Week 4

THE HOLY PROPHET AND THE JEWS OF MEDINA:
The Jews were well settled in Medina long before the advent of Islam there In spite of inter marrying and mingling with the Arabs with whom they had many customs in common, they adhered firmly to their religion. But mutual business interests bound them close to all Arab tribes in and near Medina. There were three main Jewish tribes settled in Medina at that time: Banu Qainqah, Banu Nazir and Banu Quraiza. As soon as the Holy Prophet arrived in Medina, he tried to win over the Jews living there. He made a treaty with them which is known as the Charter or Treaty of Medina. Besides this treaty, which gave them political rights, the Holy Prophet made several religious concessions to them in order to win their loyalty to the new Muslim state. Jerusalem was made the Qiblah of the Muslims. Following the practice of the Jews the Muslims kept the fast of the Ashura; the Holy Prophet gave verdicts according to the Torah till the time the Muslim laws were revealed. He permitted Muslims to eat food with the Jews and to marry Jewish women. Before the Prophet’s coming to Medina, the Jews knew from their Book that it was time of coming of a prophet in their midst and when he came to Medina; they recognized him to be the promised prophet. However, they were not ready to accept him as he was not from the line of Bani Israel. The increasing power of the prophet and the victory of the Muslims in the battle of Badr, made the Jews extremely hostile. The growing power of Islam was against their economic interests. The Jews were also very furious when one of their scholars, Abdullah bin Salam of Banu Qainqah, accepted Islam.
Banu Qainqah were mainly goldsmiths and they lent money to the Aus and Khazraj and charged heavy interest. They were the first tribe to break the treaty with the Muslims. During the battle of Badr they did not help the Muslims according to the Charter of Medina. Then an incident occurred that became the immediate reason for their expulsion from Medina. A Muslim woman was insulted in the market and the Jews jeered at her. A skirmish took place and as a result a Jew and a Muslim were killed. When the matter was brought to the Prophet, he immediately raised an army and laid siege to their fortress. The siege lasted for 15 days and finally the Jews surrendered. The Prophet decided to execute them but then changed the punishment into exile on the request of Abdullah bin Ubbay. They were forced to leave Medina taking their wives and children within three days, leaving behind their tools. They went to Syria.
Banu Nazir and Banu Quraizah were agriculturists and possessed some of the richest lands in Medina where date palms were grown.
In 4AH (625AD), the Banu Nazir broke their treaty with the Muslims by not helping them in the battle of Uhad. Then the incident of Bir Mauna and its after math caused the Prophet to exile them from Medina. The Prophet went to their fortress to ask for their share of the blood money for the tragedy of Bir Mauna and they asked the Prophet to wait under the wall of their stronghold. The Prophet was divinely informed of the Jewish designs to kill him by rolling of a big stone from above the wall. He immediately left for Medina. He then sent them an ultimatum asking them to leave Medina within 15 days with their belongings and pay half of the agricultural produce of their lands. Upon their resistance the Prophet laid siege to their fortresses which lasted for 15 days. The Jews began to lose hope especially when the Muslims began to destroy their palms. Finally they gave in and they were told to leave their weapons and to have nothing from their lands. They left for Khyber.
In 5AH, the battle of trench took place. The Quraish, along with the Jews of Khyber and the desert Bedouin tribes, attacked Medina. The Jewish tribe of Banu Quraiza which still lived in Medina openly sided with the Quraish and tried to attack the Muslims from the rear. If they had succeeded the results would have been fatal for the Muslims. After the battle the Prophet laid siege to their fortress which lasted for 25 days. They offered to surrender on the condition that their former ally Saad bin Muaz gave the verdict. Saad gave the verdict according to the Torah; their men were killed and their women and children were made slaves and their property divided amongst the Muslims.


