BISMILLAH IR RAHMAN IR RAHEEM THE BATTLE OF KHYBAR by Khadeijah Stephens copyrighted 2000 by The Mosque of the Internet and Khadeijah Stephens www.mosque.com TERMS OF PUBLICATION AND DISTRIBUTION The Mosque of the Internet grants permission to Islamic schools, organizations or Muslim individuals to download, copy, print, publish, record and/or distribute this story either for profit or non-profit without reimbursement to the Mosque of the Internet providing the following six conditions are complied with in full and without exception. The Mosque of the Internet owns and retains the copyright of this story and no other person/s, school, organization or individual etc., owns or has any right or claim to the copyright. No alterations whatsoever are made. Reference to The Mosque of the Internet with its internet address www.mosque.com appears on the front cover. Should artwork be included in its publication the artwork must conform with Islamic principles, for example no drawings of human beings. The Mosque of the Internet is informed of its publication and ten copies of the published book sent to the Mosque of the Internet. If any of these conditions are not met then all previously mentioned permission/s are automatically revoked and legal action will be taken to the maximum extent of the copyright infringement jurisdiction law in the State of Delaware, USA will be sought. BACKGROUND: THE JEWS OF KHYBAR For many years, the Jews of Khybar had been hostile toward the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, and his followers. Only months before their tribesmen joined Huyay from the tribe of Nadir and incited the Koraysh to rise up against the Prophet. Following this was the attempt to ensure the Koraysh victory at the Battle of the Trench when they bribed the pagan Arab tribe of Ghatafan with one third of their date harvest in return for their support. However, in more recent days they procured the services of Labid, and his daughters, "The Blowers on Knots" famed for their magic, in an attempt to murder the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. Once again their attempt failed and it was at that time that Allah sent down the following verses of protection to the His Prophet: "Say: 'I take refuge with the Lord of Daybreak from the evil of what He has created, from the evil of the darkness when it gathers from the evil of blowers on knots; from the evil of the envier when he envies.'" Koran, Chapter 113 When news reached the Khybarites that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, and the Koraysh had signed a ten year peace treaty between them, the Jews were devastated for they knew the Koraysh would no longer pursue or assist them in their goal to bring about the Prophet's downfall. The Jews of Khybar were known to be particularly wealthy and their circumstances, in recent years, was further enhanced upon the arrival of their exiled relatives from the tribe of Nadir. Such was the extent of their wealth that the community of Khybar might well have been considered the most wealthy of tribes of Arabia. This in itself presented a source of danger to the existence of the Muslims as the Jews had already shown their ability and willingness to use their wealth against them. To ensure the future safety of the Muslims it was evident that something had to be done about Khybar, attempts to live peacefully with the Jews through alliances had been drawn up, agreed upon, then broken by them and tossed to the wind; there was only one course left open to the Muslims and that was to quell their resistance. THE MARCH TO KHYBAR It was the policy of the Prophet never to divulge his plans until the last moment so that he might retain an element of surprise. However, news reached their new allies, the Koraysh, who paid close attention to the scene about to unfold in the hope that the tribes of Khybar would succeed where they had failed. The fortifications around Khybar were exceptionally strong so when the Jews learned of the pending attack they were not particularly perturbed and discounted the possibility of being routed. However, they did contact their brethren at Wadi l-Kura who had also built strong fortresses to protect themselves and agreed to support one another should the need arise. The confidence of the Khybar chieftains was such that they did not concern themselves with bothering their Arab allies of the Ghatafan for support until the very last minute, when one of their chieftains, named Kinanah, learned that the Prophet and his army had set out from Medina. Once again the Jews offered the Ghatafan a handsome bribe and four thousand from the Ghatafan prepared themselves in readiness to lend their support to the already ten thousand strong Jewish army against the relatively small army of just one thousand, six hundred Muslims. THE CLOAK OF ABU ABS: Poverty was commonplace among the Muslims, and those who had accompanied the Prophet on the pilgrimage had spent much on their sacrificial camels and robes. Shortly before the Muslims were