The Invasion of Banu Qurayza took place in Dhul Qa‘dah during January of CE 627 ( AH 5) and followed on from the Battle of the Trench (Muir, 1861). The

Banu Qurayza The Banu Qurayza ( ar, بنو قريظة, he, בני קוריט'ה; alternate spellings include Quraiza, Qurayzah, Quraytha, and the archaic Koreiza) were a Jewish tribe which lived in northern Arabia, at the oasis of Yathrib (now known as ...

initially told the Muslims that they were allied to them during the Battle of the Trench, however, later they sided with the Pagan Arabs of Quraysh and their allies.. According to traditional sources, Jewish leaders organized efforts against Muhammad and the Muslims. Three Jewish leaders from the tribe of Banu al-Nadir, three Jewish leaders from the tribe of Wa'il, and various other Jewish groups and leaders united and pressured Banu Qurayza to betray their agreement to Muhammad. Afzalur Rahman states that during the Battle of the Trench, when the Muslims were surrounded by a large hostile force, the Banu Qurayza joined the enemies of the Muslims and threatened the Muslims from within the town itself. Waqidi claims that Muhammad had a treaty with the tribe which was torn apart.

Norman Stillman Norman Stillman, Bar-Ilan University Norman Arthur Stillman, also Noam (נועם, in Hebrew), b. 1945, is an American academic, historian, and Orientalist, serving as the emeritus Schusterman-Josey Professor and emeritus Chair of Judaic Histo ...

and Watt believe such a treaty was "doubtful" to have existed, though Watt believes the Qurayza had agreed not to assist Muhammad's enemies against him.Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book, pp. 14-16. According to

Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri Safiur Rahman MubarakpuriAr-Raheeq Al-Makhtum Pdf
(Pdf); See at Author's Autobiograp ...

, Peters, Stillman, Guillaume, Inamdar and Ibn Kathir, on the day of the Meccans' withdrawal Muhammad led his forces against Banu Qurayza. According to Muslim tradition he had been ordered to do so by God.Peters, ''Muhammad and the Origins of Islam'', p. 222-224.Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book, p. 140. The Banu Qurayza, a Jewish tribe, were besieged for 25 days until they surrendered. According to

Mohammed al-Ghazali Sheikh Mohammed al-Ghazali al-Saqqa (1917–1996) ( ar, الشيخ محمد الغزالي السقا ), was an Islamic scholar whose writings "have influenced generations of Egyptians". The author of 94 books, he attracted a broad following with ...

, during that time the Muslims allowed the Jews who had refused to betray Muhammad during the Battle of the Trench to leave and "go wherever they wished". As for those who did not leave, Muslims believe that

Sa'd ibn Mu'adh Saʿd ibn Muʿādh ( ar, سعد ابن معاذ) () was the chief of the Aws tribe in Medina and one of the prominent companions of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him). He died shortly after the Battle of the Trench. Family Sa'd wa ...

was chosen as an arbiter and all parties agreed to abide by his judgment. Sa'd gave his verdict that "the men should be killed, the property divided, and the women and children taken as slaves as per Jewish law". Muhammad approved of the ruling, calling it similar to the judgment in the Torah,Adil, ''Muhammad: The Messenger of Islam'', p. 395f. after which nearly all male members of the tribe who had reached puberty were

beheaded Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the ...

