Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1351
The Expedition of Khaybar
ذِكْرُ قَتْلِ عَلِيٍّ ؓ الْحَارِثَ وَأَخَاهُ مَرْحَبًا، وَعَامِرًا وَيَاسِرًا فُرْسَانَ يَهُودَ وَسُبْعَانَهَا رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ ؓ قَالَ: أَوَّلُ مَنْ خَرَجَ مِنْ حُصُونِ خَيْبَرَ - مُبَارِزًا - الْحَارِثُ أَخُو مَرْحَبٍ فِي عَادِيَتِهِ فَقَتَلَهُ عَلِيٌّ ؓ وَرَجَعَ أَصْحَابُ الْحَارِثِ إِلَى الْحِصْنِ، وَبَرَزَ عَامِرٌ، وَكَانَ رَجُلًا جَسِيمًا طَوِيلًا، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حِينَ بَرَزَ وَطَلَعَ عَامِرٌ «أَتَرَوْنَهُ خَمْسَةَ أَذْرُعٍ ؟ » وَهُوَ يَدْعُو إِلَى الْبَرَازِ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ؓ فَضَرَبَهُ ضَرَبَاتٍ، كُلُّ ذَلِكَ لَا يَصْنَعُ شَيْئًا، حَتَّى ضَرَبَ سَاقَيْهِ فَبَرَكَ، ثُمَّ ذَفَّفَ عَلَيْهِ، وَأَخَذَ سِلَاحَهُ. قَالَ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ: ثُمَّ بَرَزَ يَاسِرٌ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: قَدْ عَلِمَتْ خَيْبَرُ أَنِّي يَاسِرٌ شَاكِي السِّلَاحِ بَطَلٌ مَغَاوٍ. إِذَا اللُّيُوثُ أَقْبَلَتْ تَبَادَرَ وَأَحْجَمَتْ عَنْ صَوْلَةِ الْمَسَاوِرِ إِنَّ حُسَامِي فِيهِ مَوْتٌ حَاضِرُ قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ: وَكَانَ مِنْ أَشِدَّائِهِمْ، وَكَانَ مَعَهُ حَرْبَةٌ يَحُوسُ النَّاسَ بِهَا حَوْسًا، فَبَرَزَ لَهُ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الزُّبَيْرُ بْنُ الْعَوَّامِ: أَقْسَمْتُ أَلَّا خَلَّيْتَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ، فَفَعَلَ، فَقَالَتْ صَفِيَّةُ لَمَّا خَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ الزُّبَيْرُ ؓ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ يَقْتُلُ ابْنِي ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «بَلِ ابْنُكِ يَقْتُلُهُ - إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ» فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ الزُّبَيْرُ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: قَدْ عَلِمَتْ خَيْبَرُ أَنِّي زَبَّارٌ قَرْمٌ لِقَرْمٍ غَيْرَ نَكِسٍ فَرَّارِ ابْنُ حُمَاةِ الْمَجْدِ، ابْنُ الْأَخْيَارِ يَاسِرٌ لَا يَغْرُرْكَ جَمْعُ الْكُفَّارِ فَجَمْعُهُمْ مِثْلُ السَّرَابِ الْخَتَّارِ ثُمَّ الْتَقَيَا فَقَتَلَهُ الزُّبَيْرُ، قَالَ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ: وَذَكَرَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا هُوَ الَّذِي قَتَلَ يَاسِرًا. قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ: وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِلزُّبَيْرِ لَمَّا قَتَلَ يَاسِرًا فِدَاكَ عَمٌّ وَخَالٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ:«لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ حَوَارِيٌّ وَحَوَارِيِّ الزُّبَيْرُ ابْنُ عَمَّتِي». [ مَقْتَلُ مَرْحَبٍ الْيَهُودِيِّ ] حَدِيثُ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ الْأَكْوَعِ عِنْدَ مُسْلِمٍ، وَالْبَيْهَقِيِّ أَنَّ مَرْحَبًا - وَهُوَ بِفَتْحِ الْمِيمِ، وَالْحَاءِ الْمُهْمَلَةِ، وَسُكُونِ الرَّاءِ - بَيْنَهُمَا - وَبِالْمُوَحَّدَةِ - خَرَجَ وَهُوَ يَخْطُرُ بِسَيْفِهِ، وَفِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ: خَرَجَ مَرْحَبٌ وَعَلَيْهِ مِغْفَرٌ مُعَصْفَرٌ يَمَانِيٌّ وَحَجَرٌ قَدْ ثَقَبَهُ مِثْلَ الْبَيْضَةِ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ، وَهُوَ يَرْتَجِزُ وَيَقُولُ: قَدْ عَلِمَتْ خَيْبَرُ أَنِّي مَرْحَبٌ شَاكِي السِّلَاحِ بَطَلٌ مُجَرَّبُ إِذَا اللُّيُوثُ أَقْبَلَتْ تَلَهَّبُ قَالَ سَلَمَةُ: فَبَرَزَ لَهُ عَامِرٌ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: قَدْ عَلِمَتْ خَيْبَرُ أَنِّي عَامِرٌ شَاكِي السِّلَاحِ بَطَلٌ مُغَامِرُ قَالَ: فَاخْتَلَفَا ضَرْبَتَيْنِ، فَوَقَعَ سَيْفُ مَرْحَبٍ فِي تُرْسِ عَامِرٍ، فَذَهَبَ عَامِرٌ يَسْفُلُ لَهُ، وَكَانَ سَيْفُهُ فِيهِ قِصَرٌ، فَرَجَعَ سَيْفُهُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ، فَقَطَعَ أَكْحَلَهُ، وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ عَيْنَ رُكْبَتِهِ، وَكَانَتْ فِيهَا نَفْسُهُ، قَالَ بُرَيْدَةُ: فَبَرَزَ مَرْحَبٌ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: قَدْ عَلِمَتْ خَيْبَرُ أَنِّي مَرْحَبٌ شَاكِي السِّلَاحِ بَطَلٌ مُجَرَّبُ إِذَا اللُّيُوثُ أَقْبَلَتْ تَلَهَّبُ وَأَحْجَمَتْ عَنْ صَوْلَةِ الْمُغَلِّبِ فَبَرَزَ لَهُ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ؓ وَعَلَيْهِ جُبَّةُ أُرْجُوَانٍ حَمْرَاءُ قَدْ أَخْرَجَ خَمْلَهَا، وَهُوَ يَقُولُ. أَنَا الَّذِي سَمَّتْنِي أُمِّي حَيْدَرَهْ كَلَيْثِ غَابَاتٍ كَرِيهِ الْمَنْظَرَةْ أَوْ فِيهِمْ بِالصَّاعِ كَيْلَ السَّنْدَرَهْ فَضَرَبَ مَرْحَبًا فَفَلَقَ رَأْسَهُ، وَكَانَ الْفَتْحُ. وَفِي حَدِيثِ بُرَيْدَةَ، فَاخْتَلَفَا ضَرْبَتَيْنِ، فَبَدَرَهُ عَلِيٌّ ؓ بِضَرْبَةٍ فَقَدَّ الْحَجَرَ وَالْمِغْفَرَ وَرَأْسَهُ وَوَقَعَ فِي الْأَحْرَاشِ وَسَمِعَ أَهْلُ الْعَسْكَرِ صَوْتَ ضَرْبَتِهِ وَقَامَ النَّاسُ مَعَ عَلِيٍّ حَتَّى أَخَذَ الْمَدِينَةَ. وَرَوَى الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ؓ قَالَ: لَمَّا قَتَلْتُ مَرْحَبًا، جِئْتُ بِرَأْسِهِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - ﷺ. ذِكْرُ مَنْ زَعَمَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَغَازِي وَغَيْرِهِمْ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ مَسْلَمَةَ ؓ هُوَ الَّذِي قَتَلَ مَرْحَبًا رَوَى الْبَيْهَقِيُّ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، وَعَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عُقَبَةَ، وَعَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، وَعَنِ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، وَعَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ شُيُوخِهِ، قَالُوا: وَاللَّفْظُ لِابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَهْلِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ أَخُو بَنِي حَارِثَةَ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ؓ قَالَ: خَرَجَ مَرْحَبٌ الْيَهُودِيُّ مِنْ حِصْنِ خَيْبَرَ، وَقَدْ جَمَعَ سِلَاحَهُ يَقُولُ مَنْ يُبَارِزُ وَيَرْتَجِزُ قَدْ عَلِمَتْ خَيْبَرُ أَنِّي مَرْحَبٌ شَاكِي السِّلَاحِ بَطَلٌ مُجَرَّبُ أَطْعَنُ أَحْيَانًا وَحِينًا أَضْرِبُ إِذَا اللُّيُوثُ أَقْبَلَتْ تَحَرَّبُ إِنَّ حَمَايَ لِلْحِمَى لَا يَقْرُبُ فَأَجَابَهُ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ فَقَالَ: قَدْ عَلِمَتْ خَيْبَرُ أَنِّي كَعْبٌ مُفَرِّجُ الْغُمَّى جَرِيءٌ صُلْبُ إِذَا شَبَّتِ الْحَرْبُ تَلَتْهَا الْحَرْبُ مَعِي حُسَامٌ كَالْعَقِيقِ عَضْبُ نَطَأُكُمْ حَتَّى يَذِلَّ الصَّعْبُ نُعْطِي الْجَزَاءَ أَوْ يَفِيءُ النَّهْبُ بِكَفٍّ مَاضٍ لَيْسَ فِيهِ عَتَبُ قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: وَأَنْشَدَنِي أَبُو زَيْدٍ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: قَدْ عَلِمَتْ خَيْبَرُ أَنِّي كَعْبٌ وَأَنَّنِي مَتَى تَشِبُّ الْحَرْبُ مَاضٍ عَلَى الْهَوْلِ جَرِيءٌ صُلْبٌ مَعِي حُسَامٌ كَالْعَقِيقِ عَضْبُ بِكَفٍّ مَاضٍ لَيْسَ فِيهِ عَتَبٌ نَدُكُّكُمْ حَتَّى يَذِلَّ الصَّعْبُ قَالَ: وَمَرْحَبُ بْنُ عُمَيْرَةَ. قَالَ جَابِرٌ: فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «مَنْ لِهَذَا ؟ » قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ: أَنَا لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَنَا وَاللَّهِ الْمُوتُورُ الثَّائِرُ، قَتَلَ أَخِي بِالْأَمْسِ، قَالَ: «فَقُمْ إِلَيْهِ، اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنْهُ عَلَيْهِ» قَالَ: فَلَمَّا دَنَا أَحَدُهُمَا مِنْ صَاحِبِهِ، دَخَلَتْ بَيْنَهُمَا شَجَرَةٌ عُمْرِيَّةٌ مِنْ شَجَرِ الْعَشْرِ، فَجَعَلَ أَحَدُهُمَا يَلُوذُ بِهَا مِنْ صَاحِبِهِ، فَكُلَّمَا لَاذَ مِنْهُ بِهَا اقْتَطَعَ صَاحِبُهُ مَا دُونَهُ مِنْهَا، حَتَّى بَرَزَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا لِصَاحِبِهِ، وَصَارَتْ بَيْنَهُمَا كَالرَّجُلِ الْقَائِمِ، مَا فِيهَا فَنَنٌ، ثُمَّ حَمَلَ مَرْحَبٌ عَلَى مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَسْلَمَةَ فَضَرَبَهُ، فَاتَّقَاهُ بِالدَّرَقَةِ، فَوَقَعَ سَيْفُهُ فِيهَا، فَعَضَّتْ بِهِ فَأَمْسَكَتْهُ، وَضَرَبَهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ حَتَّى قَتَلَهُ. وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. قُلْتُ: جَزَمَ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْمَغَازِي: بِأَنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ مَسْلَمَةَ هُوَ الَّذِي قَتَلَ مَرْحَبًا. وَلَكِنْ ثَبَتَ فِي صَحِيحِ مُسْلِمٍ كَمَا تَقَدَّمَ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ الْأَكْوَعِ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا ؓ هُوَ الَّذِي قَتَلَ مَرْحَبًا. وَوَرَدَ ذَلِكَ فِي حَدِيثِ بُرَيْدَةَ بْنِ الْحَصِيبِ، وَأَبِي نَافِعٍ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَعَلَى تَقْدِيرِ صِحَّةِ مَا ذَكَرَهُ جَابِرٌ، وَجَزَمَ بِهِ جَمَاعَةٌ، فَمَا فِي صَحِيحِ مُسْلِمٍ مُقَدَّمٍ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ وَجْهَيْنِ: أَحَدُهُمَا أَنَّهُ أَصَحُّ إِسْنَادًا، الثَّانِي. أَنَّ جَابِرًا لَمْ يَشْهَدْ خَيْبَرَ كَمَا ذَكَرَهُ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، وَغَيْرُهُمَا، وَقَدْ شَهِدَهَا سَلَمَةُ وَبُرَيْدَةُ، وَأَبُو رَافِعٍ ؓ وَهُمْ أَعْلَمُ مِمَّنْ لَمْ يَشْهَدْهَا، وَمَا قِيلَ مِنْ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ مَسْلَمَةَ ضَرَبَ سَاقِيَ مَرْحَبٍ فَقَطَعَهُمَا وَلَمْ يُجْهِزْ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَرَّ بِهِ عَلِيٌّ فَأَجْهَزَ عَلَيْهِ، يَأْبَاهُ حَدِيثُ سَلَمَةَ وَأَبِي رَافِعٍ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَصَحَّحَ أَبُو عُمَرَ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ - أَنَّ عَلِيًّا ؓ هُوَ الَّذِي قَتَلَ مَرْحَبًا، وَقَالَ ابْنُ الْأَثِيرِ: إِنَّهُ الصَّحِيحُ.
