Chief of the Prophets — Page 165
Chapter Eight 165 The Quraish, who were already prone to suspicion, were so overawed by this scene that nothing could keep them together at this point. In the middle of the night, Abū Sufyān ordered his army to depart, and by the morning there was no sign of the dust of the army of disbelievers in the sky of Madīnah. The Muslims expressed their gratitude to God and praised Him. Expulsion of the Banū Quraiẓah, Dhul-Qa‘dah, 5 A. H. Shortly after the return of Muḥammad sa from the Ghazwah of the Confederates, he was told in a vision not to disarm until the matter related to the betrayal of the Banū Quraiẓah was fully resolved. So he gathered the Companions and besieged the fortresses of the Banū Quraiẓah. Initially, the Banū Quraiẓah showed great arrogance and pride, but with the passage of time they grew tired of the severity and length of the siege. Ka‘b bin Asad, the chieftain of the Banū Quraiẓah, called upon his people and suggested three options. First, they could become Muslims. Second, they could kill their women and children and take up swords to go to the battlefield. Third, since it was the day of Sabbath and the Muslims might consider themselves out of danger from their attack, they could wage a sudden night attack. The people of Banū Quraiẓah rejected the first proposal outright. They did not accept the second proposal because they thought that after killing their women and children their lives would not be worth living. And they thought the third proposal too dangerous and further they felt they had already suffered due to dishonouring the Sabbath in the past. No significant event happened at that time. As the siege was having a severe impact on the people of Banū Quraiẓah, they were completely bereft of any ability to fight. They made a strange proposal. Instead of accepting the judgment of Muḥammad sa , they suggested that they would like to have Sa‘d bin Mu‘ādh, the