Al-Ahzaab (The Clans)

26. “And He drove down those of the people of the Book (the Jews) who supported them from their fortresses and He cast awe into their hearts, some you killed and some you made captive.”

27. “And He made you heirs of their lands, their dwellings, and their properties, and a land you had not trodden, and Allah is All-powerful over everything.”

We must not neglect the penetrating forces and the hidden members of the enemy in the society.

This holy verse refers to the Battle of Bani Qurayzah in the Battle of ’Ahzab who, as they imagined, perjured their own covenant with the Muslims and on the form of hidden members of the enemy helped the polytheists of Mecca in the Battle of ’Ahzab, but they were disgracefully defeated and surrendered.

Three famous tribes of the Jews lived in Medina: Bani Qurayzah, Bani-Nadir, and Bani Qayniqaq. All of these groups had made a covenant with the Prophet of Islam (S) that they should not cooperate with his enemies and would not spy in their benefit, and that they should have a peaceful life with the Muslims.

But the tribe of Qayniqaq in the second year of Hejira, and the tribe of Bani Nadir in the fourth year of Hejira, each with a separate pretext, perjured their covenant and began to fight openly against the Prophet (S). At last, their resistance vanished and they were sent out from Medina.

The members of Bani Qayniqaq went toward ’Atharu‘at in Syria, and those of Bani Nadir party were drawn toward Khiybar and partly toward Syria.¹

Therefore, when the Battle of ’Ahzab happened in the fifth A.H., the only tribe of these tribes, who remained in Medina, was the tribe of Bani Qurayzah; and as we explained in the commentary of the verses concerning the Battle of ’Ahzab, they knowingly broke their covenant in this field and joined the polytheists of Arab and fought against Muslims.

According to the Islamic narrations, after the end of the Battle of ’Ahzab, when the Quraysh, Qatfan, and other hostile tribes of Arab disgracefully retreated from Medina, the holy Prophet (S) returned home and took off the clothes of war from him and began washing himself.

At this time, by the command of Allah, Gabriel came to him and said:

“Why did you put down your sword? The angels are ready to fight. Just now you must go toward Bani Qurayzah and determine their fate. Truly, there was no chance for verifying the account of Bani Qurayzah better than that opportunity.”

The Muslims were busy with their victory, Bani Qurayzah, being horribly terrified, because of their defeat, were returning home with a very weak spirit, and their friends among the Arab tribes were completely tired, and there was no one to support them.

However, a caller from the side of the Prophet (S) announced that before establishing the evening prayer the strivers should move toward Bani Qurayzah. So, they quickly went out to fight. It was just the sunset when the very strong fortresses of Bani Qurayzah were surrounded by the Muslims.

This siege prolonged 25 days and, after that, as we will explain later, all of them were surrendered. In this event some of them were killed and another great victory was added to the victories of the Muslims, and, then, the land of Medina was purified for ever from the dirt of the existence of these hypocritical tribes, and the obstinate enemies.

The verses under discussion have a compressed and exact hint to this event and, as we said before, these verses were sent down after gaining victory and explained the details of this event in the form of a great bounty and merit of Allah.

The verse says:

“And He drove down those of the people of the Book (the Jews) who supported them from their fortresses…”

The Arabic term /sayasi/ is the plural form of /sisah/ in the sense of strong fortresses, then it has also been applied for any means of defence, such as: a cow’s horn, and the small horn of the foot of a rooster.

This makes it clear that the Jews had built their fortresses in a side of Medina on a high point and defended themselves from their tops. (The application of the Qur’anic word /’anzala/ (He drove down) is also in the same meaning.)

Then, it adds:

“…and He cast awe into their hearts, some you killed and some you made captive.”

The next verse continues saying:

“And He made you heirs of their lands, their dwellings, and their properties…”

These sentences state briefly the whole results of the Battle of Bani Qurayzah in which some of these perfidious persons were killed by the Muslims and another group were taken as captives, and a great deal of booties, including: their lands, their houses and their properties were occupied by the Muslims.

The application of the word ‘heirs’ concerning those booties is for the sake that the Muslims did not tolerate much toil for them and they easily got those abundant booties which were the fruit of the Jews’ cruelty, tyranny, and exploitation during many years in Medina.

Then, at the end of the verse, the Qur’an says:

“…and a land you had not trodden, and Allah is All-powerful over everything.” The commentators have delivered different statements about the purpose of the land mentioned in the verse, saying: “a land you had not trodden”.

Some of them believe that it refers to the land of ‘Khiybar’ which was later conquered by the Muslims.

Some others say that it refers to the land of Mecca, while another group believe that it refers to the lands of Room and Iran.

Some commentators say that it refers to all of the lands that from that day on until the Day of Hereafter Muslims occupy as their own realms.

But none of these probabilities is consistent with the apparent of the verse, because the verse in the frame of reference of the verb in the past tense /’auraθakum/ (He made you heirs) mentioned in the verse is an evidence that this land was occupied by the Muslims in this very fight of Bani Qurayzah in addition to the land of Mecca, which is one of commentaries, and it was not a land that the Muslims had not trodden in, while the Qur’an says:

“…and a land you had not trodden…”.

Apparently this verse points to the special gardens and lands which were under the authority of Bani Qurayzah and no body had the right to enter them, because the Jews seriously tried to protect their properties.

