[pending revision] | [pending revision] |
Briangotts (talk | contribs) |
. +added "hundreds" to make sure nobody misses the article |
||
(One intermediate revision by the same user not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
⚫ | The '''Banu Qurayza''' were a [[Jew]]ish tribe [[Arabian tribe that interacted with Muhammad|who lived in northern Arabia during the 7th century]], at the oasis of Yathrib (now known as [[Medina]]). The bulk of the tribe's men, hundreds, apart from a few who converted to Islam, were killed in 627 CE, following a [[Siege of the Banu Qurayza|siege mounted by Muslim inhabitants of Medina and immigrants from Mecca]]. The Muslims believed that the Banu Qurayza had agreed to aid their Meccan enemies in their attack on Medina, which the Muslims had just repulsed in the [[Battle of the Trench]], for that, see [[Siege of the Banu Qurayza]]. |
||
{{Campaignbox Rise of Islam}} |
|||
⚫ | The '''Banu Qurayza''' |
||
The name in [[Arabic language|Arabic]] is بنو قريظة; alternate spellings include ''Quraiza'', ''Qurayzah'', ''Quraytha'', and the archaic ''Koreiza'' |
|||
===Early history=== |
|||
==History== |
|||
===5th century=== |
|||
In the [[5th century]] CE, the tribe lived in Yathrib together with some other Jewish tribes. That century, two tibes from [[Yemen]] named [[Banu Aus]] and [[Banu Khazraj]] moved into the city <ref name= "jewishencyclopedia 1">[[jewishencyclopedia.com]] [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=326&letter=M]</ref>. |
In the [[5th century]] CE, the tribe lived in Yathrib together with some other Jewish tribes. That century, two tibes from [[Yemen]] named [[Banu Aus]] and [[Banu Khazraj]] moved into the city <ref name= "jewishencyclopedia 1">[[jewishencyclopedia.com]] [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=326&letter=M]</ref>. |
||
===6th century=== |
|||
In the [[6th century]] CE The Jews lost control of the city to [[Banu Aus]] and [[Banu Khazraj]]. [[Jewish Encyclopedia]] states that they did so ''"by calling in outside assistance and treacherously massacring at a banquet"'' <ref name= "jewishencyclopedia 1"/>. |
In the [[6th century]] CE The Jews lost control of the city to [[Banu Aus]] and [[Banu Khazraj]]. [[Jewish Encyclopedia]] states that they did so ''"by calling in outside assistance and treacherously massacring at a banquet"'' <ref name= "jewishencyclopedia 1"/>. |
||
===7th century=== |
|||
Eventualy, [[Banu Aus]] and [[Banu Khazraj]] became hostile to each other and by the [[7th century]], they had been fighting for one hundred and twenty years and were the sworn enemies of each other.<ref name= "balagh.net">http://www.balagh.net/english/ahl_bayt/the_message/27.htm</ref>. They went to war against each other in the [[Battle of Bu'ath]] a few years before the [[Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]] [[Migration to Medina|migrated to Medina]] <ref name= "jewishencyclopedia 1"/>. '''Banu Qurayza''', [[Banu Nadir]] and [[Banu Qaynuqa]] were the largest Jewish tribes in the city. During the Battle of Bu'ath, the Banu Nadir and the Banu Qurayza fought with the [[Banu Aus]], while the Banu Qaynuqa were allied with the [[Banu Khazraj]]. The latter were defeated after a long and desperate battle. <ref name= "jewishencyclopedia 1"/><ref>For alliances, see Guillaume's English translation of Ibn Ishaq, p. 253.</ref> |
Eventualy, [[Banu Aus]] and [[Banu Khazraj]] became hostile to each other and by the [[7th century]], they had been fighting for one hundred and twenty years and were the sworn enemies of each other.<ref name= "balagh.net">http://www.balagh.net/english/ahl_bayt/the_message/27.htm</ref>. They went to war against each other in the [[Battle of Bu'ath]] a few years before the [[Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]] [[Migration to Medina|migrated to Medina]] <ref name= "jewishencyclopedia 1"/>. '''Banu Qurayza''', [[Banu Nadir]] and [[Banu Qaynuqa]] were the largest Jewish tribes in the city. During the Battle of Bu'ath, the Banu Nadir and the Banu Qurayza fought with the [[Banu Aus]], while the Banu Qaynuqa were allied with the [[Banu Khazraj]]. The latter were defeated after a long and desperate battle. <ref name= "jewishencyclopedia 1"/><ref>For alliances, see Guillaume's English translation of Ibn Ishaq, p. 253.</ref> |