.Kister (1990), Society and religion from Jāhiliyya to Islam, p. 54. The Muslim jurist Tabari quotes 600–900 being killed. The Sunni

hadith Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approva ...

do not give the number killed, but state that all pubescent males were killed and one woman. According to Ibn Kathir,

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...

ic verses 33:26-27 and 33:9-10 are about the attack against the Banu Qurayza.online
Researcher, W. N. Arafat places doubt on the description of events described by Ibn Ishaq (which was used later by Tabari as his sole source). Arafat states in regards to the reception of Ibn Ishaq's and Tabari's account: "The attitude of scholars and historians to Ibn Ishaq's version of the story has been either one of complacency, sometimes mingled with uncertainty, or at least in two important cases, one of condemnatlon and outright rejection." Ibn Ishaq was criticized by Sunni scholar,

Malik ibn Anas Malik ibn Anas ( ar, مَالِك بن أَنَس, ‎ 711–795 CE / 93–179 AH), whose full name is Mālik bin Anas bin Mālik bin Abī ʿĀmir bin ʿAmr bin Al-Ḥārith bin Ghaymān bin Khuthayn bin ʿAmr bin Al-Ḥārith al-Aṣbaḥī ...

as being "a liar" and somebody "who transmits his stories from the Jews." The historicity of this incident has been questioned by Islamic scholarsMeri, ''Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia'', p. 754.Arafat, "New Light on the Story of Banu Qurayza and the Jews of Medina", p. 100-107. Arafat relates the testimony of Ibn Hajar, who denounced this and other accounts as "odd tales" and quoted

, a contemporary of Ibn Ishaq, whom he rejected as a "liar", an "impostor" and for seeking out the Jewish descendants for gathering information about Muhammad's campaign with their forefathers.Nemoy, "Barakat Ahmad's "Muhammad and the Jews"", p. 325. Nemoy is sourcing Ahmad's ''Muhammad and the Jews''. of the

Revisionist School of Islamic Studies The Revisionist school of Islamic studies, (also Historical-Critical school of Islamic studies and skeptic/revisionist Islamic historians) Hoyland, ''In God's Path'', 2015: p.232 is a movement in Islamic studies that questions traditional Muslim ...

Fred Donner: Muhammad and the Believers - At the Origins of Islam (2012) p. 73. and by some western specialists.

Banu Qurayza

The Banu Qurayza ( ar, بني قريظة; بنو قريظة alternate spellings include Quraiza, Qurayzah, Quraytha, and the archaic Koreiza) were a Jewish tribe that lived in northern Arabia, at the oasis of Yathrib (known today as

Medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the second-holiest city in Islam, and the capital of the ...

). Jewish tribes reportedly arrived in

Hijaz The Hejaz (, also ; ar, ٱلْحِجَاز, al-Ḥijāz, lit=the Barrier, ) is a region in the west of Saudi Arabia. It includes the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif, and Baljurashi. It is also known as the "Western Provi ...

in the wake of the Jewish-Roman wars and might have introduced agriculture, which may have put them in a culturally, economically and politically dominant position.Watt, '' Encyclopaedia of Islam'', Section on "Kurayza, Banu". The Banu Qurayza, however, did not own any land.

Background

Agreement with Muhammad

The Banu Qurayza reportedly signed a treaty with Muhammad. According to Watt it is unclear whether or not their treaty with Muhammad, obliged the Qurayza to help him defend Medina or merely to remain neutral; according to Ramadan, they had signed an agreement of mutual assistance with Muhammad. This stance is supported by medieval sources Ibn Ishaq/ Ibn Hisham and

al-Waqidi Abu `Abdullah Muhammad Ibn ‘Omar Ibn Waqid al-Aslami (Arabic ) (c. 130 – 207 AH; c. 747 – 823 AD) was a historian commonly referred to as al-Waqidi (Arabic: ). His surname is derived from his grandfather's name Waqid and thus he became fa ...

. Both Watt and Stillman believe that no special agreement existed between Muhammad and the Qurayza. Watt, however, does agree that the Qurayza had agreed not to support Muhammad's enemies against him. Zafar Ali Qureshi, has criticized Watt's assessment and approach to such incidents. In 627,

Abu Sufyan Sakhr ibn Harb ibn Umayya ibn Abd Shams ( ar, صخر بن حرب بن أمية بن عبد شمس, Ṣakhr ibn Ḥarb ibn Umayya ibn ʿAbd Shams; ), better known by his '' kunya'' Abu Sufyan ( ar, أبو سفيان, Abū Sufyān), was a prominent ...

