The Prophet’s (PBUH) Campaign Against the Jews of Medina- (2)

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The Prophet’s (PBUH) Campaign Against the Jews of Medina- (2)

Analysis by: Rais al-Muballigheen Allamah Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi

Preparation by: Hujjatul Islam Moulana Sayed kazim Rizvi

Introduction

The topic of “The Prophet’s (PBUH) response to the conspiracies of the Jews in Medina” refers to a complex series of historical events that occurred after the Hijrah. A more accurate and contextual translation from Islamic historical sources would be:

The reason for this is that these events were not a single “campaign,” but rather the result of repeated treaty violations and acts of betrayal and hostility by certain tribes against the Muslim community, which ultimately necessitated a decisive response to ensure the survival of the community.

The first instance was the expulsion of Banu Qaynuqa, as they were the first tribe to violate their treaty with the Muslims and show hostility after the Muslim victory at Badr. They were besieged and eventually exiled from Medina.

The second instance was the expulsion of Banu Nadir: This tribe was found to be involved in a plot to assassinate the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). After a siege, they were also exiled from Medina.

One of the most significant confrontations was the Battle of the Trench (Al-Ahzab) and the incident of Banu Qurayzah: During the Battle of the Trench, the tribe of Banu Qurayzah violated their neutrality pact with the Muslims and conspired with the besieging Quraysh army. After the siege was lifted, their betrayal was addressed. Based on the ruling of an arbitrator from their own allied tribe, they were held accountable for their treachery.

In light of the aforementioned events and occurrences, it is imperative to gain a deeper understanding of these truths through research and historical analysis. The present text elucidates the key points from the historical books of Allamah Rizvi:

 

 

The Battle of Khaibar

The banishment of the Jewish tribes of Banu Nadhir and Banu Qinaqa’ from Medina had accentuated the animosity of the Jews towards the Muslims. These tribes had settled down at Khaibar at a distance of about eighty miles from Medina. “Khaibar” means: “fortified place”. It was a Jewish stronghold comprised of seven fortresses: Naaim, Qamus (on a hill of the same name), Katiba, Shiqu, Natat, Watih and Sulalim, of which Qamus was the most fortified.

 These tribes were instigating other tribes to join them in a conclusive assault upon the Muslims. The Battle of Ahzab was the first attempt in which the Jews had participated for the siege of the Muslims. The reverses they had suffered had not deterred them. Their chief, Usir ibn Razam, collected all the Jewish tribes and solicited the aid of Ghatfan for a final showdown. To demonstrate their strength, Ghatfan sent a posse, which captured twenty camels of the Prophet after killing their herdsman and capturing his wife.

 The news of the preparation of the Jews was reaching Medina frequently. At last, the Holy Prophet decided to crush them before they could destroy the Muslims. It was the “near victory” foretold in the Sura of “Victory” revealed just after the truce of Hudaibiyah:

 Indeed God was well pleased with the Believers when they swore allegiance to thee under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquility on them and rewarded them with a near victory. (Qur’an, 48:18)

 By the middle of Muharram, 7 A.H., the Holy Prophet marched on Khaibar with 1,400 persons. In about seven days, six of the Jewish fortresses were overrun by the Muslims. Then Qamus was besieged. Abul Fida says the following in his book of history: (Tarikhu ‘l-mukhtasar fi Akhbari ‘l-basha):

 In those days, the Prophet sometimes used to suffer from migraine. As a matter of chance, on the day he reached Khaibar, he suffered from the same. Abu Bakr, therefore, took the banner and went out to fight but returned unsuccessful. Then Umar took the standard and fought hard, more than his predecessor, but returned equally unsuccessful. When the Prophet came to know of these reversals, he said, “By Allah, tomorrow I will give the standard to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger and whom Allah and His Messenger love, one who is constant in onslaught and does not flee, one who will stand firm and will not return till victory is achieved.”

Having heard this, both the Immigrants and the Helpers aspired for the flag. When the day dawned, having said the morning prayer, the Prophet came and stood among his companions. Then he called for the banner. At that moment, every companion was engrossed in the hope and desire of getting the flag, while the Prophet called for ‘Ali who was suffering from red eyes. The Prophet took some of his own saliva on his finger and applied it to ‘Ali’s eyes. The eyes were at once cured and the Prophet handed over the standard to him.