||
The Banu Qurayza were led by [[Ka'b ibn Asad]]. |
The Banu Qurayza were led by [[Ka'b ibn Asad]]. |
||
== The arrival of the Muslims |
====622: The arrival of the Muslims==== |
||
In 622, [[Muhammad]] arrived in Medina, transforming the political landscape; the longstanding enmity between the Aws and Khazraj tribes was dampened as both embraced Islam and accepted Muhammad's leadership. The early Muslim historians record that the Muslims and Jews of the area signed an agreement, the [[Constitution of Medina]], which committed the Jews and the Muslims to mutual cooperation. Some Western academics say that this "treaty" is possibly a collage of agreements, oral rather than written, of different dates, and that it is not clear when they were made or with whom{{citation needed}}. |
In 622, [[Muhammad]] arrived in Medina, transforming the political landscape; the longstanding enmity between the Aws and Khazraj tribes was dampened as both embraced Islam and accepted Muhammad's leadership. The early Muslim historians record that the Muslims and Jews of the area signed an agreement, the [[Constitution of Medina]], which committed the Jews and the Muslims to mutual cooperation. Some Western academics say that this "treaty" is possibly a collage of agreements, oral rather than written, of different dates, and that it is not clear when they were made or with whom{{citation needed}}. |
||
====625: Expulsion of Banu Nadir,==== |
|||
Tensions quickly mounted between the Muslim and Jewish communities; the Banu Nadir, the allies of Banu Qurayza, were expelled from Medina in [[625]] following what Muslim sources claim was a violation of the treaty, and the Banu Qaynuqa were expelled soon afterwards, after a quarrel over an insult to a Muslim woman's honor escalated into murder. |
Tensions quickly mounted between the Muslim and Jewish communities; the Banu Nadir, the allies of Banu Qurayza, were expelled from Medina in [[625]] following what Muslim sources claim was a violation of the treaty, and the Banu Qaynuqa were expelled soon afterwards, after a quarrel over an insult to a Muslim woman's honor escalated into murder. |
||
== War with Mecca |
====627: War with Mecca==== |
||
{{Main|Battle of the trench}} |
{{Main|Battle of the trench}} |
||
In 627, the army of [[Mecca]] attacked Medina under the command of [[Abu Sufyan]]. Abu Sufyan asked the Banu Qurayza tribe to help them conquer Medina, by attacking the Muslims from behind the lines or letting them into the town. |
In 627, the army of [[Mecca]] attacked Medina under the command of [[Abu Sufyan]]. Abu Sufyan asked the Banu Qurayza tribe to help them conquer Medina, by attacking the Muslims from behind the lines or letting them into the town. |
||
Line 26: | Line 31: | ||
However, Abu Sufyan's forces were defeated in the [[Battle of the Trench]], and retreated, abandoning their allies to the Muslim victors. The very day of the victory, reportedly incited by the Angel [[Gabriel#Gabriel_in_Islam|Gabriel]], Muhammad led the Muslim troops towards the Banu Qurayza's neighborhood. |
However, Abu Sufyan's forces were defeated in the [[Battle of the Trench]], and retreated, abandoning their allies to the Muslim victors. The very day of the victory, reportedly incited by the Angel [[Gabriel#Gabriel_in_Islam|Gabriel]], Muhammad led the Muslim troops towards the Banu Qurayza's neighborhood. |
||
⚫ | |||
{{Main|Siege of the Banu Qurayza}} |
{{Main|Siege of the Banu Qurayza}} |
||
The Banu Qurayza retreated into their stronghold and contemplated their alternatives. |
The Banu Qurayza retreated into their stronghold and contemplated their alternatives. After a siege that lasted several weeks, the Banu Qurayza surrendered unconditionally, and this they agreed to become subjected to the judgment of [[Sa'd ibn Mua'dh]], the head of the [[Banu Aus]], the tribe who they had allied during the [[Battle of Bu'ath]]. However, [[Sa'd ibn Mua'dh]] ordered that the male of the tribe to be killed, sources vary to the number, between 400 and 900 people. |
||
== The judgment == |
|||
{{POV-section}} |
|||
