Nuaym ibn Masud was from
Najd in the northern highlands of
Arabia. He belonged to the powerful
Ghatafan tribe. As a young man, he was
clever and alert. He was full of
enterprise and travelled widely. He was
resourceful, every ready to take up a
challenge and not prepared to allow any
problem to get the better of him.
This son of the desert
was endowed with extraordinary presence
of mind and unusual subtlety. He was
however someone who liked to enjoy
himself and gave himself over to the
pursuit of youthful passions. He loved
music and took delight in the company of
songstresses. Often when he felt the
urge to listen to the strings of a
musical instrument or to enjoy the
company of a singer, he would leave the
hearths of his people in the Najd and
make his way to Yathrib and in
particular to the Jewish community which
was widely known for its song and music.
While in Yathrib,
Nuaym was known to spend generously and
he in turn would be lavishly
entertained. In this way Nuaym came to
develop strong links among the Jews of
the city and in particular with the Banu
Qurayzah.
At the time when God
favored mankind by sending His Prophet
with the religion of guidance and truth
and the valleys of Makkah glowed with
the light of Islam, Nuaym ibn Masud was
still given over to the pursuit of
sensual satisfaction. He stopped firmly
opposed to the religion partly out of
fear that he would be obliged to change
and give up his pursuit of pleasure. And
it was not long before he found himself
being drawn into joining the fierce
opposition to Islam and waging war
against the Prophet and his companions.
The moment of truth
for Nuaym came during the great siege of
Madinah which took place in the fifth
year of the Prophet's stay in the city.
We need to go back a little to pick up
the threads of the story.
Two years before the
siege, the Prophet was compelled to
banish a group of Jews belonging to the
tribe of Banu an-Nadir from Madinah
because of their collaboration with the
Quraysh enemy. The Banu Nadir migrated
to the north and settled in Khaybar and
other oases along the trade route to
Syria. They at once began to incite the
tribes both near and far against the
Muslims. Caravans going to Madinah were
harassed partly to put economic pressure
on the city.
But this was not
enough. Leaders of the Banu an-Nadir got
together and decided to form a mighty
alliance or confederacy of as many
tribes as possible to wage war on the
Prophet, and to put an end once and for
all to his mission. The Nadirites went
to the Quraysh in Makkah and urged them
to continue the fight against the
Muslims. They made a pact with the
Quraysh to attack Madinah at a specified
time.
After Makkah, the
Nadirite leaders set out northwards on a
journey of some one thousand kilometers
to meet the Ghatafan. They promised the
Ghatafan the entire annual date harvest
of Khaybar for waging war against Islam
and its Prophet. They informed the
Ghatafan of the pact they had concluded
with the Quraysh and persuaded them to
make a similar agreement.
Other tribes were also
persuaded to join the mighty alliance.
From the north came the Banu Asad and
the Fazar. From the south the Ahabish,
allies of the Quraysh, the Banu Sulaym
and others. At the appointed time, the
Quraysh set out from Makkah in large
numbers on cavalry and on foot under the
Leadership of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb. The
Ghatafan too set out from Najd in large
numbers under the leadership of Ubaynah
ibn Hisn. In the vanguard of the
Ghatafan army was Nuaym ibn Masud.
News of the impending
attack on Madinah reached the Prophet
while he was half-way on a long
expedition to Dumat al-Jandal on the
Syrian border some fifteen days journey
from Madinah. The tribe at Dumat al-Jandal
was molesting caravans bound for Madinah
and their action was probably prompted
by the Banu an-Nadir to entice the
Prophet away from Madinah. With the
Prophet away, they reasoned, it would be
easier for the combined tribal forces
from the north and the south to attack
Madinah and deal a mortal blow to the
Muslim community with the help of
disaffected persons from within the city
itself.
The Prophet Muhammad,
peace be upon him, hurried back to
Madinah and conferred with the Muslims.
The forces of the Ahzab or the
confederate enemy tribes amounted to
over ten thousand men while the Muslims
fighting were just three thousand men.