 Shaikh ‘Abdul-Haqq Muhaddith Dehlavi (traditionist) writes in his Madarijun-Nubuwwah as follows:

 “Then ‘Ali started with the flag in his hand and, reaching under the fort of Qamus, planted the standard on a rock. A Rabbi who was watching from the fort asked, ‘O standard-bearer! Who are you?’ ‘Ali replied, ‘I am ‘Ali son of Abu Talib.’ The Rabbi called unto his people, ‘By the Torah, you will be defeated! This man will not go back without winning the battle.”‘

 The author of Madarijun-Nubuwwah, states the following:

 “Perhaps that Jew was well informed of ‘Ali’s valor and had seen his praises in the Torah.”

 He further states in his afore-mentioned book:

 “Harith, brother of Marhab, first sallied forth from the fort with a huge spear whose point weighed about 3 mounds (a measure of weight, varying from a few lb. to 84 lb. according to the custom of the area). In his immediate attack, he killed a number of Muslim veterans. Then ‘Ali proceeded towards him and dispatched him to hell. in one stroke. When Marhab was informed of his brother’s plight, he rushed out of the fort accompanied by some of the bravest soldiers from the Khaibar garrison to avenge his brother’s death. It is said that Marhab was the strongest, tallest, and the most fierce among the warriors of Khaibar and that none equalled him in his might.

That day, he was armed twice over, wearing double armor with two swords dangling by his sides. He was also wearing two turbans with a helmet over and above. He marched ahead in the battlefield singing about his own valor. Nobody among the Muslims dared to fight him in the battlefield. ‘Ali, therefore, darted out, reciting about his own valiance in response to Marhab’s. Taking the initiative, Marhab attacked ‘Ali with his sword.

But ‘Ali avoided the blow and rendered with Dhul-Fiqar such a forceful blow on Marhab’s head that it cut through the latter’s helmet, the double turban, the head, till it reached the man’s throat. According to some narratives, it is said that he was cut up to his thigh, in others that it tore him into two parts upon the saddle. Marhab took his way to hell in two pieces. Then the Muslims under the command of ‘Ali began fighting the Jews.

‘Ali himself killed seven generals of the Jewish forces everyone of whom was considered to be most valiant. After these had been killed, the remnants of the Jewish troops ran helter-skelter towards their fort. ‘Ali followed them in hot pursuit. In this rush, one Jew delivered a blow to ‘Ali’s hand wherein he carried his shield. The shield fell down. Another Jew picked it up and made good with his booty. This infuriated ‘Ali, who was now strengthened with such a spiritual force and divine strength that he jumped across the moat and came straight to the door of the iron gate. He dislodged it from its hinges, held it up as a shield, and resumed fighting.”

 According to Ibn Hisham’s Sirat, and according to Al-Tarikh al-Kamil and Abul Fida’s Tarikh, Abu Rafi’ is cited saying:

 “When the Prophet gave the flag to ‘Ali and bade him fight the forces of Khaibar, we, too, accompanied him. When ‘Ali was a short distance from the fort, fighting all along, a Jew struck a blow on his hand with such a force that the shield ‘Ali was holding fell down. ‘Ali at once pulled out a part of the gate of Khaibar, held it up as a shield and fought till Allah granted him a clear victory. Once the fighting was over, he threw it away. It was so heavy that eight men from among us could hardly turn it over from one side to the other.”

 An agreement was reached with the Jews of Khaibar. Their lands and movable property were left in their hands. They were allowed to practice their religion freely. In return for the protection they would receive, they were required to pay the Muslims half the produce of their lands. The Prophet maintained the right to turn them out of their lands whenever he so decided. The battle of Khaibar is important as it put an end to the Jewish resistance and, for the first time, a non-Muslim people were made “Protected Persons” of the Muslim commonwealth.

 On the same day, Ja.’far ibn Abi Talib returned from Ethiopia. The Holy Prophet said:

 “I do not know on which blessing of Allah I should thank Him more: on the victory of Khaibar or on the return of Jaf’ar!”

