My uncle Amir met Marhab the Jew in single combat on the day of Khaybar. Marhab chanted:"Khaybar knows well that I am Marhab, fully armed, a battle-tested warrior, when wars come blazing forth."My uncle Amir replied:"Khaybar knows well that I am Amir, fully armed, a daring warrior."They exchanged two strikes. Marhab's sword landed on Amir's shield, and as Amir went to strike him from below, his own sword swung back and struck his shin, cutting the main vein, and that was the cause of his death.Salama bin Akwa said, I met a group of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, and they said, "Amir's deeds have been nullified, he killed himself."Salama continued, So I came to the Prophet of Allah ﷺ weeping, and I said, "Messenger of Allah, Amir's deeds have been nullified."He asked, "Who said that?"I replied, "Some of your companions."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Whoever said that has lied. Rather, he has his reward twice over. When he set out to Khaybar, he was reciting verses for the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, with the Prophet ﷺ among them driving the mounts, and he was saying:'By Allah, were it not for Allah, we would not have been guided, nor given charity, nor prayed. Those who have wronged us, when they intend a trial, we refuse. We have no escape from Your favor, so make our feet firm if we meet the enemy, and send down tranquility upon us.'"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "Who is this?"Someone said, "Amir, Messenger of Allah."He said, "May your Lord forgive you."Salama added, He never singled out a person with a prayer for forgiveness like that without that person being granted martyrdom. When Umar bin Khattab heard this, he said, "Messenger of Allah, if only you had let us enjoy Amir's company longer." Then Amir advanced and was martyred.Salama continued, Then the Prophet of Allah ﷺ sent me to Ali, after he had said, "I will surely give the banner today to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, or whom Allah and His Messenger love."So I brought him along, leading him by the hand, for his eyes were sore. The Prophet of Allah ﷺ spat into his eye, then handed him the banner.Marhab came out brandishing his sword and chanted:"Khaybar knows well that I am Marhab, fully armed, a battle-tested warrior, when wars come blazing forth."Ali bin Abu Talib, may Allah honor his face, replied:"I am the one whose mother named me Haydarah, like a lion of the thickets, fearsome in appearance. I give them their full measure with the heaped-up scale."Then he split Marhab's head with the sword, and victory came at his hands.
قال حدثنا أبو النضر قال حدثنا عكرمة قال حدثني
بارز عمي يوم خيبر مرحب اليهودي فقال مرحب قد علمت خيبر أني مرحب شاكي السلاح بطل مجرب إذا الحروب أقبلت تلهب فقال عمي عامر قد علمت خيبر أني عامر شاكي السلاح بطل مغامر فاختلفا ضربتين فوقع سيف مرحب في ترس عامر وذهب يسفل له فرجع السيف على ساقه قطع أكحله فكانت فيها نفسه قال سلمة بن الأكوع لقيت ناسا من صحابة النبي ﷺ فقالوا بطل عمل عامر قتل نفسه قال سلمة فجئت إلى نبي الله ﷺ أبكي قلت يا رسول الله بطل عمل عامر قال من قال ذاك قلت ناس من أصحابك فقال رسول الله ﷺ كذب من قال ذاك بل له أجره مرتين إنه حين خرج إلى خيبر جعل يرجز بأصحاب رسول الله ﷺ وفيهم النبي ﷺ يسوق الركاب وهو يقول تالله لولا الله ما اهتدينا ولا تصدقنا ولا صلينا إن الذين قد بغوا علينا إذا أرادوا فتنة أبينا ونحن عن فضلك ما استغنينا فثبت الأقدام إن لاقينا وأنزلن سكينة علينا فقال رسول الله ﷺ من هذا قال عامر يا رسول الله قال غفر لك ربك قال وما استغفر لإنسان قط يخصه إلا استشهد فلما سمع ذلك عمر بن الخطاب قال يا رسول الله لو متعتنا بعامر فقدم فاستشهد قال سلمة ثم إن نبي الله ﷺ أرسلني إلى علي فقال لأعطين الراية اليوم رجلا يحب الله ورسوله أو يحبه الله ورسوله قال فجئت به أقوده أرمد فبصق نبي الله ﷺ في عينه ثم أعطاه الراية فخرج مرحب يخطر بسيفه فقال قد علمت خيبر أني مرحب شاكي السلاح بطل مجرب إذا الحروب أقبلت تلهب فقال علي بن أبي طالب كرم الله وجهه أنا الذي سمتني أمي حيدره كليث غابات كريه المنظره أوفيهم بالصاع كيل السندره ففلق رأس مرحب بالسيف وكان الفتح على يديه