, led an attack on

during the Battle of the Trench. The Qurayza did not participate in the fighting - according to David Norcliffe, but they lent tools to the Muslims, to defend themselves in Medina. The Qurayza were deeply offended by Muhammad's recitation of revelations which criticized some Jews. According to Al-Waqidi, the Banu Qurayza helped the defense effort of Medina by supplying spades, picks, and baskets for the excavation of the defensive trench the defenders of Medina had dug in preparation. According to Watt, the Banu Qurayza "seem to have tried to remain neutral" in the battle
free online
but later changed their attitude when a Jew from Khaybar persuaded them that Muhammad was sure to be overwhelmed, making them doubt whether they should help and ally with Muhammad and though they did not commit any act overtly hostile to Muhammad, according to Watt, they entered into negotiations with the invading army to reach a settlement.

Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal ''Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal'' ( ar, مسند أحمد بن حنبل) is a collection of musnad hadith compiled by the Islamic scholar Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 AH/855 AD) to whom the Hanbali fiqh (legislation) is attributed. Description It is on ...

no. 22823 also mentions that the Qurayza allegedly helped Muhammad by turning down Abu Sufyan when he wanted their help to attack Muhammad, and that Abu Sufyan was not happy with them. According to

Shibli Nomani Shibli Nomani ( ur, – ; 3 June 1857 – 18 November 1914) was an Islamic scholar from the Indian subcontinent during the British Raj. He was born at Bindwal in Azamgarh district of present-day Uttar Pradesh.Huyayy ibn Akhtab, the chief of the Banu Nadir whom Muhammad had exiled (during the Invasion of Banu Nadir),Nomani, Sirat al-Nabi, p. 382.

Alleged decision to terminate alliance

Al-Waqidi reports that Huyayy tore into pieces the agreement between Ka'b and Muhammad. Rumours began to spread that the Qurayza had decided to terminate their

treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal pe ...

with Muhammad. So Muhammad sent some men to confirm this. According to

William Muir Sir William Muir (27 April 1819 – 11 July 1905) was a Scottish Orientalist, and colonial administrator, Principal of the University of Edinburgh and Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Provinces of British India. Life He was born at Gl ...

, the Qurayza said to the men "Who is Mahomet, and who is the Apostle of God, that we should obey him? There is no bond or compact between us and him."

denies the claims of al-Waqidi and that there ever was an agreement. Watt also rejects the existence of such a special agreement, but notes that the Qurayza had a general agreement with Muhammad because they were allied to 2 Muslim tribes (the Banu Aws and Banu Khazraj).

Reason for attack

According to Peters and Stillman, on the day of the Meccans' withdrawal, Muhammad led his forces against the Banu Qurayza neighborhood. According to the Muslim tradition, he had been ordered to do so by the angel Gabriel. According to

The Sealed Nectar ''Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum'' ( ar, الرحيق المختوم; ), is a seerah book, or biography of the Prophet, which was written by Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri. This book was awarded first prize by the Muslim World League in a worldwide competitio ...

, a modern Islamic biography of Muhammad written by the Indian Muslim author Saif ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, the Angel

Gabriel In Abrahamic religions ( Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ ...

visited Muhammad while he was washing clothes at

Umm Salama Hind bint Abi Umayya ( ar, هِنْد بِنْت أَبِي أُمَيَّة, Hind ʾibnat ʾAbī ʾUmayya, 580 or 596 – 680 or 683), better known as Umm Salama ( ar, أُمّ سَلَمَة, link=no) or Hind al-Makhzūmiyah ( ar, هِنْد ...