Fadak

The Holy Prophet then sent an expedition with ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib to a Jewish tribe living in Fadak. Without any battle, they agreed to the same terms as the people of Khaibar had.

 The income from Khaibar was for all Muslims in general, whereas the income from Fadak was exclusively for the Prophet because it was taken without any use of force. Jalaluddin al-Suyuti states in Ad-Durr al-Manthur on the authority of Bazaar, Abu Yaala and Ibn Abi Hatim who have taken the tradition from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri that when the verse: Wa aati dhal-Qurba Haqqahu (Qur’an, Chap. 17, V. 26), (“and give thy kinsfolk their dues”) was revealed, the Prophet gave the property of Fadak as a gift to Fatimah. Ibn ‘Abbas has narrated that:

 “When the verse And give thy kinsfolk their dues’ was revealed, the Prophet assigned the Fadak property to Fatimah.”

 A Visit to Mecca

According to the terms of the treaty with the Meccans, the Muslims could visit Mecca the next year. Towards the end of the seventh year of Hijra (March 629 C.E.) the Prophet, accompanied by about two thousand Muslims, proceeded to Mecca to make the lesser pitgrimage (the ‘umrah). The Quraish left their houses and watched the Muslims from their tents pitched on the heights- of the surrounding hills. After three days’ sojourn, the Muslims retired strictly in accordance with the terms of the treaty.

The Battle of Mu’ta

It has already been mentioned that the envoy sent to the Ghassanid prince of Busra had been killed en route at the hands of Shurahbil, a feudatory of the Byzantine emperor. In order to exact reparations, the Prophet, on his return to Medina after the pilgrimage, sent a force of 3,000 men with an order to go to the place where the envoy (Harith ibn ‘Umayr al-Azdi) had been killed.

 The Holy Prophet gave to Zaid ibn Harithah the command of the army, saying, “If Zaid is killed, then Jatar ibn Abi Talib will be the commander, and if he, too, is killed, then ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah will command the army. And if he is killed, then the Muslims should select someone as their commander.”

 Hearing it, a Jew said: “If he is a true Prophet, none of these three will remain alive.” Before dispatching this expedition, he instructed them as follows:

• Many servants of God will be busy worshipping Him in their places of worship (churches). Do not touch them.
• Do not lift your hand against any woman (to strike her).
• Do not kill any child or minor boy.
• Do not kill any old person.
• Do not destroy any green tree.

 These instructions imparted in an age when hardly any scruples were exercised during bloody engagements indicate the depth of the Prophet’s compassion and the efforts he was exerting to effect reforms in all walks of life.

 The Muslim force marched under the command of Zaid ibn Harithah to Mu’ta in Syria. In order to meet it, the Syrians had raised a huge army. Although far outnumbered, the Muslim force gave a heroic account of its valor, but the disparity in number was too great. When its commander, Zaid, was slain, the command was taken over by Ja’far ibn Abi Talib, a cousin of the Holy Prophet. He, too, was killed and ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah, took the command. When, as prophesied by the Holy Prophet, he, too, was martyred, the command went to Khalid ibn al-Walid who was able to bring about a successful retreat.

The Holy Prophet was much grieved by the death of Zaid and Ja’far. About Ja’far, whose hands were both severed before he fell down, the Holy Prophet said that Allah had given him two wings of emerald in place of his arms whereby he flies in the Garden with the angels. That is why Ja’far is known as at-Tayyar (the flyer).

The Fall of Mecca

One of the conditions of the Treaty of Hudaibiyah was that the Quraish would not fight against any ally of the Muslims, nor should the Muslims fight against any ally of the Quraish. In simple language, the clause of 10-years’ cease-fire included the allies as well as the principals.

 During the month of Ramadhan of 8 A.H., the Banu Khuza’ah, an ally of the Muslims, were attacked by Banu Bakr and their allies, the Quraish. By virtue of their alliance with the Muslims, the Banu Khuza’ah sought the aid and protection of the Prophet. The Prophet sent an emissary to the Quraish to persuade them to accept any of the following terms:

 Reparations should be paid for the massacred people of Banu Khuza’ah, or The Quraish should break their alliance with Banu Bakr, or The treaty of Hudaibiyah should be abrogated.