Translation
✧ Mention of ʿAlī ؓ killing al-Ḥārith and his brother Marḥab, and ʿĀmir and Yāsir, the horsemen of the Jews and their lions. Muḥammad b. ʿUmar narrated from Jābir ؓ who said: The first to come out of the fortresses of Khaybar — challenging to single combat — was al-Ḥārith, the brother of Marḥab, in his raiding party, and ʿAlī ؓ killed him, and the companions of al-Ḥārith returned to the fortress. Then ʿĀmir came out to challenge, and he was a huge, tall man. The Messenger of God ﷺ said when ʿĀmir came out and appeared: “Do you see him as five cubits?” while he was calling for single combat. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib ؓ went out to him and struck him several blows, none of which did anything, until he struck his two shins and he fell to his knees, then he finished him off and took his weapon. Ibn Isḥāq said: Then Yāsir came out to challenge, saying: Khaybar has known that I am Yāsir, sharp of weapon, a hero of raids. When lions advance, they rush forward And hold back from the assault of the bold. Indeed my sword has death present in it. Muḥammad b. ʿUmar said: He was one of their strongest men, and he had a spear with which he churned through the people violently. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib went out to him, but al-Zubayr b. al-ʿAwwām said to him: “I swear that you should not stand between me and him,” and he did so. Ṣafiyyah said when al-Zubayr ؓ went out to him: “O Messenger of God, will he kill my son?” The Messenger of God ﷺ said: “Rather your son will kill him — if God wills.” Al-Zubayr went out to him, saying: Khaybar has known that I am Zabbār, a chief to a chief, not a feeble fleer. Son of the protectors of glory, son of the best, Yāsir, let not the gathering of the disbelievers deceive you, For their gathering is like the deceitful mirage. Then they met and al-Zubayr killed him. Ibn Isḥāq said: And it is mentioned that it was ʿAlī who killed Yāsir. Muḥammad b. ʿUmar said: The Messenger of God ﷺ said to al-Zubayr when he killed Yāsir: “May your paternal and maternal uncles be your ransom.” Then he said: “Every prophet has a disciple, and my disciple is al-Zubayr, the son of my paternal aunt.” [The killing of Marḥab the Jew] The ḥadīth of Salamah b. al-Akwaʿ in Muslim and al-Bayhaqī states that Marḥab — with a fatḥah on the mīm and the unpointed ḥāʾ, and a sukūn on the rāʾ between them, and with a bāʾ — came out swaggering with his sword. In the ḥadīth of Ibn Buraydah from his father: Marḥab came out wearing a Yemeni saffron-dyed helmet and a stone that he had pierced like an egg on his head, reciting rajaz and saying: Khaybar has known that I am Marḥab, sharp of weapon, a proven hero. When lions advance, they blaze. Salamah said: ʿĀmir went out to him, saying: Khaybar has known that I am ʿĀmir, sharp of weapon, a hero who ventures. He said: They exchanged two blows, and Marḥab’s sword fell upon ʿĀmir’s shield. ʿĀmir went to strike low at him, but his sword was short, and it turned back upon himself and cut the vein of his forearm — in another narration, the vein of his knee — and that was his death. Buraydah said: Marḥab came out, saying: Khaybar has known that I am Marḥab, sharp of weapon, a proven hero. When lions advance, they blaze, and hold back from the assault of the victorious. