(The verb fatasawwartu is spelled with an unpointed sīn; it means “I sprang up, craning my neck.”)

Commentary

The author—may Allah have mercy on him—relates from Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said on the day of Khaybar, “Tomorrow I shall hand this banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger,” and in another wording, “and whom Allah and His Messenger love.”

The day of Khaybar refers to the expedition of Khaybar. Khaybar comprised forts and farmlands owned by the Jews, lying about one hundred miles to the northwest of Madinah. The Prophet ﷺ conquered it, as is well known in the seerah. Those who worked the land were the Jews, and the Prophet ﷺ settled with them that they would remain as share-croppers: half of the produce for them and half for the Muslims. They continued in that arrangement until ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab (d. 23 AH), during his caliphate, expelled them to Syria and to Adhriʿat.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “I shall give the banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger.” The banner is what we today call the standard; the commander bears it so the army behind him can follow his lead. He said, “I shall give the banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger.” His phrase “a man” is indefinite—no one knew who it would be. ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab said, “I never coveted leadership except on that day, hoping that what the Prophet ﷺ said would apply to me; so I rose on tiptoe for it.” The people spent that night absorbed in discussion and conjecture, each hoping he would receive it. When morning came, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Where is ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib?”