 The Quraish accepted the last alternative. The time had come to free the citadel of Islam from idolatry and to end the reign of oppression in Mecca. The Prophet marched with ten thousand men on the 10th of the month of Ramadhan and camped a short distance from Mecca. The Meccans sent a few scouts, including Abu Sufyan, to find out the strength of the Muslim army. Abu Sufyan was seen by ‘Abbas, uncle of the Holy Prophet, who took him to the Holy Prophet.

 The Prophet, in honor of the recommendation made by his uncle, offered protection to Abu Sufyan. Then the Prophet said, “Isn’t it time for you to know the creed: La ilaha illa-Allah?!” Abu Sufyan replied, “Why not?” Then the Prophet further asked him, “And is it not the time for you to confirm that I am the Messenger of Allah?!” Abu Sufyan said, “I have still some doubt about it.” At this response, ‘Abbas rebuked Abu Sufyan: “Fie upon you, fellow! Confirm his prophethood or you will be killed!” So Abu Sufyan recited both declarations of the creeds of confirmation, and with him Hakim ibn Hizam and Budail ibn Warqa’ also accepted the Islamic creed.

 Abul-Fida writes the following in his Tarikh:

“Then the Prophet asked ‘Abbas to take Abu Sufyan round the valley of Mazeeq and to show him the army of Islam. ‘Abbas said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Abu Sufyan is a boaster! Perhaps you should give him some distinctive order so that he may have a chance to boast about it among the Quraish.’ The Prophet said, ‘Well, then, whoever seeks refuge in Abu Sufyan’s house shall be given protection. And also he who seeks refuge in the Sacred Mosque and in the house of Hakim Bin Hizam or shuts the door of his house shall be given protection‘.

‘Abbas further says, ‘Then I took Abu Sufyan for a review of the Islamic army. At Abu Sufyan’s request, I pointed out to the eminent people from every clan who were present in the Islamic regiments. In the meantime, the Prophet passed by his army, which was clad in green uniforms. Abu Sufyan cried out `O ‘Abbas! Verily your nephew has acquired quite a kingdom!’ ‘Abbas said to him, ‘Woe unto thee! This is no kingship! It is prophethood!”

 Apart from a slight resistance offered by ‘Ikrimah and Safwan, Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) entered Mecca almost unopposed. It happened on a Friday, the 20th of the month of Ramadhan, 8 A.H.

 The city which had scoffed and jeered at Muhammad’s prophetic mission, ruthlessly persecuted him and his disciples and ultimately driven his disciples away, had created all manner of obstacles in the propagation of the faith and had waged war upon war on the Muslims. This same city now lay at his feet. At this moment of triumph, he could have done anything he wished with the city and the citizens, but he had not come to the world to cause misery or bloodshed but as a benefactor of mankind, to proclaim the message of God and to guide erring humanity to the righteous course: to the worship of the One and Only God.

 ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud says:

 “Entering Masjidul-Haram, the Holy Prophet started breaking and demolishing the idols. There were three hundred and sixty idols fixed in the walls and on the roof of the Ka’bah with lead or tin. Any idol near which the Prophet went and towards which he pointed his cane, saying:

 Right has come and falsehood has vanished; verily falsehood is destined to vanish (Qur’an, 17:81)

 The idol fell headlong on the ground without anyone touching it. Lastly, there remained an idol of Banu Khuza’ah on the rooftop of the Ka’bah. It was made of polished brass. The Prophet ordered ‘Ali to climb on his shoulders, which ‘Ali did, throwing that last idol down which shattered into pieces on impact.”