According to Muslim accounts, [[Banu Aus]] pleaded to [[Muhammad]] for '''Banu Qurayza''' and asked Muhammad to appoint [[Sa'd ibn Mua'dh]] as an arbitrator to decide their fate. Their request was accepted. [[Sa'd ibn Mua'dh]] pronounced that all men should be executed. Muhammad approved the ruling, calling it similar to God's judgment. This ruling was taken to refer to all males over puberty, some 600-900 individuals according to Ibn Ishaq.<ref>[[Ibn Hisham]], al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, 2nd ed., vol. 3, (Beirut: Daru’l-Khayr, 1995), pp. 188-9</ref> |
|||
{{PresentScholar|Javed Ahmad Ghamidi|21th|Sunni}} claims that the judgement of [[Sa'd ibn Mua'dh]] was conducted according to laws in [[Torah]], and points to the fact that [[Qur'an]] does not present this punishment for [[Jew]]s.<ref>{{cite book | last = Ghamidi | first = Javed | authorlink = Javed Ahmed Ghamidi | title = [[Mizan]] | chapter= [http://www.studying-islam.org/articletext.aspx?id=771 The Islamic Law of Jihad] | publisher = [[Al-Mawrid|Dar ul-Ishraq]] | year = 2001 | doi = | id = {{OCLC|52901690}} }}</ref> |
|||
{{PresentScholar|Mahdi Puya|20th|Shi'a|Twelver}} writes in his [[tafsir]] of this verse: |
|||
{{QuoteScholar|The reference is to the Jewish tribe of the Banu Qurayza. As citizens of Madina they were [[Constitution of Medina|bound by solemn agreement]] to help in the defence of [[Medina|the city]]. But on the occasion of [[Battle of the Trench|the siege by the Quraysh and their allies]] they intrigued with the enemies and treacherously aided them. The Banu Qurayza were filled with terror and dismay when Madina was free from the Quraysh danger. They shut themselves in their fortress about three or four miles to the east of Madina. |
|||
[[Abu al-Fida|Ahul Fida]] and [[Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari|Tabari]] in their histories and [[Muhammad Khwandamir|Hirwi]] in [[Habib al-Siyar|Habib al Siyar]] say that soon after his return from the [[Battle of the Trench|battle of Khandaq]], while laying aside his armour, the Holy Prophet was washing his hands and face in the house of his beloved daughter [[Fatimah]] whom he used to visit before going to his own quarter on return from an expedition or excursion the [[Islamic view of angels|angel]] [[Gabriel|Jibrail]] brought a command from Allah to proceed immediately against the Qurayza Jews. |
|||
The Holy Prophet instantly sent [[Ali]] with his standard, and himself following with his army laid siege to the fortress of the Jews. The Holy Prophet himself went near the gate of their fortress and asked them to surrender. They did not. Had they done as suggested by the Holy Prophet they would have enjoyed the fair and lenient terms given to the tribe of [[Banu Qaynuqa|Banu Quinuqa]] It is said that at the command of the Holy Prophet the grove of the trees near the walls of the fortress moved over to a place away from it so as to give shelter to the Muslim army. |
|||
At last, after twenty five days they offered to surrender, if [[Sa'd ibn Mua'dh|Sad bin Mu-az]], the chief of their allies-the [[Banu Aus|Bani Aws]]- might be appointed to decide their fate. The Holy Prophet agreed. Sad decreed that the male captives should be put to sword, women and children be sold as slaves and their goods be confiscated and divided among the besiegers. This decision was given by Sad in the light of the verses 13 and 14 of [[Deuteronomy]] 20: |
|||
"You shall put all its males to the sword, but you may take the women, the dependants, and the cattle for yourselves." |
|||
Please refer to Deuteronomy 20: 10 to 18. <ref>[[Holy Quran (puya)]] on [[al-Islam.org]] [http://al-islam.org/quran/process.asp?tArabic=on&tShakir=on&tYusufali=on&tPickthal=on&tAliCommentary=on&Sura=33&SavedSura=1&fAya=1&tAya=73&searchText=&arabicdisplay=windows]</ref>}} |
|||
No contemporaneous source alleges that Sa'd based his judgment on the Torah; moreover, Jewish law has always understood the verses cited to apply only to the situation of the conquest of Canaan under [[Joshua]], and not to any other period of history.<ref>''e.g.'', [[Maimonides]], ''[[Mishne Torah]]'', Sanhedrin 11.</ref> |
|||
⚫ | |||
[[Ibn Ishaq]] describes the killing of the Banu Qurayza men as follows: |
|||
