Banu Qurayza Break the Covenant The Confederates’ army was unable to breach the trench. The Confederates besieged Medina. Some reports say the siege lasted two weeks, while others say three weeks, but the strongest reports indicate that they besieged the city for 18 days. This period was extremely difficult for the polytheists because they had come to Medina unprepared for a prolonged siege. They therefore did not have enough provisions to sustain such a large army for that long. The skirmishes continued, the weather was extremely cold, and there was nowhere for their camels and horses to graze. Quraysh had not brought extra supplies because they assumed this would be a battle lasting only a day or two. They believed that once they reached Medina, their camels and horses would be able to graze in the city’s fields. But when Quraysh saw the trench, their expectations were shattered. They did not know what to do because there was no way to breach it. Among the Confederate armies was Huyayy ibn Akhtab, the leader of the Jewish tribe of Banu al-Nadir, whom the Prophet had expelled from Medina after they broke their covenant and agreement with the Muslims. Huyayy ibn Akhtab was the person responsible for bringing these confederate forces together and organizing the attack against Medina and the Muslims. Medina had two possible entrances: 1. From the north, where the trench had been dug. 2. From the south, where the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza lived. They had a covenant with the Prophet and the Muslims. The covenant included the following condition: “If an enemy attacks Medina, they must defend it, because they are among its people.” When Huyayy ibn Akhtab realized that there was no chance of achieving victory unless he reached an agreement with Banu Qurayza, he met with the leaders of the Confederate army and assured them that he would solve the problem of the trench. He promised that he would turn the trench from a fortress protecting the Muslims into a grave for them. They asked: “Huyayy, how can you do that?” He replied: “Our brothers from Banu Qurayza.” They asked: “What do you mean?” He said: “They will open the gates of their fortresses for us, and I will convince them to do so.” The polytheist army was impressed by this wicked man’s plan. Huyayy asked their permission and headed toward Banu Qurayza from the southern side of Medina. The leader of Banu Qurayza, Ka’b ibn Asad al-Qurazi, had learned a painful lesson from what had happened to his fellow Jewish tribes, Banu Qaynuqa and Banu al-Nadir, when they had previously broken their covenants and agreements with the Muslims. Ka’b had therefore made a personal commitment to honor his covenant with the Prophet. He had indeed remained faithful to his agreement with him, and he had seen nothing from the Prophet in return except honesty and loyalty. When the Confederates arrived, Ka’b closed the gates of the fortresses and remained committed to the covenant. When Ka’b heard that Huyayy had arrived, he refused to open the fortress gate for him and refused to receive him. Huyayy called out to him from outside the fortress: “Woe to you, Ka’b! Open the gate for me.” They replied: “Ka’b does not want to see anyone.” Huyayy continued calling to him from outside: “Ka’b! Open the fortress gate. I want to speak to you.” Ka’b appeared at a window of the fortress and said: “Woe to you, Huyayy! You are a man of bad fortune. What do you want? Don’t you remember what you did to your own people?” He was referring to the time when Huyayy had suggested to his people, the Jews of Banu al-Nadir, that they throw a large rock from the roof of their house onto the Prophet and kill him while he was visiting them. Gabriel then came and informed the Prophet of their plot and their betrayal of the covenant. Ka’b began warning Huyayy and reminding him of what had happened. He said: “I have made a covenant with Muhammad, and I will not break what is between him and me. I have seen nothing from Muhammad except loyalty and honesty.” Huyayy said: “Let me come in and speak to you.” Ka’b replied: “I will not speak to you, and I do not want to speak with you.” He closed the gate in Huyayy’s face again. Huyayy shouted: “Woe to you! Open the gate. Let me speak to you.” Ka’b said: “I will not.” Huyayy then said: “By God, Ka’b, you have not closed your gate against me except because you are afraid that I will eat from your jashisha!” Jashisha was roughly ground wheat. It was ground only slightly so that it did not become flour, then cooked until tender, with meat placed on top. Ka’b became angry because Huyayy had accused him of being stingy. Ka’b said: “Woe to you! Am I afraid for my jashisha?! Open the fortress gate for him!” The gate was opened, and Huyayy entered. Huyayy said: “Woe to you, Ka’b! I have brought you the power of an entire age and a raging sea!” Ka’b asked: “What is that?” Huyayy replied: “I have brought you Quraysh with their leaders and nobles. I have stationed them at the area of al-Asyal, near the entrance to Medina beyond the trench. And I have brought you Ghatafan with their leaders and nobles, and stationed them at Dhanab Naqmi, near Mount Uhud. And this is in addition to the other tribes and Bedouins. Their total number is 10,000 men. They have made an agreement with me and pledged that they will not leave until we completely destroy Muhammad and those with him. And yet you close your gates in my face?!” Ka’b replied: “By God, you have brought me the humiliation of an entire age and a cloud that has already poured out its water—one that thunders and flashes with lightning but contains nothing.” He meant that Huyayy had brought him an army that appeared terrifying but might ultimately accomplish nothing. Ka’b continued: “Woe to you, Huyayy! Leave me with what I am committed to. I am under a covenant with this man, and I have seen nothing from Muhammad except loyalty and honesty.” But Huyayy continued persuading Ka’b until Ka’b finally listened to him and was convinced. He agreed to break his covenant with the Prophet so that they could destroy Muhammad and his companions and put an end to him and his religion forever. Ka’b then asked: “But Huyayy, what if the Confederates are defeated? What will happen to us?” Huyayy said: “I promise you, Ka’b, that if Quraysh and Ghatafan return without defeating Muhammad, I will enter your fortress with you and I will share whatever fate you suffer.” One of their religious scholars, Ibn Sa’di, stood and admonished them. He reminded them: “I swear by the Lord of Moses and Jesus, you know that he is the awaited Prophet. Whoever fights against God’s Prophet will be forsaken. If you will not support him, then leave him and his enemy alone. Do not break your covenant with him.” He continued warning them about the consequences of betrayal, but they did not listen to him. Then Ka’b ibn Asad broke the covenant and renounced the agreement that had existed between him and the Prophet. Ka’b gave Huyayy his word that he would gather his people and set a day on which he would open the fortress gates for them. How would opening Banu Qurayza’s fortress harm the Muslims? Medina was protected on the eastern and western sides by two harrahs—areas covered with rough, sharp volcanic rocks formed when volcanic lava erupted and then cooled. The trench protected the city from the north. Therefore, the only remaining route through which the enemy could enter and attack the Muslims would be through Banu Qurayza. That was where the enemy would enter. So what would happen to the Muslims? They agreed to carry out this treacherous plan.