due to embark on their march, Abu Abs from the tribe of Aws went to the Prophet and told him of his plight. He had been able to secure a camel but his clothes were in tatters and he had no money to leave with his family for food, nor yet to buy provisions for the journey. It was the custom of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, never to keep the gifts he had been given, rather, he would distribute whatever came his way to the needy and it so happened that he had been given a fine cloak so he gave it to Abu Abs. Abu Abs was delighted, but instead of keeping it he sold it and with its proceeds bought a cloak of lessor quality, some food for his family and journey. As the Muslims rode to Khybar, the Prophet chanced to see Abu Abs wearing his new cloak so he asked what he had done with the cloak he had given him. When he learned of Abu Abs' action he was well pleased and told him that if he lived long enough he would indeed have more than enough to suffice his needs, indeed, he told him, that he would have so much that it would not be good for him. THE SONG OF IBN AL AKWA: As the journey progressed, the Prophet called upon ibn Al Akwa, a man from the tribe of Aslam, known for his melodious, sweet, voice, and asked him to encourage the camels by singing to them; for camels respond well the sound of a sweet voice. Amongst the many songs he sang were the words the Prophet had taught them as they dug the trench around Medina: "Allah, except for You we would never have been guided, nor yet given charity, nor prayed Your prayer." When ibn Al Akwa finished singing, the Prophet supplicated saying: "May Allah have mercy upon you." Whereupon Omar commented: "You have made it a certainty, O Messenger of Allah, how I wish we could have enjoyed his voice longer." Omar, like many others, had observed that once the Prophet supplicated for the Mercy of Allah upon a particular person, that person was destined for martyrdom. Among those accompanying the army were several ladies whose intention was to care for the wounded. They were Lady Umm Salamah, Safiyah, sister of the martyred Hamza, Umm Ayman, the childhood nurse of the Prophet, Nusaybah and Umm Sulaym both of whom had tended to the wounded at the Battle of Uhud. THE DATE GROVES OF KHYBAR: Two and a half days had now passed, and as evening approached the Prophet called upon a guide to take him nearer to the fortifications, for it was his plan to position his army between the inhabitants of the fortresses and the Ghatafan whose arrival was anticipated. The night was dark and all was still behind the ramparts; no one detected their presence so they were able to get as far as the clearing that lay in front of the ramparts, then return undetected to the camp. As dawn approached, the Prophet and his followers offered their prayers and as the sun spread its rays, they saw the fields and date groves beyond which were the fortresses. Not long after, the farmers came out from the fortresses to tend to their land and were panic stricken as they caught sight of the Prophet's army. The farmers dropped their tools and fled back to the fortresses to raise the alarm whereupon the Prophet exalted Allah, saying: "Allah is the Greatest, Khybar is crushed!" Then he recited: "When it descends upon their courtyards, evil will be the morning of those forewarned." Koran, chapter 37 verse 117 THE ATTACK ON KHYBAR As the alarm was raised, the Jewish chieftains met hastily to discuss their course of action. All except one felt their fortresses were strong enough to ward-off the attack. However, the Prophet knew well from a previous Revelation, that despite their numbers, their hearts would be divided. The Revelation was fulfilled yet again as each party chose to defend themselves in individual groups. Outside the fortifications, the small Muslim army stood as one in readiness with heart, mind, body and soul, trusting, loving and fearing Allah rather than being terrified by what would have appeared to the unbeliever as a daunting army of first rate archers protected by their fortifications. The order was given and the first assault was launched upon the fortress nearest to them. The Jews remained behind the fortress walls, some busied themselves strengthening its weaker parts whilst the remainder engaged themselves showering bevies of arrows down upon the Muslims from the ramparts. Never before had the Muslims faced such ferocity, and the ladies accompanying them were kept busy tending the wounded. THE SPY: The battle raged for five days and nothing gained. One night during Omar's command, a spy infiltrated the Muslim camp and was caught then brought before Omar. The man feared for his life and offered to give Omar information if he would spare him. Omar accepted and the Jew told him that there was another fortress less well guarded than the one they were attacking and that its strongholds housed an arsenal of weapons, amongst which were those used to breach the walls of fortresses. The next day, Omar launched an attack on the less