~625 CE · 4 AHDate debatedEarly authorities (Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri) dated this incident to shortly after Badr; later seerah scholars (Ibn Ishaq, al-Waqidi, Ibn Sa'd) corrected this, placing it in Shawwal 4 AH after Bir Ma'una: the date used here.
Dating debated
Early authorities (Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri) dated this incident to shortly after Badr; later seerah scholars (Ibn Ishaq, al-Waqidi, Ibn Sa'd) corrected this, placing it in Shawwal 4 AH after Bir Ma'una: the date used here.
In Safar of 4 AH, the Muslims suffered two massacres, at al-Raji and at Bir Ma'una. Amr ibn Umayyah RA, the only survivor of Bir Ma'una, killed two men on his way home, thinking they belonged to the guilty tribe. In fact they were innocent, so the Prophet ﷺ agreed to pay their blood money. This came to 200 camels, a huge sum. Under the Constitution of Madinah, a burden that fell on the whole city was to be shared by all its tribes.
The Banu Nadir were a wealthy Jewish tribe living south of Madinah. Relations with them were already tense. The Musannaf of Abd al-Razzaq reports that some of them had plotted to murder the People of the Suffa, a group of companions devoted to learning, but the plot was exposed in time. Musa ibn Uqba, an early historian, records that they had helped the Quraysh at the Battle of Uhud with supplies and knowledge of the land. One of their chieftains, Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, had also been killed for his open hostility to the Muslims.
Even so, the Prophet ﷺ went to the Banu Nadir with Abu Bakr RA, Umar RA and others to ask for their share of the blood money. The leaders welcomed them and asked them to wait outside their fortress while they went inside. According to one report, they said they wanted to prepare a feast for their guests. Inside, one leader suggested dropping a rock from the top of the wall onto the Prophet ﷺ. Another warned that this would cause a serious backlash, but in the end the plan was approved.
Before they could carry it out, the Prophet ﷺ suddenly stood up and walked back to Madinah without saying a word. His companions did not understand why he had left. They waited a long time for him to return, and finally went back to Madinah themselves. There the Prophet ﷺ explained that Jibril AS had come to him and told him to get up and leave at once.
Ibn Abbas identified Qur'an 5:11 as a reference to this plot. It directly precipitated the Prophet ﷺ's ultimatum to the Banu Nadir and their subsequent siege and expulsion from Madinah.
The Year of the Trench·Chapter 1 of 9Prelude
See the whole storyThe Year of Uhud·Chapter 12 of 13A millstone on the wall
See the whole storyOther events recorded in 4 AH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
It is about time you came to us for our help.
Said as the Banu Nadir's leaders welcomed the Prophet ﷺ and his companions, who had come to ask for their share of the blood money owed for the two men killed by Amr ibn Umayyah after Bir Ma'una.
Stand up right now, and leave.
Jibril came to warn the Prophet ﷺ as the Banu Nadir's leaders, meeting inside their fortress, resolved to drop a rock on him from above while he waited outside.
This is the best opportunity: he is sitting right outside our fortress. We can throw a rock on him, and that's it: our problems are eliminated.
Said among the Banu Nadir's leaders as they met inside their fortress while the Prophet ﷺ and his companions waited outside.
No, this is going to cause a lot of backlash.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ هَمَّ قَوْمٌ أَن يَبْسُطُوٓا۟ إِلَيْكُمْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فَكَفَّ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنكُمْ
“Remember the blessings of Allah on you — when a group among you desired to reach you to kill you. Allah stopped their hands from reaching you.”
Ibn Abbas identified this verse as referring to the Banu Nadir's plot to kill the Prophet ﷺ.