| Pain, Pleasure and Prejudice The Complete Layman’s Guide to the Koran The Jews of Medina In Medina lived three Jewish Tribes. The Jews of Medina were a wealthy, prosperous community. They were also considered the intellectual class of the city. When Muhammad sought refuge in Medina he was welcomed by the Jews, in part, because of his preaching that the god of the Old Testament was the one and only god. They even entered into a covenant with him to come to his (the Muslims) aid if he was ever attacked. In return, he signed a promise of non-aggression. The three Jewish tribes of Medina did not see the rise of Islam as a threat to them until the Muslims developed an appetite for booty and started raiding the caravans that passed by the city on their way to and from Mecca. These raids were sanctioned by the Koran since the booty the Muslims were taking was from unbelievers. The Muslim victory over the Meccans at Badr particularly unnerved the Jews. The Muslims at Badr defeated a much larger force dispatched by Mecca to protect a rich caravan returning from Damascus which the Prophet planned on plundering. At the Battle of Badr the Prophet not only demonstrated a unnatural blood-lust and thirst for revenge but also may have given those who did not believe that god was giving Muhammad insights into a world not visible to ordinary mortals, doubts about the Prophet’s sanity. It was at Badr that the Prophet first informed his followers of the concept of life in the grave. After the battle, the Muslim dead were given a proper burial while the Meccan casualties were simply thrown down a well. God’s Messenger was seen shouting at the corpses in the well. This yelling at dead people left some of his followers perplexed, but the Prophet had an explanation. Narrated Ibn 'Umar: “The Prophet looked at the people of the well and said, ‘Have you found true what your Lord promised you?’ Somebody said to him, ‘You are addressing dead people.’ He replied, ‘You do not hear better than they but they cannot reply.’" But it was not questions as to the Prophet’s sanity that alarmed the Jews of Medina, but what God’s Messenger did after he returned victorious to their city. The victory at Badr and the prestige and wealth that came with it emboldened Muhammad to silence his most vocal and persistent critics, the poets. The first poet to be killed was al-Nadr. The Meccans had praised his verses as superior to those of the Prophet and this had enraged the perfect human being. When Muhammad spotted al-Nadr among the prisoners captured at Badr he had him beheaded on the spot. Next to die was the poetess Asma bint Marwan. She was stabbed to death while sleeping with an infant suckling at her breast. Next, the Jewish poet Abu Afak who was also killed while he slept. “He waited for an opportunity until a hot night came, and Abu Afak slept in an open place. Salim b. ‘Umayr knew it, so he placed the sword on his liver and pressed it till it reached his bed. The enemy of Allah screamed and the people, who were his followers rushed him, took him to his house and interred him.” Ibn S’ad After every murder the assassin would go to the Mosque to inform the Prophet and be praised for what they had done at his insistence. For example, the killer of Asma bint Marwan had just entered the mosque when the Prophet asked him “Have you slain the daughter of Marwan?” Ibn S’ad’s comments on the words first spoken by God’s Messenger: This was the word that was first heard from the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him. When Umayr replied that the job had been carried out with success, Muhammad said, “You have helped God and His apostle, O ‘Umayr!’” When Umayr asked if he would have to bear any evil consequences, the apostle said, “Two goats won’t butt their heads about her.” Muhammad then praised Umayr in front of all gathered for prayer for his act of murder, and Umayr went back to his people Adding to the Jews of Medina’s uneasiness caused by the cold-blooded murder of the poets was a revelation Muhammad received at about this time telling him that he could effectively renounce any treaty at his discretion. 8:58 And should you fear treachery from any people, throw back their treaty to them in like manner. Allah does not like the treacherous. The Prophet was a patient man. With Allah giving him a freehand to break any non-aggression promise he had made, it was only a matter of time before an opportunity arose to use his newfound power. After Badr the Prophet not only felt his position secure enough to have his critics silence with a dagger or a sword but also to put his newfound prestige on the line by seeking to impose a head tax, the Jizya on the Jews and Christians. The Jews ridiculed his proposal saying that Allah could not be so poor as to require their money. The Prophet swallowed his pride and patiently waited for an opportunity to make the Jews pay, and pay dearly for their insolence, as was his way. An