Did Prophet Muhammad ﷺ massacre the tribe of Banu Qurayza as many Christian apologists claim?

 

People who claim this actually take this entire thing out of context. They ignore at least 99% of the story to fit their agenda.

For example lets say there is a story like this.

John was living with Andrew beside 2 of his friends in one house. John had a treaty with Andrew and 2 of his friends that they will live in peace and not support strangers to break in the house. Later on Andrew and his 2 friends broke the treaty and fought with John,so John expelled the 2 friends of Andrew from the house but allowed Andrew to stay in. Later on the 2 friends of Andrew came back to take revenge and they said to Andrew to break his treaty with John and back stab him. So Andrew listened to them and back stabed John. So then John killed Andrew.

What Christian apologists are doing here is they are talking the last part of the story. As the above example they only take the part where “John killed Andrew. ” but completely ignoring the reason on why he did it and cling on to it to lie to people. But they ignore almost 99% of the story and they focus on the part which they can use as anti-Islamic propaganda. That is called intellectual dishonesty. In fact almost all the arguments made by Christian missionaries are pretty much intellectual dishonesty. Now we come to the actual allegation.

First we must note down that Banu Qurayza was far from being innocent. They were warmongers and war criminals in fact! And I’m going to present the highest reliable authoritative Islamic source to prove my point. And that is the Quran.

1.What the Banu Qurayza did.

Prophet Muhammad in Madinah had a treaty with the Jews in a constitution known as “The constitution of Madinah”.  The agreements also regulated the relations of the Muslims with the Jews in Madinah. [1] There at least 10 Jewish tribes in Madinah,3 of them broke the treaty.

The 3 tribes are:

1. Banu an Nadir
2. Banu Qaynuqa
3. Banu Qurayza

He expelled two of them who where Banu Nadir and Banu Qaynuqa and ALLOWED Banu Qurayza to stay in,ok?!

After the Jewish tribes of Banu Nadir and Banu Qaynuqa were expelled, they settled in an area called khaybar.

From this place called khaybar the jews
of Banu Qaynuqa and Banu Nadir were looking
for revenge againt the Prophet Muhammad
and against the Muslims. So then they United with
the Pagan polytheists of Mecca and they formed
confederation along with 9 more tribes. So at least
9 tribes were fighting against the Muslims. 9 tribes!!
And these 9 tribes consist of around 10,000 soldiers
So that means 10,000 wariors against 3,000 Muslim
warriors. This confederation 9 tribes were going to march
against Muslims in Madinah. So when the news reached the Muslims in Madinah,Muslims dug a trench in the frontline of Madniah in order to prevent them from going in to Madinah so that the confederation of 9 tribes was not able to enter Madinah. So when Jews and Pagans found the trench they could not find any other way to enter Madinah except to make Banu Qurayza break their treaty with the Muslims backstab them. So one of the Jewish leaders entered Madinah secretly and convinced Banu Qurayza to break their treaty with the Muslims. And
he said to them they will share the spoils if they break their treaty and attack the Muslims. So Banu Qurayza backstabbed the Muslims during the Battle of the trench.
After the battle of trench the wariors not the entire(tribe of) Banu Qurayza were executed. And it was not even Prophet Muhammad who passed this judgment as we will see.

In fact the Quran mentions the crime committed by them. And that crime was treason of course. And Allah in the Quran clearly mentioned that they supported the enemies who were against the Prophet Muhammad. Allah clearly mentioned the treason commited by Banu Qurayza I.E the Jews . I will try to provide different sources but i will firstly start with the Quran.

Allah clearly mentioned the treason committed by Banu Qurayza and the crime they committed in Surah Al-Ahzaab verse 25 to 26
And Allah drove back those who disbelieved in their rage, they gained no advantage (booty, etc.). Allah sufficed for the believers in the fighting (by sending against the disbelievers a severe wind and troops of angels). And Allah is Ever All-Strong, All-Mighty.(33:25) [2]
And those of the people of the Scripture who supported them (the disbelievers) Allah brought them down from their forts and cast terror into their hearts, (so that) a group (of them) you killed, and a group (of them) you made captives.(33:26) [3]
Even the tafsirs confirm this.