{{QuoteScholar|Then they surrendered, and the apostle confined them in Medina in the quarter of d. al-Harith, a woman of B. al-Najjar. Then the apostle went out to the market of Medina (which is still its market today) and dug trenches in it. Then he sent for them and struck off their heads in those trenches as they were brought out to him in batches. Among them was the enemy of Allah Huyayy b. Akhtab and Ka`b b. Asad their chief. There were 600 or 700 in all, though some put the figure as high as 800 or 900. As they were being taken out in batches to the apostle they asked Ka`b what he thought would be done with them. He replied, 'Will you never understand? Don't you see that the summoner never stops and those who are taken away do not return? By Allah it is death!' This went on until the apostle made an end of them. Huyayy was brought out wearing a flowered robe in which he had made holes about the size of the finger-tips in every part so that it should not be taken from him as spoil, with his hands bound to his neck by a rope. When he saw the apostle he said, 'By God, I do not blame myself for opposing you, but he who forsakes God will be forsaken.' Then he went to the men and said, 'God's command is right. A book and a decree, and massacre have been written against the Sons of Israel.' Then he sat down and his head was struck off.}} |
|||
The spoils of battle, including the enslaved women and children of the tribe, were divided up among Muhammad's followers, with Muhammad himself receiving a fifth of the value (as ''[[khums]]'', to be used for the public good). Some of these were sold soon after to raise funds for jihad.{{fact}} |
|||
==Sources== |
|||
Sources regarding the Banu Qurayza are sparse: the only known mentions of this tribe are in Muslim sources, and date from no earlier than 150 years after the event. Some information - including the judgment pronounced and carried out on the tribe - is to be found in ''[[hadith]]'' accepted as ''sahih'' by most Sunni Muslims. (Shia traditions also report this, but Shia do not accept the same hadith collections.) Most details - such as the number killed, the siege, the speech given by Ka'b before surrender, Ka'b's decision to join Quraish, and Huyai's efforts to persuade him - derive ultimately from a single account, that of [[Ibn Ishaq]]. His work is among the earliest surviving sources on Islamic history, but he is considered quite unreliable by the main ''hadith'' scholars, especially [[Imam Malik]]. The attitude of Western historians towards both the hadith and Ibn Ishaq varies from general acceptance to near-total scepticism; see [[historiography of early Islam]]. |
|||
This event has been documented in the History of Muhammad [[ibn Jarir al-Tabari]], which is one of the main sources of information about the early history of Islam. |
|||
==Hadith== |
|||
Various hadith treat of this event: |
|||
[http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/026.smt.html Muslim Book 026], Number 5557 (abridged; remainder describes when not to kill snakes and [[jinn]]): |
|||
: Abu as-Sa'ib, the freed slave of Hisham b. Zuhra, said that he visited Abu Sa'id Khudri in his house, (and he further) said: [...] He said: There was a young man amongst us who had been newly wedded. We went with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) (to participate in the Battle) of Trench when a young man in the midday used to seek permission from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) to return to his family. One day he sought permission from him and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) (after granting him the permission) said to him: Carry your weapons with you for I fear the tribe of Quraiza (may harm you). The man carried the weapons and then came back and found his wife standing between the two doors... |
|||
[http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/057.sbt.html Bukhari Volume 5, Book 57], Number 66 (nearly identical to [http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/031.smt.html#031.5940 Muslim Book 031, Number 5940]: |
|||
