Zaynab bint Al-Harith

Zaynab bint Al-Harith (Arabic: زينب بنت الحارث, d. 629) was a Jewish woman who attempted to assassinate Muhammad in the aftermath of the battle of Khaybar.
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. Zaynab appears to have been a firstborn child, as her father bore the kunya “Abu Zaynab”. However, she also had a brother, al-Harith ibn al-Harith.
In summer 625 members of the Nadir tribe arrived in Khaybar, having been exiled from Medina by Muhammad. Among them was Sallam ibn Mishkam al-Nadiri, a warrior-poet whom Zaynab in due course married. Some sources suggest that Sallam and Zaynab had a son, Kharija. However, al-Waqidi names the sons of Sallam as 'Amr, born not later than spring 627, and al-Hakam, born by summer 628.
Muhammad besieged Khaybar in June 628. Zaynab, along with the other women and children, was barricaded in the fortresses of al-Khatiba, while her husband Sallam commanded the resistance from the Natat area. He was killed in battle on the first day, and Zaynab’s brother Al-Harith took over the defence of Khaybar.
Nine days later, Ali ibn Abi Talib managed to penetrate the fortress of Na’im. Zaynab’s father challenged the Muslims to single combat and killed several of them before Ali killed Al-Harith. Marhab ibn Al-Harith then stepped forward to avenge his brother, but after a bloody battle, Ali also killed him. Marhab’s brother Yasir then ran out to avenge Marhab, and Zubayr ibn al-Awwam killed Yasir. After this, a general battle broke out; the Jews were defeated when the Muslims killed Zaynab’s brother Al-Harith.
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.
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:
Bishr was unable to stand up, and "his colour became like a head shawl (taylasan)," i.e., green. The Muslims dropped a piece of the meat in front of a dog, who ate it and immediately died. According to al-Waqidi:
Muhammad declared that Allah would never have allowed such an assassination attempt to succeed. The Muslims asked if they should kill her, but Muhammad replied, “No.” So "the Jewess returned as she had come."
After swallowing the poisoned mutton, Bishr ibn al-Bara remained paralysed for the rest of his life. When he died, nearly a year later, Zaynab was handed over to his relatives. They exacted blood-vengeance and killed her.
A hadith of Sunan Abu Dawud says that Muhammad had himself cupped to heal himself from the poison.
It left an effect on his mouth:
Hadiths attributed to Aisha and Anas ibn Malik mention that Muhammad on his deathbed remembered the excruciating pain from when he was poisoned in Khaybar.
Other traditions ascribe the blame for trying to poison Muhammad on tribe of Khaybar generally.