That is, Jews of the Bani Quraizah.[4] Tafhim Al Quran.(33:26)

(And He brought those of the People of the Scripture) they are Banu Qurayzah and Banu’l-Nadir: Ka’b Ibn Ashraf and Huyayy Ibn Akhtab and their hosts (who supported them) who supported the disbelievers of Mecca (down from their strongholds) from their mansions and towers, (and cast panic into their hearts) from Muhammad (pbuh) and his Companions, whereas before that they did not fear them and fought against them. (Some you slew) He says: you kill some of them, you sentence them to death, (and you made captive some) their children and women.[5]Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs(33:26)

The highlited part of the verse is mentioning the treason of Banu Qurayza. As demonstarted the Tafsirs affirm this as well. This should be enough to debunk the lie of innocnet people being massacred as many falsly depicted it to be by many.
Also this battle of the Trench in which Banu Qurayza betrayed Muslims is an evidence for the Prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad.
Because a miraclous event occured in this battle which was witnessed by thousands from sides.
The event was that Allah sent wind and angels which caused chaos in the enemy camp of the disbelievers,thats why they gave up. This miracle was witnessed by both Muslims and disbelievers.
Chapter 33 verse 9 says. [6]
O you who believe! Remember Allah’s Favour to you, when there came against you hosts, and We sent against them a wind and forces that you saw not [i.e. troops of angels during the battle of Al-Ahzab (the Confederates)]. And Allah is Ever All-Seer of what you do.
This mircale was witnessed by thousands and is clearly mentioned in the Quran. And it also destroys the claim that Prophet Muhammad did not have miracles.
The verse clearly says “remember” now obviously it will not tell to remember something that did not happen.
In vv. 9-27 an appraisal has been made of the Battle of the Trench and the raid against the Bani Quraizah and were revealed at the end of the raid. One should keep the details of these events in view as given in the Introduction above.[7] Tafhim Al Quran(33:9)
Now moving to my next refrences which if from the hadith collections.

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar:

Bani An-Nadir and Bani Quraiza fought (against the Prophet (ﷺ) violating their peace treaty), so the Prophet exiled Bani An-Nadir and allowed Bani Quraiza to remain at their places (in Medina) taking nothing from them till they fought against the Prophet (ﷺ) again) . He then killed their men and distributed their women, children and property among the Muslims, but some of them came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he granted them safety, and they embraced Islam. He exiled all the Jews from Medina. They were the Jews of Bani Qaynuqa’, the tribe of `Abdullah bin Salam and the Jews of Bani Haritha and all the other Jews of Medina.[8]

1.So we can clearly see here that Prophet Muhammad allowed them to remain, even when they broke their treaty.
2.They broke their treaty AGAIN.
3.So they broke the treatie’s TWICE
And also it was not Prophet Muhammad who passed this judgement on them.

It was one of his companions named Sa’ad Ibn Mu’aaz who judged them as we will see later in another Hadith which shows that their warriors were killed
He judged them according to their own Torah, Deuteronomy 20:13-14 [9]
Regarding slavery and captives we post a detailed response to this soon. Meanwhile heres a mini-refutation of it.
Slavery was common practice all over the world even before Islam. The most common type of slavery was the slavery from captivity after wars as The state University of New Jearsey Rutgers stated. [10]
Slavery and captivity after wars was a common practice before and during the era of Prophet Muhammad not to mention slavery in Islam is completely different than what is generally understood. It give slaves tons of right to the point the term “servant” should be the approriate one to use.
Quran and Prophet Muhammad over and over again ordered us to treat slaves and captives of war with good treatment.
And they give food, inspite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to Miskin (poor), the orphan, and the captive, [11] Muhsin Khan translation (76:8)
Allah even made atonement of some sins by freeing slaves.(unlike atonement of sins in Christianity by sacrfice of someone)
It is not for a believer to kill a believer except (that it be) by mistake, and whosoever kills a believer by mistake, (it is ordained that) he must set free a believing slave and a compensation (blood money, i.e Diya) be given to the deceased’s family, unless they remit it. If the deceased belonged to a people at war with you and he was a believer; the freeing of a believing slave (is prescribed), and if he belonged to a people with whom you have a treaty of mutual alliance, compensation (blood money – Diya) must be paid to his family, and a believing slave must be freed. And whoso finds this (the penance of freeing a slave) beyond his means, he must fast for two consecutive months in order to seek repentance from Allah. And Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise. [12] Muhsin khan translation (4:92)
Allah will not punish you for what is uninentional in your oaths, but He will punish you for your deliberate oaths; for its expiation (a deliberate oath) feed ten Masakin (poor persons), on a scale of the average of that with which you feed your own families; or clothe them; or manumit a slave. But whosoever cannot afford (that), then he should fast for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths when you have sworn . And protect your oaths (i.e. do not swear much) . Thus Allah make clear to you His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) that you may be grateful. [13] Muhsin Khan translation(5:89)
And those who make unlawful to them (their wives) (by Az-Zihar) and wish to free themselves from what they uttered, (the penalty) in that case (is) the freeing of a slave before they touch each other. That is an admonition to you (so that you may not return to such an ill thing). And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.[14] Muhsin Khan translation(58:3)
(It is) Freeing a neck (slave, etc.)[15] Muhsin Khan translation (9:13)
Narrated Abu Musa:
Allah’s Apostle said, “He who has a slave-girl and educates and treats her nicely and then manumits and marries her, will get a double reward.” [16] Sahih al-Bukhari Book 46 Hadith 720
I saw Abu Dharr wearing clothes, and his slave wearing similar ones. I asked him about it, and he narrated that he had abused a person during the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upoe. him) and he reproached him for his mother. That person came to Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) and made mention of that to him. Thereupon Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) said: You are a person who has (remnants of) Ignorance in him. Your slaves are brothers of yours. Allah has placed them in your hand, and he who has his brother under him, he should feed him with what he eats, and dress him with what he dresses himself, and do not burden them beyond their capacities, and if you burden them, (beyond their capacities), then help them.[17]Sahih Muslim Book 15 : Hadith 4094

