It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) that on the day of Khaybar, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“Tomorrow I will hand over this flag to a man by whose hands Allah will grant victory. He loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah and His Messenger love him.”The people spent the whole night wondering who among them would be given the flag. In the morning, the people came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), each hoping that he would be given the flag. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“Where is Ali bin Abi Talib?”The people replied:“O Messenger of Allah! His eyes are sore.”People were sent to bring him. When he was brought, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) applied his saliva to his eyes and prayed for him. He was immediately cured as if he had never had any pain. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) handed him the flag. He (Ali) said:“O Messenger of Allah! Should I fight them until they become like us (i.e., Muslims)?”The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“Proceed calmly until you reach them. Then first invite them to Islam and inform them of the rights of Allah upon them in Islam. By Allah! If Allah guides a single man through you, it is better for you than red camels.”

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Buraidah Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: We laid siege to Khaybar, and the flag was in the hand of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). He returned and there was no victory. The next day, again the flag remained with him, and that day too he returned and victory was not achieved. On that day, people faced much hardship and difficulty. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Tomorrow I will hand over this flag to such a man that Allah and His Messenger love him and he loves Allah and His Messenger, and he will not return without victory. We spent the night in happiness, hoping that victory would come the next day. When morning came and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) led the prayer, he stood up and called for the flag. The people remained seated in their rows. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) called for Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him); his eyes were hurting. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) applied his blessed saliva to his eyes and handed the flag to him. Victory was granted at his hands. Sayyiduna Buraidah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: Among those who raised their necks in desire to receive the flag, I was also included.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) took the flag and waved it, and said: "Who is there who will take this flag and fulfill its right?" A man came and said: "Yes, I am (ready)." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Move aside." Then another man came, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You also move aside." Then the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By the One Who has honored the face of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), I will give this flag to such a man who will not flee from the battlefield. O Ali! Take this flag." Thus, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) took the flag and set out until Allah Almighty granted victory over Khaybar and Fadak at his hands, and he returned with the dates called 'Ajwah' from there and sun-dried meat.

It is narrated from Abdur Rahman bin Abi Laila, he says: My father used to sit and talk at night with Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) used to wear warm clothes in winter and cool clothes in summer. Someone said to my father, "Why don't you ask him the reason for this?" So he asked him about it, and he replied: "On the day of Khaybar, my eyes were hurting. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) called me, applied his blessed saliva to my eyes, and prayed for me, saying: 'O Allah! Remove from him the feeling of heat and cold.' Since that day, I have not felt heat nor cold. Also, on that day, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'I will give this flag to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah and His Messenger love him, and he does not flee from the battlefield.' At the time of giving the flag, many companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raised their necks in hope of receiving it, and at that time, he granted me that flag."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: On the day of Khaybar, I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: I will give this flag to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah and His Messenger also love him. All of us raised our necks in the desire to receive the flag. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Call Ali. So he was brought, but his eyes were hurting. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) applied his blessed saliva to his eyes and handed the flag over to him. Allah Almighty granted victory at his hands. And when this verse {نَدْعُ أَبْنَائَنَا وَأَبْنَائَکُمْ} was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) called Sayyiduna Ali, Sayyida Fatima, Sayyiduna Hasan, and Sayyiduna Husayn and said: O Allah! These people are my family.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said on the day of Khaybar: "Now I will give this flag to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and through whose hands Allah will grant victory." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say that before this incident, I never desired leadership, but on that day, in the hope of receiving the flag, I also raised my neck and stood tall, hoping that perhaps the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would grant me the flag. But when the next day came, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) called Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and handed the flag to him, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Keep fighting them until you are granted victory." Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), after walking a little, said: "O Messenger of Allah! On what grounds shall I fight them?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Fight them until they testify to the oneness of Allah and the messengership of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). When they do this, they will protect their blood and wealth from me, except for what is due by right, and their reckoning is with Allah the Exalted."