The Prophet at Al-Madienah (4)

Certain prejudiced Western historians wrongly accused the Muslims of having treated these Jews of Nadeer with the utmost cruelty. For instance Dr. Prideaux in his “Life of Mahamet”, falsely charged them with overtaking the Jews who fled to Syria and putting them all to death.

G. Sale has already saved us “the Muslims” the trouble of refuting such erroneous statements: “The expulsion of the Nadeers took place in the fourth year of the “Hijra”. The remaining portion of this year, and the early part of the next were passed in repressing the hostile attempts of the nomadic tribes against the Muslims and inflicting punishment for various murderous forays on the Medinite territories. Of this nature was the expedition against the Christian Arabs of Dumat el Gandal, [a place about a seven day journey to the south of Damascus] who had stopped the Medinite traffic with Syria, and even threatened a raid upon Al-Madienah; these raiders, however, fled on Muslims approach, and the Prophet returned to Al-Madienah, after concluding a treaty with a neighbouring chief, to whom he granted permission of pasturage in the Medinite territories.”[1]

In the same year, the enemies of Islam made every possible attempt to stir up the tribes against Muslims. The Jews also took an active, if hidden, part in those manoeuvrings. An army of ten thousand men, well equipped, marched towards Al-Medina, under the command of Abu Sofian. They encamped near Mount Ohod, a few miles from the city. The Muslims could gather only a much smaller army of three thousand men. Seeing their inferiority in numbers on one hand, and the instability of Hypocrites within the town on the other, they preferred to remain on the defensive. They dug a deep moat round the unprotected quarters of Al-Medina and encamped outside the city with a trench in front of them. They relied for safety of the other side upon their allies, Banu Quraiza, who possessed several fortresses at a short distance towards the south and were bound by the covenant to assist Muslims against any raiders. These Jews, however, were encouraged by idolaters to violate their pledge and join the Quraishites. As these Jews were acquainted with the neighbour-hood and could materially assist raiders; and as, on the other hand the Hypocrites within the city walls were waiting for an opportunity to play their part, the situation of Muslims was most dangerous. The siege had already lasted for twenty days. The enemy made great efforts to cross the trench, but every attempt was fiercely repulsed by the small Muslim force. Disunion was now widespread in the midst of the besieging army. Their horses were freezing fast, and provisions were becoming less every day. During the night–time a storm of wind and rain caused their tents to be overthrown and their lights extinguished. Abu Sofian and the majority of his army fled away and the rest took refuge with Banu Quraiza.[2]  

Muslims, though were satisfied with their enemies failure, could not help thinking that victory was unsatisfactory so long as Banu Quraiza, who had violated their sworn pledge, remained so near. The Jews might at any time surprise Al-Medina from their side. Muslims felt it their duty to demand an explanation of the pledge violation. This was completely refused. Consequently, the Jews were besieged, and compelled to surrender at discretion. They only asked that their punishment should be left to the judgment of Saad Ibn Moaz, the tribe prince of Aws, he gave judgment that the fighting men should be put to death, and women and children should become slaves of Muslims. The sentence was carried into execution.

Commenting on the harshness of the sentence, Mr. Stanley Lane Poole in the introduction of his “Selections from the Qu’ran” writes as follows: “It was a harsh, bloody sentence, worthy of the Episcopal generals of the army against the Albigenses, or of the deeds of the Augustan age of Puritanism; but it must be remembered that the crime of these men was high treason against the State during time of siege; and those who have read how Wellington’s march could be traced by the bodies of the deserters and pillagers hanging from the trees, need not be surprised at the summary execution of a traitorous clan.”[3]

It was about this time that the Prophet granted to the monks of St. Catherine monastery, near Mount Sinai his liberal Charter by which they secured for the Christians noble and generous privileges and immunities. They were not to be unfairly taxed: no bishop was to be driven out from his dioceses; no Christian was to be forced to reject his religion; no monk was to be expelled from his monastery; no pilgrim was to be stopped from his pilgrimage, nor were the Christian churches to be pulled down for the sake building mosques or houses for the Muslims. Christian women married to Muslims were to enjoy their own religion, and not to be subjected to compulsion or annoyance of any kind. No Christian resident among the Muslims should be treated with contempt on account of his creed. The Prophet declared that any Muslim violating any article of the Charter should be regarded as a transgressor of God’s orders.[4]