Muhammad and The Jews — Page 41
THE PEOPLE OF THE Sahifah I. The Jews ofBanii ""Awf, 2. The Jews of Banii al-Najjar, 3. The Jews of Banii Sii""idah, 4. The Jews of Ban ii Jusham, 5. The Jews of Banii al-Aws, 6. The Jews ofBanii Tha"labah, 7. Banii al-Shutaybah, 8. The Jews of Ban ii Zurayq, 9. The Jews of B. I:Hirithah, 10. The Banii Qaynuqa<-. 1 The names of the first seven Jewish tribes are given in the $al;zifah; the names of the B. Zurayq and the B. I:Iarithah are given by Ibn Isl,laq in the list of the Jewish opponents of the Apostle. 2 Our sources do not indicate that there was any general exodus of the Jews during the Apostle's life. Watt rightly concludes that "the document in its final form was intended as a charter for the Jews remaining in Medina". 3 Though the remaining Jews of Medina had lost their "news-value" for the Muslim historian, there are references to their presence in Medina after the expulsion of the B. al-Na<;iir and the B. Quray+ah. Ibn Saed reports that the Apostle's expedition to Khaybar was very painful to the Jews · who remained in Medina. 4 The Jews were even politically active and continued to offer opposition to the Apostle. When the Apostle ordered the Muslims to prepare for an expedition against the Byzantines (9/630)at Tabiik the disaffected and the waverers assembled in the house of a Jew, Suwaylim, making plans to encourage disaffection. Suwaylim was not punished personally but the Apostle ordered Tall,lah b. cubayd Allah to burn his house to the ground. 5 The presence of the Jews in Medina after the expulsion of their three clans seems to be supported by the Qur?iin as well. There is general consensus that Al-Mi['idah is the last surah which was revealed to the Apostle. "A~ma"', daughter of Yazid reported that the whole of this surah was revealed together. 6 There are other reports also to 1 As we shall see in the next chapter, the evidence seems to indicate that the B. Qaynuqa<- were not expelled during the Apostle's lifetime. 2 Ibn Hishii. rn, p. 351. 3 Watt, Muhammad at Medina, p. 227. 4 Ibn Saed, Vol. II, p. 106. 5 Ibn Hisham, p. 858. 6 Ibn Kathlr, Tafsir al-Qur~. :in al-. . A:;im, (Cairo, n. d. ), Vol. II, p. 2. 41