Siege of Banu Qurayza

The Siege of Banu Qurayza was a military siege undertaken by the early Muslims against the fortress of Banu Qurayza, an Arabian Jewish tribe, in January 627 (Dhul Qa‘dah 5 AH). It followed on from the Battle of the Trench.

The Banu Qurayza, a Jewish tribe that once lived in Medina, though allied with the Muslims and even lent them equipment to dig the trench during the Battle of the Trench, refused to fight in the battle as they were offended by the Islamic prophet Muhammad's attacks on Jews. al-Waqidi states that Muhammad had a treaty with the tribe which was torn up by them. Norman Stillman and Watt believe that the existence of such a treaty was "doubtful", though Watt believes that Banu Qurayza had agreed not to assist Muhammad's enemies. According to Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Peters, Stillman, Guillaume, Inamdar and Ibn Kathir, on the day of the Meccans' withdrawal Muhammad led his forces against Banu Qurayza. According to Muslim tradition he had been ordered to do so by God. Ibn Kathir gives the reason as: "Banu Qurayza broke the covenant that existed between them and the messenger of Allah".

The Banu Qurayza were besieged for 25 days until they surrendered. The men from Banu Aws, who were one of the two Arab tribes in Medina who had become followers of Muhammad and part of the Ansar, requested that Muhammad treat Banu Qurayza leniently, as they were their client tribe. Muhammad then proposed that one man from the Banu Aws pass the judgment, and they agreed. They then appointed Sa'd ibn Muadh, who was gravely wounded by an arrow. So Sa'd stated that his decision would be, "The men should be killed, the property divided, and the women and children taken as slaves." Muhammad approved of the ruling, calling it in accordance with God's decree pronounced above the seventh heaven. After that, nearly all male members of the tribe who had reached puberty were handcuffed and later beheaded in a massacre. The Muslim jurist al-Tabari quotes 600–900 being killed. The Sunni hadiths do not give the number killed, but state that one woman and all pubescent fighting males were killed. According to Ibn Kathir, Quranic verses 33:26-27 and 33:9-10 are about the expedition against the Banu Qurayza.