108 In tb, Footittp,; oj the Prophetquench their thirst fo r r evenge. An insp ired dream had enabled him to foil
an assassination attempt b y Umayr ibn Wahb, who, astonished by how
much the Prophet knew about the attempt, converted on the Spot.
Muhammad knew, however, that the Quraysh would soon undertake a
large-scale action vlith the help o f as many tribes as they could mobilize.
After his return from Ba(h, the Prophet noticed that a number of
Mcdinans were disappointed or worried by the 1Iuslims' success. He had
identified a number of hypocrites ,vho had converted to Islam out of self-
interest and political calculation. H e also knew that some of the signato-
ries to the alliance agreement drawn up when he had first arrived in
Medina could not be relied on and wouJeI not hesitate to turn against him
when the opportunity arose. Muhammad had juSt received a Revelation
inviting him to be watchful: "And if you fear treachery from any group
[with whom you made a covenant], cast it back at them in an equitable
manner, for God docs not love the m:acherous."n For the time being, the
Prophet simply kept an eye on the activities of tbe various groups, while tak-
ing the hypocrites' pledges at face value and strictly respecting the terms of
the agreement, since Revelation advised him to show prudence and wis-
dom: "But if they incline toward peace, do you [also) incline toward
peace, and trust in God:'2J
The Jewish tribe of Banu Q aynulla was the only one of the three Jew-
isb tribes settled in the l\lcdina area who lived inside the city. They were a
signatory to the covenant. Yet alarming news of treason and a possible
plot came to the Prophet from within their ranks. To determine the truth
of what was going on, and to avoid letting the Banu Qaynuqa think that
they could act as they pleased, Muhammad paid them a visit and invited
them to ponder the Quraysh's defeat. The Banu Qaynuqa leaders retort-
ed haughtily that if they were to go to war against him, things would not
turn Out in that way; they would certainly win. T his threatening ans\ver
was confirmation of M uhammad's suspicions: they had become hostile to
the Muslims.
A few days later, a Muslim woman went, as usual, to the Banu Qaynuqa
market; there, she was mocked and humiliated by a merchant who tied her
garment in her back while she was seated, so that the lower part of her
body was exposed when she stood up. A rvluslim man who had witnessed
the scene wanted to intervene: a fight followed, and both the merchant
and t.he Muslim died as a result of their injuries. According to the terms