Ka'b Ibn Asad - Conflict Between Ka'b and Muhammad

Conflict Between Ka'b and Muhammad

From 624 Muhammad distanced himself from the Jews. In February he changed the qibla (direction of prayer) from Jerusalem to Mecca. In April he expelled the Jewish Qaynuqa tribe from Medina. In September he instructed the Muslims to “kill every Jew whom you can overpower,” which the Jews must have perceived as a breach of the Constitution of Medina. Ka'b went with Huyayy ibn Akhtab, the chief of the Nadir tribe, to ask Muhammad for an explanation. Muhammad advised them that if anyone spoke evil of him “swords will be unsheathed again.” The Jews agreed to a new contract, which was deposited with Ali. The terms of the contract have not survived, but Muhammad probably withdrew the instruction for Muslims to attack Jews.

A year later, Muhammad besieged the Qurayza fortress, demanding a new treaty. Ka'b agreed to it immediately. The exact terms of this new treaty are unclear, but future events suggest it was a pledge of neutrality should Muhammad attack a third party. The next day, Ka'b received a message from the Khazraj, advising him that Muhammad was attacking the Nadir quarter and that they should all go to the relief of their friends. Ka'b replied that he had a treaty with Muhammad: “No man of the Qurayza tribe shall break his compact as long as I am alive.” Without his support, the Khazraj were also deterred from interfering. The outcome was that the unrelieved Nadir surrendered to Muhammad and were banished from Medina.