: Narrated 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubair: During the battle of Al-Ahzab, I and 'Umar bin Abi-Salama were kept behind with the women. Behold! I saw (my father) Az-Zubair riding his horse, going to and coming from Bani Quraiza twice or thrice. So when I came back I said, "O my father! I saw you going to and coming from Bani Quraiza?" He said, "Did you really see me, O my son?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Allah's Apostle said, 'Who will go to Bani Quraiza and bring me their news?' So I went, and when I came back, Allah's Apostle mentioned for me both his parents saying, "Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you."' |
|||
[http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/052.sbt.html Bukhari Volume 4, Book 52], Number 68 (nearly identical to Bukhari Volume 5, Book 59, Number 443; [http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/019.smt.html Muslim Book 019], Number 4370 gives slightly more detail): |
|||
: Narrated '[[Aisha]]: When Allah's Apostle returned on the day (of the battle) of Al-Khandaq (i.e. Trench), he put down his arms and took a bath. Then Gabriel whose head was covered with dust, came to him saying, "You have put down your arms! By Allah, I have not put down my arms yet." Allah's Apostle said, "Where (to go now)?" Gabriel said, "This way," pointing towards the tribe of Bani Quraiza. So Allah's Apostle went out towards them. |
|||
[http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/059.sbt.html Bukhari Volume 5, Book 59], Number 444: |
|||
: Narrated Anas: As if I am just now looking at the dust rising in the street of Banu Ghanm (in Medina) because of the marching of Gabriel's regiment when Allah's Apostle set out to Banu Quraiza (to attack them). |
|||
[http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/059.sbt.html Bukhari Volume 5, Book 59], Number 445 ([http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/019.smt.html Muslim Book 019], Number 4374 is almost identical, but has "Zuhr" rather than "Asr"): |
|||
: Narrated Ibn Umar: On the day of Al-Ahzab (i.e. Clans) the Prophet said, "None of you Muslims) should offer the 'Asr prayer but at Banu Quraiza's place." The 'Asr prayer became due for some of them on the way. Some of those said, "We will not offer it till we reach it, the place of Banu Quraiza," while some others said, "No, we will pray at this spot, for the Prophet did not mean that for us." Later on it was mentioned to the Prophet and he did not berate any of the two groups. |
|||
[http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/052.sbt.html Volume 4, Book 52], Number 280 (nearly identical to [http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/058.sbt.html Bukhari Volume 5, Book 58], Number 148 and [http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/074.sbt.html Volume 8, Book 74], Number 278 and [http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/019.smt.html Muslim Book 019, Number 4368-9]): |
|||
: Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri: When the tribe of Bani Quraiza was ready to accept Sad's judgment, Allah's Apostle sent for Sad who was near to him. Sad came, riding a donkey and when he came near, Allah's Apostle said (to the Ansar), "Stand up for your leader." Then Sad came and sat beside Allah's Apostle who said to him. "These people are ready to accept your judgment." Sad said, "I give the judgment that their warriors should be killed and their children and women should be taken as prisoners." The Prophet then remarked, "O Sad! You have judged amongst them with (or similar to) the judgment of the King Allah." |
|||
[http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/059.sbt.html Bukhari Volume 5, Book 59], Number 362 (nearly identical to [http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/019.smt.html Muslim Book 019], Number 4364): |
|||
: Narrated Ibn Umar: Bani An-Nadir and Bani Quraiza fought (against the Prophet violating their peace treaty), so the Prophet exiled Bani An-Nadir and allowed Bani Quraiza to remain at their places (in Medina) taking nothing from them till they fought against the Prophet again). He then killed their men and distributed their women, children and property among the Muslims, but some of them came to the Prophet and he granted them safety, and they embraced Islam. He exiled all the Jews from Medina. They were the Jews of Bani Qainuqa, the tribe of Abdullah bin Salam and the Jews of Bani Haritha and all the other Jews of Medina. |
