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During the last 6 months of 2007, Channel 2 of the Iranian TV aired a 28-episode series called "40 Soldiers." The series, created by Mohammad Nouri-zad, examines the development of Iranian culture from four historical perspectives: The mythological pre-Islamic period, the life of national poet Hakim Abol-Qasem Ferdowsi Tusi (935-1020 CE), the life of Imam Ali, and the modern era.
In his portrayal of the life of Imam Ali, the director depicts the Muslim siege of the Jewish fortress of Khaybar. The Muslim army, led by Imam Ali, manages to conquer the fortress, following a sword fight between Imam Ali himself and the Jewish military commanders.
Following are excerpts from the episodes.
629 CE – the Muslims are besieging the Jewish fortress of Khaybar.
Narrator: The Jews [who lived] in the suburbs of Al-Madina harassed the Muslims, especially the Prophet [Muhammad]. They repeatedly violated the agreements. This is Khaybar, an inhabited region far from Al-Madina. Some of the fortresses of the Jews have been liberated by the Muslims, but their most important fortress still stands, and all the Muslims efforts to take control of it have been unsuccessful. Hunger afflicts the Muslim army, making the campaign even more difficult. They are all hungry - even the commanders and the Prophet's companions.
Muslim: Abu Rafah, tell the Messenger of God to give up this useless siege.
Abu Rafah: What are you talking about?
Muslim: What I'm saying is true. Either the Jews of Khaybar will kill us, or else we will die of hunger.
A herd of sheep wanders into the encampment.
Abu Rafah: What's going on? What are you doing? Abu Saleh!
Abu Saleh: God sent the Israelites sustenance from heaven, and to us, He has sent sustenance by land.
Muslims lead a captured Jew, Abu Aswad.
Muslim: Where is Muhammad?
Another Muslim (to the Jew): Come with us.
Abu Rafah: Who is this man? Where are you taking him?
Abu Saleh: He is a shepherd from Khaybar.
Muslim: [We captured him] along with 50 fat sheep...
Abu Saleh: Praise God for not forsaking the Muslims.
Muslim: The people of Khaybar have provided us with food.
Abu Rafah: Leave him alone, until the Messenger of God rules what to do with him and his sheep.
Muhammad: I have already made my decision.
Abu Rafah: Get up. Stop.
Abu Aswad: You are so calm. Do you accept the prophets of the Jews?
Muhammad: I accept them all, but the way God conveyed to me, not the way the Jews view them.
Abu Aswad: I have lived among the Jews for many years. Will God accept me?
Muhammad: He is kind-hearted.
Abu Aswad: Will He accept me?
Muhammad: Look inside your heart. What do you see?
Abu Aswad: I see light.
Muhammad: This is the grace of God.
Abu Aswad: Muhammad, accept me as one of your people.
Abu Rafah: Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar, this man has become a Muslim.
Abu Aswad: Oh Messenger of Allah, you will decide what to do with these sheep. I will do with them whatever you command.
Muhammad: Return all the sheep.
Abu Saleh: Oh Prophet of God, we are hungry. We have no food.
Muhammad: Do as I say. These sheep belong to the Jews. Tell the Jews to open the gates of the fortress and take them back.
Muslim: Oh Messenger of Allah, these sheep are our booty.
Muhammad: Booty is something you take in war.
Abu Aswad: For years, I have been talking to you in my heart.
Muhammad: You have been destined to end your days in good fortune.
Abu Aswad: Do you mean because I have become a Muslim?
Muhammad: Rise and behold the end of this good man. He is as close and dear to my heart as you. Embrace him, and take a good look at him, because in one hour, you will see him no more.
[...]
Narrator: I have come here to recount the story of Khaybar once again, in order to gain from it the knowledge sought by the universe. I have come from afar. I have come from tomorrow, from future centuries. I have come from an era in which people yearn for the truth. I have come to pick a flower of truth of what happened at Khaybar, for the people of tomorrow. Here the Jews built seven strong fortresses, and here they organized their rebellions against the Muslims.
Muslim: Oh people of Khaybar, open the fortress and get your sheep back. Have no fear, we are not going to harm you.
The people of Khaybar open the drawbridge. Jewish fighters leave to bring the sheep back inside.
Jewish guard: Abu Aswad, get inside. I'm talking to you, old man. Get inside. I'm talking to you, old man.