It was unanimously decided to defend the
city from within and to prepare for a
siege rather than fight in the open. The
Muslims were in dire straits.
"When they came
upon you from above and from below you,
and when eyes grew wild and hearts
reached to the throats, and you were
imagining vain thoughts concerning God.
Then were the believers sorely tried and
shaken with a mighty shock." (The
Quran, Surah al-Ahzab, 33:1O)
To protect the city,
the Muslims decided to dig a ditch or
khandaq. It is said that the ditch was
about three and a half miles long and
some ten yards wide and five yards deep.
The three thousand Muslims were divided
into groups of ten and each group was
given a fixed number of cubits to dig.
The digging of the ditch took several
weeks to complete.
The ditch was just
completed when the mighty enemy forces
from the north and the south converged
on Madinah. While they were within a
short distance from the city the
Nadirire conspirators approached their
fellow Jews of the Banu Qur~yzah who
lived in Madinah and tried to persuade
them to join the war against the Prophet
by helping the two armies approaching
from Makkah and the north. The response
of the Qurayzah Jews to the Nadirite
leaders was: "You have indeed
called us to participate in something
which we like and desire to have
accomplished. But you know there is a
treaty between us and Muhammad binding
us to keep the peace with him so long as
we live secure and content in Madinah.
You do realize that our pact with him is
still valid. We are afraid that if
Muhammad is victorious in this war he
would then punish us severely and that
he would expel us from Madinah as a
result of our treachery towards
him."
The Nadirire leaders
however continued to pressurize the Banu
Qurayzah to renege on their treaty.
Treachery to Muhammad, they affirmed,
was a good and necessary act. They
assured the Banu Qurayzah that there was
no doubt this time that the Muslims
would be completely routed and Muhammad
would be finished once and for all.
The approach of the
two mighty armies strengthened the
resolve of the Banu Qurayzah to disavow
their treaty with Muhammad. They tore up
the pact and declared their support for
the confederates. The news fell on the
Muslims ears with the force of a
thunderbolt.
The confederate armies
were now pressing against Madinah. They
effectively cut off the city and
prevented food and provisions and any
form of outside help or reinforcement
from reaching the inhabitants of the
city. After the terrible exhaustions of
the past months the Prophet now felt as
if they had fallen between the jaws of
the enemy. The Quraysh and [he Ghatafan
were besieging the city from without.
The Banu Qurayzah were laying in wait
behind the Muslims, ready to pounce from
within the city. Added to this, the
hypocrites of Madinah, those who had
openly professed Islam but remained
secretly opposed to the Prophet and his
mission, began to come out openly and
cast doubt and ridicule on the Prophet.
"Muhammad
promised us." they said, "that
we would gain possession of the
treasures of Chosroes and Caesar and
here we are today with not d single one
of us being able to guarantee that he
could go to the toilet safely to relieve
himself!"
Thereafter, group
after group of the inhabitants of
Madinah began to disassociate themselves
from the Prophet expressing fear for
their women and children and for their
homes should the Banu Qurayzah attack
once the fighting began. The enemy
forces though vastly superior in numbers
were confounded by the enormous ditch.
They had never seen or heard of such a
military stratagem among the Arabs.
Nonetheless they tightened their siege
of the city. At the same time they
attempted to breach the ditch at some
narrow points but were repulsed by the
vigilant Muslims. So hard-pressed were
the Muslims that the Prophet Muhammad
and his companions once did not even
have time for Salat and the Zuhr, Asr,
Maghrib and Isha prayers had to be
performed during the night.
As the siege wore on
and the situation became more critical
for the Muslims. Muhammad turned
fervently to his Lord for succour and
support.
"O Allah,"
he prayed, "I beseech you to grant
Your promise of victory. O Allah I
beseech You to grant your promise of
victory."
On that night, as the
Prophet prayed, Nuaym lay tossing in his
bivouac. He could not sleep. He kept
gazing at the stars in the vast
firmament above. He thought hard and
long and suddenly he found himself
exclaiming and asking: "Woe to you,
Nuaym! What is it really that has
brought you from those far off places in
Najd to fight this man and those with
him? Certainly you are not fighting him
for the triumph of right or for the
protection of some honor violated.