|||
[http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/abudawud/014.sat.html Abu Dawud, Book 14] Number 2665: |
|||
: Narrated Aisha: No woman of Banu Qurayzah was killed except one. She was with me, talking and laughing on her back and belly (extremely), while the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) was killing her people with the swords. Suddenly a man called her name: Where is so-and-so? She said: I I asked: What is the matter with you? She said: I did a new act. She said: The man took her and beheaded her. She said: I will not forget that she was laughing extremely although she knew that she would be killed. |
|||
[http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/abudawud/038.sat.html#038.4390 Abu Dawud, Book 38] Number 4390: |
|||
:Narrated Atiyyah al-Qurazi: I was among the captives of Banu Qurayzah. They (the Companions) examined us, and those who had begun to grow hair (pubes) were killed, and those who had not were not killed. I was among those who had not grown hair. |
|||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
Line 119: | Line 56: | ||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
*[http://www.pbs.org/muhammad/ma_jews.shtml PBS site on the Jews of Medina] |
|||
*[http://answering-islam.org/Muhammad/Jews/BQurayza/treaty.html The Bani Quraytha Jews - Traitors or Betrayed?] |
*[http://answering-islam.org/Muhammad/Jews/BQurayza/treaty.html The Bani Quraytha Jews - Traitors or Betrayed?] |
||
*[http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/sina/jews.htm What Happened to the Jews of Medina] |
*[http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/sina/jews.htm What Happened to the Jews of Medina] |
Revision as of 05:25, 16 December 2006
The Banu Qurayza were a Jewish tribe who lived in northern Arabia during the 7th century, at the oasis of Yathrib (now known as Medina). The bulk of the tribe's men, hundreds, apart from a few who converted to Islam, were killed in 627 CE, following a siege mounted by Muslim inhabitants of Medina and immigrants from Mecca. The Muslims believed that the Banu Qurayza had agreed to aid their Meccan enemies in their attack on Medina, which the Muslims had just repulsed in the Battle of the Trench, for that, see Siege of the Banu Qurayza.
The name in Arabic is بنو قريظة; alternate spellings include Quraiza, Qurayzah, Quraytha, and the archaic Koreiza
History
5th century
In the 5th century CE, the tribe lived in Yathrib together with some other Jewish tribes. That century, two tibes from Yemen named Banu Aus and Banu Khazraj moved into the city [1].
6th century
In the 6th century CE The Jews lost control of the city to Banu Aus and Banu Khazraj. Jewish Encyclopedia states that they did so "by calling in outside assistance and treacherously massacring at a banquet" [1].
7th century
Eventualy, Banu Aus and Banu Khazraj became hostile to each other and by the 7th century, they had been fighting for one hundred and twenty years and were the sworn enemies of each other.[2]. They went to war against each other in the Battle of Bu'ath a few years before the Islamic prophet Muhammad migrated to Medina [1]. Banu Qurayza, Banu Nadir and Banu Qaynuqa were the largest Jewish tribes in the city. During the Battle of Bu'ath, the Banu Nadir and the Banu Qurayza fought with the Banu Aus, while the Banu Qaynuqa were allied with the Banu Khazraj. The latter were defeated after a long and desperate battle. [1][3]
The Banu Qurayza were led by Ka'b ibn Asad.
622: The arrival of the Muslims
In 622, Muhammad arrived in Medina, transforming the political landscape; the longstanding enmity between the Aws and Khazraj tribes was dampened as both embraced Islam and accepted Muhammad's leadership. The early Muslim historians record that the Muslims and Jews of the area signed an agreement, the Constitution of Medina, which committed the Jews and the Muslims to mutual cooperation. Some Western academics say that this "treaty" is possibly a collage of agreements, oral rather than written, of different dates, and that it is not clear when they were made or with whom[citation needed].