irresistible opportunity for revenge and for plunder presented itself with the retaliation killing of a Muslim by a Jew of the Banu Qaynuqa, the smallest of the three Jewish tribes of Medina. The story as told by Abul Kasem, a former Muslim and author of A Complete Guide to Allah: An Arab girl, married to a Muslim convert of Medina went to the Jewish shop of a goldsmith in the market place of Qaynuqua. While waiting for some ornaments, she sat down. A silly neighbour secretly pinned the lower hem of her skirt. When she arose, the awkward expose made everyone laugh. She screamed with shame. A passing Muslim witnessed the incident and killed the offending Jew. The brother of the Jew then killed the Muslim. The family of the murdered Muslim then appealed to the converts of Medina to take revenge. The skirmish now became general and Muhammad made no attempt to mitigate the situation, nor did he try to bring the offending parties to justice. He immediately gathered his followers under the white banner in the hand of Hamzah and marched forward to attack the Jewish tribe. The Jews took shelter in their fortified apartments. So, Muhammad laid a siege and a full blockade was imposed. The siege lasted for fifteen days… [the] Jews had no choice but to surrender to Muhammad. Their hands were tied behind their backs and preparations were made for their execution. At this time, Abd Allah ibn Ubayy … a new convert to Islam begged Muhammad for mercy, but Muhammad turned his face away. Abd Allah persisted. Finally, Muhammad yielded and let the prisoners escape execution. He then cursed the Jews and Abd Allah ibn Ubay with Allah’s punishment. Then Muhammad ordered the Jews of Banu Qaynuqa to leave Medina within three days. After the exile of the Banu Qaynuqa the Prophet legalized the killing of Jews. The messenger of God said, “Whoever of the Jews falls into your hands, kill him.” Tabari The next to be forced out were the Banu Nadir. The Banu Nadir Jews own large tracks of land on the outskirts of Medina on which they cultivated date palms. They too took refuge in their fortress when they ran afoul of the Prophet. Again God’s Messenger besieged their fortress. There was always a chance that the remaining Jewish tribe would come to their aid. The Muslims were not yet strong enough to withstand a concerted effort by the Jews to defend themselves therefore the siege had to be ended as quickly as possible. To disheartened and convince the Banu Nadir that there was no future for them in Medina even if the siege was lifted the Prophet ordered that all the Banu Nadir’s date palms be cut down. This early version of scorched-earth warfare was taboo for both the Arabs and Jews. The Prophet justified his breaking of this long-standing prohibition with the usual revelation from Allah. 59:5 Whatever palm trees you cut of or leave standing upon their roots is only by Allah’s Leave, and that he might disgrace the sinners. With their livelihood gone, the Banu Nadir agreed to go into exile. The Prophet allowed them to take with them whatever their camels could carry. That left the Banu Qurayzah (also referred to as the Beni Qurayzah). What Allah had to say about the dispossession of the Banu Qaynuqa and the Banu Nadir: 59:2 It is He Who drove out the unbelievers among the People of the Book from their homes at the first mustering. You did not think that they would be driven out, and they thought that their forts would protect them from Allah. Then, Allah seized them from an unexpected quarter and cast terror into their hearts, so that they destroyed their homes with their own hands, as well as the hands of the believers. Reflect, then, O people of perception! 59:3 Had not Allah decreed dispersion upon them, He would certainly have punished them in the present life, and in the Hereafter, the punishment of the Fire shall be theirs. 59:4 That is because they have opposed Allah and His Messenger, and he who opposes Allah will find Allah terrible in retribution. Some of the exiled leaders of the Banu Nadir and Banu Qaynuqa went to Mecca and offered to join the Meccans to fight Muhammad. At first the Meccans were sceptical. To test their allegiance they asked the Jews which was better—paganism or Islam? The Jews answered that paganism was preferable to Muhammad’s type of monotheism. The Meccans then accepted the Jews of the Banu Nadir and Banu Qaynuqa as their ally, thereby sealing the fate of the Banu Qurayzah. Allah was quick to denounce this new unholy alliance of monotheists and polytheists. 4:51 Have you not considered those who received a portion of the Book? They believe in idols and demons, and they say to the unbelievers: “Those are more rightly guided than those who believe.” 4:52 Those are the ones Allah has cursed; and whomever Allah curses will have no supporter. 4:53 Or do they have a share in the Kingdom? If so, they will not give the people a speck on a date-stone. 