Islamic State Part 6:The Call In Madinah, The Second Pledge Of Al-‘Aqabah

The Call In Madinah

When the people of the first pledge of al-’Aqabah returned to Madinah and Islam spread to every single household among the Ansar; and they sent a man to the Messenger of Allah (saw) with a letter asking him to send them someone who would teach them the deen and the Qur’an. The Messenger of Allah (saw) never used to leave those who embraced Islam without teaching them the rules and nurturing them with the sound Islamic culture which would enable them to understand Islam and realise its essence, for the Islamic culture is vital to every Muslim, it is a means of strengthening the ‘aqeedah and of understanding the Message of Islam, it is also the guarantee for the consistent application of Islam. Those who embraced Islam had sensed this, therefore they asked for some one to teach them, and the Messenger of Allah (saw) sent Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr to them. On arrival, Mus’ab lodged with As’ad ibn Zurarah, he then began visiting people in their homes and camps, calling them to Islam and reciting the Qur’an and consequently a man or two would embrace Islam until Islam manifested itself and spread among every household of the Ansar, except the households of Khatmah, Wa’il and Waqif who were from (the clan of) Aus-Allah. Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr was teaching them and getting them to recite the Qur’an, and then he wrote to the Messenger of Allah (saw) asking his permission to gather them, Allah ‘s Messenger (saw) granted him permission and wrote back, "Wait until the Jews declare their Sabbath, and in the afternoon, approach Allah with two rak’ahs and then deliver your khutbah." Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr gathered them in the house of Sa’d ibn Khaythamah, they were twelve men and he only slaughtered for them one ewe. Mus’ab was the first in the history of Islam to hold a jum’ah prayer.

Mus’ab continued to go around Madinah calling people to Islam and teaching them the deen. One day As’ad ibn Zurarah went out with Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr to the areas of Banu al-Ashhal and of Banu Zafar (Sa’d ibn Mu’adh was incidentally As’ad ibn Zurarah’s maternal cousin.) They entered one of the gardens of Banu Zafar by a well called Maraq and sat in it, where some of the men who had accepted Islam had gathered together. Sa’d ibn Mu’adh and Usayd ibn Hudayr were at the time leaders of their clan, the Banu ‘Abd al-Ashhal, and both followed the polytheism of their tribe. When they had heard about him, Sa’d said to Usayd, "Go to these fellows who have entered our quarters to make fools of our comrades, drive them out and forbid them to enter our quarters. If it were not that As’ad ibn Zurarah is related to me as you know I would save you the trouble. He is my aunt’s son and I can do nothing to him." So Usayd took his lance and went to them; and when As’ad saw him he said to Mus’ab, "This is the chief of his tribe who is coming to you, so be true to Allah with him." Mus’ab said, "If he will sit down, I will talk to him." He stood over them looking furious and asking what they meant by coming to deceive their weaker comrades. "Leave us if you value your lives." Mus’ab said, "Won’t you sit down and listen. If you like what you hear you can accept it, and if you don’t like it you can leave it alone." He agreed that was fair, stuck his lance in the ground, and sat down. He explained Islam to him and read the Qur’an. Afterwards they said, according to what has been reported by them, "By Allah, before he spoke we recognised Islam in his face by its peaceful glow." He said, "What a wonderful and beautiful discourse this is! What does one do if he wants to enter this deen?" They told him that he must wash and purify himself and his garments, then bear witness to the Truth and pray two rak’ahs. He immediately did so and said, "There is a man behind me who if he follows you every one of his people will follow suit. I will send him to you at once. It is Sa’d ibn Mu’adh."

Taking his lance he went off to Sa’d and his people sitting in a meeting place. When Sa’d saw him coming he said, "By Allah, Usayd is coming with a different expression from that which he had when he left you." And when he came up he asked what had happened, he said, "I have spoken to the two men and I find no harm in them. I forbade them to go on and they said to me: We will do what you like; and I was told that Banu Harithah had gone out against As’ad to kill him because they knew that he was the son of your aunt so as to make you appear a treacherous protector of your guests."

Sa’d was enraged and got up at once, alarmed at what had been said about the Banu Harithah. He took the lance from his hand saying, "By Allah I see that you have been utterly ineffective." He went out to them and when he saw them sitting comfortably he knew that Usayd had intended that he should listen to them. He stood over them, looking furious. He said to As’ad, "O Abu Umamah, were it not for the relationship between us you would not have treated me thus. Would you behave in our homelands in a way we detest?" As’ad already had said to Mus’ab, "O Mus’ab, by Allah the leader who is followed by his people has come to you. If he follows you, no two of them will remain behind." So Mus’ab said to him, "Won’t you sit down and listen. If you like what you hear you can accept it, and if you don’t like it you can leave it alone." He agreed that was fair, stuck his lance in the ground, and sat down. He explained Islam to him and read him the Qur’an. Afterwards they said, according to what has been reported of them, "By Allah, before he spoke we recognised Islam in his face by its peaceful glow." He said, "What a wonderful and beautiful discourse this is! What does one do if he wants to enter this deen?" They told him that he must wash and purify himself and his garments, then bear witness to the truth and pray. He immediately did so. Then he took his lance and went back to his people’s meeting place accompanied by Usayd ibn Hudayr. When they saw him coming they said, "We swear by Allah, Sa’d has returned with a different expression from that which he had when he left you." And when he stopped by them he said, "O Banu ‘Abd al-Ashhal, how do you rate my authority amongst you?" They replied, "You are our chief, the most active in our interests, the best in judgment and the most fortunate in leadership." He said, "I will not speak to a man or woman among you until you believe in Allah and his Messenger." As a result, every man and woman among the Banu ‘Abd al-Ashhal embraced Islam. Mus’ab then returned to the house of As’ad ibn Zurarah and he stayed with him as a guest, and he continued to call the people to Islam until every household of the Ansar had Muslim men and women among them. Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr remained in Madinah for one year among the Aus and the Khazraj teaching them their deen and witnessing, with great delight, the growing number of the helpers of Allah’s authority and of the word of truth. He, may Allah be pleased with him, used to knock on people’s doors hoping to contact them and convey the Message of Allah; he used to walk to the fields and contact the farmers to call them to Islam; he also used to confront the leaders and call them to the deen of Allah; he would also perform some deliberate tactics like the one he used with As’ad ibn Zurarah in order to gain access to people and get them to receive the voice of Truth until he managed in one single year to turn the thoughts in Madinah from corrupted idolatry and incorrect emotions to Tawheed and Iman and Islamic emotions that abhorred shirk and turned away from cheating and fraud. As a result of Mus’ab’s activities and the activities of those who embraced Islam, Madinah had been transformed in one single year from a state of shirk to a state of Islam.


The Second Pledge Of Al-‘Aqabah

The first pledge of al-’Aqabah was a good thing and a blessing. This was so because despite the small number of those who had embraced Islam, the efforts of one companion of the Messenger of Allah (saw) i.e. Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr were enough to lead them to change Madinah and transform the existing thoughts and emotions within its society, and despite the relatively large number of those who embraced Islam in Makkah, the people at large remained alienated from them, for the groups did not respond to Islam, and society was not affected by the Islamic thoughts and emotions; whereas by contrast, the majority of people in Madinah embraced Islam and Islam made an impact in the heart of the Madinan society, and the thoughts and emotions were affected. This clearly demonstrates that when individuals who embrace Islam remain alienated from society and the people at large, an impact within society is not generated, nor within the majority of people no matter how strong the belief of these individuals is. It also demonstrates that if the existing relationships between people were affected by thoughts and emotions they would lead to the desired transformation and change no matter how small the number of the conveyors of the message are. This also proves that when the society persists in disbelief, as was the case with the Makkan society, it becomes more difficult to transform, than the society where such erroneous notions are not dominant, as was the case with the Madinan society, even if such notions were present. Therefore, the Madinan society was affected by Islam more than the Makkan society, people in Madinah had sensed the falsehood of the thoughts they were carrying and they had been searching for other thoughts and another way of life. By contrast, the Makkan society was satisfied with its state of affairs and anxious to maintain it, especially the heads of disbelief such as Abu Lahab, Abu Jahl and Abu Sufyan. That is why it took Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr only a short spell to witness the response to the da‘wah, he went on calling people to Islam and culturing them with its thoughts and rules, he would feel the quick response and witness people’s willingness to accept Islam and their enthusiasm to learn and acquire the knowledge of Islam’s rules, and this would make him rejoice; he would witness the number of Muslims grow and Islam spread and this would encourage him to multiply his efforts in the da‘wah. When the season of hajj came, he returned to Makkah and reported back to the Messenger of Allah (saw), giving him an account about the Muslims in Madinah and their growing might, and about Islam and its rapid spread, describing the state of the Madinan society and how people there talked only about Allah’s Messenger (saw), and how Islam occupied centre stage. Mus’ab informed the Messenger of Allah (saw) about the strength of the Muslims and their deterrent might, which made Islam the dominant force in Madinah, he also informed him that some Muslims, whose belief had grown stronger and whose determination to carry the Message and defend the deen of Allah had become greater than ever, would be coming to Makkah that year. The Messenger of Allah (saw) was very pleased with the news brought by Mus’ab and began thinking long and hard in the matter and comparing the Makkan society with that of Madinah. He (saw) spent twelve consecutive years in Makkah calling for the deen of Allah, exhausting all his efforts, devoting all his time and seizing every single opportunity, enduring in the process all types of hardship, suffering and oppression, and despite all that, society in Makkah remained as stubborn as ever and the da‘wah never managed to break through, due to the remorseless hearts and the ruthless feelings of the Makkan people whose idle minds would not break away from the past. The Makkan society was harsh and its aptitude for the da‘wah was negligible due to the deeply rooted idolatrous polytheism within the hearts of its people, for Makkah was the main centre of shirk. In Madinah things were different, hardly one year had elapsed since a group of the Khazraj embraced Islam, and the first pledge of al-’Aqabah took place, then came the efforts of Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr the year after, and this was enough to generate an Islamic atmosphere in Madinah and to pave the way for people to embrace Islam at an astonishing rate. The Message of Allah in Makkah had stopped with those who had embraced Islam, with the persecution and oppression inflicted upon them by Quraysh, but in Madinah, on the other hand, had spread rapidly, with the Muslims there not having to suffer the persecution by the Jews and the disbelievers, this could only help Islam to become deeply rooted in people’s hearts and to pave the way for the Muslims. Therefore, it became clear to the Messenger of Allah that Madinah had more aptitude than Makkah to become the source of the light of Islam. He (saw) therefore thought about emigrating to Madinah and to let his companions join their brothers there, to find sanctuary and safety and rid themselves from the persecution and torture which Quraysh had been inflicting upon them, this would allow them to concentrate on the da‘wah and move towards its practical phase, which is the implementation of Islam and the carrying of its Message with the might and authority of an Islamic state; this was the only reason for the emigration.