Really you have only come here to fight
for some unknown reason. Is it
reasonable that someone with a mind such
as yours should fight and kill or be
killed for no cause whatsoever? Woe to
you, Nuaym. What is it that has caused
you to draw your sword against this
righteous man who exhorts his followers
to justice, good deeds and helping
relatives? And what is it that has
driven you to sink your spear into the
bodies of his followers who follow the
message of guidance and truth that he
brought?"
Nuaym thus struggled
with his conscience and debated with
himself. Then he came to a decision.
Suddenly he stood upright, determined.
The doubts were gone. Under the cover of
darkness, he slipped away from the camp
of his tribe and made his way to the
Prophet of God, peace and blessings of
Allah be on him.
When the Prophet
beheld him, standing erect in his
presence, he exclaimed, "Nuaym ibn
Masud?"
"Yes, O Messenger
of God," declared Nuaym. "What
has brought you here at this hour?"
"I came",
said Nuaym, "to declare that there
is no god but Allah and that you are the
servant of God and His Messenger and
that the message you have brought is
He went on: "I
have declared my submission to God, O
Messenger of God, but my people do not
know of my submission. Command me
therefore to do whatever you
desire."
"You are only one
person among us," observed the
Prophet. "So go to your people and
act as if you have nothing to do with us
for indeed war is treachery."
"Yes, O Messenger
of God," replied Nuaym. And if God
wills, you shall witness what pleases
you." Without losing any time,
Nuaym went to the Banu Qurayzah. He was,
as was mentioned earlier, a close friend
of the tribe. "O Bani Qurayzah,"
he said. "You have known my love
for you and my sincerity in advising
you."
"Yes ," they
agreed, "but what are you
suspicious of so
far as we are
concerned?" Nuaym continued:
"The Quraysh and the Ghatafan have
their own interests in this war which
are different from your interests."
"How so?" they queried.
"This is your
city," Nuaym asserted. "You
have your wealth, your children and your
womenfolk here and it is not in your
power to flee and take refuge in another
city. On the other hand, the Quraysh and
the Ghatafan have their land, their
wealth, their children and their
womenfolk away from this city. They came
to fight Muhammad. They urged you to
break the treaty you had with him and to
help them against him. So you responded
positively to them. If they were to be
victorious in their encounter with him,
they would reap the booty. But if they
fail to subdue him, they would return to
their country safe and sound and they
would leave you to him and he would be
in a position to exact the most bitter
revenge on you. You know very well that
you would have no power to confront
him."
"You are
right," they said. "But what
suggestion do you have?" "My
opinion," Nuaym suggested, "is
that you should not join forces with
them until you take a group of their
prominent men as hostages. In that way
you could carry on the fight against
Muhammad either till victory or till the
last of your men or theirs perish. (They
would not be able to leave you in the
lurch)." "You have advised
well," they responded and agreed to
take up his suggestion.
Nuaym then left and
went to Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, the Quraysh
leader and spoke to him and other
Quraysh leaders. "O Quraysh,"
said Nuaym, "You know my affection
for you and my enmity towards Muhammad.
I have heard some news and I thought it
my duty to disclose it to you but you
should keep it confidential and do not
attribute it to me"
"You must inform
us of this matter," insisted the
Quraysh.
Nuaym continued:
"The Banu Qurayzah now regret that
they have agreed to participate in the
hostilities against Muhammad. They fear
that you would turn back and abandon
them to him. So they have sent a message
to Muhammad saying: 'We are sorry for
what we have done and we are determined
to return to the treaty and a state of
peace with you. Would it please you then
if we take several Quraysh and Ghatafan
nobles and surrender them to you? We
will then join you in fighting them -
the Quraysh and the Ghatafan - until you
finish them off.' The Prophet has sent
back a reply to them saying he agrees.
