The Prophet’s (s.a.w.) Defence of the Banu Ka’b

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Shaykh Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ishaq (r.a.) said, as found in Shaykh Abu Muhammad ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham al-Baswri’s (r.a.) Sirah an-Nabawiyyah, that Banu Bakr and the Quraysh defeated Banu Khuza’ah, and looted them.  This violated the terms of the solemn pact to which they had agreed with the Prophet (s.a.w.), by warring with the Khuza’ah, his formal allies, Sayyidina ‘Amr ibn Salim al-Khuza’i (r.a.), one of the Banu Ka’b there, rode out until he came to see the Prophet (s.a.w.) in Madina.  His coming gave the impetus for the conquest of Makkah.  He stood before the Prophet (s.a.w.) as the latter sat in the mosque, in full sight of the people, and declaimed the following: 

“Lord!  I am appealing to Muhammad,

By the time-honoured pact of both our fathers.

You were a father and we, a son;

Then we entered Islam and remained loyal.

Help us, and may Allah Help you always!

Summon His servants, they shall come in arms,

Among them, the Prophet, mobilised

If he is wronged, his face glowers.

In his legion he marches, a sea, foaming.

Quraysh broke its treaty with you!

They violated the truce they pledged you,

Made me as good as dead and buried!

They claimed I could not call on anyone,

Although they are meaner and less by far!

They snared us at Wathir during our vigils,

And slew us as we bowed and prostrated.” 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “In your defence, ‘Amr ibn Salim!”  Then, the Prophet (s.a.w.) glimpsed a cloud in the sky, and said, “Truly, this cloud is initiating the victory of the Banu Ka’b.”  Then he geared himself for the conquest of Makkah and conquered it. 

Imam Shihab ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn ‘Ali ibn Hajr al-‘Asqalani (r.a.) recorded, in his al-Iswabah fi Tamyiz asw-Swahabah, slightly different wording for this hadits, stating, “yastarh imuni”, “invoking my mercy.”  This hadits is narrated from Sayyidatina Maymunah bint al-Harits al-Hillaliyyah (r.a.), by Imam Abu al-Qasim Sulayman ibn Ayyub ath-Thabarani (r.a.), in his Mu’jam al-Kabir, and Mu’jam asw-Swaghir; and Imam Abu al-Qasim Isma’il ibn Muhammad at-Taymi al-Aswbahani (r.a.) in his Dala’il an-Nubuwwah.  However, both of them with a slightly weak chain because of Shaykh Yahya ibn Sulayman al-Madini (r.a.), as expounded by Imam Shibab ad-Din Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hajr al-Haytsami (r.a.).  Imam Abu Ahmad ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Adi (r.a.), in his al-Kamil fi al-Jarh wa at-Ta’dil, wrote, “He narrated reports from Malik and the Madinans, most of which are valid.”  It was also narrated by Imam Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Husayn al-Bayhaqi (r.a.).