The conspiracy of the Confederates (Ahzab) failed because of the self-sacrifice of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) and the killing of Amr ibn Abd Wudd, the legendary champion of the Jews. Consequently, the position of Bani Qurayda was jeopardized.
Granting the Banner
In the fifth year of the Hijra, the Messenger of God, along with his companions, set out to punish this tribe and secure Medina. He sent an army towards the fortresses of Bani Qurayda to eliminate this threat and laid siege to their strongholds.
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) summoned Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) and entrusted him with the banner of the Battle of Bani Qurayda. This was the same banner that had been used in the Battle of the Trench and had not yet been unfurled since then. This action indicated the special status of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) in the eyes of the Prophet of God. (1)
The Siege of Bani Qurayda
The Jews thought the siege would end quickly, but it lasted twenty-five nights. Facing the serious threat of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) they were forced to surrender.
When the siege was prolonged, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) shouted: “Either I will be martyred like my uncle Hamzah, or I will conquer the fortress.”
This explicit threat caused the inhabitants of the fortress to announce that they would accept the judgment of Sa’d ibn Mu’adh. Thus, Bani Qurayda submitted to external arbitration. (2)
The Mission of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him)
When the Confederates fled, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) marched against the Jews of Bani Qurayda. The Messenger of God sent the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) along with thirty men from the Khazraj tribe to investigate the situation – to see whether Bani Qurayda were still in their fortresses or not.
When Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) approached the walls of their fortress, he heard them uttering vain and abusive words (against the Messenger of God and himself). He returned to the Messenger of God and informed him of the matter.
The Command of the Final Prophet
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) addressed the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) and said: “Leave them alone. Soon God will grant us victory over them. The same God who made you victorious over Amr ibn Abd Wudd will never humiliate you. Stop here and wait until the people join you. I give you glad tidings of God’s help; God will assist you by casting terror into the hearts of your enemies.”
The Fear of Bani Qurayda
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) said:
“The people gathered around me, and I set out until I reached near the walls of the fortresses of Bani Qurayda. They looked out from atop the wall, and when they saw me, one of them shouted: ‘The killer of Amr has come!’
Another shouted:
‘The killer of Amr has come to you!’ Some of them were shouting and repeating this phrase to one another. God Almighty cast terror into their hearts. I heard someone reciting a war poem:
Ali killed Amr
Ali hunted the royal falcon
Ali broke the back
Ali made the work firm
Ali tore a veil.
The Insults of Bani Qurayda
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) said: I said to myself, “Praise be to God who made Islam victorious and uprooted polytheism and idol worship from their foundations.”
Then he continued: “When I set out towards Bani Qurayda, the Final Prophet said to me: ‘Go with the blessing and hope of God, for God has promised you their lands, houses, and properties.’ I set out towards them with complete certainty and confidence in the help of God, the Mighty and Majestic, until I planted the battle banner at the foot of their fortress walls. They came out of their fortresses facing me and insulted the Messenger of God!
When I heard their insults against him, I did not wish for those words to reach the ears of the Final Prophet. I wanted to return to him, but I saw that he had come and had already heard their insults. He cried out: ‘O brothers of monkeys and pigs! Whenever we alight upon the dwellings of a people, the morning of those who have been warned becomes evil!'” (3)
The Trial of the Chief of Bani Qurayda
Huyayy ibn Akhtab was at that time the chief and leader of the Jews of Bani Qurayda. He was among those who strongly opposed the Final Prophet and was at the forefront of enmity towards Islam and the Muslims. He was brought before Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) for trial.
He said:
“Being killed in this manner is honorable, because it is done by the hand of a noble and generous man.” (4)
The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) asked the one who had brought Huyayy ibn Akhtab: “What was he saying on the way while you were bringing him?”
That person replied: “He was saying: ‘By God, I do not blame myself for my enmity towards the Prophet, but whomever God humiliates will be humiliated. The son of Akhtab strove as much as he could and tried by every possible means to achieve honor.'”
These words indicated that he did not regret opposing the Messenger of God.
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) said:
“The son of Akhtab strove and struggled in his disbelief. So he was brought before us by force in front of the people, and I struck him with my sword, and ultimately, with his hands bound, he fell into the bottom of Hell. This is the abode and return of the disbelievers. But whoever follows God will enter the eternal Paradise.”
The execution of Huyayy ibn Akhtab and his words before death showed the depth of enmity that some Jewish leaders held against Islam and the Final Prophet. This event also emphasized the end of Bani Qurayda’s power in Medina and the consolidation of the Muslims’ position in that city.
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him)’s Composing Poetry
After the execution of Huyayy ibn Akhtab, the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), composed a poem about him in which he pointed to the dire fate of this bigoted Jew. In this poem, he stated that Huyayy ibn Akhtab never regretted fighting the Prophet of Islam and remained steadfast in his disbelief and enmity towards Islam until his last moments. He also emphasized that Huyayy ibn Akhtab, due to his disbelief and arrogance, was subjected to divine punishment and ultimately fell into Hell. (5)
The execution of Huyayy ibn Akhtab and his words before death showed the depth of enmity that some Jewish leaders held against Islam and the Final Prophet. This event also emphasized the end of Bani Qurayda’s power in Medina and the consolidation of the Muslims’ position in that city.
References :
Al-Maghazi, Vol. 2, p. 497
Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Vol. 3, p. 250 / Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 246
Al-Irshad by al-Mufid, Vol. 1, p. 109
Al-Irshad, Vol. 1, p. 99
Al-Irshad, Vol. 1, p. 112