Reasons for the change in the Prophet’s attitude towards the Jews:
There were a number of reasons and developments that led to drastic changes in the relations between the Muslims and the Jews. The Holy Prophet had made every sincere effort to make friends with the Jews. He tried to highlight similarities between the two communities by declaring the Jews and Muslims as a single Ummah, by granting them religious liberty and equal status in the Charter of Medina, and by declaring them as the People of Book. The Jews, however, did not reciprocate, and never accepted the Holy Prophet whole heartedly. As a matter of fact, rise of the Holy Prophet and Islam in and around Medina had seriously threatened their designs of establishing their supremacy over Medina and then all of Arabia. During the early days of Hijrah, they tried to exploit Islam for promoting their own interests, but the gradual popularity of Islam and the Muslim victory at Badr frustrated them a lot. So, they had religious, socio-economic and political reasons to remain hostile towards Islam. The monetary position of Banu Qainnuqa was affected, as the Muslims turned against them after the verses against Riba (usury) were revealed. The economic interests of Banu Nazir and Banu Quraiza were threatened as pressure on land increased after the arrival of Muhajireen in Medina. The two Jewish tribes possessed some of the richest and fertile lands in Medina. They could not take the arrival of Muslims from Makkah lightly. Similarly, the Jews used to find defects in the Holy Prophet and the teachings of Islam. They would mock the Muslims for adopting Jerusalem as their Qiblah and for sharing a number of other religious rites of Jews such as Ashura fast. They would compose anti-Islamic verses and mispronounce the Qur’anic verses with the intention of changing their meanings. Thus, the relations between the Holy Prophet and the Jews began changing for the worse.
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JAN WEEK 3 (TRENCH)
BATTLE OF TRENCH (AHZAB):
Causes:
1. After the battle of Uhad, Abu Sufyan had threatened the Prophet and the Muslims that he would attack Medina the following year. According to this challenge the Holy Prophet took 1500 men the next year and went to Badr and waited for the Quraish for eight days. This embarrassed the Quraish who then began to prepare themselves for the next war.
2. The growing power and influence of the Muslims frightened the Quraish and threatened their trade.
3. The loss of the Muslims at Uhad also encouraged the Quraish to attack Medina.
4. The role of the Jews was an important factor which led to the war because they not only invited the Makkans to attack Medina but also instigated other tribes to fight against the Muslims. The Jewish tribes that had been driven out of Medina to Khyber also started plotting against the Muslims. A Jewish delegation went to Ghaftan and other desert tribes and asked them to join hands with the Quraish. The Jews agreed to give one year’s harvest of Khyber to the Ghaftan for their participation in the battle against Muslims. For this reason it was given the name of battle of Ahzab or confederate (partner in crime). It was also called the battle of Khandak or Trench as the Muslims had dug a trench around Medina to protect its inmates.

Events:
All the Jews, idolaters, Quraish and their allies combined and an army of 10,000 men started towards Medina to uproot Islam. The Qur’an refers to this battle in the following verses: ‘’they massed against you from above and below: your eyes rolled (with fear), your hearts rose into your throats; and you thought (ill) thoughts of God. There the believers were sorely tested and deeply shaken.’’ (33:10-11)
When the Holy Prophet learned about the preparations of the Quraish, he consulted his companions. Sulaiman Al-Farsi, a companion from Persia, suggested that a ditch be dug around the city. The proposal was readily accepted. Medina was safe on three sides on account of population and oasis. The fourth side that was on the Syrian route was unsafe. The Holy Prophet, therefore, decided that a trench be dug on the side that was open to attack. 3000 companions worked along with the Prophet in digging the trench. They worked for eight days and nights and made the trench broad enough to be impassable by man or horse. The enemy arrived and settled on the other side of the trench finding no way to approach the Muslims, hopeless against the superior planning of the Prophet. The first effort to cross the trench was made by Amr bin Abd Wud. He crossed the trench and challenged the Muslims to a duel. Hazrat Ali stepped forward and killed him. Two others followed but one of them met the same fate and the other escaped. Whenever the enemy came near the trench the Muslims hurled stones and arrows at them. The Muslims had to remain vigilant all the time and could not assemble for prayers. Meanwhile Banu Quraiza, the Jewish tribe broke the treaty with the Muslims. They conspired with the Quraish and planned to attack the Muslims from the rear. The Prophet put a small detachment near their forts to watch their movements. The Prophet also used secret agents to cause a sense of insecurity among the Banu Quraiza and mistrust was built between them and their allies. At the same time the Holy Prophet succeeded in winning over the majority of Banu Ghaftan who started to consider some kind of compromise with him. He sent a man from Ghaftan tribe who enjoyed a good relationship with both the Quraish and the Muslims and told the Quraish that the Jews were trying to enter into an understanding with the Muslims which would leave the Quraish isolated. Similarly a spy was sent to the Jews and the seed of mistrust was planted. As a result, a split developed between the allies that broke their unity.