It is worth mentioning that the Messenger of Allah (saw) had never thought about emigrating from Makkah simply because of the obstacles the da‘wah was facing, without remaining steadfast and persevering, and without attempting to overcome those obstacles. He (saw) persevered for ten years in Makkah, always focusing his thoughts on the da‘wah. He and his followers endured all types of horror and persecution in the way of the da‘wah. The illtreatment and the resistance by Quraysh never weakened his resolve and determination, on the contrary, his belief in the Message which he brought from his Lord took him to new heights, and the certainty of Allah’s help made him even more steadfast and resolute. Nevertheless, he (saw) realised after those attempts how hard and stubborn the Makkan society was, how shallow minded people were and how ruthless and misguided they were. This meant that the chances of success were slim, and that pursuing the da‘wah there could be a wasted effort, thus it became necessary to move away from such a society and look for another one. He therefore thought about emigrating from Makkah, and that was the only reason for thinking about moving to Madinah, not the hardship nor the persecution. Indeed the Messenger of Allah (saw) had ordered his companions to emigrate to Abyssinia to escape persecution as it is allowed for the believers to move away from places of affliction if they were persecuted because of their deen, although enduring the torture enhances Iman, and the oppression inflames faithfulness and the resistance sharpens the determination. Iman pushes believers to belittle all hardships and sacrifice wealth, honour, peace of mind and even their lives. And although belief in Allah (swt) makes the believer ready to give his life willingly in His way, unabated aggression and the continuity of sacrifice would cause the believer to become exhausted. This is so because his efforts would be diverted towards persevering against and resisting the harm inflicted upon him, rather than towards mobilising his efforts in the da‘wah and broadening his horizons by being allowed to think deeply about the truthfulness of his belief. It was for this reason that the Muslims had no other alternative but to emigrate away from the places where affliction reigned. This was the case when they emigrated to Abyssinia. However, their later emigration to Madinah was prompted by different reasons. They wanted to move with their Message and bring it to life by implementing it in a society, their new society, and then spread it world-wide. It is only in this context that the Messenger of Allah (saw) contemplated ordering his companions to emigrate to Madinah. But before deciding to join them there, he had to first meet the pilgrims coming from that location and confer with the Muslims among them, in order to assess their readiness to protect the da‘wah and to see how far they were prepared to sacrifice themselves in the way of Islam. He (saw) had to make sure that they were prepared to give him the pledge of war, a pledge of fighting that would form the cornerstone of the Islamic State. Thus the Messenger of Allah (saw) waited for the pilgrims; this was the twelfth year of the Message, in 622 CE. The pilgrims were many, among whom were 75 Muslims (73 men and 2 women). One of the women was Nusaybah bint Ka’ab Umm ‘Amarah from Banu Mazin ibn al-Najjar and the other was Asma’ bint ‘Amr ibn ‘Adi from Banu Salamah, known also as Umm Mani’.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) met the Muslim pilgrims secretly and talked to them about a second pledge, which would not be concerned with simply carrying the da‘wah and persevering against aggression. It would be a pledge which would go well beyond that, a pledge with far reaching consequences. It was to be a pledge that would entail forming a force capable of defending Muslims and forming the nucleus that would produce the cornerstone on which to build the foundations of a state with the power to protect it, a power that would remove all material obstacles which stood in the way of the Message and its implementation. The Messenger of Allah (saw) talked to them about the pledge and felt their readiness, and they in turn agreed to meet him at al-’Aqabah during the middle of the days of Tashriq. He (saw) said to them, "Do not wake anyone, nor wait for anyone absent." When a third of the night had passed they went stealing softly to their appointment with the Messenger of Allah (saw) at al-’Aqabah, the two women were also with them. They waited for Allah’s Messenger (saw) until he came with his uncle al-’Abbas, who was at that time an disbeliever, albeit he wanted to give his nephew a firm guarantee. He was the first to speak and said, "O people of Khazraj! You know what position Muhammad holds among us. We have protected him from our own people who think as we do about him. He lives in honour and safety among his people, but he decided to turn to you and join you; so if you think you can be faithful to what you have promised him and protect him from his opponents, then assume the burden you have undertaken. But if you think that you will betray and abandon him after he has gone out with you, then leave him now." They replied, "We have heard what you say. Now you speak, O Messenger of Allah, and choose for yourself and your Lord what you wish." The Messenger of Allah (saw) spoke after reciting the Qur’an and commended Islam and said, "I invite your allegiance on the basis that you protect me as you would your women and children." Al-Bara’ took his hand to give the pledge and said, "We give our allegiance O Messenger of Allah, by Allah we are men of war possessing arms which have been passed on from father to son". While al-Bara’ was speaking Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayhan interrupted him and said, "O Messenger of Allah, we have ties with other men (meaning the Jews) and if we sever them perhaps when we have done that and Allah will have given you victory, you will return to your people and leave us." The Messenger of Allah (saw) smiled and said, "No, your blood is my blood, and what is sacred to you is sacred to me; I am of you and you are of me; I will fight against those who fight against you, and be at peace with those at peace with you." Al-’Abbas ibn ‘Ubadah interrupted and said, "O people of Khazraj! Do you realise to what you are committing yourselves in pledging your support to this man? It means fighting all and sundry; if you think that if you lose your property, and your nobles are killed you will give him up, then do so now, for by Allah it would bring you shame in this world and the next if you did so later; but if you think that you will be loyal to your undertaking even if you lose your possessions and your nobles are killed, then take him, for by Allah it will profit you in this world and the Hereafter." They said that they would accept the Messenger of Allah (saw) on these conditions and then inquired, "What is in it for us, O Messenger of Allah, in return for our loyalty?" Allah’s Messenger (saw) replied confidently, "Jannah." They stretched their hands forth, and he (saw) stretched his hand and they pledged their word by saying, "We pledge ourselves to fight, in complete obedience to the Messenger of Allah, in well and woe, in ease and hardship and evil circumstances; that we would not wrong anyone, that we would speak the truth at all times, and that in Allah’s service we would fear the censure of none." After they gave the pledge Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, "Bring me twelve leaders who have charge of their people’s affairs." They produced nine from al-Khazraj and three from al-Aus. So the Messenger of Allah (saw) said to these naqibs (leaders), "You are the guardians of your people just as the disciples of ‘Isa, son of Maryam, were responsible to him while I am responsible for my people." They went back to their beds and then back to their caravan and returned to Madinah.

Afterwards, the Messenger of Allah (saw) ordered the Muslims in Makkah to emigrate to Madinah in small parties, and so they began to migrate either individually or sometimes in small groups. Quraysh by then had heard of the pledge and they attempted to prevent the Muslims from emigrating. They came between husband and wife in order to stop the migration, but the Muslims continued to leave Makkah for Madinah whilst Allah’s Messenger (saw) stayed behind without indicating to anyone whether he would leave or not. There were signs, however, that he (saw) too would leave. Abu Bakr kept asking Allah’s Messenger (saw) for permission to emigrate until he answered, "Don’t be in a hurry, it may be that Allah will give you a companion." Abu Bakr knew then that Allah’s Messenger (saw) wanted to emigrate. Quraysh were very concerned about the implications of the emigration of Allah’s Messenger (saw), especially now that the Muslims in Madinah were many and enjoyed the upper hand. Evidently, their position there would be strengthened by the emigration of the Muslims from Makkah. Quraysh realised that another even more serious potential threat to them was Allah’s Messenger (saw). Should he (saw) join them there, and with the power that they possessed, it could mean the end of them. They therefore thought long and hard about the issue of preventing Allah’s Messenger (saw) from migrating to Madinah. Quraysh began to fear that once the Muslims had become a force to be reckoned with they would come after them and defend Allah’s Messenger (saw), should he decide to stay in Makkah. With such a dilemma confronting them, they finally decided to resort to killing him (saw) so as to prevent him from joining the Muslims in Madinah and in order to avoid all future clashes with the people of Madinah, Islam and Muhammad (saw).

It has been reported in the books of seerah that in the narration of ‘A’isha and Abu Umamah ibn Sahm, it was said that when the seventy-three men present at al-’Aqabah left the Messenger of Allah (saw), having given him the protection, pledging their support; the trials and tribulations of the Muslims in Makkah increased for wanting to leave, Quraysh harassed them and harmed them, they complained to Allah’s Messenger (saw) so he said, "I have been shown the homeland to which you will emigrate, ready."

After a few days he (saw) emerged very pleased and said, "I have been told that you can emigrate to Yathrib, whoever wants to go there can do so." So they began their preparations to vacate the city. When these were complete they left secretly in small groups whilst the Messenger of Allah (saw) stayed on in Makkah to wait for Allah’s permission to emigrate. Abu Bakr kept asking Allah’s Messenger (saw) for permission to emigrate, he (saw) would say to him, "Don’t be in a hurry, it may be that Allah will give you a companion." Abu Bakr hoped that his companion would be Allah’s Messenger (saw) himself.

When Quraysh learnt of the companions’ emigration, and since they knew that Allah’s Messenger (saw) had decided to fight them, they assembled in their council chamber and after a little debate agreed to kill him. Then they dispersed. Jibreel came to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and ordered him not to sleep on the bed on which he usually slept. He (saw) did not sleep in his bed that night and it was then that Allah (swt) permitted him to emigrate.

The presence of the forces of Islam in Madinah and the readiness of the people to receive the Messenger of Allah (saw) and establish the Islamic State were the only reasons which prompted him to emigrate. It would be completely erroneous for anyone to conclude or even to entertain the slightest thought that Muhammad (saw) emigrated from Makkah out of fear that Quraysh would kill him. He (saw) never gave the slightest consideration to the repression and harm that befell him and was more than happy to sacrifice his life in the way of Islam. This is a fact. His (saw) emigration to Madinah was simply the selfless pursuit of the Islamic da‘wah and the necessary establishment of the Islamic State to further that objective. It is clear that Quraysh had come to the decision to kill him for fear of his emigration to Madinah where he (saw) would enjoy its protection and power, but Quraysh, despite their efforts, failed in their bid to dispose of him. The emigration, as Quraysh feared, proved to be the turning point in the history of the da‘wah. It moved from the phase of inviting people to Islam, to the phase of establishing an Islamic society, a state ruling by Islam’s authority, inviting for it by means of evidence, proof and persuasion and by the force that would protect it from evil and oppressive forces.

Source: The Islamic State Book - Hizb ut-Tahrir

Islamic State Part 7: Establishing The Islamic State and The Society, The Preparation For Fighting and The Outbreak Of Fighting

Establishing The Islamic State

The Messenger of Allah (saw) eventually arrived in Madinah and was greeted by a huge number of its people, Muslims, polytheists and Jews alike. They were all eager to witness his awesome presence and he soon came to be surrounded by the Muslims who were all anxious to serve him and to offer him comfort and hospitality. They were ready to offer themselves to him (saw) and to the deen he had brought to them, they were ready to sacrifice their lives in the way of the Message of Islam. Everyone wanted the Messenger of Allah (saw) to lodge with him, but he (saw) left the reins of his she-camel free until it knelt by the storehouse of Sahl and Suhayl, sons of ‘Amr. The Messenger of Allah (saw) subsequently bought it and built a Masjid and his houses around it. The building of the Masjid and the houses turned out to be an easy task, they were very modest and cheap to construct. The Masjid comprised of a large courtyard with its walls composed of bricks and soil. One part of the ceiling was covered in palm tree branches and the remainder left uncovered. Part of the Masjid served as shelter to the poor who did not have a home. The Masjid was never lit except during the ‘isha’ prayer, when torches of hay were used to illuminate it.

The houses of the Messenger of Allah (saw) were just as simple and modest as the Masjid itself except that they were more illuminated. Allah’s Messenger (saw) lodged with Abi Ayub Khalid ibn Zayd al-Ansari while the Masjid and houses were being built and he moved in as soon as they were ready. He (saw) thought about the new life that he had sought, the way that the da‘wah had moved from one stage to another, from the stage of culturing through the stage of interaction with the non-Islamic society to that of the eventual implementation of the rules of Islam on people. He (saw) thought about the new era which had dawned moving him away from calling for Islam and enduring aggression towards the phase of rule, authority and the force that was now able to protect and defend the Message of Islam. The Messenger of Allah (saw) ordered the building of the Masjid from the very first day and it was utilised for salah (prayers), meetings, consultation and a place where he looked after the people’s affairs and from where he judged between them. He (saw) appointed Abu Bakr and ‘Umar as his two assistants, saying, "My two assistants on Earth are Abu Bakr and ‘Umar."

In their response the Muslims gathered around the Messenger of Allah (saw), they would always approach him for guidance and advice in all matters. He (saw) thus performed the duty of the Head of State, the Judge and the Commander-in-Chief of the army. Therefore he (saw) looked after the affairs of the Muslims, settled their disputes and appointed leaders to the army divisions, eventually sending them outside Madinah on military campaigns and missions.

Allah’s Messenger (saw) founded the Islamic State from the very first day he arrived in Madinah and began to structure it by forming the society on a solid foundation as well as by gathering the appropriate force in order to be able to protect the State and convey the Message. With this accomplished, he (saw) could begin to remove the material obstacles that stood in the way of the spreading of Islam.


Establishing The Society

Allah (swt) has endowed the human being with the instinct of survival. One of the features of the survival instinct is for people to gather and live together, so the co-existence of people is a natural human disposition. However, this does not transform them into a society, simply a group, and they would remain a group unless they developed relationships that brought them a common interest and protected them from common threats. Only if such relationships that brought them common interests existed would they then become a society. However, these relationships would not make them a single society unless their viewpoint towards these relationships were united, once their thoughts had become united; and once their approval and disapproval towards these relationships became united when their feelings had become united, including their ways of dealing with problems that inevitably arise. Therefore, it is essential to look into the thoughts and feelings that dominate a society before forming an opinion about it, for they alone can determine and distinguish one society from another. On this basis, let us shed some light on the society of Madinah once the Messenger of Allah (saw) had arrived there.

At the time three groups lived in Madinah; the Muslims (Muhajireen and Ansar), who formed the biggest groups; the polytheists, from the Aus and Khazraj who did not embrace Islam; and a third group were the Jews who themselves were divided into four sections; one inside Madinah who were Banu Qaynuqa’, and the other three outside Madinah, they were Banu Nadir, Khaybar and Banu Qurayzah. Even before Islam the Jews formed their own separate society from that of the society in Madinah. This was so because their concepts and emotions were different, as were the ways by which they conducted their affairs. The result of this was that the Jews were never part of the general society of Madinah even though they lived in and around the city. And as for the disbelievers, they constituted a minority and were overwhelmed by the Islamic atmosphere dominating Madinah. So their yielding to the Islamic concepts and emotions and to the rules of Islam was inevitable even if they did not embrace Islam. The Muhajireen and the Ansar were united by the Islamic ‘aqeedah. Islam harmonised them, thus their concepts and emotions were the same - organising their lives and relationships on the basis of Islam was simply the only natural and inevitable outcome.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) began organising the relationships of the Muslims on the basis of the Islamic ‘aqeedah. He (saw) invited them to form a brethren, a brethren that would have a tangible effect on their relationships between each other in their business dealings and life’s affairs. It was with this policy in mind that he (saw) instituted his brotherhood with ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, his uncle Hamzah became the brother to his servant Zayd, and Abu Bakr and Kharijah ibn Zayd became brothers after a similar fashion. He (saw) then invited the Muhajireen and Ansar to form a similar brotherhood, so ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and ‘Utbah ibn Malik al-Khazraji became brothers to each other, as did Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah and Abu Ayub al-Ansari, and ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Auf and Sa’d ibn al-Rabi’i. This brotherhood had its material effect as well, for the Ansar had shown a great deal of generosity towards their brethren, the emigrants, which made the ties between them all the stronger. The Ansar offered them money and properties and shared everything with them, they traded and farmed together. The traders amongst the emigrants turned their hand to commerce, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Auf used to sell butter and cheese, and others who were business minded did likewise. As for those who did not take up trading they went into farming, like Abu Bakr and ‘Ali who worked the lands given to them by the Ansar. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "Whoever owns a piece of land should farm it or give it to his brothers." So the Muslims worked to earn their living. There was, though, a small group of Muslims who had no money, could find no work and had nowhere to live. They were the needy, being neither emigrants nor Ansar. These were the Arabs who came to Madinah and who had embraced Islam. The Messenger of Allah (saw) took them into his care and housed them in the covered part of the Masjid, where they became known as the Ahl al-Suffah. They lived off the wealthy Muslims whom Allah (swt) had provided for generously. By doing so, Allah’s Messenger (saw) managed to stabilise the Muslims’ way of life and determine their relationships with each other on a solid footing. The Messenger of Allah (saw) thus established the society in Madinah on a solid foundation that stood in the way of disbelief and which was able to resist the conspiracies of the hypocrites and Jews. The Islamic society remained united throughout, and the Messenger of Allah (saw) became reassured by this unity among the Muslims.

As for the polytheists, they never produced any lasting effect on the structure of the society. At first they submitted to the Islamic rules and then they waned only to eventually vanish.

The Jews, who were to suffer the same fate, remained always a society apart, different from other societies even before Islam. When Islam’s authority was established in Madinah differences deepened and the need to establish relations between the Muslims and the Jews on a specific basis became a necessity, so the Messenger of Allah (saw) determined the Muslims’ position towards the other members of the society. In the light of this the Messenger of Allah (saw) wrote a document concerning the Muhajireen and the Ansar in which he made an agreement with the Jews establishing them in their religion and their property, and in which he stated their reciprocal obligations. He (saw) began the document as follows, "This is a document from Muhammad the Prophet, governing the relations between the believing Muslims of Quraysh and Yathrib, and those who followed them and joined them and fought alongside them. They are one Ummah to the exclusion of all people." He (saw) then mentioned how the relationship between the believers was to be constituted, he also mentioned the Jews during his talk concerning the relations between the believers, he (saw) said, "A believer shall not slay a believer for the sake of an disbeliever, nor shall he aid an disbeliever against a believer. Allah’s covenant amongst them is one, the least of them is responsible. Believers are friends one to the other to the exclusion of outsiders. To the Jews who follow us belong help and equality. They shall not be wronged nor shall their enemies be aided. The peace of the believers is indivisible. No separate peace shall be made when believers are fighting in the way of Allah. Conditions must be fair to all." The Jews mentioned in this document were the ones who wanted to become subjects of the Islamic State, it was not addressed to the Jewish tribes living on the outskirts of Madinah. Thus any Jew wanting to become a subject of the State would enjoy the same rights and receive the same treatment, for he would then be considered a dhimmi (people of the covenant). As for the Jewish tribes mentioned in the document, they were referred to in the latter part of the document and included the Jews of Banu ‘Auf and the Jews of Banu al-Najjar and so on.

Their position vis-ˆ-vis the Islamic State was fixed by the document. It was clearly determined that their relationship with the Muslims would be based on the Islamic rule, that it would be subject to the authority of Islam and to safeguarding the interests of the State. Some of the points mentioned in the document were:

1. The close friends of the Jews are as themselves. None of them shall go out except with the permission of Muhammad (saw).



2. Yathrib shall be a sanctuary for the people of this document.



3. If any dispute or controversy likely to cause trouble should arise, it must be referred to Allah and to the Messenger of Allah.



4. Quraysh and their helpers shall not be given protection.

The document of Allah’s Messenger (saw) determined the position of the Jewish tribes neighbouring Madinah. It imposed on them the condition that they were not to go out of Madinah without his (saw) permission, i.e. the State’s permission. They were forbidden from violating the sanctuary of Madinah by war or by helping in a war, they were also forbidden from helping Quraysh or those who helped Quraysh and were bound by the conditions of the covenant to refer any dispute arising about the content of the document to the Messenger of Allah (saw). The Jews agreed to the conditions laid out in the document and all those tribes mentioned in it signed to that effect; they were Banu ‘Auf, Banu al-Najjar, Banu al-Harith, Banu Sa’ida, Banu Jushm, Banu al-Aus and Banu Tha’labah. Banu Qurayzah, Banu al-Nadir and Banu Qaynuqa’ did not sign at the time, but did so at a later date, and they all willingly submitted to the conditions laid down in the document. By signing this document the Messenger of Allah (saw) firmly fixed the relationships within the fledgling Islamic State. The relationship between the State and the neighbouring Jewish tribes was also firmly established on a clear and specific basis. In both instances though, it was Islam that would be the judge and arbiter. It was at this stage that Allah’s Messenger (saw) became reassured knowing that the Islamic society was now properly founded and that he was to a certain degree safe from any immediate acts of treachery by the Jews, so he (saw) began the task of removing the material obstacles that stood in the way of the Message of Islam by preparing for war.


