The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) – Volume III — Page 79
II - Brief Note on Islāmic Equality 79 recording it was merely as an example of a cruel deed of the Muslims was found in it. Mischief of the People of Khaibar & the Killing of Abū Rāfi‘ the Jew - Ramaḍān 6 A. H. (January 628 A. D. ) The mischief-making and instigation of the Jewish Chieftains resulted in the dangerous conflict of the Battle of Aḥzāb against the Muslims in 5 A. H. Among them, Huyaiy bin Akhtab had already met his end along with the Banū Quraiẓah. However, Sallām bin Abil-Ḥuqaiq, whose appellation was Abū Rāfi‘, was still engaged freely in his mischief-making as before, in the region of Khaibar. Rather, the humiliating failure of Aḥzāb and the terrible end of the Banū Quraiẓah had only further increased his animosity. Since the settlement of the tribes of Ghaṭafān were situated near Khaibar and the Jews of Khaibar were as if neighbours to the tribes of Najd, for this reason, Abū Rāfi‘ who was a very affluent and influential merchant, had made it a custom to incite the barbaric and warmongering tribes of Najd against the Muslims. In his animosity towards the Holy Prophet sa , he was the like of Ka‘b bin Ashraf. 1 As such, during that era which we are mentioning now, he had given the Ghaṭafānī people very significant financial aid 2 in order to launch an assault against the Holy Prophet sa. Furthermore, it is proven by history that the Jews of Khaibar who were creating disorder in the watch of Abū Rāfi‘, were also behind the threat which emerged against the Muslims by the Banū Sa‘d in the month of Sha‘bān for the defense of which an army was sent from Madīnah under the leadership of Ḥaḍrat ‘Ali ra. 3 However, Abū Rāfi‘ did not suffice with this, and his enmity was thirsty for Muslim blood and the person of the Holy Prophet sa was a thorn in his eye. Therefore, ultimately the plan which he employed was that in the likeness of the Battle of Aḥzāb, he once again began to tour the Ghaṭafān tribes and other tribes, and began to gather a grand army to destroy the Muslims. 4 1 As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, pp. 659-660, Maqtalu Sallām-ibni Abil-Ḥuqaiq , Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001) 2 Fatḥul-Bārī Sharḥu Ṣaḥīḥil-Bukhārī, By Al-Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥajar Al-‘Asqalānī, Volume 7, p 435, Kitābul-Maghāzī, Bābu Qatli Abī Rāfi‘in ‘Abdillāh-ibni Abil-Ḥuqaiqi. . . , Qadīmī Kutub Khānah, Ārām Bāgh, Karachi 3 Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 2, p. 294, Sariyyatu ‘Aliyy-ibni Abī Ṭālibin Ilā Banī Sa‘d-ibni Bakrin Bi-Fadak, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 4 Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 2, p. 295, Sariyyatu ‘Abdillāh-ibni ‘Atīqin Ilā Abī Rāfi‘in, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)