If therefore the Jews send a delegation
to you demanding hostages from among
your men do not hand over a single
person to them. And do not mention a
word of what I said to you."
"What a good ally
you are. May you be rewarded well
," said Abu Sufyan gratefully.
Nuaym then went to his
own people the Ghatafan, and spoke to
them in a similar vein. He gave them the
same warning against expected treachery
from the Banu Qurayzah.
Abu Sufyan wanted to
test the Banu Qurayzah so he sent his
son to them. "My father sends
greetings of peace to you," began
Abu Sufyan's son. "He says that our
siege of Muhammad and his companions has
been a protracted affair and we have
become weary...We are now determined to
fight Muhammad and finish him off. My
father has sent me to you to ask you to
join battle with Muhammad
tomorrow."
"But tomorrow is
Saturday," said the Jews of Banu
Qurayzah, "and we do not work at
all on Saturdays. Moreover, we would not
fight with you until you hand over to us
seventy of your nobles and nobles from
the Ghatafan as hostages. We fear that
if the fighting becomes too intense for
you would hasten back home and leave us
alone to Muhammad. You know that we have
no power to resist him..."
When Abu Sufyan's son
returned to his people and told them
what he had heard from the Banu Qurayzah,
they shouted in unison!
"Damned be the
sons of monkeys and swine! By God, if
they were to demand from us a single
sheep as a hostage, we would not give
them".
And so it was that
Nuaym was successful in causing
disharmony among the confederates and
splitting their ranks.
While the mighty
alliance was in this state of disarray,
God sent down on the Quraysh and their
allies a fierce and bitterly cold wind
which swept their tents and their
vessels away, extinguished their fires,
buffeted their faces and cast sand in
their eves. In this terrible state of
confusion the allies fled under cover of
darkness.
That very night the
Prophet had sent one his companions,
Hudayfah ibn al-Yaman, to get
information on the enemy's morale and
intentions. He brought back the news
that on the advice and initiative of Abu
Sufyan, the enemy had turned on their
heels and fled... The news quickly
spread through the Muslims ranks and
they shouted in joy and relief!
La ilaha ilia Allahu
wahdah
Sadaqa wadah
Wa nasara abdah
Wa a azza jundah
Wa hazama-l ahzaba
wahdah.
There is no god but
Allah alone
To His promise He has
been true
His servant He has
helped
His forces He has
strengthened
And Alone the
confederates He has destroyed.
The Prophet, peace be
upon him, praised and gave thanks to his
Lord for His deliverance from the threat
posed by the mighty alliance. Nuaym, as
a result of his subtle but major role in
the blasting of the alliance, gained the
confidence of the Prophet who entrusted
him thereafter with many a difficult
task. He became the standard-bearer of
the Prophet on several occasions.
Three years after the
Battle of the Ditch, on the day the
Muslims marched victoriously into
Makkah, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb stood
surveying the Muslim armies. He beheld
a man carrying the
Ghatafan flag and asked: "Who is
this?" "Nuaym ibn Masud,"
came the reply.
"He did a
terrible thing to us at
al-Khandaq," Abu Sufyan confessed.
"By God, he was certainly one of
the fiercest enemies of Muhammad and
here he is now carrying his people's
flag in the ranks of Muhammad and coming
to wage war on us under his
leadership."
Through the grace of
God and the magnanimity of the noble
Prophet, Abu Sufyan himself was soon to
join the same ranks.
Sheikh Abdulfattah Abu-Abdullah Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas),
a West African Islamic Academic founded AWQAF Africa, of
which he's the first al Amir (i.e. President).
Sheikh Dr. Adelabu was studying Postgraduate Degrees in
Damascus early 1990's during when Syria reviewed its
national security after an �Oslo Accord'...
Syria like many other countries around the world
witnessed, during this period, the flood of refugees
from war troubled nations like Somalia, arrival of
people from Algeria during the brutal struggling between
the Mujahidun and the government, resettlement of the
Palestinians fleeing from sophisticated guns of the
Israelis as well as adventure of African migrants for
reasons uncountable�
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