Narrated Asma:
No doubt the Prophet ordered people to manumit slaves during the solar eclipse.[18] Sahih al-Bukhari Book 18 Hadith 163
Prophet Muhammad prohibited the selling of slave woman who bears a child to her master. Which means that slaves are not just property.
The messenger of Allah-may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him-said:”Do not sell the slave-woman who bears a child”
[19] (Mu’jam Al-Tabarani Al kabir,Hadith 4147,Albani placed it Silsala Ahadith Sahiha No.2417)
Lets compare this to other scriptures which permit slavery.
The bible made only 2 conditions for a slave to be free.

1The slave must be Hebrew(racism) Exodus 21:2[20]
2.When the slave’s eye is destroyed or his tooth is broke Exodus 21:26-27 [21]
While the Quran gave slaves the right to ask for their freedom [22] Quran (24:33)
According to Bible slaves can be beaten with a rod as long as they do not die.[23] Exodus (21:20-21)
20.And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.
It means the master can beat his slave because he is just a property.

Now coming back to Banu Qurayza and the Judgement given by Saad Bin Muaaz. And most suprisingly,the Banu Qurayza accepted his judgement!

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:

The people of (Banu) Quraiza agreed to accept the verdict of Sad bin Muadh. So the Prophet (ﷺ) sent for Sad, and the latter came (riding) a donkey and when he approached the Mosque, the Prophet (ﷺ) said to the Ansar, “Get up for your chief or for the best among you.” Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said (to Sad)." These (i.e. Banu Quraiza) have agreed to accept your verdict." Sad said, “Kill their (men) warriors and take their offspring as captives, “On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “You have judged according to Allah’s Judgment,” or said, “according to the King’s judgment.” [24]

Conclusion: 1. see that the entire thing was taken out of context. No inoccents were killed nor was this a genocide but rather self-defence. The judgement was held by the Torah which the warriors of Banu Quraiza agreed upon whilst the women and plunder were distriubuted to the Muslims as it says in Deuteronomy. Moreover it had very less things to do with the Prophet Muhammad but rather other individuals.

2. Innocents people went to the Prophet Muhammad and he granted them shelter. Later they agreed with the Prophet Muhammad and accepted Islam by their own will.

3.It was the Banu Qurayza who started it all first by breaking the treaty TWICE.
Additional refutation: Did the Prophet Muhammad kill the boys of Banu Qurayza? Many claim he did. Is it true?
Christians claim that boys of Banu Qurayza were killed based on “Sunan Abu Dawud,book 38,hadith 4390
The Hadith says that those who had pubes were killed.
Puberty usually occurs in girls between the ages of 10 and 14 and between the age of 12 and 16 in boys [25]
12-16 years old boys who reach puberty are considered as boys by modern standards
But in 7th century sandards they were consider mean who can participate in battles.
Those who reached puberty were considered as men who can fight in battles.