4:54 Or do they envy the people (the Arabs) for what Allah has given them of His Bounty? For we have given Abraham’s family the Book and the Wisdom and bestowed on them a great kingdom. 4:55 Some of them believed in him. Others rejected him. Sufficient is the scourge of Hell. The Meccans and their Jewish allies, which in the Koran are referred to as the Confederates, shortly thereafter marched on Medina with an army estimated at least ten thousand men strong. At this crucial juncture, the leader of the Banu Qurayzah announced his intention not to honour his commitment to come to the aid of the Prophet if the Muslims are attacked and entered into negotiations with the Meccans. The Meccans and their allies were unsuccessful in breaching the Muslims’ defences at Medina and abandoned the siege and departed never to threaten the city again. With Medina secure the Prophet decided to deal with the Banu Qurayzah. He marched on their fortress just outside Medina with three thousand Jihadists. When he neared the fortress, according to Georgiou, he called out to its defenders: “O brothers of monkeys and pigs! Fear me, fear me.” ----------------------- Two revelations where Allah refers to Jews as apes or monkeys: 2:65 And you surely know those of you who violated the Sabbath; We said to them: “Be [like] dejected apes.” 2:66 Thus We made an example to their contemporaries and to those after them, and admonition to the righteous. ---- 7:166 Then, when they disdained arrogantly what they were forbidden, We said to them: “Be miserable monkeys.” ----------------------- After twenty five days, the Banu Qurayzah asked for a mediator. The Prophet sent Abu Lubabah who matter-of-factly informed the Jews that the Prophet had slaughter on his mind. ‘When they saw him (Lubabah), the men rose to meet him, and the women and children rushed to grab hold of him, weeping before him, so that he felt pity for them. They said to him, “Abu Lubabah, do you think that we should submit to Muhammad’s judgment”? “Yes”, he said, but he pointed with his hand to his throat, that it would be slaughter.”’ Tabari The Banu Qurayzah asked the Prophet to be allowed to go into exile. Muhammad rejected their proposal and insisted that they submit themselves to his judgment. Abu Lubabah would not be a witness to the result of his negotiations with Jews. It was probably just as well. “Abu Lubabah felt guilty that he had broken his promise of secrecy with Muhammad. To atone for his ‘misdeed’ he went straight to the mosque and bound himself with ropes to one of the pillars. This pillar is known as the ‘pillar of repentance’ or the ‘pillars of Abu Lubabah’.” Abul Kasem Lubabah spent six days chained to his pillar. He was freed by the Prophet after he received the following revelation. 8:27 O you who believe, do not betray Allah and the Messenger, nor betray your trust knowingly. Ignoring Lubabah’s warning, the Banu Qurayzah surrendered en-masse to the Prophet. They agreed to a proposal by God’s Messenger that a mortally wounded believer by the name of Sad bin Mu’adh decide their fate. Some people (the Banu Qurayzah) agreed to accept the verdict of Sad bin Mu’adh so the Prophet sent for him. He came riding a donkey, and when he approached the Mosque, the Prophet said, "Get up for the best amongst you." or said, "Get up for your chief." Then the Prophet said, "O Sad! These people have agreed to accept your verdict." Sad said, "I judge that their warriors should be killed and their children and women should be taken as captives." The Prophet said, "You have given a judgment similar to Allah's Judgment." Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58, Number 148 A trench was dug in Medina’s marketplace and the estimated seven-hundred male and teenaged boys of the Banu Qurayzah were beheaded with the Prophet of Mercy looking on. “…the messenger of God commanded that furrows should be dug in the ground for the B. Qurayzah. Then he sat down, and Ali and al-Zubayr began cutting off their heads in his presence.” Tabari ‘The messenger of God went out into the marketplace of Medina and had trenches dug in it; then he sent for them and had them beheaded in those trenches. They were brought out to him in groups … They numbered 600 or 700—the largest estimate says they were between 800 and 900 … the affair continued until the Messenger of God had finished with them.’ Tabari One woman was also beheaded that day. During the siege of the fortress of the Banu Qurayzah she had killed a Muslim soldier by dropping a millstone on his head. Her death as narrated by the Prophet’s child bride Aisha. ‘Only one of their women was killed. By God, she was by me, talking with me and laughing unrestrainedly while the Messenger of God was killing their men in the marketplace, when suddenly a mysterious voice called out her name, saying, “Where is so and so?” She said, “I shall be killed.” “Why?” I asked. She said, A misdeed that I committed.” She was taken away and beheaded.’ Aisha Muhammad had ordered that all Jewish males with pubic hair were to be killed, but he did spare one boy who took refuge with a Muslim woman who pleaded with the Prophet to spare the boy’s life. Her pleading for mercy may not have been necessary if the following story as told by the boy in question is accurate. I was among the captives of Banu Qurayzah. They examined us, and those who had begun to grow hair (pubes) were killed, and those who had not were not killed. I was among those who had not grown hair. Abu Dawud The dead men’s wives and daughters were sold into slavery, except for the beautiful widow Rayhanah which God’s Messenger made his concubine. Rayhanah turned down the Prophet’s marriage proposal thinking it unseemly considering the recent mass murder of male members of her tribe. Sad bin Mu’adh also died that day. The Prophet said that Allah’s throne shook when he died, so moved was the Almighty by the death of a man who had the courage to cold-bloodily send His enemies to their death and their wives and daughters into slavery. It should not come as a surprise that Allah was all shook up when he greeted Sad bin Mu’adh in Paradise; after all, not only did He approve of Sad bin Mu’adh’s decision, but also of everything that came after: the cold-blooded murder of the men and boys of the Banu Qurayzah, the enslavement of their wives, daughters and sisters and the appropriation of everything they owned by His Messenger? 33:26 And He brought those of the People of the Book who supported them (the Meccans) from their fortresses and cast terror into their hearts, some of them you slew and some you took captive. 33:27 And He bequeathed to you their lands, their homes and their possessions, together with land you have never trodden. Allah has power over everything. News of the massacre spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and not unlike the massacres committed by those who follow the example of the Prophet today inspired both fear and admiration. One thing the massacre made perfectly clear is that you had to choose a side; you could not remain neutral in the war between the believers and unbelievers of which the Arab civil war was the opening gambit. You either chose to become a Muslim and agreed to fight and killed to establish Allah’s Kingdom on earth or you became a target of the believers, to be hunted down and murdered. Many converted to Islam after the massacre not because they believed that a man who could do such a thing could not be stopped, but to join in the general pillage of the unbelievers’ property. The Muslims of Medina’s attacks on the caravans of the Meccans, which had precipitated the Arab civil war; the appropriation of the good of the Jews they dispossessed; and verses from Allah as to the allocation of the booty taken from unbelievers made conversion to Islam, for many men irresistible. All you had to say was “I declare there is no god except God, and I declare that Muhammad is the Messenger of God” and you could with impunity kill or enslave those who refused to say those magic life-saving words and help yourself to their property, their wives and their daughters for your troubles, and still be guaranteed a place in Paradise. There is a lesson to be learned in what happened to the Jews of Medina and in the example of the one the believers revere as the personification of the perfect human being and the god to whom they pray. -------------------------- The Jews can look forward to spending an eternity burning in Hell, as is the fate of all of those with whom Allah is displeased. 62:5 The case of those who were loaded with the Torah, then failed to carry it, is similar to an ass which carries learned books. Wretched is the case of the people who have denounced Allah’s Signs. Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. 62:6 Say: “O you who have adopted Judaism; if you claim to be Allah’s friends, apart from other people, then do wish for death, if you are truthful.” 62:7 Yet, they will never wish it, due to what their hands have advanced. Allah knows well the wrongdoers. 62:8 Say: “The death from which you flee will surely overtake you. Then you will be turned over to Him Who knows the Unseen and the Seen, and He will inform you about what you used to do.” An Avoidable Tragedy The Jews of Medina did not blame God for what happened to them, they blamed the Prophet. They worshipped the same monotheistic deity as the Muslims and that god would not have done what Muhammad did to them. It’s in revelation 4:78. Revelation 4:77 about believers wanting a rest from the fighting is not relevant here, but its conclusion is the beginning of revelation 4:78. 