18/05/2026
The Massacre of the Jews Banu Qurayzah tribe by Muhammad the islamic prophet
The battle of the trench being won, Muhammad and his men put their weapons down to head home. According to the sirah, though, Allah had other plans. The angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad just as he had put down his weapon after a war, Gabriel commanded Muhammad to march on the Jews of the Banu Qurayzah. The Muslims laid them under siege for differing amounts of time depending on the source (Ibn Ishaq claims 25 days before "Allah cast terror in their hearts"). The Banu Qurayzah were told to surrender and accept Islam, something they swore they would never do. Despairing of their position, they discussed three options according to Ibn Ishaq : accepting Islam, killing their wives and children and
Unable to come to a decision and under siege for weeks, the Banu Qurayzah asked to speak with Abu Lubaba, a man of the tribe of 'Aws, their allies. Abu Lubaba, when asked what the Banu Qurayzah should do, advised them to surrender to the Muhammad, but at the same time raised his hand to his neck, indicating they would be slaughtered by Muhammad when they surrender. After he left, he felt that his action in telling the Banu Qurayzah of their fate was a betrayal of the Muhammad, and he tied himself to a pillar to ask for Allah's forgiveness, an act that Muhammad approved of.
Despite this warning, the Banu Qurayzah surrendered to Muhammad and the Muslims .
After surrendering to Muhammad
In the morning the men were marched in batches to Muhammad and were executed they were killed by decapitation MuhamMad and his Muslim gang cut off their heads over trenches which had been dug in the city's market. He says there were 600 to 700 in all, though some said as high as 800 to 900. Ibn Ishaq includes a report from Aisha that one woman was amongst them. He includes various other narrations about individuals, including a survivor, Atiyyah al-Qurazi, who was spared because he was not yet an adult and only adults were killed.The other women, the children and property were divided among the Muslims, with a horseman receiving 3 times the spoils of a foot soldier. The haul of weapons and plunder was substantial, but Muhammad still sent some of the women and children to be sold in the Najd for more horses and weapons. Muhammad as was custom received his fifth share of the loot including his pick of the females, a beautiful Jewish woman named Rayhana whose husband was decapitated, and the rest went to all the rest of the Muslims.
References
Ibn Ishaq (by Ibn Hisham) life of Muhammad: Isḥāq's Sīrat rasūl Al pp. 453,
Mūsā ibn Uqba, Kitāb al-Maghāzī p. 108-11
Ibid, 462
ibid, 463
Kister, pp. 66-74
