غزوة خيبر
The Battle of Khaybar
Muharram/Rabi' al-Awwal, 7 AH (628 CE)
Khaybar, north of Madinah خيبر
The Prophet ﷺ marched with 1,420 warriors against the Jewish fortress complex of Khaybar, whose inhabitants had been plotting with the Quraysh and other tribes against the Muslims. After a prolonged siege, Ali ibn Abi Talib was given the banner and led the assault that conquered the main fortress. The inhabitants were allowed to remain and farm their land in exchange for half the produce.
Why this matters
Khaybar was the largest Jewish settlement in Arabia and a center of opposition to Islam. Its conquest secured Madinah's northern frontier and demonstrated the military capability of the Muslim state. The Prophet ﷺ was poisoned by a Jewish woman of Khaybar who placed poison in a roasted lamb; the effects of this poisoning would contribute to his final illness years later.
Quran references
وَعَدَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ مَغَانِمَ كَثِيرَةًۭ تَأْخُذُونَهَا فَعَجَّلَ لَكُمْ هَـٰذِهِۦ
Surah Al-Fath, 20
Allah has promised you much spoils that you will take, and He hastened this for you.
Hadith references
Sahih al-Bukhari, #4210
Narrated by: Sahl ibn Sa'd
“The Prophet ﷺ said on the day of Khaybar: 'I will give the banner tomorrow to a man through whose hands Allah will bring about victory; he loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah and His Messenger love him.' The next morning, he gave the banner to Ali ibn Abi Talib.”