The People of Madinah
Yathrib had been chosen by Allah to shelter the Messenger of God (r) after his emigration
and to bring forth not only the first Islamic Society but also to serve as a focal point for the
universal call of Islam. The great honor accorded to the city makes it necessary to know its
distinctive features, its unique physical, social and cultural conditions, like those of the Arab
tribes living there and their interactions with one another, the economic and political mani-
pulations of the Jews and their fighting spirit as well as the way of life sustained by its fertile
land. Various religions, cultures and communities flourished in the city in stark contrast to
Makkah, which was dominated by one faith and one cultural pattern. The details given here,
albeit briefly, depict the state of affairs in Madinah when the Prophet (r) made his debut in
that city.
THE JEWISH PRESENCE
The view preferred by historians about Jewish settlements in Arabia, at large and those in
Madinah, in particular, is that they date from the first century A.D. Dr. Israel Welphenson
writes that:
“After Palestine and Jerusalem were laid waste in 70 A.D. and the Jews dispersed to dif-
ferent parts of the world, a number of them made their way to Arabia. This is in accordance
with the Jewish historian Josephus, who was himself present at the siege of Jerusalem and
had led the Jewish units on several occasions. Arab sources also corroborate his statement."
Three Jewish tribes, Qaynuqaa', an-Nadhir and Quraydha, were settled in Madinah. The
number of adults belonging to these tribes was over two thousand where Qaynuqaa' was
estimated to have seven hundred combatants, with an-Nadir having almost the same num-
ber too, while the adult men of Quraydha were reported to be between seven and nine
hundred.
These tribes were not on good terms and very often they are caught in confrontations with
one another. Dr. Israel Welphenson says:
“Bani Qaynuqaa' were set against the rest of the Jews because they had sided with Bani
Khazraj in the battle of Bu’ath in which Bani an-Nadir and Bani Quraydha had inflicted a
crushing defeat and massacred Bani Qaynuqaa' even though the latter had paid bloodwit for
the prisoners of war. The bitterness among the Jewish tribes continued to persist after the
battle of Bu’ath. When Bani Qaynuqaa' subsequently fell out with the Ansaar, no other
Jewish tribe came to their aid against them (Ansaar).” (Al-Yahud fi Balad il’Arab, p. 129)
The Qur’an also makes a reference to the mutual discord between the Jews:
“And when We made with you a covenant (saying): Shed not the blood of your
people nor turn (party of) your people out of your dwellings. Then ye ratified (Our
covenant) and ye were witnesses (thereto). “Yet it is you who slay each other and
drive out party of your people from their homes, supporting one another against