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib ؓ went out to him wearing a red-purple woolen cloak whose nap he had brought out, saying: I am the one whom my mother named Ḥaydarah, like a lion of the thickets, fearsome of appearance. Or I measure them by the ṣāʿ, the measure of al-sandarah. Then he struck Marḥab and split his head, and that was the victory. In the ḥadīth of Buraydah: They exchanged two blows, and ʿAlī ؓ anticipated him with a blow that cut through the stone, the helmet, and his head, and it fell into the thickets. The people of the army heard the sound of his blow, and the people arose with ʿAlī until he took the city. Imām Aḥmad narrated from ʿAlī ؓ who said: When I killed Marḥab, I brought his head to the Messenger of God ﷺ. Mention of those among the authors of maghāzī and others who claimed that Muḥammad b. Maslamah ؓ was the one who killed Marḥab. Al-Bayhaqī narrated from ʿUrwah, from Mūsā b. ʿUqbah, from al-Zuhrī, from Ibn Isḥāq, and from Muḥammad b. ʿUmar from his shaykhs, who said — the wording is Ibn Isḥāq’s — he said: ʿAbd Allāh b. Sahl b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Sahl, the brother of the Banū Ḥārithah, narrated to me from Jābir b. ʿAbd Allāh ؓ who said: Marḥab the Jew came out of the fortress of Khaybar, having gathered his weapon, saying: “Who will challenge?” and reciting rajaz: Khaybar has known that I am Marḥab, sharp of weapon, a proven hero. I thrust at times and at times I strike, when lions advance they make war. Indeed my protection of the sanctuary is not approached. Kaʿb b. Mālik answered him, saying: Khaybar has known that I am Kaʿb, reliever of distress, bold and firm. When war blazes, war follows it, with me is a sharp sword like agate. We trample you until the difficult is humbled, we give recompense or the spoils return. With a hand that is penetrating, in which there is no fault. Ibn Hishām said: Abū Zayd — may God have mercy on him — recited to me: Khaybar has known that I am Kaʿb, and that whenever war blazes, I am penetrating through terror, bold and firm, with me is a sharp sword like agate. With a hand that is penetrating, in which there is no fault, we crush you until the difficult is humbled. He said: And Marḥab b. ʿUmayrah. Jābir said: The Messenger of God ﷺ said: “Who is for this one?” Muḥammad b. Maslamah said: “I am for him, O Messenger of God. I am, by God, the bereaved avenger; he killed my brother yesterday.” He said: “Then rise against him. O God, help him against him.” He said: When one of them drew near to his companion, an ʿumrīyah tree of the ʿashr trees intervened between them, and one of them began to seek refuge in it from his companion. Whenever he sought refuge in it, his companion cut away what was before him of it, until each of them emerged to face his companion, and it stood between them like a standing man, without any branches. Then Marḥab charged at Muḥammad b. Maslamah and struck him, but he shielded himself with the leather shield, and his sword fell into it and bit into it and held fast. Then Muḥammad b. Maslamah struck him until he killed him. And God knows best. I say: A group of the authors of maghāzī asserted definitively that Muḥammad b. Maslamah was the one who killed Marḥab. But it is established in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, as previously mentioned, from Salamah b. al-Akwaʿ, that ʿAlī ؓ was the one who killed Marḥab. That also appears in the ḥadīth of Buraydah b. al-Ḥuṣayb and Abū Nāfiʿ, the freedman of the Messenger of God ﷺ. And even assuming the validity of what Jābir mentioned and a group affirmed, what is in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim takes precedence over it for two reasons: First, it is more authentic in isnād. Second, Jābir did not witness Khaybar, as Ibn Isḥāq, Muḥammad b. ʿUmar, and others mentioned, while Salamah, Buraydah, and Abū Rāfiʿ ؓ did witness it, and they are more knowledgeable than one who did not witness it. As for the claim that Muḥammad b. Maslamah struck Marḥab’s two shins and cut them but did not finish him off, and ʿAlī passed by and finished him off, the ḥadīth of Salamah and Abū Rāfiʿ rejects that. And God knows best. Abū ʿUmar — may God have mercy on him — affirmed correctly that ʿAlī ؓ was the one who killed Marḥab, and Ibn al-Athīr said: that is the correct view.
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