At this time, something else took place and jeopardized the Muslims’ status even more; Ban£-Quray¨ah breached their nonaggression pact with Muslims. They did so on account of °uyay ibn Akh§ab’s temptations.[1] Moreover, they committed two other acts of treason: first, they brought ammunitions to the allies who were short in supplies. At Qub¡, Muslims waylaid a caravan, arranged by Ban£-Quray¨ah, carrying dates and barely for the enemy and they confiscated it.[2] Second, they spread terror in women’s’ shelters. As one of them entered the castle where women were sheltering, he was killed by ¯afiyyah, the Holy Prophet’s aunt.[3] One night, Ban£-Quray¨ah decided to attack the center of Medina. For this purpose, they sent °uyay ibn Akh§ab to Mecca asking the chiefs of Quraysh for one thousand troops. They also asked Gha§af¡n the same. Reports of these movements and proceedings reached the Holy Prophet, who, as a result, appointed five hundred warriors to protect the city, which was panic-stricken. These warriors stayed overnight crying out ‘all¡hu-akbar (Allah is the Most Great) and protected the civil sections.[4]
[1] Ibn Sa`d, op cit, pp. 67; Ibn Hush¡m, op cit, 3:231; ±abar¢, op cit, 3:46-47; Samh£d¢, op cit, 1:303; al-Majlis¢, op cit, 20:200-201.
[2] Samh£d¢, op cit, 1:304; °alab¢, op cit, 2:647.
[3] al-Bul¡dhar¢, op cit, 1:347; al-W¡qid¢, 2, pp. 462-463; ±abar¢, op cit, 3:50; Samh£d¢, op cit, 1:302.
[4] al-W¡qid¢, op cit, 2:460; °alab¢, op cit, 2:636.
Ab£-Bakr is reported to have said that during the Battle of the Allies and due to Ban£-Quray¨ah’s treason, the danger of Ban£-Quray¨ah on the lives of women and children inside Medina was greater than the danger of Quraysh and Gha§af¡n al-W¡qid¢, op cit, pp. 460.