Abu Aswad: I, Abu Aswad, am no longer a Jew. I am a Muslim, a Muslim.
Abu Aswad beats the guard to death with his staff.
The Muslims cheer: Allah Akbar!
Abu Aswad: Allah Akbar!
Allah Akbar!
Allah Akbar!
Allah Akbar!
Another Jewish guard: Shut up.
Abu Aswad: I will send you to Hell too.
Jewish guard: Prepare to die.
The Jewish guard beheads Abu Aswad, and the Jews carry the body of the slain guard into the fortress.
Young boy, son of the narrator: Mother.
Narrator: Darling, did you see how short is the distance between the birth and death of the lovers of truth?
[...]
Jewish warrior picks up Abu Aswad's head and throws it to the Muslims.
Jewish warrior: This is for you. Aren't you hungry? Eat it. We are not afraid of you hungry people.
[...]
Close the gates. Quickly!
The Jews of Khaybar attack the Muslims from within the fortress.
Marhab, Jewish warrior: Oh Muhammad, be smart and leave. This is Khaybar – not Khandaq, Ghor, or Badr. This is Khaybar, with its 10,000 fighters, who are willing to sacrifice themselves. Did you hear me, Muhammad? Save yourselves and leave.
[...]
Narrator: I am now inside Khaybar. I have come here to see the truth, to believe in it, and to take one flame of the truth in order to illuminate my generation.
Narrator: The siege of Khaybar has continued for a long time, and the Muslims have not come any closer to taking over it. The Prophet gathered them and said: "This fortress must be crushed and liberated by the Muslims. Otherwise, from this strong fortress, these infidels will devise plots to destroy the truth, and will ignite the fire of strife. This is Khaybar. Someone must destroy this impregnable fortress – but who is that someone? The Prophet entrusted his standard to his commanders.
The Muslim bang the drums of war.
[...]
The Jews attack the Muslims from within the fortress. The Jews are victorious.
[...]
The drawbridge is opened and Al-Hareth, a Khaybar warrior, emerges from the fortress.
The Jews cheer: Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
[...]
The Muslims and Jews engage in face-to-face combat.
The Jews cheer: Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
[...]
Al-Hareth: Muhammad, where are you? It is me, Al-Hareth. The God of Moses has intensified the hatred for you that I harbor in my heart. Even if all the Muslims are destroyed and only one remains, I will pour upon him all the deep hatred I harbor in my heart, and I will burn his bones. Oh Muhammad, I am weary of your stupid men. If you have any sense, you will leave immediately. Otherwise, you will feel the wrath of my sword.
p>The Jews cheer: Al-Hareth!Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
[...]
Muhammad: Abu Rafah.
Muhammad takes the standard from him.
[...]
The Jews fiercely attack the Muslims. Al-Hareth emerges from the fortress.
Al-Hareth: Muhammad, if you have a warrior worthy of me, send him over.
[...]
Khaybar region – far from Al-Madina
Narrator: The Prophet's small army has set up camp near one of the seven fortresses of Khaybar. The nascent Islam has yet to gather many followers. Nevertheless, the people of Mecca and Khaybar collaborate in planning riots and strife among the Muslims. The Prophet has come to extinguish the strife of the people of Khaybar. But the battle cries of the people of Khaybar struck fear in the hearts of the small army of Islam. Abu Rafah, a friend and companion of the Prophet, who was bought and freed [from slavery] by him, describes the deployment of the enemy:
Abu Rafah: The people of Khaybar built seven fortresses – Na'im, Qamus, Shiqq, Nastat, Sulaalim, Watih, and Katibah. Some of these fortresses have secret passages, which connect them to one another underground. The people of Khaybar, in times of danger, send their women and children to the Na'im fortress, while the soldiers assume their positions in the Nastat fortress, which is besieged by us.
Muslim: So there are many people in these seven fortresses?
Abu Rafah: There are between 14,000 and 20,000 people.
Muslim: 20,000 people?
Other Muslim leader: We, on the other hand, have no more than 1,500 men and 200 horses.
Muslim: We are doomed.
Another Muslim: 20,000 people is a large number.
Abu Rafah: The people of Khaybar place their hopes on the Qamus fortress.
Muslim leader: You should call it by its name – the fortress of Marhab.
Abu Rafah: True, the fortress of Al-Hareth and Marhab. Until now, everything that has happened to us was done by only Al-Hareth, and Marhab's sword is still in its sheath. The people of Khaybar consider Marhab to be their savior.