And if we disregard the past tense of the verb of this victory, it adapts more to the land of Khiybar which was located not so far from the Jewish tribe and, however, the Muslims occupied it.²

Some Points

1- The Main Root of the Battle of Bani Qurayzah

The Holy Qur’an testifies that the main factor of this Battle was the support of the Jews of Bani Qurayzah from the polytheists of Arabs in the Battle of ’Ahzab, because it says:

“…He drove down those of the people of the Book (The Jews) who supported them…”

Moreover, the Jews, in principle, were counted as a hidden group in Medina for the enemies of Islam. They worked hard in propagations against Islam and they used any opportunity they found to damage the Muslims.

As we said before, among the three tribes of the Jews (Bani Qayniqaq, Bani Nadir, and Bani Qurayzah) only the third group had remained in Medina at the time of the Battle of ’Ahzab, and the first and second groups as the result of perjury were condemned to leave Medina, and this third group, who acted to breaking covenant and joining to the enemies of Islam, should receive the retribution of their own treacherous deeds and be punished for their crimes.

2- The Event of the Battle of Bani Qurayzah

We said that the Prophet (S), immediately after the end of the Battle of ’Ahzab, was ordered to make clear the account of Bani Qurayzah.

It has been recorded that the Muslims hurried to attend in the region of the fortresses of Bani Qurayzah so hastily that even some of them neglected to perform their evening prayer and out of necessity they belated accomplishment of it later.

The Prophet (S) issued the command of the siege of their fortresses. This siege prolonged twenty five days. As the Holy Qur’an implies, Allah cast an intensive awe in their hearts.

Ka‘b-ibn-’Asad, who was one of the chiefs of the Jews, said:

“I am sure that Muhammad (S) will not leave us alone until he fights against us. I suggest three things that you choose either of them that you desire. My first suggestion is that we shake hand with this man and believe in him and follow him, because it has been proved for you that he is the Messenger of Allah, and we find the signs of his prophethood in our books. In this case your life, wealth, children and wives will be safe and sound.”

They answered that they would not leave the Torah and would not accept anything instead of it.

He said:

“Now that you did not accept my suggestion, let us kill our children and wives with our own hands so that our thought can be free from them, and then draw your swords and fight against Muhammad (S) and his followers to see what Allah desires. If we are killed we will not be worried about our wives and children, and if we won the battle, there would be found many wives and children for us later.”

They said:

“How do we kill these helpless ones with our own hands? After them, what is the worth of living for us?”

Ka‘b-ibn-’Asad said:

“Well! You did not accept this. Tonight is the night before Saturday. Muhammad (S) and his companions think that we will not attack them tonight. Let us attack them insidiously, perhaps we will win the battle.”

They said that they would not do that either, because they were never willing to violate the esteem of Saturday.

Ka‘b angrily said:

“Since the day you were born from your mothers, none of you have been wise even for a night.”

After that, they asked the Prophet (S) to send ’Abu Lubabah to them in order that they would consult with him.

When ’Abu Lubabah came to them, the Jewish women and children began crying in front of him and he was seriously affected by that scene. Then the Jewish men asked him whether he approved that they would submit the command of Muhammad (S).

’Abu Lubabah agreed with them, but at the same time he pointed to his throat which meant that the Prophet (S) would kill all of them.

’Abu Lubabah says when he left that place he understood his treachery. Then, instead of going to meet the Prophet (S), he went directly into the mosque and fastened himself to one of the pillars of the mosque and said he would not move from that place until Allah (s.w.t.) might accept his repentance.

At last, Allah forgave his sin because of his truthfulness and a verse of the Qur’an was revealed in this concern, saying:

“And (there are) others who have confessed to their sins. They have mixed a righteous deed and an evil one. May be Allah will turn (mercifully) to them (and accept their repentance). Verily Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”3

Finally, the Jews of Bani Qurayzah had to be surrendered without any condition. The holy Prophet (S) told them whether they were content that he should execute whatever Sa‘d-ibn-Ma‘ath would judge about them, (and they accepted).

Sa‘d-ibn-Ma‘ath said:

“It is the time when Sa‘d must state the ordinance of Allah without considering the scorn of any blamers.”

Sa‘d made the Jews confess again that they would accept whatever he might judge, and then he shut his eyes and turned his face to that side that the Prophet (S) was standing and said:

“Do you accept my judgement, too?”

the Prophet (S) answered:

‘Yes’.

He said:

“I say that those who were ready to fight against Muslims (the men of Bani Qurayzah) must be killed, and their wives and children must be captured, and their properties must be divided.”

But some of them embraced Islam and saved.³

3- The Sequels of the Battle of Bani Qurayzah

The triumph over this cruel obstinate group had some fruitful results for the Muslims; among them are as follow:

1- Purification of the inner army of Medina and that the Muslims become mentally reposeful from the spies of the Jews.

2- The destruction of the centre of Arab polytheists in Medina and that they became hopeless of providing an inner rebellion.

3- The finance power of the Muslims was strengthened by the booties of this battle.

4- The way of the future victories was paved, and that of Khiybar occupation in particular.

5- The fixation of the situation of Islam in the view of both the enemies and friends inside and outside of Medina was established.