4:77 Have you not seen those to whom it was said: “Hold back your hands, perform the prayer and give the alms-tax”; but when they were ordered to fight, a group of them appeared to fear men just as they fear Allah, or even more. They said: “Lord, why have you ordered us to fight? If only You would grant us respite for a short period.” Say: “The pleasure of this world is small and the Hereafter is far better for the God-fearing; and you will not be wronged a whit.” 4:78 Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you are in high towers. And if good fortune befalls them (the Jews) they say: “This is from Allah.” But when misfortune befalls them, they say “It is from you (Muhammad).” Say: “All is from Allah.” What is the matter with these people who barely understand any discourse! 4:79 Whatever good visits you, it is from Allah; and whatever evil befalls you, it is from yourself; and We have sent you (Muhammad) forth to mankind as a Messenger. Allah is the All-Sufficient Witness! That the Jews of Medina bear a large responsibility for what happened to them is undeniable. They first welcomed and protected the Prophet Muhammad because they worshipped the same god. They fell out because they could not accept him as a legitimate conduit with the Almighty – that role being reserved for “the chosen people” exclusively. Muhammad was a Muslim, but also what we would call today an Arab nationalist. The Jews scriptural position meant that the Muslim Arabs would have to accept the equivalent of Jewish suzerainty, a Jewish supremacy that the Torah maintains will eventually encompass all nations. The Prophet, having borrowed so much from the Torah, borrowed one last communication from the Jewish flavour of their common God: it was the Muslims who were called upon to become rulers of the world because of their claim to the “Superior Religion.” Realizing that they had been outmaneuvered, and not being able to modify their scriptural position to give the Muslims equal billing before God, the Jews of Medina should have all left the city or fought the good fight. They did neither, and the Battle of the Ditch sealed their faith. The Difference at the Battle of the Ditch The battle for Medina is usually referred to as the Battle of the Ditch because of a trench that was dug on the flat approaches to Medina. The idea for a trench to counter the superior Meccan cavalry came from a Persian Christian convert to Islam by the name of Salman al Farsi (or Farisi). This “ditch” completely stymied the Meccan forces which included a 300 horse cavalry unit. For two weeks, an army of ten thousand waited for their hapless and befuddled commander Abu Sufyan to devise a strategy to overcome what should have been a minor obstacle for such a large force. In the meantime, the go-between in the negotiations for a joint operation between the Meccans and the Jews of Medina against the Muslims, converted to Islam. The quick-thinking Muhammad made Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud his double-agent, asking him to continue acting as go-between and sow distrust between the would-be allies thereby delaying any agreement. It worked. Negotiations were at an impasse when Allah decided to put an end to the siege by sending a vicious sandstorm which wreaked havoc on the exposed Meccan camp which was already short on supplies. He may also have concealed elements of His Air Force (angels, “the host you did no see” in revelation 33:9) in the swirling, grinding sand. 33:9 O believers, remember Allah’s grace on you when enemy host (of confederates allied against Muslims in the Battle of the Ditch (khandaq) during the siege of Medina) came upon you; then We sent against them a wind and hosts you did not actually see. Allah perceives well what you do. As in the Battle of Badr, the casualties inflicted by this “host” during this desert sitzkrieg were light; casualties for both sides were 8 Meccans dead and 6 Muslims. However, this is not how Allah saw it: 33:10 When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and your eyes looked askew and your hearts reached your throats, while you entertained false thoughts about Allah. 33:11 There and then, the believers were sorely tried and shaken very violently. Allah vanquished the Meccans, even if there were no spoils to be had. What a God! 33:25 Allah turned back the unbelievers in state of rage, having not won any good (spoils), and Allah spared the believers battle. Allah is, indeed, Strong and Mighty. After the close call that was the Battle for Medina – only a hapless commander stood between the Meccans and victory – the Prophet made sure the Meccans would never again be in a position to threaten the Muslims. He, in turn, would march on Mecca and take the city without firing the proverbial shot. The Covenant and the Jews of Medina In Enemies Old and New it was revealed that Allah made a covenant with the Jews earlier on in their history; revelation 5:12, repeated here for your convenience. 