’s house, asking that he should unsheathe his sword and go to the

and fight them. Mubarakpuri claims Gabriel said that he, with a procession of angels, would go ahead to the fort of the Banu Qurayza and cast fear in their hearts. This is also mentioned in the Sunni hadith collections in . Ibn Kathir, mentioned the sequence of events in his

Tafsir Tafsir ( ar, تفسير, tafsīr ) refers to exegesis, usually of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' ( ar, مُفسّر; plural: ar, مفسّرون, mufassirūn). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, in ...

, as follows: Muhammad immediately summoned the prayer caller and ordered him to announce fresh hostilities against the Banu Qurayza, instituted Ibn Umm Maktum as a ruler of Medina, and entrusted the banner of war to ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, who marched towards the appointed target and came close enough to hear the Banu Qurayza abusing Muhammad, who on his part set out at the head of 3,000 infantry men and 30 horsemen of Ansar (Helpers) and Muhajireen (Emigrants).

Siege of Banu Qurayza

When they reached the habitations of Banu Quraiza, they laid tight siege to their forts. The Banu Qurayza retreated into their stronghold and endured the siege for 25 days. As their morale waned, Ka'b ibn Asad (the chief of the tribe) suggested three alternative ways out of their predicament: embrace Islam, kill their own children and women, then rush out for a charge to either win or die; or make a surprise attack on the Sabbath. The Banu Qurayza accepted none of these alternatives. Instead they asked to confer with Abu Lubaba, one of their allies from the Aws. According to Ibn Ishaq, Abu Lubaba felt pity for the women and children of the tribe who were crying and when asked whether the Qurayza should surrender to Muhammad, advised them to do so. However he also "made a sign with his hand toward his throat, indicating that heir fatewould be slaughter". According to Mubarakpuri, Abu Lubab begged Muhammad for forgiveness (on behalf of the Qurayza), but Muhammad said it is only God who can forgive him. The next morning, the Banu Qurayza surrendered and the Muslims seized their stronghold and their stores.Kister, Meir J.
"The Massacre of the Banu Quraiza. A re-examination of a tradition", in: ''Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam'' 8 (1986), p. 94 ,"These included weapons, household goods, utensils, camels and cattle. The stored wine was spilled". The men - numbering between 400 and 900 - were bound and placed under the custody of

Muhammad ibn Maslamah Muhammad ibn Maslamah al-Ansari ( ar, محمد بن مسلمة الأنصاري, Muḥammad ibn Maslamah al-Anṣārī; 588 or 591 – 663 or 666) was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was known as "The Knight of Allah's Prophet ...

, who had killed Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, while the women and children - numbering about 1,000Kister, Meir J.
"The Massacre of the Banu Quraiza. A re-examination of a tradition", in: ''Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam'' 8 (1986), p. 93 (footnotes). (also referenced i
Society and religion from Jāhiliyya to Islam
p. 45) - were placed under Abdullah ibn Sallam, a former rabbi who had converted to Islam. According to Mubrakpuri, Muslims continued their siege for many days and were getting tired. Ali and

Zubayr ibn al-Awwam Az Zubayr ( ar, الزبير) is a city in and the capital of Al-Zubair District, part of the Basra Governorate of Iraq. The city is just south of Basra. The name can also refer to the old Emirate of Zubair. The name is also sometimes written ...

proceeded with ‘Ali swearing that he would never stop until he had either stormed their garrisons or been martyred like Hamza. Muhammad meanwhile asked one of his poets, Hasam bin Thabit to abuse them with his poems. This is mentioned in

Massacre of Banu Qurayza

Surrender and execution

After their garrisons were stormed by Ali they had no choice but to comply with Muhammad's judgement. Muhammad ordered that the men should be handcuffed, and this was done under the supervision of Muhammad bin Salamah Al-Ansari while the women and children were isolated in confinement. Thereupon Al-Aws tribe interceded begging Muhammad to be lenient towards them. He suggested that Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh, a Muslim convert who was a former ally of the tribe, should decide their fate. According to Mubrakpuri, Stillman, Peters and Adil and Muir, when Sa'd arrived, his fellow Aws pleaded for leniency towards the Qurayza and on his request pledged that they would abide by his decision.Peterson, ''Muhammad: the prophet of God'', p. 125-127. He then pronounced that "the men should be killed, the property divided, and the women and children taken as captives". Muhammad approved of the ruling, calling it similar to God's judgment. Mubarakpuri states that the tribesmen who reached puberty were beheaded.
Martin Lings, in his book "Muhammad: his life based on the earliest sources", page 231 and 232 said :