The Preparation For Fighting

When the Messenger of Allah (saw) was assured that the Islamic society was set on a solid foundation, and once he had signed treaties with the neighbouring Jewish tribes, he set about preparing the grounds in Madinah for jihad, for it is the duty of the Islamic State to implement Islam in the whole of the land under its rule and to convey the Message of Islam beyond its borders. Conveying the Message of Islam is by no means comparable to missionary work, it instead comprises the inviting of mankind to Islam, culturing them with its concepts and rules, and the removal of any material obstacle that stands in the way of the Message through the employment of a force capable of doing so.

Quraysh had always represented a material obstacle barring the progress of the Message of Islam, a task force thus had to be prepared to overcome it. Bearing this in mind and with the objective of spreading Islam outside Madinah, the Messenger of Allah (saw) began building his army. He (saw) took several deliberate steps by organising some expeditions designed to challenge Quraysh and frighten both the hypocrites and the Jews in Madinah and the nearby surroundings. In four months he (saw) dispatched three units outside Madinah. He sent Hamzah to the sea-shore in the neighbourhood of al-’Is at the head of thirty riders from the emigrants, none of the helpers took part. Hamzah met Abu Jahl ibn Hisham with three hundred riders on the shore and was about to fight him when Majdi ibn ‘Amr al-Juhani intervened between them so the people separated without fighting. The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent Muhammad ibn ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Harith with sixty riders from the Muhajireen, there not being a single one of the Ansar among them. He encountered Abu Sufyan at the head of more than two hundred riders in the valley of Rabigh. Again no fighting took place except that Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas shot an arrow on that day. Allah’s Messenger (saw) also sent Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas with twenty riders towards Makkah, but they returned without fighting. These expeditions helped create an atmosphere of war in Madinah, and they also served to frighten the life out of Quraysh who began to seriously feel the threat coming from Allah’s Messenger (saw). He (saw) did not stop at that, but went out raiding himself. Twelve months after his arrival in Madinah he (saw) went forth on a raid looking for Quraysh and Banu Damrah until he reached Waddan. He (saw) did not meet Quraysh that day, instead Banu Damrah made peace with him. After that the Messenger of Allah (saw) went raiding at the head of a contingent of two hundred riders from the Muhajir and Ansar until they reached Buwat in the neighbourhood of Radwa. They were making for a caravan composed of two thousand five hundred cattle protected by one hundred fighters led by Umayyah ibn Khalaf. But he (saw) failed to intercept the caravan due to the fact that it had traversed a different route than the one normally used. Three months after returning from the expedition to Buwat, Abu Salmah ibn ‘Abd al-Asad was left in charge of Madinah and the Messenger of Allah (saw) undertook another raid at the head of two hundred plus Muslims until he reached al-’Ushayrah in the valley of Yanbu’ where he stopped during the month of Jumada al-Ula and resided until some days of Jumada al-Akhirah had passed. This was in the second year of Hijrah. The reason for his camping there was that he (saw) was waiting for a caravan headed by Abu Sufyan, but once again he missed his target. It was not entirely a wasted effort though, because the Messenger of Allah (saw) gained from his trip a peace treaty with Bani Mudlaj and their allies from Bani Damrah.

He (saw) had only been back in Madinah for ten days when Kurz ibn Jabir al-Fahri raided the pasturing camels of Madinah. Allah’s Messenger (saw) went out in search of him, Kurz being one of the allies of Quraysh. Allah’s Messenger (saw) reached the valley of Safwan in the neighbourhood of Badr, but Kurz escaped him and could not be overtaken. This was the first raid of Badr.

That is how Allah’s Messenger (saw) began defying Quraysh with his army, by roaming the Peninsula and sending out expeditions. Although no fighting took place, Allah’s Messenger (saw) achieved considerable gains which paved the way for still greater battles, since these raids served as military exercises for the Muslim army and prepared them for war. They also sent shivers down the spines of the Jews and the hypocrites of Madinah and discouraged them from entertaining any thoughts about causing trouble. He (saw) succeeded in demoralising Quraysh by defying them whilst boosting the morale of the Muslims a great deal. He (saw) also formed and enforced a blockade on the caravans of Quraysh on their way to al-Sham by signing treaties with the tribes encamped between Madinah and the Red Sea coast, such as Banu Damrah, Banu Mudlaj and others.


The Outbreak Of Fighting

The Messenger of Allah (saw) settled in Madinah, where he at once began to implement Islamic rules on the society. It was at this time that the Revelation concerning legislation descended. He (saw) strengthened the fundamentals of the Islamic State and built the society on the basis of Islam and its systems. He (saw) created a brotherhood amongst the Muslims and it was then that Islam came to life as a rule and as a Shari’ah adopted by a society that took on the task of spreading its Message. The number of Muslims increased substantially and they became a force to be reckoned with, individuals and groups alike embraced Islam every other day, Jews and disbelievers included.

Once the Messenger of Allah (saw) was confident about the status of Islam in Madinah he began to think about spreading the Message outside to the rest of the Arabian Peninsula. However, he knew that Quraysh formed a formidable obstacle in the way of the da‘wah, a material obstacle where the means of persuasive discussion would fall on deaf ears. Therefore, the obstacle would have to be overwhelmed by force. The Messenger of Allah (saw) was unable to remove this material obstacle when he was in Makkah because Islam did not have a State, capable of generating the required material force necessary to cancel out that obstacle. However, since the establishment of the Islamic State, the Messenger of Allah (saw) was able to work to remove such material obstacles by the considerable means that were now at his disposal. With the means to enforce such a policy now available to him, all he (saw) had to do was to prepare the army, build up the war fervour and adopt a new policy to spread the da‘wah. This is the reason why he (saw) initiated expeditions and raids, some of which he took part in personally, so as to defy Quraysh with a show of force.

The last expedition was that of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh which served as an introduction to the battle of Badr. The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh out with a group of Muhajireen during the month of Rajab in the second year of Hijra. He (saw) wrote him a letter, and ordered him not to look at it until he had journeyed for two days whereupon he should act on its instructions, but he should not put pressure on any of his companions. When ‘Abdullah had traveled for two days he opened the letter and read it, this is what it said, "When you have read this letter of mine, proceed until you reach Nakhlah between Makkah and Ta’if. Lie there for Quraysh and find out for us what they are up to." He told his companions about the letter and the task assigned to him, he also informed them about Allah’s Messenger’s instructions not to put any pressure on anyone. They all agreed to continue and so he proceeded with his companions. They traveled together as a group until Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas al-Zuhri and ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwan became separated when they went to look for the camel that they had been riding on in turns and which had become lost. Eventually they were to fall prisoners to Quraysh. ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh camped in Nakhlah watching out for Quraysh and while there one of their caravans carrying merchandise passed by. ‘Abdullah and his companions took council among themselves to decide what to do because this was the last day of the sacred month of Rajab and Allah’s Messenger (saw) had not issued any instructions about fighting. They said to each other, "By Allah, if you leave them alone tonight they will get into the sacred area and will be safe from you; and if you kill them, you will kill them in the sacred month." At first they were hesitant and feared to attack them. Then they encouraged each other and decided to fight. One of the Muslims shot the leader of the caravan ‘Amr ibn al Hadrami and killed him. The Muslims took two prisoners and escorted the caravan to Madinah. When they came to the Messenger of Allah (saw) he said to them, "I did not order you to fight in the sacred month." Then he (saw) retained the caravan and the two prisoners refusing to take anything from them. That was the conclusion of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh’s expedition whom the Messenger of Allah (saw) had sent to watch Quraysh, but which had instead fought, killed, and imprisoned some of their men and taken the caravan as booty during the sacred month. So what would be the Islamic verdict on this action? This was what concerned Allah’s Messenger (saw) and hence that is the reason why he held the prisoners and the booty in suspense, to wait for the verdict from Allah (swt) on the matter. Quraysh grabbed the opportunity of using the issue as a source of propaganda and scandal against Islam and Muhammad (saw). They trumpeted among all the Arabs that Muhammad (saw) and his companions had violated the sacred month, shed blood, seized properties and imprisoned people. Arguments arose in Makkah between Quraysh and the Muslims who had remained there, in reply the Muslims said that their brothers had attacked the caravan in Sha’ban and not Rajab, but their response was not convincing and failed to quell the propaganda launched by Quraysh against Islam. The Jews took up the argument as well and began disgracing and slandering ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh’s action. The propaganda took its toll on the Muslims, meanwhile Allah’s Messenger (saw) kept silent awaiting the Revelation and Allah’s verdict on the affair until Allah (swt) revealed in surah al-Baqarah, "They will ask you concerning fighting in the sacred month. Say, fighting therein is a grave offence, but graver is it in the sight of Allah to prevent access to the path of Allah, to deny Him, to prevent access to the sacred Masjid and drive out its people therefrom. Tumult and oppression are worse than killing. Nor will they cease to fight you until they turn you back from your deen if they can." [TMQ 2:217]

When this verse was revealed the Muslims rejoiced and Allah’s Messenger (saw) then proceeded to distribute the booty from the caravan and exchange the two prisoners for Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas al-Zuhri and ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwan. These verses came as a slap in the face of Quraysh’s propaganda against Islam. The Qur’an answered Quraysh, who had asked you, was not fighting in the sacred month a grave sin, but keeping people back from the way of the sacred Masjid and driving its people away from it was far more serious than fighting and killing in the sacred month. Quraysh’s actions of oppressing the Muslims for their deen by threatening, torturing and persecuting them was far worse than fighting and killing in the sacred month, or any other month for that matter. Quraysh had ceaselessly fought them in an attempt to turn them back from their deen, therefore the Muslims were entitled to fight Quraysh in the sacred month and nothing could be held against them. It was Quraysh who were committing the graver offence by standing in the way of the Islamic da‘wah, by keeping people back from the way of Allah, by disbelieving in Allah, driving out the people of the sacred Masjid and persecuting the Muslims. They deserved to be fought in any and every month, sacred or otherwise. The fight that ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh initiated against Quraysh was therefore neither a disgrace to him nor to the Muslims. Thus the expedition of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh was a turning point in the history of Islam. It marked a profound change of policy in the way that the Islamic da‘wah was to be conducted. Waqid ibn ‘Abdullah al-Tamimi shot the leader of the caravan and killed him, that was the first blood the Muslims shed in the way of Allah (swt). Until the verses of jihad were revealed commanding the Muslims to fight anytime and anywhere, armed combat during the sacred months had been unauthorised, from that time on though the rules were different. Thus the previous prevention against fighting in the sacred months was abrogated by the generality of the verses of fighting.

