Banu Qurayza: Difference between revisions

In many historical sources, the Jewish tribes of Banu Qurayza and Banu Nadir are said to be from the progeny of Aaron, the brother of the Prophet Moses (a). However, in some other sources, Banu Qurayza is said to be from the Judham clan in [[Palestine]] who converted to [[Judaism]] in the period of 'Adiya b. Samawa'al.

Allegedly, the Jews of Banu Qurayza lived in Yathrib before the migration of the Arabian tribes of Aws and Khazraj to the town. Thus, in the wake of Jewish-Roman wars in the 70s, Banu Qurayza fled to [[Hijaz]] and inhabited Mahzur near Yathrib.

Along with other Jewish tribes, Banu Qurayza governed Yathrib. Allegedly, their commander was al-Qaytuwan or Fatyun, who was a taxpayer to the [[Iran]]ian ruler, al-Zarih (in [[Bahrain]]). According to historical sources, when the Jewish government in Yemen was defeated by the Christian king of Abyssinia, the Jews of Medina were undermined. Finally, in a battle between Khazraj and the Jews, their commander was killed, and Arabs overtook the town.

Because of the dominance of Arab tribes in Medina, many Jews left the city. It is also reported that near the emergence of Islam, Jewish tribes lived outside the city in their forts. In this period, Banu Qurayza had greater population and influence than [[Banu Nadir]] and [[Banu Qaynuqa']]. They lived in the southeast of Medina and were mainly engaged in agriculture.

According to some authors, the only independent account of Banu Qurayza in Islamic sources is the one concerning Muslims' war with them in [[5 AH|5]]/626. Other accounts of their history and events appear in the histories of Aws and Khazraj.

The Battle of Banu Qurayza allegedly occurred in late [[Dhu l-Qa'da]] and early [[Dhu l-Hajja]] in 5/April 627 and was the last conflict between Muslims and the Jews of [[Medina]]. According to Islamic sources, immediately after the [[Battle of Ahzab]] and the retreat of the enemies, the [[Prophet (s)]] raged a war against Banu Qurayza. Muslims besieged the forts and homes of Banu Qurayza for fifteen days, and then the Jews proposed a compromise and agreed on [[Sa'd b. Mu'adh]] as their arbiter.

According to historical sources, despite his injuries and sickness, Sa'd b. Mu'adh left his tent and went to Banu Qurayza, and contrary to what his tribe, as an ally with Banu Qurayza, expected, he ruled that male warriors of Banu Qurayza must be killed, their property must be divided up, and their children must be captivated. According to sources, the Prophet (s) characterized Sa'd's ruling as the ruling of God. The war with Banu Qurayza occurred because they had violated their pact with Muslims and cooperated with [[Shirk|polytheists]] in the Battle of Ahzab against Muslims.

[[Sayyid Ja'far Shahidi]], a contemporary scholar and historiographer, cites remarkable inconsistencies in historical sources as well as external facts such as the population of Medina and the Prophet's (s) kind character, and thereby, casts doubts over the accuracy of the account, and in particular, the massacre of six hundred to nine hundred people from Banu Qurayza. He characterizes the event as a myth fabricated by the people of [[Khazraj]] to downgrade the status of [[Aws]] in the eyes of the Prophet (s).

In his ''al-Maghazi al-nabawiyya'', Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri (51/671-2 ; 124/741-2) refers to Sa'd b. Mu'adh's ruling and the Prophet's (s) endorsement of the verdict. However, he only confirms the killing of Huyayy b. Akhtab, the senior figure of [[Banu Nadir]], encouraged Banu Qurayza to be hostile towards the Prophet (s).