Hawzah News Agency - The Battle of Banu Nadhir (Arabic: غزوة بني نضیر) was one of Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) battles with the Jews of Medina. It was the second battle between the Prophet (pbuh) and the Jews of Medina, which took place in the month of Rabi‘ul Awwal in 4 AH (August, 625). The Banu Nadhir tribe, along with the tribes of Banu Qaynuqa‘ and Banu Qurayza, were Jewish tribes living in Medina and considered allies of the Prophet (pbuh). However, they broke their treaty with the Muslims. The battle ended in victory for the Muslims, and the people of Banu Nadhir were expelled from Medina.
History of the Residence of Banu Nadhir in Medina
The Banu Nadhir tribe lived in Yathrib (Medina) before the emergence of Islam. Accounts differ concerning their origin. Al-Ya‘qubi considered them a clan of the Judham tribe who converted to Judaism and settled on Mount Nadhir; hence the name. According to another account, they were descendants of Harun b. Imran (pbuh) (Aaron, the brother of Prophet Moses (pbuh)), who migrated to Yathrib after the death of Moses (pbuh), before the tribes of Aws and Khazraj arrived there following the Arim Floods. According to these accounts, after the Roman war against the Jews in 70 CE, many Jewish tribes—including Banu Nadhir—fled to Hijaz and settled in Butihan, an area of Medina. Ibn Sa‘d reported that their settlement was in the area of al-Ghars.
The Jews of Medina, including Banu Nadhir, were very wealthy. In order to defeat or weaken them, the Arabian tribes of Aws and Khazraj sought help from the Ghassanids. The Ghassanids attacked Hijaz with an army and killed many Jews. From then on, Aws and Khazraj gained dominance over them. Later, during the disputes between Aws and Khazraj, the Banu Nadhir sided with Aws.
Breach of the Treaty
Before Islam and the Battle of Uhud, Banu Nadhir maintained relations with Abu Sufyan. After the Prophet’s (pbuh) migration to Medina, like other Jewish tribes, Banu Nadhir signed a treaty with the Muslims, pledging to help defend Medina in case of attack, and refraining from giving financial or military aid to the Quraysh polytheists or establishing commercial relations with them. However, they broke the treaty, which led to the Battle of Banu Nadhir in Rabi‘ul Awwal of 4 AH (August, 625).
In that year, after returning from Bi’r Ma‘una, ‘Amr b. Umayya killed two men from the Banu ‘Amir tribe who held letters of security from the Prophet (pbuh). ‘Amir b. Tufayl demanded blood money from the Prophet (pbuh). To pay the blood money, the Prophet (pbuh) requested assistance from Banu Nadhir, who were allies of Banu ‘Amir. They agreed, but then conspired to kill the Prophet (pbuh). They assigned ‘Amr b. Jihash to drop a stone on him while he was standing near their fort wall. However, God informed the Prophet (pbuh) of the plot, and he gave them ten days to leave Medina, allowing them to take their movable property except for weapons, with permission to return yearly for the harvest of their date groves.
‘Abd Allah b. Ubayy, the leader of Medina’s hypocrites, encouraged Banu Nadhir to resist the Prophet (pbuh), promising that he and Banu Qurayza would defend them.
The Battle
The Prophet (pbuh) appointed ‘Abd Allah b. Maktum as his deputy in Medina and laid siege to Banu Nadhir with an army under the command of ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (pbuh). The siege lasted either 15 days or 6 nights. During it, a Jewish man named ‘Azwak attempted to assassinate the Prophet (pbuh) but was killed by ‘Ali (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) also ordered the cutting of Banu Nadhir’s date trees in Buwayra.
Eventually, the Jews surrendered and agreed to leave Medina with only one camel-load of belongings per household, excluding weapons, silver, and gold. Some, including Huyayy b. Akhtab—whose daughter Safiyya later married the Prophet (pbuh) after the conquest of Khaybar in 7 AH—and Abu l-Huqayq, Safiyya’s first husband, went to Khaybar, while others went to Syria.
Division of Property
Since no actual battle occurred, the remaining property did not count as war booty but was placed under the Prophet’s (pbuh) authority. With the consent of the Ansar, he distributed the property among the Muhajirun so that the Ansar would no longer need to support them financially.
Verses 1–17 of Qur’an 59 discuss the Battle of Banu Nadhir and their expulsion from Medina.
Source: en.wikishia.net
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