Source: The Islamic State Book - Hizb ut-Tahrir

Islamic State Part 8:Life In Madinah, Arguments Of The Jews And Christians

Life In Madinah

Islam has a specific way of life derived from its concepts concerning life and that is the Islamic culture which differs from all other cultures. It is characterised by three points: firstly, it is founded on the basis of the Islamic ‘aqeedah; secondly, the criterion of actions in life is based on Allah’s commands and prohibitions, i.e. life is based on halal and haram; thirdly, the meaning of happiness is to gain Allah’s pleasure, i.e. permanent peace of mind cannot be achieved without first gaining Allah’s pleasure. That is the Islamic way of life, the kind of life Muslims look up to and aim to achieve. In order to make the above possible, it is essential to have a State that implements Islam fully and executes its rules without exception. When the Muslims emigrated to Madinah they led a distinguished way of life, with the Islamic ‘aqeedah as its basis. The verses of the Qur’an concerning the social and penal codes came to be revealed at this time, in addition to the verses concerning other matters of worship which had not been revealed before. Zakat and siyam (fasting) were decreed in the second year of the hijrah. Adhaan too was decreed and the people of Madinah listened to it being delivered in the sweet voice of Bilal ibn Rabah five times daily. Seventeen months after the arrival of Allah’s Messenger (saw) to Madinah, the qiblah (direction of prayer) was transferred to the Ka’bah. Then the verses of Divine Legislation concerning matters of worship, diet, morals, relationships and penalties were revealed. Khamr (intoxicants) and the flesh of swine were forbidden, and the verses concerning the penal and criminal code were also revealed, as were those concerning business dealings, the complete forbidding of riba in all its guises and so on. Everytime the verses dealing with people’s life affairs were revealed to Allah’s Messenger (saw), he explained them and ordered the Muslims to abide by them. He (saw) looked after the Muslims’ affairs by sorting out their problems and settling their disputes by his sayings, actions and by his silence over what happened right in front of him, for his (saw) speech, actions and silence are all sources of the Shari’ah as Allah (swt) says in surah al-Najm,

"Nor does he speak (anything) of (his own) desire. It is no less than Revelation sent down to him." [TMQ 53:3-4]

Life in Madinah went on following that course with its distinct viewpoint, i.e. the Islamic one. The Islamic society, which is different from any other, was alive and flourishing then, thriving on the Islamic concepts and emotions and now that the rules of Islam were being implemented to the full it, offered solutions and guidelines to all the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah (saw) was very pleased to see that the da‘wah had reached this stage with the Muslims settled in their deen, abiding by its rules individually and collectively without fearing any harm or persecution. They solved their problems according to Allah’s rules, always referring new matters that had arisen to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and never stepping out of line. They applied Allah’s rules in every action and from this did they achieve happiness and peace of mind. Many of the Muslims shadowed the Messenger of Allah (saw) in order to learn from him, to memorise the Qur’an and acquire knowledge. Islam grew and spread, and the Muslims became stronger and stronger by the day.


Arguments Of The Jews And Christians

The non-Muslims became aware of the strength and power of the Muslims within a short space of time. They realised that their strength was deeply rooted in hearts never short of sacrifice in the way of Islam, hearts that endured all types of suffering and persecution, hearts that were always ready to give up life itself for Islam. There they were in Madinah enjoying their deen and implementing its rules, a deen that was reaching new heights each day with the Muslims feeling true contentment and happiness. The enemies of Islam could not stomach this, and signs of revulsion began to outwardly manifest themselves in the neighbouring Jews. Their fears grew and they began to rethink and reconsider their position towards Muhammad (saw) and his companions now that the Muslims were becoming unshakable and many people were responding to the call of Islam. The Jews were enraged by those amongst them who converted to Islam. They feared that Islam would infiltrate their ranks and spread among them and so they attacked Islam, its beliefs and rules. Heated argument and a war of nerves ensued between the Muslims and Jews, this was to develop into a much fiercer dispute than the Muslims had to endure with Quraysh in Makkah. Conspiracy, hypocrisy and their furtive knowledge of the former Prophets and Messengers were the main weapons used by the Jews in their intellectual war against Muhammad (saw) and his companions. Some of their rabbis pretended to embrace Islam, sat with the Muslims and faked their piety. Soon they were to show signs of doubt and uncertainty by asking Muhammad (saw) questions in the hope of shaking the conviction of the Muslims in their ‘aqeedah and the Message of Truth which Islam stood for. The Jews were joined by a group of the Aus and Khazraj who embraced Islam hypocritically in the hope of causing animosity and confusion amongst the Muslims. The argument between Jews and Muslims turned into physical confrontation at times despite the oath between them. A vivid example of the Jewish stubbornness and hatred was reflected in Abu Bakr’s loss of temper on one occasion, bearing in mind that Abu Bakr was a man noted for his wisdom, patience and calm character. It is reported that Abu Bakr called on a Jew named Finhas to fear Allah and embrace Islam. Finhas replied, "We are not poor compared to Allah but He humbles Himself to us; we are independent of Him while He needs us. Were He independent of us He would not ask us to lend Him our money as your master pretends, prohibiting you to take interest and allowing us to. Had He been independent of us He would not have given us interest." Finhas was referring to Allah’s (swt) saying,

"Who is it that will loan to Allah a beautiful loan, which Allah will double unto his credit and multiply many times? It is Allah that gives (you) want or plenty, and to Him is your return." [TMQ 2:245]

Abu Bakr could not control his anger, he was so enraged that he hit Finhas in the face and said, "By whom my destiny rests, were it not for the treaty between us I would cut off your head, you enemy of Allah!"

The argument between the Muslims and Jews became very heated and went on for quite sometime. Meanwhile, about sixty Christian riders from Najran arrived in Madinah. They must have heard about the animosity between the Jews and Muslims and hoped that the rift would deepen so that Christianity could come to reign and rid itself from the old religion and the new deen, which were both challenging it for supremacy according to their claims. This group of Christians were in touch with the Muslims and the Jews. Allah’s Messenger (saw) regarded them, together with the Jews, as ‘People of the Book’ and invited them both to Islam. He (saw) recited to them Allah’s (swt) saying,

"Say: O people of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah. If then they turn back, say: Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah’s will)." [TMQ 3:64]

The Jews and the Christians asked him (saw) about the Prophets he believed in and he recited to them Allah’s saying,

"Say you: We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Ibrahim, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them: And we bow to Allah (in Islam)." [TMQ 2:136]

They could find nothing more to say to him. Their hearts would accept the evidence and the Truth was revealed, but they would not believe out of fear for their positions, reputation and status, some of them in fact admitted this. It has been narrated that Abu Harithah, one of the Christian delegation from Najran and one of the most knowledgeable scholars, confessed to a friend that he was convinced by what Muhammad (saw) had said, and when his friend asked him what prevented him from believing, he replied, "The way these people (the Romans or Byzantines) treated us. They have given us titles, paid us subsidies, and honoured us. But they are absolutely opposed to him, and if I were to accept him they would take from us all that you see." This proved that what prevented them from true belief was pig-headedness, stubbornness, selfish petty personal benefit and interest. Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) invited the Christians to a mutual invocation of a curse if they opposed him and he read to them Allah’s saying,

"If anyone disputes in this matter with you, now after (full) knowledge has come to you, say: Come! Let us gather together, our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: Then let us earnestly pray, and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie!" [TMQ 3:61]

They took council among themselves after which they declared that they had decided not to resort to cursing and to leave him (saw) to his deen whilst they would return to theirs. In addition to this they asked him to send a man whom he (saw) could trust to decide between them in certain financial matters in dispute among them. So the Messenger of Allah (saw) sent Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah to judge between them according to Islam.

The force of the Islamic da‘wah, the power of the Islamic belief and the strength of argument emanating as it did from the truth managed to defeat all the arguments raised by the hypocrites, the Jews and the Christians. Their non-Islamic concepts soon vanished and only Islam remained as the overriding inherently correct ideology, with people now continuously discussing its rules and inviting others to it. So Islam became deeply rooted and its banner engulfed all ideological and ruling matters. However, the hearts of the hypocrites and the Jews remained bent on hatred towards the Muslims, begrudging and despising them all the more. Nevertheless, the authority of Islam in Madinah and the stability and solid foundation of the Islamic society dominated everything. The various expeditions and the show of strength displayed by the Muslims effectively managed to silence all the sick minds. The Word of Allah (swt) reigned supreme and the enemies of Islam were forced to remain quiet and to submit to the authority of Islam.