[...]
Muslim: I've seen him once. If he is anything like Al-Hareth, we are doomed.
Abu Rafah: But the Messenger of God proclaimed that we would conquer [Khaybar], and he is never wrong.
Muslim: Tomorrow, he will pass on his standard to one of us. Who will it be?
Abu Rafah: Tomorrow he will pass his standard to a man who is always on the attack and never retreats. He loves God and His Prophet, and God and His Prophet love him. He will not return until God uses him to break down the gates of this fortress. Oh, companions of the Messenger of god, prepare yourselves for the capture of this fortress. Tomorrow will be a great day – the day of victory.
[...]
Narrator: It seems as if this fortress considers only Ali to be worthy of opening its gates. This fortress has stood proudly for many years, waiting to fall only at the hands of Ali.
Abu Isaac, leader of the Jews (to one of the archers): Well done, young man.
Al-Hareth, I am worried because of Muhammad. Look at how he has been acting today. He is standing alone in front of his army, holding the standard.
Al-Hareth: Don't worry. This fortress is different from the other ones. We are superior to Muhammad's weak army in every aspect.
Abu Isaac: They already occupied five of our fortresses.
Al-Hareth: What you see there is Muhammad's entire army. We are eight times larger than them, and we have swords, spears, and bows and arrows, as well as plenty of food. Moreover, Marhab's sword is still in its sheath. Has anyone ever been able to overcome Marhab or me?
Abu Isaac: Our eyes are upon you two brothers, and so are the eyes of the God of Moses.
[...]
Abu Isaac: Al-Hareth, you have participated in many wars, and you have spilled the blood of many soldiers. Now the eyes and hopes of the Jewish people are upon you.
[...]
Muhammad has summoned Ali.
Al-Hareth: Ali?
Abu Isaac: That's right – Ali, the son of Abu Talib.
Al-Hareth: Ali, the son of Abu Talib.
Ali: What a blessed day is today.
Muhammad: Dear Ali, this fortress remains standing. Choose the brothers you wish to take with you, to break through the gates of this fortress. Our prayers go with you.
Crowd, led by Abu Rafah: Allah Akbar
Allah Akbar
Allah Akbar
Muhammad: My Lord, these hands beg you for victory. Do not make them despair.
Muslim crowd: Amen.
Muhammad: My Lord, strike the fear of Ali into the hearts of his enemies.
Muslim crowd: Amen.
Ali: Al-Hareth, didn't you want a worthy opponent? Here I am – Ali, son of Abu Talib.
[...]
Ali: Al-Hareth! Did you hear what I said to you?
Al-Hareth emerges from the fortress on horseback
[...]
Al-Hareth: Son of Abu Talib, death is my second name. I am death. I am the link between heaven and earth. Who can withstand my sword and spear? Ask your cowardly people about the strength of my sword's blows. Who am I?
Jewish crowd: Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Ali: I have heard about you, Al-Hareth. Do you have any other companion other than your sword?
Al-Hareth: What do you want from me?
Ali: I want you to think.
Al-Hareth: What a ridiculous expectation. My thought is my sword. Now my sword will demonstrate my thoughts. Retreat, so that your honor does not become the subject of gossip.
Ali: Let me tell you what's good for you, Al-Hareth. We are closer to you than the idol-worshipping people of Mecca are. We belong to the same family. Our religion is the same religion about which spoke with the Lord. Don't be reckless, Al-Hareth. The real Jews have been waiting for generations for our Prophet to come. We are with you, not against you.
Al-Hareth: Don't try to calm me down, Ali. Your words mean nothing to me. I am far from being a Muslim. If you are a man, let's see you withstand my sword and my spear. Don't flee, like your cowardly people.
Ali: Calm down, Al-Hareth. Our religions are akin. Don't be so quick to be our enemy.
Jewish crowd: Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth!
Al-Hareth: Oh son of Abu Talib, draw your sword and approach.
Muslim leader: He will win, won't he?
Another Muslim leader: He's knocked him to the ground.
Al-Hareth: Draw your sword, son of Abu Talib. Draw your sword and approach, son of Abu Talib. Show me that you can withstand the blow of my sword. Approach!
Ali mortally injures Al-Hareth
Muslim crowd: Allah Akbar
Allah Akbar
Allah Akbar
Allah Akbar
Allah Akbar
Jewish soldiers:Return to the fortress.