625: Expulsion of Banu Nadir,
Tensions quickly mounted between the Muslim and Jewish communities; the Banu Nadir, the allies of Banu Qurayza, were expelled from Medina in 625 following what Muslim sources claim was a violation of the treaty, and the Banu Qaynuqa were expelled soon afterwards, after a quarrel over an insult to a Muslim woman's honor escalated into murder.
627: War with Mecca
In 627, the army of Mecca attacked Medina under the command of Abu Sufyan. Abu Sufyan asked the Banu Qurayza tribe to help them conquer Medina, by attacking the Muslims from behind the lines or letting them into the town.
According to one early historian, Ibn Ishaq, the Banu Qurayza chief, Ka'b, was initially reluctant, but eventually decided to support the Meccans, being so persuaded by Huyayy ibn Akhtab, chief of the Banu al-Nadir, the allies of Banu Qurayza.
According to the hadith collection, the Sahih Bukhari, this was the second time Bani Qurayza had broken the peace treaty and allied with Banu Al-Nadir against the Muslims; the first time, Banu Qurayza suffered no loss and were allowed to stay in Medina [4].
However, Abu Sufyan's forces were defeated in the Battle of the Trench, and retreated, abandoning their allies to the Muslim victors. The very day of the victory, reportedly incited by the Angel Gabriel, Muhammad led the Muslim troops towards the Banu Qurayza's neighborhood.
627: Siege and killing of the men
The Banu Qurayza retreated into their stronghold and contemplated their alternatives. After a siege that lasted several weeks, the Banu Qurayza surrendered unconditionally, and this they agreed to become subjected to the judgment of Sa'd ibn Mua'dh, the head of the Banu Aus, the tribe who they had allied during the Battle of Bu'ath. However, Sa'd ibn Mua'dh ordered that the male of the tribe to be killed, sources vary to the number, between 400 and 900 people.
See also
- Jihad
- Itmaam-i-hujjat
- Muhammad as a general
- Rules of war in Islam
- Arabian tribes that interacted with Muhammad
References
- ^ a b c d jewishencyclopedia.com [1]
- ^ http://www.balagh.net/english/ahl_bayt/the_message/27.htm
- ^ For alliances, see Guillaume's English translation of Ibn Ishaq, p. 253.
- ^
also:
- Bat Ye'or. The Dhimmi: Jews and Christians under Islam (translated from the French by David Maisel, Paul Fenton, and David Littman. London: Associated University Presses, 1985.
- Bostom, Andrew G. 2005. The Legacy of Jihad: Islamic Holy War and the Fate of Non-Muslims. Prometheus Books, 2005.
- Guillaume, A. The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah. Oxford University Press, 1955.
- Hitti, Philip. History of the Arabs. 7th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1961.
- Hodgson, Marshall G.S. The Venture of Islam, Vol. I. University of Chicago Press, 1974.
- Lecker, Michael. Jews and Arabs in Pre- And Early Islamic Arabia. Ashgate Publishing, 1999.
- Newby, Gordon Darnell. A History of the Jews of Arabia: From Ancient Times to Their Eclipse Under Islam (Studies in Comparative Religion). Univ of South Carolina Press, 1988.
External links
- The Bani Quraytha Jews - Traitors or Betrayed?
- What Happened to the Jews of Medina
- Muhammad, the Qurayza Massacre, and PBS by Andrew G. Bostom
- The Expulsion of Banu al-Qurayzah - excerpt from Akram Diya al Umari, Madinan Society At the Time of the Prophet, International Islamic Publishing House & IIIT, 1991.
- Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum: Memoirs of the Noble Prophet, by Saif al-Rahman Mubarakpuri, Darussalam Publications: Madina 2002. (chapters: Al-Ahzab (the Confederates) Invasion, Invading Banu Quraiza
- Did Prophet Muhammad ordered 900 Jews killed? on the site of jews-for-allah.org.
- Did Muhammad betray the Banu Quraiza?