 Then he ordered Bilal, the Ethiopian, to go on the rooftop of the Ka’bah to call the adhan. The wordings of the adhan, coupled with the fact that it was called by a freed Negro slave, caused much heartache among the Quraishites. After clearing the Ka’bah, the first House of God built by Ibrahim (a.s.), of all the symbols of idolatry, he assembled the Quraish and delivered the following sermon to them:

 “There is no god but Allah. He has no partners. He has fulfilled His promise and helped His slave and defeated all coalitions (allied) against him. All authority, revenge and blood reparations are under my feet. The guardianship of the Ka’bah and the arrangements for the supply of water to pilgrims are exempt. O! You Quraish! The arrogance of the heathen days and all pride of ancestry God has wiped out. All mankind descended from Adam, and Adam was made of clay.”

 He then recited the following verse of the Qur’an:

 O people! Surely We have created you of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes so that you may identify one another. Surely the most honorable ofyou with Allah is the one among you who is most pious; surely Allah is Knowing, Aware. (Qur’an, 49:13)

Having dwelt upon the equality and brotherhood of mankind and preached the Unity and the Omnipotence of God, he inquired from the Quraish: “Descendants of Quraish! How do you think I should act towards you?” “With kindness and pity, gracious brother and nephew,” beseeched they.

 The Prophet magnanimously declared:

 “I shall speak to you as Yusuf spoke unto his brothers: ‘There is no reproach against you today; God will forgive. He is the most Merciful and the most Compassionate.”‘ (Qur’an,12:92)

 Then he said to them:”Go; you are free!” Mecca lay conquered but not a single house was plundered, nor any woman insulted. Cruelties, insults and oppression perpetrated during a long period of twenty-one years were now forgiven. The Muhajirun were asked even to forego their houses and properties, which on their migration to Medina had been occupied by the Meccans. Through all the annals of history, there have seldom been any conquests like this.

 The result of this magnanimity and’ compassion was that those very die-hards who had relentlessly opposed the Prophet and refused to listen to the Divine message converged around him in their multitudes and accepted Islam. The glad tidings given by God about the peace of Hudaybiyah came true and His injunction had been obeyed:,

 When there comes assistance from Allah and victory, and when you see men entering the religion of Allah in companies, then celebrate the praise of your Lord, and implore His forgiveness; surely He is oft-returning (to mercy). (Qur’an, Ch. 110)

 Once the Meccans submitted to the faith, disciples were sent out to all neighboring tribes to invite them, with peace and good will, to embrace Islam. Many tribes responded positively to the call. However, there was one tragic incident, which must be mentioned. Khalid ibn al-Walid (who had accepted Islam a few months before the fall of who had already accepted Mecca) was sent to Banu Khuzaimah Islam. When they learned of Khalid’s arrival, they came out cautiously armed. Khalid asked them who they were and in reply he was informed: “They are Muslims following the teaching of Muhammed; they pray in the recognized form of prayer, have built a mosque, recite the adhan and the iqamah and gather together on Fridays for prayers.” Khalid then asked them why they had come out to meet him armed.

They said that they were on inimical terms with a fellow Arab clan and mistook Khalid’s men for their enemies. But Khalid did not accept their explanation and asked them to yield their arms. They at one yielded. Khalid then ordered his companions to tie their hands behind their shoulders, then he placed them in the custody of his comrades. Early next morning, he ordered that the custodian of each of the prisoner should himself kill that prisoner. Thus, these innocent Muslims were killed then and there.

 Another version of this incident says that when Banu Khuzaimah submitted their arms at the order of Khalid, he himself unsheathed his sword and killed one hundred men of that clan. Someone from Banu Khuzaimah informed the Prophet about this tyranny. The Prophet was angered and in dismay thrice repeated, “O Lord! I deplore Khalid’s action!”

 Abul-Fida adds: “Then the Prophet sent ‘Ali with gold to Banu Khuzaimah and ordered that the blood money of the victims and compensation for their lost properties should be paid with the same. ‘Ali did as he was bidden.”

 

The Battle of Hunain

The violent tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif joined hands. Collecting a large force, they marched upon the Muslims. In order to enable them to pursue their hostility to the bitter end and to inspire their own ranks to desperate deeds, they had brought their families with them. On the 6th of Shawwal, a pitched battle was fought at Hunain, about ten miles from Mecca. The Hawazin and Thaqif had taken up vantage positions. They almost took the Muslims by surprise, attacking them in the early hours of the morning. They fought in a spirit of desperation. The Muslims first lost ground and their defeat seemed imminent.