5:12 Allah made a covenant with the Children of Israel, and We raised among them twelve chieftains. And Allah said: “I am with you. Surely, if you perform the prayer, give the alms, believe in my Messengers and support them and lend Allah a fair loan (spend money in His way), I will forgive you your sins and admit you into Gardens, beneath which rivers flow. But if any one of you disbelieves afterwards, he certainly strays from the right path. Considering the general purpose covenant Allah entered into with Adam’s Progeny and perhaps Adam himself (see The Old Testament vs. the Koran – Part I – Adam) these additional agreements can be considered a type of codicil. Allah will remind the Jews of Medina, some of whom may have converted to Islam, about this covenant while providing additional specifics meant for them alone. 2:83 When We made a covenant with the Children of Israel (saying): “You shall worship none other than Allah; show kindness to your parents, to the near of kin, to the orphans and to the poor; speak to people; perform the prayers; give the alms-tax.” But, with the exception of a few, you did not abide by the covenant and you turned away. Sometimes you do have to leave the explanation to the experts. Look for a scholar’s commentary after the following revelations which expand on this sub-covenant with the Jews of Medina. 2:84 And when We made a covenant with you (saying): “You shall not shed your own blood, nor drive your people away from their homes”, you accepted and your bore witness [thereto]. 2:85 Yet there you are killing each other and turning some of your folks from their homes, making common cause against them with sin and aggression. But should they come to you as captives you would ransom them. Surely it was unlawful for you to drive them away. Do you, then believe in one part (paying the ransom) of the Book and disbelieve in another (killing and driving away their people from their homes)? The reward of those among you who do that is nothing but disgrace in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they shall be turned over to the most severe punishment. Allah is not unaware of what you do. 2:86 Those are the people who have traded the life of this world for the Hereafter. Their punishment shall not be lightened, nor shall they be helped. S. Abul A’la Moududi's commentary: Before the advent of the Prophet (peace be on him) the Jewish tribes who lived on the outskirts of Madina (sic) had concluded an alliance with the Arab tribes of Aws and Khazraj. When the Arab tribes fought against one another each Jewish tribe fought on the side of its allies, which led to fratricide and so to a flagrant violation of the Book of God. Moreover, when the war ended the captives were ransomed. This ransom was justified on the basis of scriptural arguments; they extolled the Word of God when it permitted the ransom of prisoners of war, but attached no significance at all to the same Word of God when it prohibited mutual feuding. Fakhry, in a footnote, writes that Allah’s Covenant in revelation 2:40, which follows, includes “believing that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”. Muhammad would, of course, not have been alive when Allah’s Covenant with the Jews was first entered into thousands of years earlier, just before He separated them into twelve tribes. This could indicate that the following revelations about a covenant may also have been meant for Jewish contemporaries of God’s Messenger. 2:40 O Children of Israel, remember the grace which I bestowed on you. Fulfil your covenant (by believing that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah) and I shall fulfil my Covenant (by rewarding you). And Me alone you should fear. 2:41 Believe in what I have revealed confirming that which is with you (your Scriptures) and do not be the first to deny it. Do not trade My Revelations for a small price ; and Me alone you should fear. 2:42 And do not confuse truth with falsehood and do not conceal the truth while you know it. 2:43 Perform the prayer; give the alms-tax and bow down with those who bow down. 2:44 Do you command others to be righteous and forget yourselves while you recite the Book? Do you not understand? 2:45 Seek assistance through patience and prayer. It is hard, except for the truly devout; 2:46 Who believe that they shall meet their Lord, and unto Him they shall return. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Revelation 5:11 and Moududi’s commentary on what he claims is a reference to an attempt by the Jews of Medina to do away with the Prophet and his companions: 5:11 A believers, remember Allah’s grace upon you, when certain people intended to reach out to you with their hands but Allah restrained them. Fear Allah and in Allah let the believers put their trust. Moududi’s explanation: This alludes to the incident reported by Ibn 'Abbas when a group of Jews invited the Prophet (peace be on him) and a number of his close Companions to dinner. They had in fact hatched a plot to pounce upon the guests and thus undermine the very foundation of Islam. But by the grace of God the Prophet (peace be on him) came to know of the plot at the eleventh hour and did not go.
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