Hazrat Abdullah bin Buraidah Aslami narrates from his father that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) encamped in the region of Khaybar, the people of Khaybar became alarmed and began saying, "Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has come with the people of Yathrib." The narrator says: Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Umar bin Khattab with a few people; they met the people of Khaybar, but the people of Khaybar turned them and their companions back. So they returned to the service of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in such a state that Umar was calling his companions cowards, and his companions were calling him a coward. The narrator says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Tomorrow I will give the flag to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah and His Messenger love him." The narrator says: When the next day came, Abu Bakr and Umar both hoped to receive the flag. The narrator says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). At that time, Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was suffering from an eye ailment. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) applied his saliva to his eye and handed him the standard. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) set out with the people. The narrator states: Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) confronted the people of Khaybar, and when he faced Marhab the Khaybari, Marhab was reciting this rajaz (poetic boast): "Indeed, the people of Khaybar know that I am Marhab, armed and experienced, a brave man. When lions advance, I become like a flame, sometimes fighting with the spear, sometimes with the sword." The narrator states: Then Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and Marhab clashed, and Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) struck his skull with the sword in such a way that the sword cut from his skull down to his molars. And the sound of his blow was heard by the entire army. Allah Almighty granted victory to the vanguard of the Muslim army.