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FADE TO BLACK

Triumph of the Irrational

Khaibar (abbreviated)

Draft

Khaibar is not just another of many bloody, pitiless battles waged by Muhammad to establish his rule on the Arabian Peninsula. After Badr, no battle gets more mention in the hadiths than that of Khaibar (also spelled Khaybar).

The horde of holy warriors descending on the villages and towns of the Peninsula intent on slaughter, destruction and plunder, with God’s spokesperson announcing to their inhabitants their imminent annihilation, must have been terrifying

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

Allah's Apostle reached Khaibar in the early morning and the people of Khaibar came out with their spades, and when they saw the Prophet they said, "Muhammad and his army!" and returned hurriedly to take refuge in the fort.

The Prophet raised his hands and said, "Allah is Greater! Khaibar is ruined! If we approach a nation, then miserable is the morning of those who are warned."

Bukhari 56.840

The call to prayer only delayed the inevitable.

Narrated Humaid:

Anas bin Malik said, "Whenever the Prophet went out with us to fight (in Allah's cause) against any nation, he never allowed us to attack till morning and he would wait and see: if he heard Adhan (the call to prayer) he would postpone the attack and if he did not hear Adhan he would attack them ..."

Bukhari 11.584

Dawn was when the unbelievers could expect the horde's onslaught.

Narrated Anas:

The Prophet set out for Khaibar and reached it at night. He used not to attack if he reached the people at night, till the day broke. So, when the day dawned, the Jews came out with their bags and spades. When they saw the Prophet; they said, "Muhammad and his army!"

The Prophet said, Allahu Akbar! (Allah is Greater) and Khaibar is ruined, for whenever we approach a nation (i.e. enemy to fight) then it will be a miserable morning for those who have been warned."

Bukhari 52.195

The taking of a town or village was as straightforward as it was pitiless: prayers, then an assault on the unbelievers' position. If successful, as most of these massacres were, then came the plunder and apportioning of the property of those killed including wives, daughters and sons who were taken into slavery.

Young women and girls were especially prized as slave-girls. It was at Khaibar that Muhammad took for himself seventeen-year-old Safiya (also spelled Safiyya) for his troubles. She would become his eleventh wife.

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) offered the Fajr prayer when it was still dark, then he rode and said, "Allah Akbar! Khaibar is ruined. When we approach near to a nation, the most unfortunate is the morning of those who have been warned."

The people came out into the streets saying, "Muhammad and his army."

Allah's Apostle vanquished them by force and their warriors were killed; the children and women were taken as captives. Safiya was taken by Dihya Al-Kalbi and later she belonged to Allah's Apostle who married her and her Mahr (dowry) was her manumission.

Bukhari 14.68

A more complete account of how Muhammad got his 11th wife for free by declaring her a free women before he married her as her dowry.

Narrated Abdul Aziz:

Anas said, "When Allah's Apostle invaded Khaibar, we offered the Fajr prayer there early in the morning) when it was still dark. The Prophet rode and Abu Talha rode too and I was riding behind Abu Talha. The Prophet passed through the lane of Khaibar quickly and my knee was touching the thigh of the Prophet. He uncovered his thigh and I saw the whiteness of the thigh of the Prophet.

When he entered the town, he said, 'Allahu Akbar! Khaibar is ruined. Whenever we approach near a (hostile) nation (to fight) then evil will be the morning of those who have been warned.'

He repeated this thrice. The people came out for their jobs and some of them said, 'Muhammad (has come).' (Some of our companions added, "With his army.")

We conquered Khaibar, took the captives, and the booty was collected.

Dihya came and said, 'O Allah's Prophet! Give me a slave girl from the captives.'

The Prophet said, 'Go and take any slave girl.'

He took Safiya bint Huyai.

A man came to the Prophet and said, 'O Allah's Apostles! You gave Safiya bint Huyai to Dihya and she is the chief mistress of the tribes of Quraiza and An-Nadir and she befits none but you.'

So the Prophet said, 'Bring him along with her.'

So Dihya came with her and when the Prophet saw her, he said to Dihya, 'Take any slave girl other than her from the captives.'"

Anas added: "The Prophet then manumitted her and married her."

Thabit asked Anas, "O Abu Hamza! What did the Prophet pay her (as Mahr i.e. dowry)?"

He said, "Herself was her Mahr for he manumitted her and then married her."

Anas added, "While on the way, Um Sulaim dressed her for marriage (ceremony) and at night she sent her as a bride to the Prophet. So the Prophet was a bridegroom and he said, 'Whoever has anything (food) should bring it.'

He spread out a leather sheet (for the food) and some brought dates and others cooking butter. (I think he (Anas) mentioned As-SawTq). So they prepared a dish of Hais (a kind of meal). And that was Walrma (the marriage banquet) of Allah's Apostle ."

Bukhari 8.367

Muhammad, as God's spokesman, was not only entitled to one-fifth of the booty obtained the hard way, but all the booty that was obtained without a fight, the Fai'. Technically, the valuable farmland known as Fadak north of Khaibar had not been fought over.

The Jewish farmers of Fadak, hoping to avoid the fate of their brethren at Khaibar, sent a message to Muhammad offering him half their land and half of what they produced if he held his pillaging horde in check. The merchant in Muhammad knew a good deal when he saw one and spared the farmers of Fadak.

Fadak would prove to be one of Muhammad's most profitable acquisitions, which may explain his successor's unilateral takeover of his interests. Fatima, Muhammad's daughter and the mother of his grandsons, confronted Bakr but was unsuccessful in receiving what should have been her due. Bakr's excuse was that he needed her father's legacy for charitable works and to feed his widows whom he rendered destitute by absconding with their rightful inheritance as well.

Narrated Aisha:

Fatima and Al Abbas came to Abu Bakr, seeking their share from the property of Allah's Apostle and at that time, they were asking for their land at Fadak and their share from Khaibar.

Abu Bakr said to them, "I have heard from Allah's Apostle saying, 'Our property cannot be inherited, and whatever we leave is to be spent in charity, but the family of Muhammad may take their provisions from this property."

Abu Bakr added, "By Allah, I will not leave the procedure I saw Allah's Apostle following during his lifetime concerning this property."

Therefore Fatima left Abu Bakr and did not speak to him till she died.

Bukhari 80.718