Table of Contents
Introduction
The story of Banu Nadir is closely connected to the period after the Battle of Uhud. It shows how the Muslim community in Madinah dealt with betrayal from within its own city, and how the Prophet ﷺ applied justice, covenant loyalty, and political wisdom. Banu Nadir were one of the Jewish tribes of Madinah who had a formal treaty with the Prophet ﷺ. Their decision to break that treaty and plot against him led to their expulsion and became a turning point in the consolidation of the Muslim community.
This chapter focuses only on the specific events related to Banu Nadir in the context of Uhud’s aftermath, and the Quranic perspective on these events.
Who Were Banu Nadir?
Banu Nadir were a well known Jewish tribe living in the area of Madinah. Alongside other Jewish tribes, such as Banu Qaynuqa and Banu Qurayzah, they had settled there long before the Hijrah. They possessed strong fortresses, owned fertile land and palm groves, and were known for knowledge of scripture and for alliances with various Arab tribes.
When the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah, Banu Nadir entered into a written agreement with him as part of the wider treaty that organized relations among Muslims and Jewish tribes in the city. This document, often called the Constitution of Madinah, guaranteed mutual protection, religious freedom, and pledged that none would aid an enemy against the other. As long as this covenant stood, the Prophet ﷺ dealt with Banu Nadir as allies and neighbors.
The Context After Uhud
After the Battle of Uhud, the political situation around Madinah changed. The Quraysh had gained temporary advantage and thought the Muslims were weakened. This encouraged some groups within and around Madinah to reassess their loyalties. Hypocrites in the city increased their activity, and enemies of Islam began looking for opportunities to harm the Prophet ﷺ.
In this atmosphere, the loyalty of every allied tribe became crucial. Any act of treachery could allow the Quraysh or other hostile tribes to attack Madinah from inside or outside. The incident of Banu Nadir must be understood within this delicate and dangerous context.
The Incident of the Assassination Plot
Not long after Uhud, an event occurred that exposed Banu Nadir’s betrayal. A Muslim man from the Ansar accidentally killed two individuals with whom the Prophet ﷺ had a pact. According to the customs and agreements of the time, blood money (diyah) had to be paid to their clan. The Prophet ﷺ went to Banu Nadir to request their help in paying this amount, as their treaty required mutual support in such cases.
He ﷺ went to their area with some of his companions and sat near one of their walls, waiting for their response. At this point, instead of honoring the agreement, some leaders of Banu Nadir secretly plotted to kill him. Reports describe that they conspired to drop a large stone from above where he sat to crush him.
Allah protected His Messenger. Revelation came to inform him of the plot, and he ﷺ immediately rose and left without explaining the details to his companions who remained briefly unaware of what had happened. He returned to Madinah safely. When the truth of the plan was made clear, the nature of Banu Nadir’s act was not simply disagreement, but open treachery and attempted murder of the Prophet ﷺ while under a formal covenant of security.
Deliberate betrayal of a binding covenant, especially with an attempt on life, was treated as open hostility and war, not as a mere internal dispute.
The Muslim Response and the Siege
After this clear violation, the Prophet ﷺ sent a message to Banu Nadir informing them that, due to their breach of the treaty and their attempted assassination, they could no longer remain as trusted allies inside Madinah. He gave them a period to leave the area, taking their movable possessions with them.
The hypocrite leader Abdullah ibn Ubayy and others secretly encouraged Banu Nadir to resist and promised them support. Confident in these promises and in their strong fortresses, Banu Nadir refused to leave and chose defiance. Since they rejected the peaceful option and remained in a state of hostility, the Prophet ﷺ marched against them with a small force of Muslims and laid siege to their fortresses.
The siege did not last very long. The Muslims cut off direct access and, with Allah’s permission, began to weaken Banu Nadir’s position. Some palm trees in the area were cut or burned as part of military strategy, to pressure the besieged tribe and remove possible cover. The tribe realized that neither their fortresses nor the promises of the hypocrites could save them.
Allah describes their inner state in the Quran:
هُوَ الَّذِي أَخْرَجَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مِن دِيَارِهِمْ لِأَوَّلِ الْحَشْرِ ۚ مَا ظَنَنتُمْ أَن يَخْرُجُوا ۖ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُم مَّانِعَتُهُمْ حُصُونُهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ فَأَتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَحْتَسِبُوا وَقَذَفَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الرُّعْبَ
“He it is Who drove out those who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture from their homes at the first gathering. You did not think they would go out, and they thought that their fortresses would defend them from Allah, but Allah came upon them from where they did not expect and cast terror into their hearts.”
[Surah al Hashr 59:2]
This verse directly refers to Banu Nadir and shows how their confidence in their defenses collapsed when Allah removed their sense of security.
Exile Instead of Mass Punishment
Despite their betrayal and the seriousness of their crime, the Prophet ﷺ did not execute the tribe as a whole. Instead, an agreement was reached that Banu Nadir would leave the region of Madinah with their families. They were allowed to take with them what they could carry on their camels, except for weapons of war. Many of them went to Khaybar and some to other areas in the north.
Allah describes how they left:
يُخْرِبُونَ بُيُوتَهُم بِأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَيْدِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَاعْتَبِرُوا يَا أُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ
“They destroyed their own houses with their own hands and the hands of the believers. So take warning, O people of insight.”
