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ISLAMOPHOBIA

Jewish Tribes Exiled From Medina 

It was after the Muslim victory at Badr that a confident Prophet sought 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. Muhammad 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 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. Their story as told by Abul Kasem, 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.

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.

In another account of ibn Ubayy’s intervention, Muhammad believed that the planned execution of the Banu Qaynuqa—even if the Muslims were not at war with the Jews at the time and the Jews had not broken any treaties—was in keeping with Allah’s command in Revelation 8:57, “If thou overcomest them in war, then make of them an example, to strike fear into those that are behind them, that they may take heed idea."

Ibn Ubayy now came to the camp and approaching the Prophet he said: "O Muhammad, treat my confederates well."

The Prophet put him off, and then when the demand was repeated he turned away from him, whereupon Ibn Ubayy clutched him by his coat of mail, thrusting his hand into the neck of it. The Prophet's face grew dark with anger. "Let go thy hold," he said.

"By God, I will not," said Ibn Ubayy, "until thou dost promise to treat them well. Four hundred men without mail and three hundred mailed - they protected me from the red and from the black. Wilt thou cut them down in one morning?" "

I grant thee their lives," said the Prophet.

But the Revelation had commanded, with regard to those who broke treaties with him: [8:57] If thou overcomest them in war, then make of them an example, to strike fear into those that are behind them, that they may take heed: and, having decided that the Banu Qaynuqa should forfeit all their possessions and be exiled, he told Ubadah to escort them out of the oasis.

Martin Lings, Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources

Muhammad then forced the Banu Nadir Jews into exile after being told by Gabriel, at what was supposed to be a friendly meeting between Muhammad, his companions and the leadership of the tribe that the Jews intended to kill him.

Gabriel came to the Prophet, unseen by any save him, and told him that the Jews were planning to kill him. So he rose and left the company without a word, and everyone assumed that he would quickly rejoin them. But when some time had passed and he had not returned Abu Bakr suggested to the other Companions that they also should go, so they took their leave of the Jews and went to the Prophet's house.

He explained to them what had happened and then he sent Muhammad ibn Maslamah to the Bani Nadir, telling him what to say to them.

He went with all speed to their fortresses and some of their leaders came out to meet him. "The Messenger of God," he told them, "hath sent me to you, and he saith: 'By your purposing to slay me, ye have broken the pact I made with you.'''

Then, having recounted to them the exact details of their plot, as the Prophet had bidden him do, he delivered the gist of his message: "I give you ten days to depart from my country," saith the Prophet. "Whosoever of you is seen after that, his head shall be cut off."

Martin Lings, Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources

The Banu Nadir owned large tracts of land on the outskirts of Medina on which they cultivated date palms. To dishearten and convince the Banu Nadir that there was no future for them in Medina, Muhammad ordered that their 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 God.

59:5 Whatever palm trees you cut off or leave standing upon their roots is only by Allah’s Leave, and that He might disgrace the sinners.

Muhammad’s share of the property of the Banu Nadir may have made some jealous.

59:6 Whatever spoils Allah has bestowed on His Messenger from them, you did not send against them any horses or other mounts; but Allah confers on His Messengers authority over whoever he pleases. Allah has power over everything.