Sa‘d was a man of mighty stature, of handsome and majestic appearance, and when he came to the camp the Prophet said "Rise in honour of your liege lord," and they rose to greet him saying: "Father of ‘Amr, the Messenger of God hath appointed thee to judge the case of thy confederates." He said: "Do ye then swear by God and make by Him your covenant that my judgement shall be the verdict upon them?" "We do," they answered. "And is it binding upon him who is here?" he added, with a glance in the direction of the Prophet, but not mentioning him out of reverence. "It is," said the Prophet. "Then I judge," said Sa‘d, "that the men shall be slain, the property divided, and the women and children made captive."1 The Prophet said to him: "Thou hast judged with the judgement of God from above the seven heavens."

Lings added the footnote 1 at the bottom of the page 232

1 Sa‘d's judgment was no doubt directed mainly against their treachery; but in fact it coincided exactly with Jewish law as regards the treatment of a besieged city, even if it were innocent of treachery: When the Lord thy God hath delivered it unto thy hands, thou shalt smite every male therein with the edge of the sword: but the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself. Deuteronomy 20: 12.

- Daniel C. Peterson, in his book “Muhammad, Prophet of God”, page 127, said :

After receiving promises from all the Muslims present that they would indeed abide by his judgment, Sa‘d decreed the execution of the men of Banu Qurayza, the enslaving of their women and children, and the division of their property among the muslims.5 “You have judged,” said the Prophet, “with the judgment of God from above the seven heavens.”6

Daniel C. Peterson added the footnote 6 at the bottom of the page 127

Perhaps with some apologetic intent, the late English scholar Martin Lings notes, correctly, that Sa'd judgment accords with that of the law of Moses as recorded in Deut. 20:10:14. See Lings, p. 232 n.1.

Sa'd dismissed the pleas of the Aws, according to Watt because being close to death and concerned with his afterlife, he put what he considered "his duty to God and the

Muslim community ' (; ar, أمة ) is an Arabic word meaning "community". It is distinguished from ' ( ), which means a nation with common ancestry or geography. Thus, it can be said to be a supra-national community with a common history. It is a synonym for ' ...

" before tribal allegiance. Tariq Ramadan argues that Muhammad deviated from his earlier, more lenient treatment of prisoners as this was seen "as sign of weakness if not madness" and Peterson concurs that the Muslims wanted to deter future treachery by severe punishment. This is also mentioned in the Sunni hadith collections, stating: A large arsenal of the Banu Qurayza which consisted of 1500 swords, 2000 spears, 300 armours and 500 shields, were confiscated by Muhammad. Trenches were dug in the bazaar of Madinah and a number of Jews between six and seven hundred were beheaded therein.''

Encyclopedia Judaica The ''Encyclopaedia Judaica'' is a 22-volume English-language encyclopedia of the Jewish people, Judaism, and Israel. It covers diverse areas of the Jewish world and civilization, including Jewish history of all eras, culture, holidays, lang ...