Besides Prophet Muhammad set the minimum age for fighting in battles to be 15 [26]
Narrated Ibn Umar: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) called me to present myself in front of him or the eve of the battle of Uhud, while I was fourteen years of age at that time, and he did not allow me to take part in that battle, but he called me in front of him on the eve of the battle of the Trench when I was fifteen years old, and he allowed me (to join the battle)." Nafi said, “I went to Umar bin Abdul `Aziz who was Caliph at that time and related the above narration to him, He said, “This age (fifteen) is the limit between childhood and manhood,” and wrote to his governors to give salaries to those who reached the age of fifteen.
So there is a probability that those who were killed were probably 15 years.
Beside Prophet Muhammad said in an authentic Hadith that boy who did not reach puberty his actions are not recorded.
Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: There are three (persons) whose actions are not recorded: a sleeper till he awakes, a boy till he reaches puberty, and a lunatic till he comes to reason.
Abu Dawud said: Ibn Juraij has transmitted it from Al-Qasim b. Yazid on the authority of ‘Ali from the Prophet (ﷺ). This version adds: “and an old man who is feeble-minded.” [27]
The Prophet Muhammad also forbade the killing of children.

It has been reported from Sulaiman b. Buraid through his father that when the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) appointed anyone as leader of an army or detachment he would especially exhort him to fear Allah and to be good to the Muslims who were with him. He would say: Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war, do not embezzle the spoils;
do not break your pledge;
and do not mutilate (the dead) bodies;
do not kill the children. When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam;
if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them. Then invite them to migrate from their lands to the land of Muhairs and inform them that, if they do so, they shall have all the privileges and obligations of the Muhajirs. If they refuse to migrate, tell them that they will have the status of Bedouin Muilims and will be subjected to the Commands of Allah like other Muslims, but they will not get any share from the spoils of war or Fai’ except when they actually fight with the Muslims (against the disbelievers). If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizya. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah’s help and fight them. When you lay siege to a fort and the besieged appeal to you for protection in the name of Allah and His Prophet, do not accord to them the guarantee of Allah and His Prophet, but accord to them your own guarantee and the guarantee of your companions for it is a lesser sin that the security given by you or your companions be disregarded than that the security granted in the name of Allah and His Prophet be violated When you besiege a fort and the besieged want you to let them out in accordance with Allah’s Command, do not let them come out in accordance with His Command, but do so at your (own) command, for you do not know whether or not you will be able to carry out Allah’s behest with regard to them. [28] Sahih Muslim Book 19 Hadith 4294
Christians claim that the number Banu Qurayza men who were killed were 900.
However this number is not in any authentic source.
Their number was 400 not 900.[29] Sahih At-Tirmizi,Hadith 1582
of course Banu Qurayza will not send few 50 or 60 men to back stab 3000 Muslims. They will send hundreds
Beside why are Christians even complaining about of 400 warriors who betrayed Muslims?
While in the Bible thousands of innocent civillians inclduing men,women and children were slaughtered by the commands from God!!
When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai in the fields and in the wilderness where they had chased them, and when every one of them had been put to the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and killed those who were in it. 25 Twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai. 26 For Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin until he had destroyed[a] all who lived in Ai. 27 But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and plunder of this city, as the Lord had instructed Joshua.[30] NIV-Joshua(8:24-27)
So we can see 12,0000 men and women were killed.
Also according to the Bible God ordered the Levites to kill their own friends,brothers and neighbours. And they killed 3000
Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”[31] NIV-Exodus(32:27-29)
Now lets look deeper into the Bible.
According to the Bible God commanded the mass killing of Amalekites including their children and infant without mercy.
his is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy[a] all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.” [32] NIV-1 Samuel(15:2-3)
Apparently even donkeys were not safe.
Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt. 8 He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. 9 But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves[b] and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed. [33] NIV-1 Samuel(15:7-9)
As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. 6 Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple. [34] NIV Ezekiel(9:5-6)
According to the Bible David cut people with saws.
And he brought forth the people that were therein, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. And thus did David unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. [35] ASV 1 Chronicles(20:3)
The pulpit commentary feels ashamed from this horrible massacre
The people that were therein. The cruel treatment described in this verse was inflicted, first of all, upon those who had defended Rabbah, now reduced to a small number by the long siege; but David next proceeded through all the cities, that is, the fortified towns of the Ammonites, inflicting similar barbarities. They were confined probably to the fighting men, and most of these would make their escape as soon as resistance became hopeless. The general population would, of course, scatter themselves in every direction, but the misery caused by such a breaking up of civil life, as well as by the cruel bloodshed, must have been terrible. Instead of “he put them in a saw,” we find, in 1 Chronicles 20:3, “he sawed them with a saw.” This reading differs from what we have here only in one letter, and is plainly right, as the translation, “under saws,” “under harrows of iron,” etc., found both in the Authorized and Revised Versions, is simply an expedient, tendered necessary by the corruption of the text. If we restore the passage by the help of the parallel place, it runs on thus: “He sawed with a saw, and with threshing sledges of iron, and with cutting instruments of iron.” What exactly the second were we do not know, as the word does not occur elsewhere. The Vulgate renders it “wains shod with iron,” meaning, apparently, those driven over the corn for threshing purposes, and now driven over these unfortunate people. The barbarity is not more horrible than that of sawing prisoners asunder. He made them pass through the brick kiln. Both the Septuagint and Vulgate have “brick kiln,” Hebrew, malban, which the Massorites have adopted, but the Hebrew text has malchan. No commentator has given any satisfactory explanation of what can be meant by making the Ammonites pass through a brick kiln; but Kimchi gives a very probable interpretation of the word really found in the Hebrew, and which, not being intelligible, has been corrupted. For the Malchan was, he says, the place where the Ammonites made their children pass through the fire to Moloch. He thinks, therefore, that David put some of the people to death in this way. We cannot defend these cruelties, but they unhappily were the rule in Oriental warfare, and would have been inflicted on their enemies by the Ammonites. We have proof in l 1 Samuel 11:2 and Amos 1:13 that they were a barbarous race; but this did not justify barbarous retaliation. [36] Pulpit commentary of 2 samuel(12:31)
There are some modern translations which “cut them with saws” to “put them to work with saws”
But as seen the Pulpit commentary confirms that the correct translation is “He sawed them with saws” or “put them under saws”
Even when the English standard Version used “set them to labor with saws”,they fixed it with a footnote containing the real translation which is “He sawed them” ie. Cut them.
And according to the Bible everything David have done was righteous except what he did to Uriah the Hittite
5 For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.[37] NIV 1 kings(15:5)
Notice that the Bible commands mass genocide of entire nations and ethinicities which is racist.Because killing people based on their nationality or ethniticity is racist ethnic cleansing
And there are much more massacres and genocides of innocents in the Bible,but for the sake of time I will make another article regarding this topic.

