The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 385
IX - Repeated Treachery of the Jews, Compilation and Sequence of the Holy Qur ’ā n, Marriage of Ḥaḍrat Zainab ra , the Great Calumny and Mischief of the Hypocrites 385 “There should be no compulsion in the matter of religion. ” 1 Hence, the Holy Prophet sa decided against the case presented by the Muslims and issued a verdict in favour of the Jews saying, “We cannot stop any person from leaving who is a Jew and desires to leave. ” 2 Albeit, two men from the Banū Naḍīr became Muslim of their own choice and remained in Madīnah. 3 There is a narration which relates that the Holy Prophet sa ordered the Banū Naḍīr to move towards Syria, i. e. , that they should not remain in Arabia. However, despite this, a few of their chieftains such as Salām bin Abil- Ḥuqaiq, Kinānah bin Rabī‘ and Ḥuyayy bin Akhṭab, etc, and a segment of their commoners as well, resettled to the north of Ḥijāz in the renowned Jewish village of Khaibar. The people of Khaibar welcomed them with open arms 4 and as shall be mentioned later at its appropriate place, these people ultimately became the cause of very dangerous sedition and incitement of war. The Banū Quraiẓah, who ignored all of their treaties and agreements, and acted treacherously towards the Holy Prophet sa and abetted the Banū Naḍīr, were forgiven by the Holy Prophet sa as an act of benevolence. 5 However, the manner in which these wretched people repaid this compassionate treatment shall be mentioned ahead. The incident of the Banū Naḍīr has been alluded to in Sūrah Ḥashr of the Holy Qur’ān. The entire Sūrah is, more or less, related to this Ghazwah. Ḥaḍrat Ummul-Mu’minīn Zainab bint Khuzaimah ra The Holy Prophet sa had a paternal cousin whose name was ‘Abdullāh bin Jaḥash ra , and he was martyred in the battle of Uḥud, leaving behind his wife Zainab bint Khuzaimah ra without support. The Holy Prophet sa who was an unparalleled model of kind treatment towards near relatives sent a proposal of marriage to Zainab bint Khuzaimah ra himself, and upon her consent, took her into a bond of matrimony. At the time, Ḥaḍrat Zainab ra was thirty years of 1 Al-Baqarah (2:257) 2 Sunanu Abī Dāwūd, Kitābul-Jihād, Bābu Fil-Asīri Yukrahu ‘Alal-Islām, Ḥadīth No. 2682 3 As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, pp. 606-607, Amru Ijlā’i Banin-Naḍīr. . . . . , Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001) 4 Tārīkhur-Rusuli Wal-Mulūk (Tārīkhuṭ-Ṭabarī), By Abū Ja‘far Muḥammad bin Jarīr Aṭ-Ṭabarī, Volume 3, pp. 90-91, Thumma Dakhalatis-Sanatur-Rābi‘atu Minal-Hijrah / Khabaru Jalā’i Banin-Naḍīr, Dārul- Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002) 5 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Maghāzī, Bābu Ḥadīthu Banin-Naḍīr, Ḥadīth No. 4028 Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Jihād Was-Siyar, Bābu Ijlā’il-Yahūdi Minal-Ḥijāz, Ḥadīth No. 4592