Bismillah ir rahman ir raheem the jews of medina during the time of the Prophet by
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The Command of Allah It was noon, the obligatory prayer had been offered and the believers began to disperse. Not long after the prayer, Angel Gabriel came to the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam). After the greeting, Gabriel asked the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) if he had laid down his arms, then informed him that the angels had not laid down theirs. He told him that he was on his way to cause the souls of the Krayzah to tremble in fear, then he told the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) that Allah, the Exalted, had sent him to deliver the command that he should retaliate against treachery of the Krayzah. Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) called upon his three thousand foot soldiers and thirty cavalry to reassemble and informed them of the Command of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) gave Ali the standard and instructed his followers not to offer the afternoon prayer until they reached the outlying fortresses of the Krayzah. However, Sa’ad Mu'adhs son who had been severely injured during the battle was not to accompany them but to remain behind in a tent to be nursed that had by the instruction of the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) been pitched inside the Mosque so that he could be near him. Just before sunset, the Muslims surrounded the fortresses and terror struck deep in the hearts of the Jews on account of their treachery. The Krayzah sent a message to the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) requesting Abu Lubabah, a tribesman from Aws with whom they had a long association, be allowed to consult with them. The Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) agreed and Abu Lubabah went to the fortresses accompanied by several other companions who remained outside. As the doors to the fortress opened, Abu Lubabah was overcome by the plight of women and children crying and his heart softened toward them. For a brief moment, the fact that the Krayzah had betrayed the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) and had been willing to kill Muslims, including himself, slipped from his mind. It was almost like old times and together he and some of their elders climbed five flights of stairs to a room where they sat down to discuss the matter. After the usual pleasantries, the Krayzah asked whether or not he thought they should surrender, he told them that they should, but at the same time pointed to his throat indicating that they would be put to death. Suddenly, Abu Lubabah was jolted back to reality and horror stricken by his action and cried out with a verse from the Koran: ".. to You we turn, and to You is the arrival.” Koran Ch.60:4 Meanwhile, outside the fortresses, Abu Lubabah's companions awaited his return, however, such was his deep shame and regret that he left the fortress by another entrance and returned to Medina alone. Upon reaching Medina, Abu Lubabah tied himself to a pillar in the Mosque saying that he would not move from it until Allah relented towards him. He remained tied to the pillar for either ten or fifteen days, only being released by his daughter when the time for prayer arrived. Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) waited patiently for his return, but not long after Abu Lubabah had tied himself to the pillar news of what transpired reach him. The Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) told his Companions that if he had come to him, he would have supplicated to Allah for his forgiveness, but as he had chosen this course of action there was nothing he could do until Allah pardoned him. Several days later Allah made it known to His Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam), that Abu Lubabah had been forgiven. The Dilemma of the Tribe of Krayzah Amongst the Krayzah were several whose only barrier to their acceptance of the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) was that he was not a Jew. Ka'b now went to them and suggested that they accept the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) and thereby save themselves as well as their property. However, they refused saying that the preferred death and would accept nothing else other than the Torah and the Law of Moses, peace be upon him. Ka'b was a resourceful man, and suggested several other solutions, but all proved unacceptable to his fellow tribesmen. Amr, Su'ads son, had been against breaking the pact right from the start and openly declared that he would not take part in its breaking. He now offered his fellow Jews a solution, but said he was unsure whether or not the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) would accept it. Amr suggested that they offer the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) a form of tax in exchange for their freedom. Like Ka'bs suggestions his was also rejected. That night, Amr left the fortress alone and made his way to Medina where he spent the night in the Mosque. What happened to him afterwards is unknown however, the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) told his Companions that Amr was a man whom Allah saved on account of his loyalty. Sometime before the siege, the three sons of Hadl, who was the brother of Krayzah himself, had come to the fortresses to visit relatives. They had been students of the elderly Syrian Jew, the son of Hayyaban, who had spoken so many times of the signs that would announce the coming the a new Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam). They remembered well his words and reminded their fellow Jews with them, but as before, their words fell on deaf ears. When they realized they would never be convinced, they decided to slip away in the still of the night and embrace Islam. As they left the fortress they told the Muslim guards of their intent and were guided to the camp. There was yet another person who left