More than three weeks passed and the pagans faced shortage of food particularly fodder for their animals. The harsh climate provided help to the Muslims and stormy winds started to blow. Finally, one night strong winds blew which overturned the enemy’s camp and forced them to retreat. The next day none of them could be seen anywhere. The supreme strategy of the Holy Prophet and the unprecedented unity of the Muslims proved superior to the lack of discipline and effort among the allies. The Prophet was also informed by Allah that it was the last attack by the Makkans. Allah says: ‘’ O you who believe! Remember Allah’s blessing on you when mighty armies massed against you. We sent a violent wind and invisible forces against them’’ (33:9). Again He says: ‘’God sent back the disbelievers along with their rage—they gained no benefit and spared the believers from fighting. Surely Allah is strong and mighty’’ (33:25).

Results:
1. The reason why the Quraish failed in their designs was the superior strategy of the Prophet. Such a way of defence was unknown to the Arabs who were baffled to see a formidable (difficult) obstacle that they failed to cross. He knew that his opponents would not be logistically prepared for a long drawn battle. He also took full advantage of agents and sowed the seeds of mistrust between the two allies which broke their will to fight.
2. After this battle the people of Medina recognized the Holy Prophet as the absolute ruler of the city.
3. The victory over a disproportionate superior force produced a great effect on the neighbouring tribes, who recognizing the emerging power of the Muslims voluntarily became their allies. Henceforth Islam began to spread rapidly among the neighbouring tribes.
4. After this battle the Holy Prophet had to lead 17 expeditions against the Bedouin tribes because the Quraish had made agreements with them before the war.
5. The influence of the Quraish amongst the Arab tribes received a serious blow.
6. Trade of the Quraish with Syria stopped and their position was damaged beyond repair.
7. The Prophet took action against Banu Quraiza who had helped the enemy in the battle.
8. It was clear that if the Muslims would remain firm on faith nobody could harm or defeat them.
9. For the first time, spying was used during the war.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 2011
JAN WEEK 3 (UHAD)
THE BATTLE OF UHAD:
Causes:
Some of the causes of the Battle of Uhad were the same as that of Badr.
1. The pagans wanted to take revenge.
2. The people of Makkah wanted to regain their lost prestige.
3. The Jews and the hypocrites of Medina again invited the people of Makkah to attack the Muslims.
4. Some of the Makkans had vowed they would not take a bath until they had taken their revenge.
5. After Badr the business community of Makkah set aside a certain amount of their income for the next battle.
6. Ka’ab bin Ashraf of Banu Nazir went to Makkah to participate in the mourning for those killed at Badr. He and other Jewish poets wrote poems to instigate the Quraish to fight against the Muslims.
7. The Jews of Banu Nazir promised to help the Makkans.
8. After the battle of Badr there was a constant threat to the trade caravans of Makkah from the people of Medina.
9. Hind (Abu Sufyan’s wife) vowed she would take revenge for her brother and father killed in the battle of Badr and thus inspired the Makkans to fight too.
Events:
The Makkan army comprised of three thousand fully armed warriors with camels. Fifteen women were also allowed to accompany the army. Amongst them were Hind, Umme Hakim, Abu Jahal’s granddaughter and Fatimah, Khalid bin Waleed’s sister. They reached the Uhad Mountain on Friday, 6th Shawal 3AH. Their general was Abu Sufyan while the cavalry command was under Khalid bin Waleed who was assisted by Ikramah, Abu Jahal’s son.
The Prophet held a meeting with the companions after receiving the news of Makkan Army’s advancement towards Medina. The prophet along with other senior companions, suggested they should stay in Medina and defend it. He wanted the enemy to exhaust itself outside and save the Muslims from the risk of open war. The men could fight from the mouths of the lanes and the women could help them from the roof tops of the house. The chief of the hypocrites, Abdullah bin Ubay, supported the Prophet’s suggestion. But the younger men were eager to fight in the open. The Prophet yielded to the opinion of the majority and soon one thousand men joined him.
The next the Muslim army marched towards Uhad and encamped on the rising ground with Uhad behind it. This had the advantage that it became difficult for the Makkan army to approach them thus reducing the numerical superiority. The Prophet divided his army into three battalions. The Muslim army consisted of a thousand fighters out of which only one hundred were armed. The women also participated in the battlefield for the first time. Amongst them were Ayesha, Umme Salma and Umme Ammara who supplied water to the wounded soldiers and dressed their wounds.