Abu Isaac: Come back! Come back! Where are you running to, cowards? Stay here, and do not flee. Come back and bring the body of Al-Hareth. What a calamity. Al-Hareth! Alas, the people of Khaybar.
[...]
Jewish rabbis pray and chant
Rabbi: Have they fled again?
Another rabbi: Abu Isaac always brings the same news:
Rabbis burst out laughing
"They were frightened, they fled, they were killed."
Abu Isaac: Honorable sirs, Al-Hareth has been killed.
Marhab, Jewish warrior: Killed?!
Abu Isaac: The honorable Al-Hareth...
Rabbi: He's dead?
Another rabbi: What did he say? Oh dear.
Rabbi: Oh no, what a calamity.
Marhab: You said he's been killed, Abu Isaac?
Abu Isaac: He died a very painful death.
Marhab: Who dealt the fatal blow?
Abu Isaac: Ali.
Rabbi: Ali?
Abu Isaac: The son of Abu Talib.
[...]
Rabbi: Oh dear... The wound is so deep.
Marhab: He was killed with a single blow. Tell them to bring me my battle gear. I don't need a horse.
[...]
Narrator: Marhab is the hope of the people of Khaybar. He is a warrior who knows nothing but victories, and he has killed many a brave man.
Ali: Marhab is the last hope of the people of Khaybar. I consider him a great warrior. I hope he listens to my sincere words, and does not forsake the blood of his people. My brothers, future generations will follow in our footsteps. Do not lose faith in God. We will prevail. Allah Akbar.
Marhab addresses his people: In my view, the Muslims are the angel of death for the Israelites. They have come to separate us from Moses and Aaron. The eyes of Judaism are set upon you and me. Fight, as if you want to wipe them out. I will eradicate this community [of Muslims].
Jewish army: Long live Marhab!
Marhab: I will eradicate this community.
Jewish army: Long live Marhab!
Marhab: The blood of Al-Hareth has been spilled on the ground. We are the supreme people.
Jewish army: We are the supreme people.
Abu Isaac: We are the supreme people.
Jewish army: We are the supreme people.
Marhab: We are the chosen people. We are the supreme people. We are not like those ignorant Arabs. We will eradicate them.
Marhab emerges from the fortress clad in armor
Jewish crowd: Marhab! Marhab!
Marhab! Marhab!
Marhab! Marhab!
Marhab! Marhab!
Marhab! Marhab!
Marhab! Marhab!
[...]
Marhab: You killed my brother, Al-Hareth, son of Zaynab from Khaybar, right?
Ali: I gave him a chance, but he did not use it. I told him that if he became a Muslim, he would be saved. I say the same to you.
Marhab: Me, become a Muslim?! I drink Muslim blood. Me, a Muslim? Muhammad, you have come to your own graveyard of your own free will. Here I am – Marhab, the hunter and killer of lions. Here I am – Marhab, avenging my brother Al-Hareth.
Ali: You are a well-known hero, but even great heroes do not rely only on their arms of steel, but use their minds too. Think about it. All the monotheistic religions continue one another, and do not run parallel to one another. The path that began with Adam, Noah, Moses, and Jesus culminates with Muhammad.
Marhab: Enough talking, Ali. If you are a man, let's see you voice the battle cry. The people of Khaybar know that I, Marhab, am armed to the teeth with weapons and iron, and that I am experienced and well-versed in battle. The moment the sharp blades reach me, I will draw my sword and spear.
[...]
Ali: Despite your thirst for our blood, we have an affinity to you.
Marhab: Our path differs from yours.
Ali: How can you say that? The paths of all the prophets are the same.
Marhab: What you are saying is false. The path of Moses is different.
Ali: Your Moses is our Moses too. A Muslims who does not respect and honor Moses is not a true Muslim.
Marhab: Stop talking, Ali. You have your religion, and we have ours.
Marhab loses a sword. Ali delivers a deadly blow to Marhab. The Muslims charge the fortress.
Narrator: Eventually, the last unconquered Khaybar fortress was taken. The great Prophet always gave the people of Khaybar a chance, except at times when they shut the door on compromise, with their continuous treachery and scheming. The events of Khaybar serve as a sacred lesson to those who doubt the distinction between truth and falsehood.
Muslim leader: Dear Ali, I congratulate you and us on this victory.
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