the fortresses, his name was Rifa'ah, Samawal's son. With stealth he managed to escape from the fortress unnoticed and slipped through the Muslim guards to the house of Salma, the daughter of Qays. Salma was the half sister of the Prophet's mother, Lady Aminah, who had married into the tribe of Khazraj, and it was there in her house that he embraced Islam. The Capitulation of the Krayzah The siege had now taken twenty-five days and it was on the following morning the Krayzah decided to surrender and opened the doors to the fortresses. The women and children were separated from the menfolk, taken into one sector of the camp and placed under the supervision of Abdullah, Salam's son, who had once been their rabbi. In the meantime, the men's hands were tied behind their backs and led away to a different sector of the camp. Allah says: “He brought down from their fortresses those who had supported them from among the People of the (Jewish) Book and cast terror into their hearts, so that some you killed and others you took captive.” Koran 33:26 The Companions went inside the fortresses and brought out the spoils of war that were then piled high outside the walls. The Krayzah had amassed a huge arsenal of weapons amongst which were one thousand five hundred swords, two thousand spears, three hundred suits of armor and five hundred shields. Amongst the spoils was a plentiful supply of wine and fermented date juice, all of which were poured away, for Allah had forbidden Muslims to consume intoxicants. The Request for Sa’ad son of Mu’adhs Tribe Many years before Islam, the Sa’ad, Mu’adhs son’s tribe established deep ties with the tribe of Krayzah and on that account some of the Muslims went to the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) to ask him to extend the same kind of leniency he had shown to the tribe of Kaynuka, former allies of the Khazraj, two years before. The Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) listened to them and asked if they would be satisfied if one of their own pronounced judgment upon their former allies and they accepted. The person the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) chose to pass judgment on the Krayzah was their chieftain, Sa’ad, Mu'adhs son and so some of the Companions returned to Medina to convey the message to him and found him being nursed in the Mosque by Rufaydah, a lady from the tribe of Aslam. A mule was prepared for Sa’ad and the party set off for the fortresses. During the course of the ride, Sa’ads companions told him that he was to pass judgment on their former allies and asked him to treat them well on that account. Sa’ad was not a person to let emotion interfere with justice. He had witnessed with his own eyes how those that had been taken captive at Badr and allowed to ransom themselves had ridden against them at Uhud, and yet again their treachery during the recent encounter. He was also aware of the tribe of An-Nadir's incitement of the Koraysh to take up arms against the Muslims, and seen how the Krayzah had been ready to follow the lead of their peers and broken their pact with the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam). As Sa’ad approached the camp, the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) saw him and out of respect for Sa’ad said to the Muslims, “Stand up for your master” and told the tribesmen to greet their chieftain, which they did. Without wasting time, they approached Sa’ad saying, "Father of Amr, the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) has appointed you to judge our former allies." Sa’ad asked them to swear by Allah that they would accept his judgment, and this they did. The Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) told Sa’ad that his judgment would also be binding upon himself. Then, Sa’ad proceeded to pronounce judgment saying, "It is my judgment that the men shall be killed, and the women and children taken captive." The Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) turned to Sa’ad and said, "You have judged with the judgement of Allah from above the seven heavens." Shortly after, the women and children were escorted to Medina. That night, the men of the Krayzah were blinded by their racial pride and spent their time supporting one another in their decision. None had the slightest wish to embrace Islam, and as they had done so many times before with the full support of their wives said death was better for them than embracing Islam. The next morning trenches were dug in the market place and all except one of the tribesmen of the Krayzah were put to death. Despite their treachery if they had chosen to accept Islam their lives would have been spared because no one who, even in circumstances such as this, who says, “I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet” is put to death. The only man to be spared was Zabir, Bata's son, an elderly man whose hatred of the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) and Islam was well known. His fate was yet to be determined because he had once spared the life of a Muslim named Thabit, Qays son, so Zabir was taken to Medina where he was lodged with the women and children. Although the women had strongly upheld the declaration of their husbands that they preferred death rather than embracing Islam, cries of grief and anger filled the air as Zabir told the women of the fate of their men. Zabir tried to quiet them but told them that if there had been any good in their men they would have been saved. Thabit had asked the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) to spare the life of Zabir whereupon the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) granted his request. When Thabit told Zabir of his reprieve all Zabir would say was, "What is there left in life for an old man without a wife or children!" So Thabit went to the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) again and told him what Zabir said, so the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) mercifully told him to return his wife and