Part 5
Banu Qurayza
At noon of the same day Gabriel came to the apostle, wearing a silken turban and riding on a mule saddled with brocade. He said, 'Hast thou put away thy arms, apostle of Allah?' He replied, 'Yes', and Gabriel said, 'But the angels have not yet put away theirs. I have come here to call the people to follow the command of Allah and march against the Banu Qurayza. I go myself to make them tremble.'
Therefore the apostle of Allah ordered it to be proclaimed that none should hold afternoon prayers until they reached the Jewish stronghold.{Prayers were put on hold for the more important task of battle.}
The apostle of Allah besieged the Qurayza for twenty five days until they were distressed, and Allah struck fear into their hearts.
In the morning the Qurayza came down from their fort to surrender to the apostle of Allah.
Sa’d pronounced the following sentence, 'I decree that the men be killed, the property be divided, and the women with their children be made captives.' The apostle of Allah said, 'Thou hast decided according to the will of Allah, above the seven firmaments.'
Trenches were dug in the market place. Then he sent for the men and had their heads struck off so that they fell in the trenches.
Aisha, the wife of the apostle, said, 'Only one of their women was killed. By Allah! She was with me, talking and laughing, while the apostle slaughtered her countrymen in the market¬place; and when her name was called, I asked, “What is this for?” and she replied, “I am going to be slain!” I asked why and she answered, “For something I have done!” Then she was taken away, and her head was struck off. But I shall never cease to marvel at her good humour and laughter, although she knew that she was to die.”
The apostle distributed the property of the Banu Qurayza, as well as their women and children, to the Muslims, reserving one fifth for himself.
The apostle dispatched an emissary to Najd with some prisoners, to barter them as slaves in exchange for horses and camels.
The apostle of Allah selected one of the Jewish women, Re¬hana, for himself, and she remained with him as his slave (concubine) until she died.
khaybar
In the seventh year of the Hijra the apostle rode out with sixteen hundred followers on an expedition against the Jewish tribe of Khaybar, about one hundred miles distant. They tra¬velled by a route which would prevent the Khaybar from receiv¬ing assistance from their allies, the Ghatafan.
When the apostle reached the valley of Khaybar he prayed, 'Lord of the heavens and the earth, Lord of both worlds, Lord of the devils. We ask Thee for the good of this village, the good of its inhabitants, and the good of whatever is in it, and we flee to Thee for refuge from its evil, from the evil of its inhabitants, and from the evil of whatever is in it. Onward, in the name of Allah!'
We met a few labourers going forth early to their work, bearing spades and baskets, and when they beheld the apostle with his army they cried out and fled. The apostle said “Allah Akbar! Khaybar will be destroyed.”
The apostle took prisoners as he went. Among these were Safiya, the wife of Kinana, the Khaybar chief, and two female cousins; the apostle chose Safiya for himself. The other prisoners were distributed among the Muslims.
Safiya's female companions lamented and strewed dust on their heads. When the apostle of Allah observed this scene, he said, 'Remove these she devils from me’
He ordered Safiya to remain, and threw his cloak over her. So the Muslims knew he had reserved her for his own.
The Muslims were in the habit of eating the flesh of their own donkeys, but on this day the apostle made the prohibition; no believer was to eat the flesh of tame donkeys. He permitted consumption of horse flesh.
He also declared, “It is not lawful for a believer to irrigate another man's harvest” {i.e. to have intercourse with pregnant captives}
A believer may intercourse with a captive woman after she has been purified; neither shall a Believer ride a captured animal which has not been assigned to him.
Kinana, the husband of Safiya, had been guardian of the tribe's treasures, and he was brought before the apostle, who asked where they were hidden. But Kinana refused to disclose the place.
The apostle of Allah handed him over to al Zubayr, saying, “Torture him until he tells what he knows”, and al Zubayr kindled a fire on his chest so that he almost expired; then the apostle gave him to Muhammad b. Maslama, who struck off his head.
When the people of Fadak, a Jewish town nearby, heard what was taking place they sent emissaries to the apostle to ask him to spare them and they would abandon to him all their property. He agreed.
On the way back to Medina a slave of the apostle was struck by a chance arrow and killed. We said, “May he rejoice in paradise”, but the apostle replied, “By no means! I swear that the cloak which he stole from the booty at Khaybar is now burning on him in hell!” A companion of the apostle who heard these words approached, and said “O, apostle of Allah! I took two thongs for my sandals”, and he replied, “Then you will suffer two thongs of fire.”