says he, “examined this gate in company with seven men
and all eight of us attempted in vain to wield it.”
The conquest of Khyber is a landmark in the history of Islam
as it is the beginning of the Islamic State and Empire. M. Shibli Nomani, says
in his biography of the Prophet (SAW):
· Khyber was the first campaign in which non-Muslims were made
the subjects of the Islamic State. It was the first time that the principles of
government in Islam were defined and applied. Therefore, Khyber is the first
successful campaign of Islam.
· At Khyber, the nascent Islamic State acquired new subjects
and new territories. It was the beginning, not only of the Islamic State but
also of its expansion. If the conquest of Khyber is the beginning of the Islamic
State, then Ali ibn Abi Talib, its conqueror, is its principal architect.
· Before the conquest of Khyber, the Muslims were destitute or
semi-destitutes. Khyber suddenly made them rich. Imam Bukhari has quoted
Abdullah bin Umar bin al-Khattab as saying: “We were hungry at all times until
the conquest of Khyber.” And the same authority has quoted Ayesha, the wife of
the Prophet, as saying: “It was not until the conquest of Khyber that I could
eat dates to my heart's content.”
· The Muhajireen in Medina had no means of making a living and
therefore had no steady income. They had barely managed to survive until the
conquest of Khyber. Once Khyber was conquered, there was a sudden change in
their fortunes.
The conquest of Khyber conferred unlimited benefits upon the
Muslims; some of them were:
1. Immense quantities
of gold and silver that the Jews had been accumulating for many generations.
2.The finest arsenals
of Arabia containing the newest weapons of the times such as swords, spears,
lances, maces, shields, armor, bows and arrows.
3. Vast herds of horses,
camels and cattle, and flocks of sheep and goats.
4. Rich arable lands
with palm groves.
The Estate of Fadak
Fadak was another Jewish settlement near Khyber. The people
of Fadak voluntarily sent their representatives to the Prophet (SAW) offering
to negotiate the terms of surrender. He (SAW) accepted their offer of
surrender, and gave them the right to stay on their lands as subjects of the
Islamic State. Fadak was acquired in this manner without any effort on the part
of the army of the Muslims. It was, therefore, considered to be the private
property of the Prophet (SAW).
The arrival of Hazrat Jaafer ibn Abi Talib (RA)
Hazrat Muhammad (SAW), the Messenger of God, was still in
Khyber when his cousin, Jaafer ibn Abi Talib, returned from Abyssinia after an
absence of nearly fourteen years. When Jaafer learned in Medina that his master
was in Khyber, he at once headed there. By a coincidence, his arrival in
Khyber, synchronized with the capture of the fortress of Al-Qamus by his
brother, Ali. Muhammad loved Jaafer as his own son. He threw his arms around
him and said: “I do not know what makes me more happy; the conquest of Khyber
or the return of Jaafer.”