children to him. Zabir remained ungrateful and asked Thabit, "Is it possible for a family to survive without property?" Once again Thabit went to the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) and told him of Zabir's request and the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) ordered that with the exception of his weapons and armor all of his property be returned to him. Zabir’s hatred of Islam had blinded him to the mercy and generosity now offered and so he went to Thabit yet again saying, "By Allah, I ask you Thabit, by your indebtedness to me that I should join my people. They are gone and there is no good left in life." At first Thabit did not take him seriously, but when Zabir insisted, his request was granted. As for Zabir's wife and children, the Prophet’s mercy towards them still prevailed and they were freed under the protection of Thabit and retained their possessions. The other captives were given to the believers who took part in the siege. Many were ransomed by their fellow tribesmen from An-Nadir and returned to live with them in Khaybar. The Insults of Salman, son of Abi Al-Huqaiq Salam son of Abi Al-Huqaiq better known as Abu Rafi lived in his fortress in the Jewish settlement of Khaybar and had been very active spending his wealth on the supply of arms and enlisting the support of tribes to rise up and fight against the Muslims. He had also composed degrading, insulting poems about the Prophet. In Dhul Qa'dah 5H. Abdullah Ateeq’s son and five other Muslims went to the Prophet and asked if it was permitted for them to seek him out and kill him on account of the tremendous harm he had caused. The Prophet agreed, but made it very clear that no women or children should be killed in their assault. Abdullah and his companions left for Khaybar and as they came within sight of Abu Rafi’s fortress Abdullah told his companions to conceal themselves. In the meantime, the people started to return to the fortress from their toil in the orchards so Abdullah wrapped himself in his cloak so as to remain undetected and pretended to answer a call of nature. Abdullah waited for the right moment. Once the right moment arrived he mixed with the people and the gate-keeper supposed him to be one of them. As soon as Abdullah got inside the fortress he looked for a place to hide and wait until nightfall. When it was dark and the inhabitants had gone to bed, Abdullah made his way to Abu Rafi’s residence and stealthily let himself in. While Abu Rafi’s household slept, Abdullah entered Abu Rafi’s room and attacked him without arousing his household, but was unsure if he was dead. In his haste to make a quick retreat in the darkness of the fortress, Abdullah fell and broke his leg. He was in great pain and bound his leg tightly to support it then dragged himself to his hide-out and waited until morning to make good his escape. Abdullah joined his companions outside the fortress and waited for a while until they heard the announcement ring out from the fortress that Salam, Abi Huqaiq’s son was indeed dead. Upon their return to Medina they went straight to the Prophet to inform him of their accomplishment. When the Prophet saw Abdullah’s broken leg he put his hand over it and supplicated whereupon it was healed immediately. Chapter 12 Sorcery Jewish Sorcery against the Prophet A year had passed since the Koraysh and Jewish defeat at the Trench, and towards the end of the following year the Prophet had signed a ten year peace treaty at Hudaybiyah with the Koraysh. The Jews had been stricken hard by their defeat at the Trench and now all hopes of enticing the Koraysh or other tribes to rise up against the Prophet was dashed and this left a very bitter taste in the mouths of Jews remaining in Medina and elsewhere especially in Khaybar which had now become their stronghold. The likelihood of defeating the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) had become very remote and seething hatred and resentment ran deep within the Jewish communities. Among the Jews remaining in Medina was an old man named Labid the son of Asim and his daughters. Before the time of Moses, the Jews had become skilled magicians and passed down their practice from one generation to the next, and so it was that Labid inherited and became among those highly skilled in the art of sorcery and over the years he taught those practices to his daughters. The deep seated hatred of Jews of Khaybar for the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) festered beyond control. It reached the point that one day, a Jew from Khaybar filled with burning hatred approached Labid with the offer of an extremely handsome bribe if he would formulate a spell of deadly proportions against the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam). Labid accepted the bribe and contrived a way to acquire several strands of the Prophet's hair vital to the success of his evil intention. In the days that followed Labid managed to acquire enough strands of the Prophet's hair and set about his evil work. He placed the strands before him and tied eleven knots and upon each tying his daughters would breathe upon them and utter devilish incantations. Once the knots had been tied and the incantations made, Labid attached a twig with the pollen of a male date palm to the hair and cast it into a deep water well of Zharwan, and told no one which well he had cast the twig into. The only way to annul the wickedness was to untie each of the knots that would first have to be recovered from the depths of the unknown well. The Effect of the Sorcery As the sorcery started to work, the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) started to feel an indefinable weakness in his body but was unable to discern what ailed him. When he was offered food he had no desire for it and his condition deteriorated rapidly, so he supplicated to Allah for a cure. As he slept he became aware of the presence of two angels, one sat at his head and the other at his feet and they informed him of the reason for his