Source: The Islamic State Book - Hizb ut-Tahrir

Islamic State Part 9:The Battle Of Badr, The Expulsion Of Banu Qaynuqa’, Quelling Internal Disorder

The Battle Of Badr

In the second year of Hijrah the Messenger of Allah (saw) set out on the 8th Ramadhan with three hundred and five of his companions mounted on seventy camels, ‘Amr ibn Umm Maktum was assigned to lead the prayer whilst Abu Lubabah was left in charge of Madinah. They rode the camels in turn heading towards a caravan led by Abu Sufyan. As they marched on they sought news of the caravan until they had reached the valley of Dafran where they settled, and news reached them there that Quraysh had set out from Makkah to protect their caravan. The whole affair then assumed different proportions for it was no longer simply a raid on a caravan, the question was whether to confront Quraysh or not. So Allah’s Messenger (saw) consulted the Muslims. Abu Bakr followed then by ‘Umar voiced their opinions respectively, then al-Miqdad ibn ‘Amr arose and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Go where Allah tells you, for we are with you. We shall not say as the children of Israel said to Moses ‘You and your Lord go and fight and we will stay at home’, but you and your Lord go and fight and we will fight with you." The Muslims then went silent, and he (saw) said, "Give me advice O men!" by which he meant the Ansar who had paid allegiance to him at al-’Aqabah. They had pledged to protect him as they protected their wives and children, with the stipulation that they were not responsible to fight with him outside Madinah. When the Ansar sensed that he (saw) meant them, Sa’d ibn Mu’adh who was holding their banner said, "It seems as if you mean us, O Messenger of Allah." He (saw) said, "Yes." Sa’d said, "We believe in you, we declare your truth, and we witness that what you have brought us is the truth, and we have given you our word and agreement to hear and obey; so go where you wish, we are with you; and by He who sent you, if you were to ask us to cross this sea and you plunged into it, we would plunge into it with you; not a man would stay behind. We do not dislike the idea of meeting our enemy tomorrow. We are experienced in war, trustworthy in combat. It may well be that Allah will let us show you something which will bring you joy, so take us along with Allah’s blessing." The Messenger of Allah (saw) was delighted with Sa’d’s words and said, "Forward in good heart, for Allah had promised me one of the two parties, and by Allah, it is as though I now saw the enemy lying prostrate."

The Messenger of Allah (saw) and his companions journeyed until they had nearly reached Badr. They realised that Quraysh’s caravan was nearby and so ‘Ali, al-Zubayr ibn ‘Awwam, and Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas with a number of his companions were sent to the well at Badr in search of news. They returned with two young men from Quraysh whom they questioned. They disclosed the number of Quraysh at between nine hundred to a thousand men and that the nobles of Quraysh were out in force to protect the caravan. The Messenger of Allah (saw) realised that they were facing a force which was three times the size of his own and that he would be in for a fierce battle. He (saw) informed the Muslims that Makkah had thrown out the pieces of its liver (or the best of her sons) into the battle and that they should harden their resolve. The Muslims vowed to stand up to the enemy, they settled by the well of Badr where they built a cistern and filled it with water. Then they stopped up all the other wells so that they would have plenty of water and the enemy would have nothing to drink, at the same time they also built a hut for the Messenger of Allah (saw) to reside in. Quraysh took up their positions and the skirmishes of battle began. Al-Aswad ibn ‘Abd al-Asad stepped forward to destroy the cistern that the Muslims had built. Hamzah dealt with him by smiting him and sending his foot flying. He fell on his back with blood streaming from his foot and Hamzah followed him and smote him, killing him near the cistern. Then after him ‘Utbah ibn Rabia’a stepped forth between his brother Shayba and his son al-Walid; Hamzah, ‘Ali and ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Harith stepped forward to meet them. Hamzah quickly dealt Shayba a blow and ‘Ali soon disposed of al-Walid. Then Hamzah and ‘Ali turned on ‘Utbah who stood firm against ‘Ubaydah and they dispatched him, carrying off their injured companion afterwards. Then the two sides advanced and drew near each other on Friday morning on the 17th of Ramadhan. The Messenger of Allah (saw) straightened the ranks and incited the Muslims to fight. The Muslims were encouraged by Allah’s Messenger’s words and went forward. The fighting broke out fiercely and Quraysh’s heads went flying from their bodies, the Muslims becoming stronger in belief all the time chanting ‘Ahad ! Ahad !’ (the One the One). Allah’s Messenger (saw) stood in the middle of the melee, took a handful of pebbles and threw them at Quraysh saying, "Foul be those faces!" Then he (saw) ordered his companions to charge and they duly obliged until the battle was over and the foe was routed. The Muslims emerged victorious, they slew many warriors and tribal leaders of Quraysh and made captive many more. Quraysh fled the battlefield and the Muslims returned to Madinah having achieved a truly great victory.


The Expulsion Of Banu Qaynuqa’

The Jews had held the Muslims in contempt before the battle of Badr. Ever since the Muslim victory their contempt and hatred increased all the more. They began plotting and scheming against the Muslims whenever they had the chance, and cared nothing about breaking the treaty that they had signed with them. The Muslims’ response was harsh and firm every time the Jews stepped out of line. A typical tale of Jewish mischief is reflected in the incident that took place in the market of Banu Qaynuqa’. A Muslim woman went there and sat at a jeweler’s shop with her ornaments. A Jewish man approached her from behind and nailed the back of her dress with a thorn. When she arose her garment came off and the Jews all laughed at her insultingly. She called for help and a nearby Muslim leapt at the jeweler and killed him, then the Jews assembled together and killed the Muslim. The family of the Muslim martyr called on the Muslims to punish the Jews, they did so and a fight thus ensued between them. Allah’s Messenger (saw) had asked the Jews to stop their provocation and mischief, but they showed signs of rebellion and defiance so he went out with the Muslims and surrounded Banu Qaynuqa’ from every angle besieging them in their quarters. The Messenger of Allah (saw) decided after consulting the Muslims to kill them all for their treachery. However, ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul (one of the leaders of the hypocrites), who was on good terms with both Muslims and Jews, went to him (saw) and pleaded with him saying, "O Muhammad, be lenient with them." Allah’s Messenger (saw) ignored him at first and he repeated the plea, but the Messenger of Allah (saw) still ignored him. Then ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul persisted in his pleading, so Allah’s Messenger (saw) decided to grant him his wish as a favour to him provided Banu Qaynuqa’ left Madinah. They departed from Madinah heading north until they reached Adhra’at in al-Sham.


Quelling Internal Disorder

The Muslims, outnumbered and badly equipped, entered into warfare against Quraysh clashing victoriously with them in their first battle, the battle of Badr. The result of this victory shook Quraysh so violently that they almost lost their senses. The victory of the Muslims over the non-Muslims helped to kill off all the Jewish plots, schemes and civil strife inside Madinah, and as a direct result some Jews were forced to sign a peace treaty and others were expelled from Madinah. The might of the Muslims increased, but Quraysh never rested and wasted no time in preparing for revenge. In the battle of Uhud, in the next year, Quraysh managed just that, when the Muslim marksmen guarding the mujahideen’s rear disobeyed the instructions of the leader in their haste to loot the temporarily fleeing ranks of Quraysh. Quraysh were overjoyed, and the Muslims returned to Madinah heartbroken and defeated despite the fact that after the battle they gave chase up to Hamra’ al-Asad (about eight miles from Madinah).

The defeat of the Muslims had several repercussions, it caused open sedition by groups inside Madinah as the authority of the Muslims was deemed to have been undermined, and many tribes outside Madinah, who prior to Uhud would never have dared step out of line, also showed signs of rebellion. The Arabs who lived outside Madinah began to think about challenging Muhammad (saw); so did the Jews and the hypocrites living within Madinah and they began to provoke the Muslims.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) was anxious to learn about his enemies machinations, inside and outside Madinah, in order to counter them. He (saw) also aimed to restore the standing, prestige and the might of the Muslims by crushing any attempt to belittle or harm them.

One month after the battle of Uhud news reached the Messenger of Allah (saw) that Banu Asad wanted to raid Madinah and loot the herds of cattle grazing around the city. So Allah’s Messenger (saw) decided to raid Banu Asad in their stronghold before they could get a chance to raid Madinah. This was to be a pre-emptive strike. He (saw) summoned Abu Salmah ibn ‘Abd al-Asad and appointed him at the head of an expedition of one hundred and fifty warriors, among whom were a great number of the best Muslim fighters like Abu Ubaydah ibn Jarrah, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, Usaid ibn Hudayr and others. In order to keep their mission a secret and retain the element of surprise, Allah’s Messenger (saw) ordered them to travel by night and hide during the day, taking a different route from that usually taken by travelers. Abu Salmah set off until he reached Banu Asad. He and his men surrounded them at dawn and then raided them while calling his men to jihad. They soon defeated Banu Asad, took their wealth as booty and returned to Madinah victorious and proud, thus re-establishing the Muslims’ might and reminding everyone of Islam’s grandeur and authority.

News also reached the Messenger of Allah (saw) that Khalid ibn Sufyan al-Hodhali was encamped in ‘Urnah or Nakhlah gathering and recruiting people to raid Madinah. So he (saw) summoned ‘Abdullah ibn Anees and sent him on an exploratory mission to try and gather news about Khalid’s movements. ‘Abdullah set off and soon met up with Khalid who asked him, "Who is the man?" He said, "’Abdullah. I am an Arab who heard you were gathering people to fight Muhammad and that is why I am here." Khalid confessed that he was recruiting people to raid Madinah. They walked for a while and chatted, then when the two were isolated from other people, ‘Abdullah seized his chance to draw his sword and deal him a fatal blow. He returned to Madinah and informed the Messenger of Allah (saw) about his adventure. With the death of Khalid, Banu Lihyan of Hadhayl abandoned their plan to raid Madinah. The Messenger of Allah (saw) therefore succeeded in neutralising and removing Khalid’s threat, and the threat from many other quarters that loomed over Madinah.

However, these evxents did not stop some Arabs from continuing to show disdain towards the authority of the Muslims in the wake of the battle of Uhud. A group of people from a tribe neighbouring Hadhayl came to Madinah and told the Messenger of Allah (saw) that they were very keen to learn about Islam and requested that he send to them a group of his companions to teach them Islam and read to them the Qur’an. He (saw) ordered six of his senior companions to accompany them. They set off until they reached the wells of Hadhayl in a place called al-Raji’. The men betrayed the Sahabah and summoned the people of Hadhayl against them. The six Muslims were caught by surprise and found themselves surrounded by Hadhayl who charged on them. The Muslims drew their swords and fought until three of them were killed and the other three surrendered and were taken prisoners. Hadhayl took the three prisoners to Makkah to sell them to Quraysh. On their way to Makkah one of the prisoners, ‘Abdullah ibn Tariq, seized the opportunity to break free and managed to get hold of his sword to fight, but he was soon overpowered and killed. The other two prisoners were eventually sold in Makkah. One of them, Zayd ibn al-Dathnah, was bought by Safwan ibn Umayyah in order to kill him in revenge for his father Umayyah ibn Khalaf. When Zayd was brought to be killed Abu Sufyan asked him, "I adjure you by Allah, Zayd, don’t you wish that Muhammad (saw) was with us now in your place so that we might cut off his head, and that you were with your family?" Zayd replied, "By Allah, I do not wish that Muhammad now were in the place he occupies and that a thorn could hurt him, and that I were sitting with my family." Abu Sufyan was astonished and used to say, "I have never seen a man who is so loved as Muhammad’s companions love him." Zayd was then killed.

