Setting out

After his return from al-Hudaybiya, Muhammad stayed in Medina during Dhul-Hijja and part of al-Muharram, the polytheists superintending the pilgrimage. Then he marched against Khaybar. In contrast with the affair of Hudaybiya, no motivation is given. Since the Muslims had been disappointed in their expectations for spoils at the previous expedition, we can probably assume that they are again headed out to capture the bounty recently promised them by Allah: Ishaq:503 “Allah saw what was in their hearts so he rewarded them with victory and with as much spoil as they could take. Allah promised that they would soon capture a great deal of booty.” The reference to the polytheists being in charge of the pilgrimage is peculiar, as this had been the case for at least five generations. Ibn al-Akwa was killed at Khaybar as a martyr. It is said that his sword turned upon him as he was fighting and gave him such a grievous wound that he died of it. The Muslims were in doubt as to whether he died a martyr, saying that he had died by his own weapon. But his nephew Salama b. Amr asked Muhammad about it, telling him.what the men were saying, and he said: "Certainly he is a martyr," and he and the Muslims prayed over him. When being buried under falling bricks makes one a martyr, why not a self-inflicted wound in battle? It is funny that after resolving that the clumsy fighter has entered paradise, they still pray for him. One should think that it is more sensible to pray for those whose entry to paradise is not secure. When Muhammad looked down on Khaybar, he told his companions to stop. Then he said: Oh Allah, Lord of the heavens and what they overshadow And Lord of the lands and what they make to grow And Lord of the devils and what into error they throw And Lord of the winds and what they winnow, "We ask Thee for the good of this town and the good of its people and the good of what is in it, and we take refuge in Thee from its evil and the evil of its people and the evil that is in it. Forward in the name of Allah." He used to say that of every town he entered. Good to know that his intentions are made clear. From a religious point of view, however, it is troubling that Muhammad doesn't do this to save people from disbelief, but to gain booty for himself and his warriors. Anas B. Malik relates: When Muhammad raided a people, he waited until the morning. If he heard a call to prayer, he held back; if he did not hear it, he attacked. We came to Khaybar by night, and Muhammad passed the night there; and when morning came he did not hear the call to prayer, so he rode and we rode with him. No need to attack those who already had submitted.

The attack

We met the workers of Khaybar coming out in the morning with their spades and baskets. When they saw Muhammad, they said: "Muhammad with his force," and turned tail and fled. Since Khaybar accommodated the Jews exiled from Banu Nadir, everyone was keenly aware what the arrival of Muhammad and his warriors meant for them. Muhammad said: "Allah akbar! Khaybar is destroyed. When we arrive in a people's square it is a bad morning for those who have been warned." Indeed. I have heard that when Ghatafan [an independent tribe] heard about Muhammads attack on Khaybar, they gathered together and marched out to help the Jews against him; but after a day's journey, hearing a rumour about their property and families, they thought that they had been attacked during their absence, so they went back on their tracks and left the way to Khaybar open to Muhammad. This is what happens for those who have families and property they care about. They take higher priority than going to war. Muhammad seized the property piece by piece and conquered the forts one by one as he came to them. The first to fall was the fort of Naim; there Mahmud b. Maslama was killed by a millstone which was thrown on him from it;then al-Qamus the fort of B. Abul-Huqayq. Muhammad took captives from them among who was Safiya d. Huyayy. Muhammad took Safiya for himself. The Jews were unprepared for a force like this. Probably they knew only of stray robbers who'd be content to wander off with some cattle while the Jews were safe in their fortifications, knowing that the danger would pass. This danger is different. It is remarkable that the only Muslim causalty mentioned died from having a big stone thrown on him, not from a weapon. Could the Jews be so used to peace that they did not possess any weapons? Muhammads' chosing of a woman for his own purpose is an unusual behaviour for a prophet. One cannot imagine Jesus doing this. Muhammad was an unusual prophet. Dihya b. Khalifa had asked Muhammad for Safiya, and when he chose her for hiself, he gave him her to cousins. The women of Khaybar were distributed among the Muslims. Good that we have the Geneva conventions etc. to ban behaviour like this today.