illness and mentioned the name of the well in which the stands of hair attached to the twig were to be retrieved and undone. Not long after Gabriel came to him and verified the matter and gave to him two short chapters to recite containing eleven verses: "Say: 'I take refuge with the Lord of Daybreak from the evil of what He has created, from the evil of the darkness when it gathers from the evil of the blowers on knots; from the evil of the envier when he envies.'" Koran Chapter 113 "Say: 'I take refuge with the Lord of people the King of people the God of people, from the evil of the slinking whisperer who whispers in the chests of people both jinn and people.'" Koran Chapter 114 After the Prophet's recitation of each verse one of the knots became untied and the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) regained his strength and the sorcery was no longer effective. Soon after the well was filled in and a new one dug in its proximity. The Prophet’s Merciful Approach to Labid When the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) asked Labid to come to him he and his daughters were filled with terror they expected him to punish them severely however, the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) just asked why did had done such a thing whereupon Labid confessed he had taken a bribe in exchange for his sorcery from a tribesman in Khaybar. Labid stood in fear waiting for the decision of the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) but unexpectedly and much to his relief the Prophet took no further action, but the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) knew the Jews would never cease their enmity towards Islam with its message. Chapter 13 The Jews of Khaybar The Decision The Prophet always hoped that the hearts of those who had been given previous scriptures would be guided to Allah. Had they put aside racial pride their hearts would have prompted them to recognize that what Prophet Muhammad brought was the confirmation of their own scriptures but in its purest form and the completion of the guidance of the Creator. The Prophet’s tolerance, patience, justice and mercy had always been exemplary. He was generous and never vindictive. It was only when the commandments of the Koran were broken that he punished but he never took revenge for himself despite the suffering and hardship he endured on their account. Khaybar had become the indisputable hub of hostilities toward the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) and his followers. Their treacherous enmity in not only word, bribery but actions had been made apparent on several occasions and more recently at the battle of the Trench when Huyay from the tribe of An-Nadir incited the Koraysh to rise up against the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam), bribed Arab tribes, then his successful persuasion of the Krayzah to betray the Prophet, on top of which he did nothing to stop his fellow tribesman from bribing Labid to use his sorcery against the Prophet. When news reached the Jews of Khaybar of the signing of the ten-year peace treaty between the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) and the Koraysh, they were devastated as they knew the Koraysh would no longer pursue or assist them in their goal to bring about the downfall of the Prophet. The Jews of Khaybar were known to be particularly wealthy and their circumstances had been enhanced still further upon the arrival of their exiled relatives from the tribe of An-Nadir several years before with all their wealth. This in itself presented a source of danger to the existence of the Muslims as the Jews had already shown their ability and willingness to use their wealth against them. To ensure the future safety of the Muslims it was evident that something had to be done about Khaybar, attempts to live peacefully with the Jews through alliances had been drawn up, agreed upon, then broken by the Jews and tossed to the wind; there was only one course left open to the Muslims and that was to quell their resistance. The March to Khaybar It was the policy of the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) never to divulge his plans until the last moment so that they might retain an element of surprise. However, this time news of the impending march against the Jews of Khaybar reached the Koraysh and they paid close attention to the scene now about to unfold. The fortifications erected before the advent of Islam around Khaybar were exceptionally strong so when the Jews learned of the pending attack they were not particularly perturbed and discounted the possibility of being routed. However, they did contact their brethren at Wadi al-Kura who had also built fortresses and agreed to support one another should the need arise.
As the Prophet, (salla Allahu alihi was sallam) and his Companions climbed above a valley overlooking Khaybar they began to raise their voices saying, "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar!" Whereupon the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi was sallam) told them not to raise their voice saying, "You are neither calling to someone who is deaf nor an absentee. Rather you are calling the Hearer who is near and with you." Abdullah, Qays' son who was riding behind the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi was sallam) was saying quietly, "There is no power or might except with Allah – La Hawla wala quwata illa billah" and the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi was sallam) overheard him and said, "Shall I tell you of a phrase which is one of the treasures of Paradise?" Abdullah anxiously replied, "Indeed, O Messenger of Allah!" He said, "There is no power or might except with Allah." The Prophet continued to march pass the mountain of Isra until he reached the valley of Ar-Raji where he struck camp with his small army. His encampment was a matter of strategy as it lay between the Jews of Khaybar and their allies the Ghatfan and was a means of blocking contact between the two. |