The first Muslim army was arranged in two rows and fifty skilful archers were ordered to stay on the mountain so that the enemy could not attack from behind. The Holy Prophet strictly advised them not to leave their place unless the Prophet ordered them to do so. When the Muslim army was very close to the Makkan army, Abdullah bin Ubay rebelled against the Prophet and separated 300 of his fighters from the Muslim army claiming that his opinion about fighting from inside Medina was not accepted and he found no reason to fight. Thus the Prophet was left with an army of 700. When the two armies were face to face, the Holy Prophet appointed one man on the right and one on the left and advised them to keep an eye on Khalid bin Waleed’s squad. When the fighting started, the Quraish attacked first. The Muslims fought bravely and killed and wounded many warriors of the Quraish. The news of the martyrdom of Hazrat Hamza, the dearest uncle of the Holy Prophet, by Wahshi bin Harb with a spear which went through his stomach, saddened them. Soon they recovered from this grief and the situation remained under control. The idolaters began to flee from the battlefield and their womenfolk; particularly Hind was seen running back to Makkah. The Muslims pursued the enemy putting them to the sword and collecting the spoils. At the same time the archers who were appointed on the mountainside committed a fatal mistake. They left their post against the orders of the Holy Prophet to collect the spoils until only nine of them were left behind. Khalid bin Waleed found a chance and took them by surprise. The nine archers fought bravely but could not stop the advance of the idolaters. So the main army of the Muslims was attacked from behind which took the Muslims by surprise. The pagans gathered again and the Muslims were sandwiched between the pagan army from both sides.
As a result confusion was created in their ranks and they started to flee the battlefield. Some retreated to the top of the mountain. The Quraish attacked the Prophet who was surrounded and was being protected by some of his companions. He suffered wounds on the face, lost a tooth and became unconscious. A rumour spread that he had been killed. This totally disheartened the Muslims some of whom threw away their arms in despair. Later, when the Muslims came to know that the Prophet was alive, they started to fight with renewed vigour. Seeing this, the Quraish lost their will to press on and started retreating. The pagans thought that they had taken the revenge of Badr and were successful but actually they had failed in their aim to destroy the Muslims as a whole. A total of 74 Muslims were martyred while 20 Makkans were killed. The loss of Hamza was the greatest. Hind returned and sought the body of Hazrat Hamza, cut his abdomen, took out his liver and chewed it. But afterwards threw it out of her mouth.
Allah says about this battle: ‘’God fulfilled His promise to you. You were routing them with His permission, but then you faltered, disputed the order and disobeyed, after he had shown you that for which you longed. Some of you desire the gains of this world and others desire the world to come...’’ (3:152). The Makkans before their departure declared that this day was in return for Badr and they challenged the Muslims to meet them the next year. The Muslims returned to Medina, but the next day when the Prophet heard that the enemy was still lurking in the vicinity of Medina; he led out a force against them. When the Quraish learned about this, they retreated to Makkah. The Prophet stayed outside Medina for several days, thus demonstrating to the desert tribes that the Quraish’s victory was a hollow triumph.
Results:
1. Defeat in the battle of Uhad came as great shock to the Muslims. They could not understand how they could achieve victory at Badr, when they were heavily outnumbered and shabbily equipped and then suffer defeat at the hand sof an army which they had already forced to retreat. Their defeat, however, made it clear to the early Muslims that victory was not theirs by right and they could not expect to win every battle they fought.
2. A mistake was made the men on the mountains left their positions against the Prophet’s orders. It was a moment of weakness which overcame those believers who wanted to get a share in the booty. This battle convinced the Muslims that Allah supported them only as long as they supported his cause.
3. Another sign of weakness exposed at that time was that when the rumour of the Prophet’s death was spread, some of the Muslims dropped their weapons thinking that there was no more reason for them to continue fighting. It was not proper for a people who believe in Allah to stop fighting if the Prophet was killed. The Qur’an says: ‘’Mohammad is no more than a messenger. Many were the messengers that passed before him. If he died or were slain will you then turn back on your heels?’’
4. The loss of the Muslims had a negative effect on the relations with the neighbouring tribes who started to make plans against the Muslims.
5. Many tribes broke their treaties with the Muslims because they took their defeat as a sign of their weakness.
6. Some of the tribes became treacherous (disloyal) like Banu Salma who invited seventy missionaries to preach Islam among them and then killed them.
7. The Holy Prophet had to lead many campaigns to bring treacherous tribes back to submission.
8. During the battle, the Jewish tribe Banu Nazir, broke their treaty with the Muslims and sided openly with the Quraish. They also tried to kill the Prophet and after the battle they started showing their hostility openly. They were asked to leave Medina. They settled in Khyber while some of them went to Syria.
9. The Muslims lost their great commander Hamza.