well guarded fortress and Allah blessed the Muslims with success; the fortress fell. As they searched its strongholds, and cellars they found the information they had been given to be accurate as their eyes fell upon not only an arsenal of hand weapons but a large catapult strong enough to hurl heavy rocks at the fortress walls and two long, strong shields under which several men could walk and get close to the fortress walls without being harmed. THE GHATAFAN: The four thousand strong tribe of Ghatafan set out upon their march to Khybar intending to support their allies. At nightfall, after their first day's march, they struck camp and settled themselves down to sleep, however, they had little rest because during the night a strange, urgent voice was heard calling to them saying: "Your people, your people, your people!" They were very startled and looked around them but were unable to detect whether the voice came from the heavens or the earth. All manner of thoughts raced through their minds, but their paramount thought was that their families were in some sort of danger, so they returned home. When they reached their homes their families were very surprised to see them, all was well and no harm had come to them. However, the Ghatafan were reluctant to set out again as they feared that perhaps harm was on its way, and then again, it was in their opinion, mostly likely that if they did set out they would arrive too late. THE FORTRESS OF NAIM: With the capture of the arsenal came the turning point of the battle, and one by one the fortresses started to fall. However, there remained five strong fortresses, some of which were better equipped and greater in man power than their counterparts. Naim was the first of the five to be targeted. Unlike the other fortresses, its soldiers came outside its walls to fight and the Muslims faced strong resistance which forced them to temporarily withdraw. That evening, the Prophet announced: "Tomorrow, I will give the banner to someone whom Allah, and His Messenger love. In his hands Allah will give us victory -- he is not a person to turn away and flee." The next day, the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, asked for Ali, and was told that his eyes were troubling him. The Prophet asked a companion to bring him to him and upon seeing how very sore his eyes were, he rubbed some of his saliva over them and supplicated for his recovery. Ali's eyes recovered immediately and the Prophet handed him a large black banner made from a cloak that once belonged to Lady Ayesha. Then, Ali asked: "O Messenger of Allah, shall I fight them until they become as us?" The Prophet replied: "Continue until you reach them, then invite them to Islam and explain their obligations to Allah. If just one person is guide by Allah through you that will be better for you than a herd of (valuable) red camels." As the small, but valiant army attacked, Zubair and Abu Dujanah, recognizable by his red turban, fought with the same extraordinary zeal as they displayed at Uhud. Ali led the final attack that caused the enemy to retreat. Some took refuge in the fort, but many escaped through a back entrance to neighboring fortresses. However, most made their way to a fortress called Zubair which was by far the most formidable of the remaining four and built on a high cliff that provided a natural defense. In the meantime, the Muslims took control of the main entrance of the fortress of Naim. THE FORTRESS OF ZUBAIR: Only the fortresses of Zubair, Kamus and two others remained. For three days the Muslims concentrated their efforts on the fortress of Zubair, but its natural defense together with its additional soldiers made things very difficult. Then, a Jew fearing for his life, family and property, made his way in secret to the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, and told him that he would disclose vital information in return for the safety of his family and possessions -- the Prophet agreed. The Jew informed him that the fortress had an underground supply of fresh water capable of sustaining them for as long as they wanted to hold out. However, there was a place outside the fortress where the Prophet could dig and divert the stream so that no water flowed into the fortress. The informant further told the Prophet that on account of the constant supply of fresh water, the army had not concerned themselves with the storage of water. Work to divert the water was soon under way and when the Jews realized that their stream had been diverted they came down from their fortress and another very fierce battle ensued in which they suffered defeat. THE MARTYDOM OF THE SON OF AL AKWA: During the turmoil of the battle, the sword of ibn Al Akwa, the camel singer, slipped and he wounded himself so critically that he died. It had been an exhausting day and as the Muslims took their well earned rest some spoke of their martyred companions and the son of Al Akwa was mentioned. Some of the Ansars, had not heard of the Prophet's supplication for him