 At that time, a cousin of the Holy Prophet named Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith was holding the bridle of the Prophet’s horse. As the Prophet was witnessing his people’s retreat, he called out to them, “Where are you rmming off to?!” But nobody was paying any attention to him. The Prophet (s.a.w.a.) then told his uncle ‘Abbas to call the Muslims back. ‘Abbas wondered as to how his voice would reach the fleeing herd.

The Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said that Allah would cause his voice to reach them, no matter how far they might have gone. ‘Abbas called them in these words as the Prophet had taught him: “O group of the Helpers! O people of the tree of Samrah!” Those who proved to be firm in the battle of Hunain include ‘Abbas, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abu Sufyan ibn alHarith, ‘Aqil ibn Abi Talib, ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam and Usamah ibn Zaid.

 AI-Halabi remarks in Al-Sira alHalabiyya that only four persons remained with the Holy Prophet, three of whom were Hashimites, i.e., ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, ‘Abbas and Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith, and one non-Hashimite, i.e., ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud.

 Abul-Fida makes another point. He says:

 “When the Muslims fled, the secret malice which the people of Mecca entertained against the Muslims was exposed. Abu Sufyan ibn Harb gleefully cried out, ‘They will not stop until they reach the seashore!”

 However, after the call of ‘Abbas, at last the deserters returned and ultimately the Hawazin and Thaqif were totally routed. The Thaqif took refuge in the city of Ta’if but the families of the Hawazin, with all their flocks and herds, fell into the hands of the Muslims. Ta’if was besieged, but the siege was lifted a day later. The Hawazin approached the Prophet and beseeched him to restore their families to them.

The Prophet answered them that he could not compel his army to forego all the fruits of victory and that if they wanted their families back, they would have to forego their worldly goods. To this, the Hawazin consented. On the next day, on the advice of the Holy Prophet, they approached the Prophet and repeated their request. The Prophet replied, “My own share of the captives, and that of the children of ‘Abdul-Muttalib, I give back to you at once.” The army followed suit, and six thousand people were set free. The Hawazin were so overwhelmed by this generosity that many of them accepted Islam there and then.

 The spoils of the war, which consisted of 24,000 camels, 40,000 goats, and a considerable quantity of silver, were distributed among the army. In making the distribution, the newly converted Muslims as well as many non-Muslims of Mecca, known in history as “mu’allafatul qulub” (those who were helped in order to win their hearts) were given disproportionately larger shares. Some Ansar considered this as an act of partiality, and their discontent was reported to the Prophet. It was also reported that Ansar feared that now that Mecca was conquered, the Holy Prophet would return to it and migrate from Medina. The Holy Prophet delivered a lecture to them wherein he said:

 “O Ansar! I have learned about your discourse. When I came to you, you were wandering in the dark, and the Lord gave you the right direction. You were suffering, and He made you happy. You were enemies of one another, and He filled your hearts with brotherly love and concord. Was it not so, tell me?”

 “Indeed, it is even as you say,” was the reply: “Lord and to His Prophet belong the benevolence and the grace.”

 “Nay, by the Lord,” continued the Prophet, “but you might have answered (my questions), and answered truly, for I would have testified to its truth myself ‘You came to us rejected as an impostor, and we believed in you; you came as a helpless fugitive and we assisted you; you were poor and outcast, and we gave you asylum, comfortless and we solaced you. ‘O Ansar! Why do you disturb your hearts because of the things of this life? Are ye not satisfied that others should return with the flocks and the camels, while you go back to your homes with me in your midst? By Him Who holds my life in His hands, I shall never abandon you. If all mankind went one way and the Ansar went another, surely, I would join the Ansar. The Lord be favorable to them, and bless them, and their children, and their children’s children!”

 At these words, say the chroniclers, they all wept until tears ran down their beards. And they all cried with one voice, “Yes, Prophet of God, we are well satisfied with our share.” (meaning the presence of Holy Prophet in Medina). Thereupon they retired happy and contented. Muhammad soon after returned to Medina …. (Continue)