[Surah al Hashr 59:2]
Some among Banu Nadir even dismantled parts of their own homes to remove valuable materials, showing their shock and regret, and the depth of their loss.
It is important to note that their original punishment could have been much more severe, since they had committed an act of war under covenant. Instead, exile and confiscation of fixed property were applied, which the Quran describes explicitly as something Allah made easy for the believers:
وَلَوْلَا أَن كَتَبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْجَلَاءَ لَعَذَّبَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا
“And had Allah not decreed exile for them, He would have punished them in this world.”
[Surah al Hashr 59:3]
Fay’ and Distribution of Banu Nadir’s Property
The land and remaining property of Banu Nadir, which they left behind, came under Muslim control. Since this was gained without a large-scale battle or direct fighting, it fell under the category of fay’ rather than normal war booty (ghanimah).
Fay’ is a special type of property that comes to the Muslim state without the use of regular warfare, such as through surrender or evacuation. Allah clarified its rules in the same surah:
وَمَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُمْ فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلَا رِكَابٍ وَلَـٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسَلِّطُ رُسُلَهُ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
“And what Allah restored to His Messenger from them, you did not spur any horses or camels for it, but Allah gives authority to His Messengers over whom He wills. And Allah is over all things competent.”
[Surah al Hashr 59:6]
Since the Muslims had not engaged in open combat with Banu Nadir, the Prophet ﷺ used this fay’ for the needs of the Muslim community. Authentic reports explain that he ﷺ primarily distributed it among the poor Muhajirun who had left their homes and wealth in Makkah and had no stable income in Madinah. The Ansar, who already had property, largely gave up their share and supported this decision.
This event highlighted a principle of social justice in Islam: resources that come into the state’s hands can be used to support those who are most in need and most dedicated to the cause of Islam.
Fay’ is wealth gained without direct battle. Its distribution is a matter of state policy, and in the case of Banu Nadir, it was used mainly to support the poor emigrants for the wider benefit of the community.
Hypocrites and Broken Promises
The role of the hypocrites in the affair of Banu Nadir is an important part of the story. Abdullah ibn Ubayy and those like him gave Banu Nadir strong assurances that they would help them militarily and would stand with them if they refused to leave. However, when the Muslims besieged Banu Nadir, no such promised support came. This exposed the hypocrites even more clearly and showed the emptiness of their words.
Allah mentioned this in Surah al Hashr by giving a parable of the hypocrites and those they mislead:
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ نَافَقُوا يَقُولُونَ لِإِخْوَانِهِمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَئِنْ أُخْرِجْتُمْ لَنَخْرُجَنَّ مَعَكُمْ ... فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا
“Have you not seen those who practice hypocrisy, saying to their brothers who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture, ‘If you are expelled, we will surely go out with you...’ But when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away.”
[Paraphrased from Surah al Hashr 59:11–12]
The event of Banu Nadir therefore revealed the true nature of hypocrisy in Madinah. It showed that hypocrites spoke of loyalty, but when hardship came, they abandoned those they had incited.
A Quranic Case Study in Betrayal and Divine Justice
The expulsion of Banu Nadir is unique among the events around Uhud because it is directly and fully addressed in one surah, Surah al Hashr. This surah can be read as a divine commentary on what happened. It explains why they were removed, how their arrogance in their fortresses failed, how their property became fay’, and how believers should reflect on these events.
Allah calls on believers to take lessons:
فَاعْتَبِرُوا يَا أُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ
“So take warning, O people of insight.”
[Surah al Hashr 59:2]
He also explains that whatever He gives as fay’ should not become a tool for the rich alone:
كَيْ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةً بَيْنَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنكُمْ
“So that it will not be a perpetual distribution among the rich among you.”
[Surah al Hashr 59:7]
The Banu Nadir episode is therefore not only a historical note about a tribe that broke its treaty. It is also a Quranic example of how a community is protected by Allah when it follows His Messenger, how betrayal from within is dealt with firmly but with measured justice, and how material gains are managed for the welfare of the whole community.
Connection to the Period After Uhud
Although the affair of Banu Nadir took place after the Battle of Uhud, it was not a battlefield encounter like Badr or Uhud itself. It was instead a political and social crisis managed through a short siege and a negotiated departure.
In the aftermath of Uhud, enemies thought the Muslims were weak. The plot of Banu Nadir and their later expulsion showed that any tribe that attempted to exploit this apparent weakness by breaking covenants would face serious consequences. It strengthened the internal position of the Muslims in Madinah and sent a clear message to surrounding groups that treaties with the Prophet ﷺ had to be respected.
At the same time, it demonstrated that the Prophet ﷺ was not seeking unnecessary bloodshed. Despite the gravity of the attempted assassination, he accepted exile as an outcome when Banu Nadir surrendered, which again reflected both justice and mercy in his leadership.
Conclusion
The story of Banu Nadir is an essential part of understanding how the Muslim community in Madinah stabilized after the shock of Uhud. It shows how covenant betrayal from a powerful, well established tribe was confronted, how Allah Himself intervened to protect His Messenger ﷺ, and how the Quran explained and guided the believers through these events. Through Surah al Hashr, this incident remains preserved as a permanent lesson in loyalty, justice, and trust in Allah’s protection.