Khubayb, the second companion brought to Makkah, was imprisoned until they brought him out to crucify him. He asked them to give him time to make a couple of rak’ahs and they agreed. He performed his salah by offering two excellent bowings and then turned to the people saying, "Were it not that you would think that I only delayed out of fear of death I would have prolonged my prayer." Then they raised him on the wood and when they had bound him, he looked angrily at them and shouted, "O Allah! Reckon them by number and kill them one by one. Let none of them escape." Those present shuddered from his cry and then they killed him. Allah’s Messenger (saw) was very saddened by the death of the six companions, as were all the Muslims. What made the Muslims even sadder was the manner in which Hadhayl had displayed their contempt and disregard to their companions.

Allah’s Messenger (saw) thought hard about this state of affairs and it was while he was deep in thought that a man called Abu Bara’ ‘Amir ibn Malik (the ‘Player with the Spears’) arrived in Madinah. The Messenger of Allah (saw) explained Islam to him and invited him to accept it. He would not commit himself, yet he was not far from Islam and never showed any signs of hostility towards the deen. He told Allah’s Messenger (saw), "If you were to send some of your companions to the people of Najd and they invited them to your affair, I have good hopes that they would give you a favourable answer." Allah’s Messenger (saw) feared that his companions would be killed by the people of Najd just like those who had been betrayed by Hadhayl, so he decided against granting Abu Bara’ his wish. However, Abu Bara’ convinced him that he would go as a surety for them and said, "Let them be sent to invite men to your deen, I will protect them." Abu Bara’ was a man of good repute, and his words carried weight, any man protected by him would not fear to be betrayed.

So the Messenger of Allah (saw) sent al-Mundhir ibn ‘Amr with forty of his companions from the best of the Muslims. They set off until they had reached the well of Ma’unah, from there they sent a messenger with a letter from the Messenger of Allah (saw) to ‘Amir ibn Tufayl. When the messenger reached him he rushed at him and killed him before he had even looked at the letter, then he called out Banu ‘Aamir to fight the Muslims, but they refused to do what he wanted saying that they would not violate the promise of security which Abu Bara’ had given the Muslims. Then ‘Amir appealed to other tribes and they surrounded the Muslims whilst they were with their camels. Seeing this, the Muslims drew their swords and fought to the last man. All were killed except two. The Messenger of Allah (saw) was very saddened by this, as were all the Muslims who were deeply shocked.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) thought long and hard about how to deal with those Arabs and how to re-establish the Muslims’ high standing and dignity. He (saw) realised, however, that Madinah itself was affected, so he opted to try to deal firstly with the State’s internal disturbances; once he had ensured that stability had returned to Madinah, then he would turn to the Arabs and other external affairs.

The battle of Uhud, together with the events of Raji’ and Beer Ma’unah once again undermined the authority and standing of the Muslims in the eyes of the hypocrites and the Jews. They began plotting against the Messenger of Allah (saw) and they waited for a suitable opportunity to deal him a bad turn. Allah’s Messenger (saw) gradually divulged their intentions until he had managed to learn about their conspiracies. Then he (saw) sent Muhammad ibn Maslamah to them and he said, "The Messenger of Allah sent me to you to tell you to leave his country, for you have breached the oath he made with you by attempting to betray him. You have ten days to leave; anyone seen here afterwards will have his neck struck off!". Banu Nadir would have left had it not been for ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy prodding them to stay; Huyayy ibn Akhtab also encouraged them to remain in their forts. The ten days expired but Banu Nadir remained in their homes, thus Allah’s Messenger (saw) fought them until they asked him to spare their lives on condition that they retained all the possessions which they could carry on their camels. They finally set off leaving behind all that they owned from their lands, palm trees and armour. The Messenger of Allah (saw) divided their properties among the Muhajir to the exclusion of the Ansar, except for two men who were Abu Dujanah and Sahl ibn Hanif who complained of poverty. In expelling Banu Nadir, the Messenger of Allah (saw) managed to quell the internal unrest and restore the dignity and high status of the Muslims.

Turning once again to foreign policy the Messenger of Allah (saw) went forth to keep his appointment with Quraysh in a last battle of Badr, but Quraysh did not meet him there. This was one year after Uhud and Allah’s Messenger (saw) remembered what Abu Sufyan had said, "Today in exchange for the day of Badr; our meeting place is Badr next year." He (saw) stressed the importance of meeting Abu Sufyan so he (saw) prepared the Muslims for battle. He (saw) left ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Salul in charge of Madinah and set off with the Muslims until they reached Badr. There they set up camp waiting for Quraysh ready to do battle with them. Quraysh, headed by Abu Sufyan, left Makkah with more than two thousand men, but they soon returned. The Messenger of Allah (saw) remained in Badr for eight consecutive days waiting for Quraysh, but they never turned up. Finally news reached him that Quraysh had returned to Makkah. So he (saw) journeyed back with the Muslims to Madinah after realising handsome profits from their trading at Badr. The Muslims returned victorious despite the fact that no fighting had taken place. Soon after, the Messenger of Allah (saw) raided Ghatafan in Najd and they fled leaving behind their properties and women, which the Muslims took and returned to Madinah. Then he (saw) raided Dumat al-Jandal on the border between al-Sham and Hijaz. This was intended as a lesson and a warning to the other tribes who used to attack the caravans. But Dumat al-Jandal never confronted him (saw), they just fled in terror leaving behind their properties which the Muslims also took returning to Madinah victorious.

These raids, and the measures taken by Allah’s Messenger (saw) at home in Madinah, helped to re-establish Islam’s authority and secured the grandeur of the Islamic State in the eyes of the Arabs and Jews. The effects of the defeat at Uhud were thus completely effaced.


Source: The Islamic State Book - Hizb ut-Tahrir

Islamic State Part 10:The Battle Of Al-Ahzab

The Battle Of Al-Ahzab

The raids, taken together with the disciplinary action meted out by the Messenger of Allah (saw) in the wake of the battle of Uhud, had a great effect in restoring the high standing of the Muslims and in reasserting the authority of the Islamic State.

The Muslims’ sphere of influence widened and their authority increased dramatically, reaching new heights. The whole of the Arabian Peninsula became fearful of the might exercised by the Muslims. Whenever the Arabs got wind of a raid that was about to be launched against them by Allah’s Messenger (saw) they would get frightened and run away, this happened in Ghatafan and Dumat al-Jandal. Quraysh were no longer a match for the Muslims and they could no longer dare to confront them on their own. For example, in the last raid of Badr Quraysh backed down and did not even turn up. This helped the Muslims to enjoy some stability and gave them a little respite, allowing them to concentrate on life in Madinah. They were able to re-organise their way of life in the light of the recent changes that had taken place. Now that the Muhajireen had gained the booties of Banu Nadir such as their lands, palm trees (date palms), houses and furniture, which had been distributed among them, a considerable change in their fortunes had occurred. However, this did not distract them from pursuing their top priority, which was evidently jihad, for jihad has been decreed till the Day of Reckoning. Nevertheless, their living standards had become better and more stable than before.

Despite the serenity in Madinah, the Messenger of Allah (saw) always remained on the alert fearing the treachery of the enemy. He was forever keen to gather news about everyone and every development taking place in the Arabian Peninsula. He (saw) would send people on exploratory and news-gathering missions all over the land as well as further afield. He (saw) was anxious to learn everything about the movements of the Arabs in order to be ready to
deal with any hostilities. This was especially so now that the enemies of the Muslims in the Peninsula numbered many, which was the outcome of building an army and a State to be reckoned with, and after expelling the Jews of Banu Qaynuqa’ and Banu Nadir, as well as after having dealt the tribes such as Ghatafan, Hadhayl and others many a crushing blow. In light of the above, the Messenger of Allah (saw) considered intelligence gathering to be vital. In fact it was through this medium that he received early warning of Quraysh combining together with several other tribes to raid Madinah. He (saw) was therefore able to make advanced preparations to meet the new threat. It was the Jews of Banu Nadir who endeavoured to incite the Arabs against the Messenger of Allah (saw) in order to exact their revenge for being expelled from Madinah. A number of them had formed a party against the Messenger of Allah (saw), among whom were Huyayy ibn Akhtab, Sallam ibn Abi al-Huqayq and Kinanah ibn Abi al-Huqayq, and from Banu Wa’il were Haudhah ibn Qays and Abu ‘Ammar, and it was this party which approached Quraysh in Makkah. Quraysh asked Huyayy about his people and he said, "I left them between Khaybar and Madinah hesitating and waiting for you to march with them against Muhammad and his companions." They also asked him about Banu Qurayzah and he said, "They remained in Madinah to deceive Muhammad. They are waiting for you to raid Madinah to help you from within." At that stage Quraysh were hesitant, not knowing whether to attack Madinah or not. They considered that there was no difference between them and Muhammad (saw) except his (saw) call to Allah and Islam. They therefore wondered whether Muhammad (saw) was in the right? To allay their doubts Quraysh asked the Jews, "You, O Jews, are the first scripture people and know the nature of our dispute with Muhammad. Is our deen the 47 best or is his?" The Jews replied, "Certainly your deen is better than his and you have a better claim to be in the right!"

The Jews were of the people who supposedly called to the tawheed and they knew very well that the deen of Muhammad (saw) was the right one, but their burning desire to incite the Arabs against him (saw) landed them in this despicable blunder. To declare that the worshipping of idols was better than the tawheed was their eternal disgrace and shame, but the Jews did it and they were to ably demonstrate that they could do even worse. Once they were assured that Quraysh were convinced and that they would gladly respond to their call the Jews went to Ghatafan of Qays Ghaylan, to Banu Murrah and to Banu Fazarah, to Ashja’a, to Salim, to Banu Sa’d, to Asad and to anyone else who held a grudge against the Muslims. In time a number of Arab tribes were assembled and these went out with Quraysh heading for Madinah.

