In Muḥarram 7/May-June 628,4 the Prophet (s) and the Muslims departed Medina for the Battle of Khaybar. As the Prophet (s) resolved to launch an attack on the Fort of Khaybar, he appointed Ali (a) as the vanguard of his army. The Prophet (s) proclaimed, “Any Jew who seeks refuge among the palm trees will be granted safety.” Ali (a) echoed this declaration. During this period, according to certain accounts, the Prophet (s) witnessed Gabriel wearing a smile and inquired about the cause behind it. In response, Gabriel expressed, “It is because I hold great love for him [Ali (a)].” When the Prophet (s) shared this with Ali (a), he responded, “Did I just hear that Gabriel loves me?” The Prophet (s) confirmed, saying, “Yes, and not only Gabriel but also someone greater: Allah, the esteemed and the glorified.”

 As a result of the Jewish resistance, the Muslim army encountered challenges in capturing one of the forts of Khaybar, specifically known as al-Qamūṣ. Initially, the Prophet (s) sent Abū Bakr and others to the fort, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Subsequently, he assigned ʿUmar and his companions to the task, but they too returned without success, exchanging accusations of cowardice among themselves. Then the Prophet (s) stated, “If Allah wills, tomorrow I will entrust the flag to someone who consistently engages in attacks [against the enemies of Islam], never fleeing [the battlefield]. This individual possesses immense love for Allah and His Messenger, and in turn, Allah and His Messenger hold great love for him. He shall not retreat until Allah grants victory by his own hands, conquering the fort.” On the following day, the Prophet (s) called upon Ali (a), but the companions informed him that Ali (a) was experiencing discomfort in his eyes. Nevertheless, Imam Ali (a) approached the Prophet (s), who miraculously healed his eyes by wiping his saliva upon them. Subsequently, the Prophet (s) entrusted the flag to Ali (a) and bestowed prayers upon him.

Ali (a) swiftly made his way to the battlefield. As he raised the flag near the fort, one of the Jewish defenders inquired, “Who are you?” Ali (a) confidently replied, “I am Ali b. Abī Ṭālib.” Astonished, the Jew exclaimed, “By all that has been revealed to Moses, you have triumphed over us.” Amīr al-Muʾminīn (a) entered the battlefield, defeating Marḥab al-Khaybarī, a renowned Jewish warrior.5 Moreover, during the Battle of Khaybar, when a group of Jews launched a collective attack on Ali (a), he demonstrated his remarkable strength by lifting a gate and utilizing it as a shield. After setting the gate aside, it became evident that even a group of eight men could not budge it from its position. After the event, Ali (a) remarked, “I did not l uproot the gate of Khaybar with physical power, but with divine power.” In another hadith, Amīr al-Muʾminīn (a) was asked “O Abū l-Ḥasan! You uprooted that heavy gate while you had not eaten much meal for three days. Did you do so with human power?” In response, Ali (a) expressed, “It was not by mere human strength that I accomplished this, but rather through the power of the divine and with a heart firmly assured by divine assistance.”

When the Prophet (s) decide to distribute the spoils from the forts of al-Naṭāt and al Shiqq among the Muslims, he designated a supervisor for each group of 100 individuals to oversee the distribution of grains and wheat among their respective group members. Ali (a) was one of those supervisors. The Prophet (s) allocated 300 loads of dates and barley from the revenues of al-Katība, one of the forts of Khaybar, specifically for Fāṭima (a) and Ali (a). Out of this allocation, 200 loads were designated for Fāṭima (a), while the remaining portion was given to Ali (a).

 Furthermore, it is reported that Jaʿfar b. Abī Ṭālib arrived in Khaybar from Abyssinia, presenting a gift to the Prophet (s) in the form of a brocade garment (qaṭīfa) and some perfume. The Prophet (s) declared, “I shall bestow this brocade garment upon someone who holds immense love for Allah and His Messenger, and is reciprocated with love from Allah and His Messenger.” Then, he summoned Ali b. Abī Ṭālib (a) and bestowed upon him the brocade garment as a gift. Upon his return to Medina, Ali (a) entrusted the garment to a skilled goldsmith, instructing him to remove the golden threads from it. The amount of gold extracted from the garment was equivalent to 1000 mithqals, which Ali (a) subsequently distributed among the impoverished Muhājirūn and Anṣār.