Zeynab bint Al-Harith

Zaynab bint Al-Harith (, d. 629) was a Jewish woman who in Islamic tradition attempted to assassinate Muhammad by poisoning in the aftermath of the battle of Khaybar, in some accounts thus eventually succeeding to kill him.

Family Her family were of Yemenite Jewish origin but had settled in Khaybar several generations earlier. Her father, Al-Harith ibn Al-Harith, and his two brothers, Marhab ibn Al-Harith and Yasir, were famous warrior-poets.

In summer 625 members of the Nadir tribe arrived in Khaybar, having been exiled from Medina by Muhammad. However, al-Waqidi names the sons of Sallam as 'Amr, born not later than spring 627, and al-Hakam, born by summer 628.

Over the next ten days, Zaynab witnessed civilians, weapons and treasures being brought into the safety of the al-Khatiba fortresses while the Muslims captured the forts in the Natat and Al-Shiqq areas. Civilians were moved around by night as the weaker forts were conquered. Finally the invaders attacked the three fortresses of al-Khatiba. There was no actual fighting, but the defenders could not withstand the siege indefinitely because Muhammad cut off their water supplies; and so they surrendered.

Feeding Muhammad poisoned lamb/goat shoulder As the leaders went to Muhammad to negotiate the terms of surrender, soldiers ran into the castles to collect weapons, treasures and captives. Zaynab asked what Muhammad’s favourite food was. On hearing it was shoulder of lamb, she killed a lamb (some versions say a goat) from her flock, seasoned the shoulder with a deadly poison and roasted it. When the treaty negotiations were finished, Zaynab pushed her way into Muhammad’s presence and offered him the meal as a gift. According to Ibn Ishaq:

When the apostle had rested, Zaynab d. al-Harith, the wife of Sallam b. Mishkam prepared for him a roast lamb, having first inquired what joint he preferred. When she learned that it was the shoulder she put a lot of poison in it and poisoned the whole lamb. Then she brought it in and placed it before him. He took hold of the shoulder and chewed a morsel of it, but he did not swallow it. Bishr b. al-Bara b. Ma’rur who was with him took some of it as the apostle had done, but he swallowed it, while the apostle spat it out, saying, ‘This bone tells me that it is poisoned.’"

Bishr was unable to stand up, and "his colour became like a head shawl (taylasan)," The Muslims asked if they should kill her, but Muhammad replied, “No.”

It left an effect on his mouth:

Anas reported that a woman came to Allah's Messenger with poisoned mutton and he took of that what had been brought to him … He (Anas) said: I felt (the effects of this poison) on the uvula of Allah's Messenger.—

Hadiths attributed to Aisha and Anas ibn Malik