Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 39649 — The Battle of Khaybar

Abdullah bin Buraydah al-Aslami narrates from his father, Sayyiduna Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him), that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) halted in the territory of Khaybar, the people of Khaybar became alarmed and said: "Muhammad has come with the people of Yathrib!" The narrator said: Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) with some people. They met the people of Khaybar, but the people of Khaybar turned him and his companions back. So they came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in this state: Sayyiduna Umar was calling his companions cowards and his companions were calling him a coward. The narrator said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Tomorrow I shall place the banner in the hand of a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah and His Messenger love him." The narrator said: When the next day came, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Umar were hoping for this banner. The narrator said: He (peace and blessings be upon him) called Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), who was at that time suffering from an eye ailment. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spat into his eye and handed him the standard. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) set out with the people. The narrator said: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) faced the people of Khaybar and he faced Marhab of Khaybar, who was reciting this rajaz: "Indeed the people of Khaybar know that I am Marhab, fully armed, an experienced brave one. When the lions advance, I blaze; sometimes I thrust with the spear and sometimes I strike with the sword." The narrator said: Then Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and Marhab clashed, and Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) struck him on the skull with the sword such a blow that the sword cut from his skull down to his molars, and the whole army heard the sound of his blow. The last of the army had not yet fully arrived when Allah Almighty granted victory to the front part of the Muslim army.