Quraysh marched under the leadership of Abu Sufyan. They numbered about 4,000 warriors, 300 cavalrymen and another 1,500 warriors riding on camels. Banu Fazarah marched under the leadership of ‘Uyayna ibn Hisn ibn Hudhayfah with a large number of warriors and 1,000 camels. Ashja’a marched under the leadership of Mis’ar ibn Rakhaylah, and Murrah marched under the leadership of al-Harith ibn ‘Auf with 400 warriors. Salim and Bir Ma’una’s people marched with about 700 warriors. When these had all gathered they were further reinforced by Banu Sa’d and Banu Asad. Altogether the army totalled about 10,000 men and the combined force marched under the leadership of Abu Sufyan. When news reached the Messenger of Allah (saw), he decided to entrench himself inside Madinah. Salman al-Farsi recommended digging a trench around Madinah and entrenching inside it, so the trench was dug and the Messenger of Allah (saw) worked at it himself encouraging the Muslims on with the hope of reward in Heaven. He (saw) prodded them to double and redouble their efforts and in this way the trench was completed in six days. In addition, the walls of the houses facing the enemy were fortified, the houses beyond (outside) the trench were then evacuated, and the women and children placed inside the fortified houses within Madinah. The Messenger of Allah (saw) set off with three thousand Muslims, he had his back to the valley of Sal’ and the trench dividing him from the enemy. There he (saw) encamped, and a red tent was pitched for him. Quraysh and their allies set off hoping to encounter Muhammad (saw) at Uhud but it was not to be. Then Quraysh marched on until they reached Madinah and to their surprise they found their way barred by the trench. Clearly Quraysh and her allies were not familiar with this kind of defensive strategy, they were forced to encamp outside Madinah beyond the trench to consider their next move. Abu Sufyan and those with him soon realised that they were in for a long stay by the trench because they were not able to storm it. This inconclusive situation proved troublesome as it was winter, the winds were fierce and biting cold. Under these conditions the people began to feel disheartened, they wished that they could return home.
Huyayy ibn Akhtab was aware of this and so he suggested that Banu Qurayzah should be talked into violating the peace treaty, which they had signed with Muhammad (saw) and the Muslims, and join the clans. He told Quraysh and their allies that if Qurayzah did this the Muslims would lose all links with the outside world and the way would be open to invade Madinah. Quraysh and Ghatafan were pleased with the idea and sanctioned Huyayy to approach Ka’ab ibn Asad, the leader of Banu Qurayzah. When Ka’ab heard Huyayy coming he shut the door of the fort in his face. However Huyayy persisted until Ka’ab opened the door; he said to him, "Good heavens Ka’ab! I have brought you immortal fame and a great army. I have come with Quraysh with their leaders and chiefs, and Ghatafan with their
leaders and chiefs. They have made a firm agreement and promised me that they will not 48 depart until we have made an end of Muhammad and his men." Ka’ab was hesitant and he recalled the Messenger of Allah’s (saw) loyalty and faithfulness. He feared the consequences of what he was letting himself into. But Huyayy kept on wheedling Ka’ab, reminding him of how Muhammad (saw) had treated the Jews and how strong the Allies were, until at last Ka’ab gave way and accepted what Huyayy had asked of him. Thus Ka’ab broke his promise and cut loose from the bond that was between him and the Messenger of Allah (saw). Qurayzah therefore joined the Allies without the knowledge of Allah’s Messenger (saw). The news reached the Messenger of Allah (saw) and his companions and this caused them a great deal of concern. They feared the worst, thus Allah’s Messenger (saw) sent Sa’d ibn Mu’adh, chief of the Aus, and Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah, chief of al-Khazraj, together with ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah and Khawwat ibn Jubayr to go and see whether the report was true or not. He (saw) asked them to give him a sign which only he could understand so as not to undermine the peoples’ morale and that if Qurayzah were still loyal to their agreement they were to speak out openly before the people. So they went forth and found the situation even more deplorable than they had at first heard. When they tried to persuade Qurayzah not to dishonour their agreement, Ka’ab demanded that they allow their brothers Banu Nadir to return back to their homes. Sa’d ibn Mu’adh, who happened to be an ally of Qurayzah, attempted to persuade them to stick to their agreement. They spoke disparagingly of the Messenger of Allah (saw) saying, "Who is the Messenger of Allah? We have no agreement or undertaking with Muhammad." The envoys returned and briefed Allah’s Messenger (saw) of their findings. The situation was obviously extremely serious and fear was everywhere. The Allies prepared to do battle. Qurayzah meanwhile asked the Allies to allow them ten days in order to prepare for battle while they, the Allies, would fight the Muslims fiercely during that time. They formed three divisions to fight the Messenger of Allah (saw), the division of Ibn al A’war al-Silmi closed in on Madinah from the valley, the division of ‘Uyayna ibn Hisn moved in from the side, and Abu Sufyan came before the trench. Panic gripped the Muslims and they became terrified. The Allies’ strength was apparent, and their morale very high, they went for the trench and a few of them managed to storm it. Some horsemen of Quraysh among whom were ‘Amr ibn ‘Abdu Wudd, ‘Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl and Dirar ibn al-Khattab made for a narrow part of the ditch and beat their horses so that they dashed through it and carried them into the swampy ground between the trench and Sal’. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib with some Muslims came out to hold the gap through which they had forced a passage. Now ‘Amr ibn Abdu Wudd went forth when his contingent had come to a halt and challenged anyone to fight him. ‘Ali accepted the challenge and said to him, "I call on you to dismount." ‘Amr replied, "O son of my brother, I do not want to kill you." ‘Ali said, "But I want to kill you." So they fought and ‘Ali killed him. The remaining horsemen fled bursting headlong in flight across the trench. This upset, however, did not affect the Allies’ morale it actually enraged them and made them all the more determined to terrorise the Muslims. In the meantime the zealots of Banu Qurayzah began to leave their forts and enter Madinah, this was with the aim of terrorising the nearby houses. Torment, anxiety and terror intensified within the Muslims’ quarters, but the Messenger of Allah (saw) was always confident that Allah (swt) would grant
him victory.Relief came in the form of Nu’aym ibn Mas’ud. He had already embraced Islam though his own people did not know it and he came to the Messenger of Allah (saw). Nu’aym proposed to the Messenger of Allah (saw) a way in which he could awaken distrust amongst the disbelievers. So Nu’aym was instructed by the Messenger of Allah (saw) to go to Banu Qurayzah, with whom he had been a boon companion in jahiliyyah days, and remind them of his affection and the special ties that existed between them; remarking to him in a most famous statement, "For war is deceit." Nu’aym thus set about achieving this by speculating 49 what would be their fate should things go badly for them and Ghatafan together with Quraysh were to leave them to face Muhammad (saw) alone. He emphasised that Quraysh and Ghatafan might not bear waiting for a long time because they were not inhabitants of that land and hence had much less motivation to stay. He told them that if they were left to face Muhammad on their own they would not be able to do so. Finally, he suggested to them not to fight alongside the Allies until they had taken hostages from their chiefs who would remain in their hands as security. Only then should they fight Muhammad (saw) with their allies until they made an end of him. Qurayzah thought that this was excellent advice. Nu’aym then went
to Quraysh and told them that the Jews of Qurayzah had regretted their action in opposing Muhammad (saw) and that they had sent him to tell them so. He stated that they were prepared to make it up with him by handing over some chiefs of the two tribes, Quraysh and Ghatafan, so that he could cut their heads off. He said to them, "So if the Jews send to you to demand hostages, do not send to them a single man." Then he went to Ghatafan and told them the same story that he had told Quraysh. The Arabs’ suspicion of the Jews grew and Abu Sufyan sent for Ka’ab informing him that they had been besieging Muhammad (saw) for along time and that they should make ready for battle the next day. Ka’ab replied that it was the Sabbath, a day on which they did nothing, no fighting and no work. Abu Sufyan was enraged and he came to believe what Nu’aym had told him. He sent an envoy back to Qurayzah to tell them to make another Sabbath instead of this one for it was essential to fight Muhammad the next day. The envoy also told them that if Quraysh and Ghatafan went out to fight and they were not there, their agreements would be canceled and they might be fought before Muhammad (saw). When Qurayzah heard Abu Sufyan’s comments they asserted their
stand that they would not violate the Sabbath, then they mentioned the hostages whom they should hold as security. When Abu Sufyan heard this he had no doubt left concerning what Nu’aym had told him. He began to think of a new strategy and he liaised with Ghatafan only to find out that they too had second thoughts about fighting Muhammad (saw). That night Allah (swt) sent a bitter wind and a thunderous storm which overthrew their tents and upset their cooking-pots. They were panic-stricken and thought that the Muslims would seize the chance to direct their onslaught against them, so Tulayha arose up and shouted, "Muhammad has come after you, so run for your lives". Abu Sufyan said, "O Quraysh! Be off, for I am going." So they grabbed hurriedly whatever they could carry and fled. Ghatafan and the rest of the Allies did the same. In the morning they were all gone. When the Messenger of Allah (saw) saw this, he and the Muslims left the trench and returned to Madinah; Allah (swt) had spared the Muslims from fighting. Now that Allah’s Messenger (saw) was rid of Quraysh he decided to finish with Banu Qurayzah once and for all. It was they who had broken their agreement and had conspired with the Allies to exterminate the Muslims, therefore Allah’s Messenger (saw) ordered the muadhin (caller to the prayer) to deliver the adhaan saying that whoever was obedient should not perform the afternoon prayer until after he had reached Banu Qurayzah. Allah’s Messenger (saw) sent ‘Ali forward with his banner and the Muslims hastened to it full of joy and zest until they reached Banu Qurayzah whereupon they besieged them for twenty five nights. The Jews sent to the Messenger of Allah (saw) saying that they wanted to negotiate with him. After much negotiation they settled for the judgment of Sa’d ibn Mu’adh and he gave judgment that, "The men should be killed, the property divided and the women and children taken as sabi." The judgment was executed, the tribe was exterminated and Madinah was rid of them once and for all. The defeat of the Allies marked the end of any serious attempt by Quraysh to confront the Messenger of Allah (saw) and the annihilation of Banu Qurayzah meant that all three Jewish tribes, which had originally lived around Madinah and who had agreements with Allah’s 50 Messenger (saw) (which each broke in the course of time), had either been exterminated or expelled. This meant that the supremacy of Allah’s Messenger (saw) and the Muslims over Madinah was absolute and as a result the Arabs were just as fearful of the Muslims as ever.ce: The Islamic State Book - Hizb ut-Tahrir