Table of Contents
Context after the Battle of the Trench
When the Confederates had come to attack Madinah in the Battle of the Trench, one of the most serious internal threats to the Muslim community came from the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayzah. They lived in fortified strongholds on the outskirts of Madinah and had a formal pact with the Prophet ﷺ, the Constitution of Madinah, which guaranteed mutual protection and peaceful coexistence. During the trench siege, while the Muslims were surrounded by external enemies, Banu Qurayzah secretly broke their treaty and moved into an alliance with the Quraysh and their allies.
This betrayal created a direct danger to the safety of Madinah. The Muslims were defending the city from the front, while the families and children were largely in the inner parts of the city, near the areas where Banu Qurayzah were based. If Banu Qurayzah had opened their forts to the Confederates or attacked from behind, the internal defense of Madinah could have completely collapsed.
Allah described the situation of fear and pressure during the Battle of the Trench:
إِذْ جَاءُوكُم مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ وَمِنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنكُمْ وَإِذْ زَاغَتِ الْأَبْصَارُ وَبَلَغَتِ الْقُلُوبُ الْحَنَاجِرَ وَتَظُنُّونَ بِاللَّهِ الظُّنُونَا
“When they came at you from above you and from below you, and when eyes grew wild and hearts reached the throats, and you were thinking thoughts about Allah.”
(Quran 33:10)
Within this extreme situation, the treachery of Banu Qurayzah was not a minor political disagreement. It was a breach of a solemn pact at the most critical moment of war.
The Breaking of the Treaty
Before the Battle of the Trench, Banu Qurayzah lived under a clear agreement with the Prophet ﷺ. The Constitution of Madinah had stated that different groups, including Jewish tribes, would form one community for the purpose of mutual defense and justice. When the Confederates arrived, the Muslims trusted that these internal agreements would hold.
The Quraysh and their allies, especially the tribe of Ghatafan, were not satisfied with just attacking from outside. They wanted to split the internal unity of Madinah. Huyayy ibn Akhtab, a leader from the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir who had earlier been expelled from Madinah for his own betrayals, came secretly to the fortress of Banu Qurayzah and pressured their chief, Ka‘b ibn Asad, to break his treaty with the Prophet ﷺ. At first, Ka‘b refused, reminding Huyayy of the strong and clear nature of the covenant with Muhammad ﷺ. Eventually, however, he agreed and tore up the pact.
The Muslims received rumors that Banu Qurayzah had broken their treaty, but given the gravity of the matter, the Prophet ﷺ sent Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh, Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubadah, ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah, and Khawwat ibn Jubayr رضي الله عنهم to confirm. When they reached Banu Qurayzah, the tribe openly insulted the Prophet ﷺ and made it clear that the treaty was no longer respected. The envoys returned and informed the Prophet ﷺ that the threat was real.
At this stage, the Muslims were surrounded by enemies outside and their internal safety was now at risk. Allah described this inner betrayal in Surah al Ahzab:
وَأَنزَلَ الَّذِينَ ظَاهَرُوهُم مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مِن صَيَاصِيهِمْ وَقَذَفَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الرُّعْبَ فَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ وَتَأْسِرُونَ فَرِيقًا
“And He brought down those who supported them among the People of the Scripture from their strongholds and cast terror into their hearts. A group you killed, and a group you made captive.”
(Quran 33:26)
The phrase “those who supported them among the People of the Scripture” refers to Banu Qurayzah. The support they gave was by betrayal of their pact and siding with the attacking coalition.
Siege and Surrender of Banu Qurayzah
After Allah granted the Muslims victory in the Battle of the Trench and scattered the Confederates, the Prophet ﷺ did not allow the threat of Banu Qurayzah to remain unresolved. Returning home after days of hardship, the Muslims were longing for rest, but Jibril عليه السلام came to the Prophet ﷺ and told him that the battle was not yet fully over. In authentic narrations, Jibril is reported to have said that the angels had not yet removed their armor, and that the Prophet ﷺ must march to Banu Qurayzah.
The Prophet ﷺ announced to his Companions that no one should pray ‘Asr except at the territory of Banu Qurayzah. Some understood this very literally and delayed their prayer until they reached the area. Others understood it as an instruction for haste and prayed on the way. The Prophet ﷺ did not criticize either group, which shows the room for interpretation in certain commands and the mercy with which differences among the Companions were handled.
Banu Qurayzah withdrew into their fortified strongholds. The Muslims laid siege around them. The siege is commonly reported to have lasted around twenty five days. During this time, Banu Qurayzah realized that no Confederates would come to rescue them. At one point, they considered some desperate suggestions, including an attempt to attack at night or even to kill their own families to avoid their capture, but they could not agree among themselves.