and were in doubt as to whether he could be considered to be a martyr. When the matter was drawn to the Prophet's attention he informed them saying: "Indeed, he passes through the Gardens of Paradise as freely as a swimmer passes through water," and they were happy for him. THE FORTRESS OF KAMUS: The fortress of Kamus belonged to the richest of all the families of Khybar, the family of Kinanah. Kinanah belonged to the tribe of Nadir. Like others in his tribe, Kinanah had been amongst those exiled from Medina for their treachery and when the time of departure came taunted the impoverished Muslims by wearing and flaunting their excessive wealth and fineries before the impoverished Muslims as they rode defiantly out of the City. Kinanah could not fathom why they Ghatafan had not as yet come to their aid, however, he had not given up hope. Each day he would look for distant clouds of dust to herald their arrival but there were none. Two weeks later when it was apparent that the Ghatafan were not coming he finally sent word to the Prophet that he wished to surrender. TERMS OF SURENDER: The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, accepted, so Kinanah and several members of his family left the fortress to sign the terms of surrender. The terms were such that it was agreed that none of his people should be put to death, nor yet taken prisoner in return for the confiscation of all their wealth and property, and that they would leave Khybar. However, the Prophet warned that the terms of safe passage would not apply to any one who tried to smuggle or hide any of their wealth or possessions. The terms were clear and accepted, so the Prophet called upon Abu Bakr, Ali, Zubair and Omar and ten Jews to witness the agreement. THE CONCEALED WEALTH OF KINANAH: The Muslims remembered well the excessive display of opulence the tribe of Nadir had made when they left Medina, and were quick to realize, as did their fellow Jews, that the wealth they now declared as being their total wealth was but a mere fraction. The Prophet questioned them about it and in response they offered excuses saying they had sold their finery to pay for weapons, and fortifications. As before, some of the Jews realized Prophet Muhammad was no ordinary man, although they still refused to accept him as a prophet, and were aware that he was a man that could not be deceived. This conviction was demonstrated when one of Kinanah's friends went to Kinanah and begged him not to hide his wealth as he was confident that everything he had hidden would be found and then he would be put to death. Kinanah was extremely angered by his friend's advice for he had many hiding places he thought to be completely undetectable. Shortly afterward, Kinanah's hiding places were discovered and so he was put to death and his family taken prisoner. THE FINAL SURRENDER: The two remaining fortresses surrendered without further ado and accepted the same terms and conditions agreed to by Kinanah. Many of the Jews were farmers and knew how best to reap the blessings of the land, with this in mind they sent a deputation to the Prophet saying that if he would permit them to continue as before and live in their homes, they would in return tend the land and pay rent of half its harvest each year. Prophet Muhammad accepted, however, he reserved the right to expel them at any time if he thought necessary. THE OASIS OF FADAK: News of Khybar's defeat soon reached the Jewish owned oasis of Fadak and with it rumors that the Prophet intended to attack them. Not wishing to suffer the fate of their brethren, they sent word to the Prophet that they wished to surrender upon the same terms and conditions offered at Khybar. The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, accepted. THE POISONED LAMB: The Word of Allah had been fulfilled, and the band of believers took a well earned rest before their victorious march back to Medina. A Jew by the name of Salaam, Mishkam's son, had been slain during the battle and his wife sought to take revenge. Prophet Muhammad never refused the invitation of anyone so when Salaam's wife invited him and his companions to a meal the invitation was graciously accepted. In preparation for the meal Salaam's wife had a lamb slaughtered, then, as she prepared it, poisoned it, paying particular attention to its shoulders as she had heard that the Prophet like that part of meat. When the lamb was ready she set it down in front of the Prophet who took a bite of the meat. Before he had chance to swallow it , the shoulder spoke and informed him that the meat was poisoned whereupon he spat it out and told his companions not to eat it. Bishr, Bara's son, who was sitting next to the Prophet had already swallowed a piece of the meat and died. The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, sent for Salaam's wife and asked why she had poisoned the lamb, whereupon she asked who had informed him that it had been poisoned; the Prophet replied: "The shoulder." In reply to his question she told him that he