Muhammad and The Jews — Page 67
CHAPTER IV THE FAILURE OF THE CONFEDERACY It seems as if the strain and trouble of trying to take a critical view of confident assertions so troubles the human mind that men and women are prepared to concede the most damning case against their fathers and grandfathers in order to avoid the tedious work of disentangling the evidence for themselves. - G. KITSON CLARK Exiled but not exhausted, defeated but not dejected, the B. al-Na<;lir settled in Khaybar fairly quickly. In the peace and quiet which Khaybar offered, the leaders of the B. al-Na<;lir must have taken stock of the whole situation. The new religion was not only a threat to the Meccans, but to the Jews as well. If the initiative was left to the Muslims they might strike again and do so at a time of their own choosing. Individually neither the Jews nor the Meccans could destroy this band of poor but committed people under a leader who commanded absolute authority and unwavering loyalty. So the B. al-Na<;lir decided to send a mission to Mecca. It was a large delega- tion of twenty leaders. Prominent among the B. al-Na<;lir, who led the delegation, were Salliim b. Abii al-J:Iuqayq, J:Iuyayy b. Akhtab and Kiniinah b. Abii al-J:Iuqayq. A number of leaders from the B. Wii'il also joined this delegation; the B. Wii'il was a sub-tribe of the Khazraj but was closely linked with the Jews. This delegation arrived in Mecca in the summer of 5/626 and invited the Quraysh to join them in an all-out attack on Medina so that they might get rid of the Apostle once for all. The Quraysh responded gladly to their invitation to fight the Apostle. From Mecca this delegation of the Jews went to the Ghatafiin and extended the same invitation. The delegation informed them that the Quraysh had already accepted their invitation. They also offered 67