Our video on this topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-gXuV3s6rM

Sources:

[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Constitution-of-Medina

[2]Quran (33:25) -Muhsin Khan translation

[3] Quran (33:26)-Muhsin Khan translation

[4] Tafhim Al Quran.(33:26)

[5] Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs (33:26)

[6]Quran(33:9)-Muhsin Khan translation

[7] Tafhim Al Quran(33:9)

[8] https://sunnah.com/bukhari/64/77

[9] Deuteronomy 20:13-14

[10] http://crab.rutgers.edu/~glasker/SLAVERYANCIENT.htm

[11] Quran(76:8)-Muhsin Khan translation

[12] Quran(4:92)-Muhsin Khan translation

[13]Quran(5:89)-Muhsin Khan translation

[14]Quran(58:3)-Muhsin Khan translation

[15] Quran (9:13) -Muhsin Khan translation

[16] Sahih al-Bukhari Book 46 Hadith 720

[17] Sahih Muslim Book 15 : Hadith 4094

[18] Sahih al-Bukhari Book 18 Hadith 163

[19] (Mu’jam Al-Tabarani Al kabir,Hadith 4147,Albani placed it Silsala Ahadith Sahiha No.2417

[20] Exodus 21:2

[21] Exodus 21:26-27

[22] Quran (24:33)

[23] Exodus (21:20-21)

[24]Sahih Bukhari Volume 5,Book 58,Hadith 148

[25]https://www.medicinenet.com/puberty/article.htm#what_determines_when_puberty_begins

[26] https://sunnah.com/bukhari/52/28

[27] https://sunnah.com/abudawud/40/53

[28] Sahih Muslim Book 19 Hadith 4294

[29] Sahih At-Tirmizi,Hadith 1582

[30] NIV-Joshua(8:24-27)

[31] NIV-Exodus(32:27-29)

[32] NIV-1 Samuel(15:2-3)

[33] NIV-1 Samuel(15:7-9)

[34] ] NIV Ezekiel(9:5-6)

[35] ASV 1 Chronicles(20:3)

[36] Pulpit commentary of 2 samuel(12:31)

[37] NIV 1 kings(15:5)