'', "Qurayza". Huyai, a chief of Bani Nadir and Safiyah’s father, had joined the ranks of Banu Quraiza when Quraish and Ghatfan defected, was admitted into the audience of Muhammad with his hands tied to his neck with a rope. In audacious defiance, he declared obstinate enmity to Muhammad. He was ordered to sit down, and was beheaded on the spot. According to Mubrakpuri, only one woman of the Jews was killed because she had killed a Muslim warrior by flinging a grinding stone upon him. This is also mentioned in Sunni Hadith collections: A few elements of the enemy embraced Islam and their lives, wealth and children were spared. As for the spoils of the war, Muhammad divided them. Women captives were sent to Najd to be exchanged with horses and weaponry. In the process of the siege laid to Banu Quraiza, one man of the Muslims, Khallad bin Suwaid was killed when a woman of the Jews dropped the grinding stone on him, and another, Abu Sinan bin Mihsan, the brother of ‘Ukasha, died. The siege of Banu Quraiza’s forts lasted for 25 days.

Executors

Several accounts note

Muhammad's companions The Companions of the Prophet ( ar, اَلصَّحَابَةُ; ''aṣ-ṣaḥāba'' meaning "the companions", from the verb meaning "accompany", "keep company with", "associate with") were the disciples and followers of Muhammad who saw or m ...

as executioners, Ali and al-Zubayr in particular, and that each clan of the Aws was also charged with killing a group of Qurayza men. Subhash Inamdar argues that this was done in order to avoid the risk of further conflicts between Muhammad and the Aws. According to Inamdar, Muhammad wanted to distance himself from the events and, had he been involved, would have risked alienating some of the Aws. the

Banu Aws The Banū Aws ( ar, بنو أوس , "Sons of Aws") or simply Aws ( ar, أوس, also romanised as Aus) was one of the main Arab tribes of Medina. The other was Khazraj, and the two, constituted the Ansar ("helpers f Muhammad) after the Hijr ...

were allied to the Banu Qurayza and Muhammad.

Islamic primary sources

According to Meir J. Kister, all male members of the tribe who reached puberty were

. Ibn Kathir says those who did not reach adolescence were taken prisoners instead of being killed.

Quran

According to the 14th century commentator Ibn Kathir, the event is referenced in the Quran: Ibn Kathir's commentary of the verse in his

is as follows: According to Ibn Kathir, Quran 33:09 and 33:10 is also related to the Banu Qurayza.

Hadith literature

In the Sunni hadith collection Abu Dawud: According to Mubrakpuri, Peters, Stillman, Guillaume and Inamdar, Islamic tradition says that the angel

and Muhammad spoke to one another before the attack. This is also mentioned in the Sunni hadith collection Sahih Bukhari: The event is also mentioned in , , , , and many others.

Biographical literature

The early Muslim jurist Tabari and Ibn Hisham also mention this event stating 600-900 were killed. Tabari's account is as follows:

References

Sources

*Peters, Francis E., ''Muhammad and the Origins of Islam''. State University of New York Press, 1994. . *. Note: This is the free version available on Google Books *'' Encyclopaedia of Islam''. Ed. P. Bearman et al., Leiden: Brill, 1960-2005. *''

'' (CD-ROM Edition Version 1.0). Ed.

Cecil Roth Cecil Roth (5 March 1899 – 21 June 1970) was a British Jewish historian. He was editor in chief of ''Encyclopaedia Judaica''. Life Roth was born in Dalston, London, on 5 March 1899. His parents were Etty and Joseph Roth, and Cecil was the young ...

. Keter Publishing House, 1997.
Kister, Meir J.
"The Massacre of the Banu Quraiza. A re-examination of a tradition", in: ''Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam'' 8 (1986). * Stillman, Norman. ''The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book''. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1979. * * Nomani, Shibli, ''Sirat al-Nabi''. Karachi: Pakistan Historical Society, 1970. *Norcliffe, David, ''Islam: Faith and Practice''. Sussex Academic Press, 1999. * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Invasion Of Banu Qurayza 627 Campaigns led by Muhammad Banu Qurayza Islam and Judaism Muhammad in Medina Muhammad and Judaism Massacres in Saudi Arabia Massacres of men Islam and violence Jewish military history Violence against men in Asia Massacres of Jews