Forbidden fruits

Muhammad prohibited four things that day: carnal intercourse with pregnant women who were captured; eating the flesh of domestic donkeys; eating any carnivourous animal; and selling booty before it had been duely allotted. The first ban is not much of a ban, as it actually permits rape of all non-pregnant women. That's not nice, better examine this a bit closer. The ban is repeated later on the same page: The Apostle prohibited four things the morning of the Khaybar raid: carnal intercourse with pregnant women who were captured, mingling his seed with another man’s, nor it is lawful for him to take her until she is in a state of cleanness. Uh. The ban was not imposed to protect the women, but to protect the men, also from the curse of menstruation. That was worse, not better. The second and the third bans are weird. The Muslims had just stolen a whole bunch of donkeys and were longing to consume the animals that used to till the fertile fields of Khaybar. Why would eating meat of donkeys suddenly be a problem? Bukhari has a dozen hadith on this issue alone - it must have perplexed others, too. Bukhari:V5B59N526 “On the day of Khaybar Allah’s Apostle forbade the eating of garlic and the meat of donkeys.” The ban on garlic is funny, and fortunately not enforced these days. But what about the donkey meat? Bukhari:V5B59N531 “We were afflicted with severe hunger the day we raided Khaybar. While the cooking pots were boiling and the food was ready to eat, the announcer of the Prophet said, ‘Do not eat anything, especially the donkey-meat. Turn your cooking pots upside down and throw it away.’ We realized that the Prophet had prohibited such food because the Khumus had not been taken out of it.” The 'Khumus' is the word for Allah's share of the booty, administered by Muhammad, who had a large household (20+ women, childen) to feed, gifts to give, men to pay. If the Muslims were to eat five donkeys, there would be one less for Muhammad. No problem with eating donkey meat after all.The soldiers were really hungry and food almost ready. One wonders why they couldn't just set aside the donkeys for Muhammad and proceed with their freshly stolen meals instead of wasting the food altogether. The fourth ban gives another clue about the purpose of the raid. The Muslims had not taken any spoils for a while, in spite of the promises made by Muhammad, and were eager to get their share. Muhammad makes it clear that noone were to touch the booty before he had overseen the distribution. Muhammad said: Nor is it lawful for him to sell booty until it has been properly divided; nor is it lawful for him to ride an animal belonging to the booty of the Muslims with the intention of returning it to the pool when he has worn it out; nor is it lawful for him to wear a garment belonging to the booty of the Muslims with the intention of returning it to the pool when it has been reduced to rags. Distribution of booty is a serious matter. It appears that the Muslims were a bit too eager to get their share, and Muhammad had to give detailed laws to stop it. Islam is special in having detailed laws on the distribution of booty, and an entire chapter of scripture (Sura 8) dedicated to the issue. On the day of Khaybar Muhammad forbade us to buy or sell gold or for gold coin or silver ore for silver coin. He said: "By gold ore with silver coin or silver ore with gold coin." Controlling the currency is important for controlling the economy.

Conquest

Then Muhammad began to take the forts and property one by one. We still didn't hear a single line explaining why the Jews deserve this. There has been no assault from the Jewish side, no plunder or prisoners taken. Not even insulting speech. B. Sahm of Alsam came to Muhammad and complained that they had fought and got nothing, and found nothing with Muhammad which he could give them. He said: "Oh Allah, You know their condition and that they have no strength, and that I have nothing to give them, so conquer for them the wealthiest of the enemy's forts with the richest food." Muhammad was not always generous. The most he would give was Allah's permission to take the property of the Jews. The following day Allah conquered the fort of al-Sab b. Muadh, which contained the richest food in Khaybar. Not far from word to deed, the richest fort falls the following day. Conquered in the name of Allah, it goes without saying that Muhammad gets his 20 percent of the spoils, the Khumus. When Muhammad had conquered some of their forts and got possession of some of their property, he came to their two forts al-Watih and al-Sulalim, the last to be taken, and Muhammad besieged them for some ten nights.

The duel

Marhab the Jew came out from their fort carrying his weapons and saying: Khaybar knows that I am Marhab, An experienced warrior armed from head to foot, Now piercing, now slashing, As when lions advance in their rage. The hardened warrior gives way before my onslaught; My hima [sacred territory] cannot be appproached. With these words he challenged all to single combat, and Kab b. Malik answered him thus: Khaybar knows that I am Kab. The smoother of difficulties, bold and dour. When war is stirred up another follows. I carry a sharp sword that glitters like lightning. We will tread you down till the strong are humbled; We will make you pay till the spoil is divided. In the hand of the warrior sans reproche. Finally, a real challenge for the Muslim warriors. Muhammad said: "Who will deal with this fellow?" Muhammad b. Maslama said that he would, for he was bound to take revenge on the man who had killed his brother the day before [with the millstone]. Muhammad told him to go and prayd Allah to help him. When they approached the one the other an old tree with soft wood lay between them, and they began to hide behind it. Each took shelter from the other. When one hid behind the tree, the other slashed at it with his sword so that the intervening branches were cut away and they came face to face. The tree remained bereft of its branches like a man standing upright. Then Marhab attacked Muhammad and struck him. He took the blow on his shield and the sword bit into it and remained fast. Muhammad then gave Marhab a fatal wound. This is how fighting was at this time, direct and personal. This plays out like a scene from a pirate movie.

Safiya & her friend

When Muhammad had conquered al-Qamus, the fort of B. Abul-Huqayq, Safiya d. Huyayy was brought to him along with another woman. Bilal, who was bringing them, led them past the Jews who were slain; and when the woman who was with Safiya saw them, she shrieked and slapped her face and poured dust on her head. No wonder. Grief is natural in situations like this. When Muhammad saw her, he said: "Take this she-devil away from me." Muhammad doesn't like the wailing. It might be that it touched his conscience for what he had done, or it might be that Muhammad simply detested the noise and the grief. He gave orders that Safiya was to be put behind him and threw his mantle over her, so that the Muslims knew that he had chosen her for himself. I have heard that Muhammad said to Bilal, when he saw this Jewess behaving in that way: "Had you no compassion, Bilal, when you brougth two women past their dead husbands?" Some may think of this as hypocritical, given the circumstances. The name 'Khaybar' is still in use today, by Hezbollah for a particular missile type. This story explains why they chose this particular historical allusion for their missiles.