must know the reason why she had poisoned the lamb. However, she continued saying that it was on account of her slain husband, father and uncle. She then told the Prophet that she thought if he was a king she would be better off without him, but on the other hand, if he was a Prophet then the poison would inform him. The Prophet had mercy upon the woman and took no action against her. However, from that year up until the time he passed away, at the same time each year, the Prophet would suffer on account of a tiny bit of poison he had swallowed. THE DONKEY THAT SPOKE: When it came time to distribute the spoils of war, the Prophet received, amongst other things, a black donkey whereupon he asked the donkey its name. The donkey answered: "Yazid, son of Shihab. Allah created me from a line of sixty donkeys, and none but prophets have ridden us. Of them only I remain, and of prophets only you; I was waiting for you to ride me. I use to belong to a Jew who gave me very little to eat or drink; he made me carry heavy loads and beat me." The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, had mercy upon the poor animal and released it but it followed him back to Medina. When the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, passed away, the donkey was so upset that it threw itself in to Abu Al Hashim's well and died. LADY SAFIYAH, DAUGHTER OF HUYAY Safiyah was the daughter of Huyay from the Jewish tribe of Nadir. She was quite unlike her father and since early childhood she had grown in piety and become an upright young lady in search of the truth. During her childhood she had heard stories about the coming of a new Prophet and learned that the reason why her ancestors had settled in Yathrib, as it was then called, was because the prophecies foretold he would appear in that vicinity and each tribe hoped he would be from their own. Safiyah remembered well the days, when, she as a young girl, had heard from traders returning from Mecca of a man claiming to be a Prophet and that he denounced idol worship and preached the Oneness of Allah. She also remembered how it had caused such an upheaval in her community as the Prophet was an Arab, a descendant of Ishmael rather than a Jew descended from Isaac. She also remembered how, at the age of ten, she had seen both her father and uncle journey from Medina to prove to themselves that the rumors where unfounded. Both of them knew the characteristics of the expected Prophet as well as the signs to look for as they were recorded in their scriptures, and his expected arrival was a constant topic for discussion amongst the Jews. Upon their return Safiyah had been unable to comprehend their reaction and even more so their state of depression. In the purity of her heart, she had expected them either to return with the news that he either fulfilled or did not fulfill the conditions in the scriptures, but they were silent and their silence puzzled her. Shortly before the Prophet had set out for Khybar. Huyay had married the now seventeen year old Safiyah to Kinanah. To the onlooker it may have appeared that the marriage was all a young girl could ever hope for on account of Kinanah's wealth and standing. However, she was a reluctant bride and far from happy. One night Safiyah had a vision in which she saw the moon suspended over a city which she knew to be Medina. In her vision she saw the moon drift towards Khybar and when it reached the city it came to rest in her lap. Innocently, Safiyah told Kinanah of her vision whereupon, in an uncontrollable burst of anger, Kinanah struck her violently upon her face saying: "This can mean but one thing, you desire Muhammad the King of Hijaz!" When Safiyah was brought before the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, as a captive, he noticed her badly bruised face and asked her about it whereupon Safiyah told him of her vision and how after she had related it to her husband he had struck her. When the spoils of war were being divided, Safiyah had been given to a man from the tribe of Kalb by the name if Dihyah. When the Prophet learned of her vision he asked him to release her to him and take her cousin instead. Dihyah agreed and the Prophet offered her, her freedom telling her that if she wished she may remain as a Jewess or embrace Islam. Without hesitation, Safiyah replied: "I choose Allah and His Messenger." And so when the time came for the Muslims to leave Khybar, Safiyah left with them and later married the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. THE NEWS OF WADI L-KURA: As for the Jews of Wadi l-Kura , supporters of the Khybarites, they were not to escape. For three days before the Prophet's return to Medina they fought against him and finally surrendered under the same terms as their brethren in Khybar. Al Hamdulillah For more information about the life and times of our beloved Prophet, praise and veneration be upon him, please the Seerah in the Mosque of the Internet IIC College at www.mosque.com. This story has been extracted from the Seerah