declaredthat,“TomorrowIwillgivetheflag(i.e.,thecommand)toone
whowillbe steadfastinhisposition andnotretreatuntilAllāhblesses
himwithvictory.AllāhandtheMessengerarehisfriendsandheistheir
friend.”‘Alī,whohadbeeninMedinabecauseofeyeailment,joinedthe
armyonthe nextdayandthe Prophet gavethe command tohim. ‘Alī
marchedtothefortofKhaybarandfirstdefeatedthebravestofallJew-
ish soldiers, Marhab, andthenconquered the fort. It has been definit-
ivelyestablishedhistoricallythatwhilemovingtoconquerthefort,‘Alī
reachedtheringofthe doorandwithsudden motiontore offthedoor
and cast it away.
AlsoonthedaywhenMeccawasconqueredtheProphetorderedthe
idolstobebroken.Theidol“Hubal”wasthelargestidolinMecca,agi-
antstonestatueplacedonthetopoftheKa’bah.Followingthecommand
oftheprophet,‘AlīplacedhisfeetontheProphet’sshoulders,climbedto
the top of the Ka’bah, pulled “Hubal” from its place and cast it down.
While returning from the last pilgrimage, the Prophet openly and
clearly introduced Imam ‘Alī at Ghadir Khumm to thousands of
Muslims who had accompanied him to hajj and declared that:
“Whosoever’s masteram I, this‘Alī isalso hismaster.”He repeatedly
said,“I am leavingtwothings behind andaslong asyouhold fast to
them,youwillnevergoastray:the Bookof Allāh(theQur’ān)andmy
Ahlu ‘l-bayt (the Family).”
Afewmonthsafterreturningfromhajj,theProphet—peaceandbless-
ingofAllāhbeuponhim—passedawayfromthisworldon28thSafar,
11 A.H.