162 In flit FtNJf!lrps of 1M Prophrtby me: imperative [0 react, t he Muslims bad Jefcmlcu Lhcir live:> aud their
integrity. bm they had not had the means to express the contents and
meaning of what they believed. Peace, which now reigned over the whole
Peninsula, had transformed the situation: more and more clans could now
grasp the essence of Islam's message. Some converted; others respected'
Islam without embracing it; others fought it but with full awareness, and
not merely for matters of domination, wealth, and power relations.
Khayb arOne last strongho ld , however, seriously threatened the Muslim communi-
ty's security after the signing of the al-Hudaybiyyah covenant. This was
lhe city of Khaybar, which had received many re fugees from the Muslims'
previous conquests. Khaybar was a regional power fcared by all, and
:lttaclcing it seemed unthinkable because its fonrcsscs, weaponry, and rich-
es were far superior to what their enemies, including Medina, could ever
ho pe to fight and overpower. The Kha}'bar lead ers, advise d by members
of the Banu Qaynuqa, Banu Nadir, and Banu Qurayzah, were hosole to
Muhammad's presence in the region and never failed to show it and to
harm the interests of his community or of isolated individuals whenever
they had a chance.
The Prophet decided to organize an expedition against Khaybar, but
he determined to keep it secret until the ver y last moment, so as not to
alen the er.emy. While Khaybar and its allies could rely on nearly fourteen
th ousand men, l\"[uhammad decided to go there with an army of only
fourteen hundred (though he co uld have mobilized more). Nearing the
city at night, he called upon a guide who kne-;.v the area weU, and made his
camp between t\VO of the Khaybar fortresses: in that way, he could cut off
all communication bc(Wecn the Khaybar people and their Ghatafan illies.
\:rhen day broke, the inhabitants of the 1\'0 forts were surprised and
impressed, and fear immediately invaded their ranks. The siege lasted sev-
eral days, during which Muhammad and his men gathered inform!ltion
enabling them to use the best strategy :0 compel their enemy to giye in.
T hey decided to attack the citadels one by one, beginning with the ~os[
exposed and vulnerable. T he m ethod worked very well, and it was not
long before the first fortresses fell. The su rrender conditions wt:rc dis-