Finally, cut off from help, Banu Qurayzah chose to surrender. They agreed that their fate would be decided according to the judgment of someone acceptable to both sides. They first hoped that the Prophet ﷺ would show the same degree of mercy he had shown to other tribes. However, the Aws tribe, who had been allies of Banu Qurayzah before Islam, appealed to the Prophet ﷺ to show leniency, reminding him that he had previously shown kindness to Banu Qaynuqa for the sake of the Khazraj. The Prophet ﷺ then asked them if they would accept one of their own as judge, and they agreed.
Judgment of Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh
Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh رضي الله عنه, the chief of the Aws and one of the earliest Ansar to support the Prophet ﷺ, was chosen to judge the matter of Banu Qurayzah. At this point Sa‘d had been severely wounded during the Battle of the Trench. The Muslims brought him, and he knew that this decision would be heavy.
Before giving his judgment, Sa‘d took a promise from both the Muslims and Banu Qurayzah that they would accept his decision without objection. They agreed. Sa‘d was deeply concerned with justice and the safety of the community, yet he was also aware of his previous ties with Banu Qurayzah in the pre Islamic period.
The reports in authentic sources relate that Sa‘d ruled that the fighting men who had taken part in the treachery and warfare should be executed, that the women and children should be taken as captives, and that the property should be divided according to the norms of war at the time. The Prophet ﷺ approved this judgment and said that it was in agreement with the judgment of Allah from above the seven heavens.
The basic idea of this judgment matched what was found in the law of the People of the Book themselves when dealing with grave collective treason in the context of war. Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh, being from the Aws, had long familiarity with Jewish customs and law, and the sources point to his judgment being consistent with their own standard for such a crime.
Allah then said about this entire episode:
وَأَنزَلَ الَّذِينَ ظَاهَرُوهُم مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مِن صَيَاصِيهِمْ وَقَذَفَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الرُّعْبَ فَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ وَتَأْسِرُونَ فَرِيقًا. وَأَوْرَثَكُمْ أَرْضَهُمْ وَدِيَارَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ وَأَرْضًا لَّمْ تَطَئُوهَا ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرًا
“And He brought down those who supported them among the People of the Scripture from their strongholds and cast terror into their hearts. A group you killed and a group you made captive. And He caused you to inherit their land, their homes, their properties, and a land you had not trodden. And Allah is over all things competent.”
(Quran 33:26–27)
The verse makes clear that what happened to Banu Qurayzah was not random cruelty, but a consequence of their betrayal in a situation of life and death for the entire community.
Key principle: The ruling on Banu Qurayzah was a specific judicial decision for a specific case of extreme wartime treachery, given by a judge they themselves accepted, and validated by revelation. It is not a general rule that Muslims can apply to Jews or any other group in ordinary circumstances.
Wisdoms and Lessons from the Banu Qurayzah Episode
For absolute beginners, it is important to understand that this event cannot be separated from its context. Banu Qurayzah were not punished for simply being Jewish or for holding different beliefs. They lived for years in Madinah with full autonomy and protection under the Constitution. Their crime was the violation of a solemn political and military alliance at the exact moment when the Muslim community was under their most severe external attack.
One of the key lessons is the seriousness of treaties. The Prophet ﷺ was known for honoring every agreement he made, even with his enemies. When such a pact is broken by the other side in a way that endangers thousands of lives, this is not considered a small matter in any legal or moral system. The Quran repeatedly condemns treachery and the breaking of trusts:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ
“O you who believe, fulfill your contracts.”
(Quran 5:1)
The situation with Banu Qurayzah shows that the Prophet ﷺ did not act out of personal revenge. Instead, he accepted the judgment of Sa‘d, a leader from the very tribe that had old ties with Banu Qurayzah, and only after both sides had agreed to accept his decision. The Prophet ﷺ did not personally draft the punishment, and this is a very important detail in understanding his justice.
Another point is that Islamic history cannot be studied only through modern categories. In the world of that time, all sides, including the Quraysh and the Jewish tribes, accepted that severe punishment in response to high treason during war was normal. The ruling of Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh matched what was recognized in that era, including in the scripture of the People of the Book.
For Muslims, this episode is not a model for everyday behavior. It belongs to the category of exceptional wartime judgments. The Prophet ﷺ himself showed on many other occasions immense mercy and forgiveness to enemies who had harmed him, especially when they accepted peace. The story of Banu Qurayzah therefore should be understood together with the wider Seerah, in which the norms of mercy, protection, and patience are far more frequent and decisive than the exceptional cases of war punishment.
Finally, the event shows how Allah protected the early Muslim community at a critical turning point. If the internal betrayal of Banu Qurayzah had succeeded fully, the community might have been wiped out before Islam could spread. Instead, Allah granted safety, removed a serious internal danger, and strengthened the position of the Muslims around Madinah. This created a more secure environment for the message of Islam to continue to grow in the years that followed.