Banu Nadir

The Banu Nadir (Arabic: بَنُو ٱلنَّضِير, Hebrew: בני נדיר) were a Jewish Arab tribe that lived in northern Arabia at the oasis of Medina until the 7th century. They were probably a part of the Constitution of Medina, which was formed after Muhammad's Hijrah. Tensions rose between the Muslims and the Banu Nadir after the Battle of Uhud, which prompted a clash between the two, resulting in the expulsion of the latter. The tribe then planned the Battle of the Trench together with the Quraysh and later participated in the battle of Khaybar.

According to the Arab historian al-Sam'ani, the members of the Banu Nadir tribe are the descendants of al-Nadir, a Jewish man who migrated from Judea to Arabia. probably the name al-Nadir is derived from the Hebraic name Ha-Nazir. According to the Arab historian (Ibn Hazm), they are the direct patrilineal descendants of the biblical Aaron.

In early Medina, in addition to the Banu Nadir, there were two other major Arab tribes: the Banu Aws and the Khazraj. They were previously joined by two Jewish Arab tribes, the Banu Qurayza and the Banu Qaynuqa.

Like other Jews of Medina, the Banu Nadir bore Arabic names, but they spoke a distinctly Jewish dialect of Arabic. They earned their living through agriculture, moneylending, and trade in weapons and jewels, maintaining commercial relations with Arab merchants of Mecca. Their fortresses were located half a day's march to the south of Medina. Banu Nadir were wealthy and lived in some of the best lands in Medina.

When the two Arabian tribes of Aws and Khazraj went to war against each other in the Battle of Bu'ath in 617, the three Jewish tribes backed both sides and sold weapons to both of them for profit. The Banu Nadir, led by Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf and Huyayy ibn Akhtab, and the Banu Qurayza fought with the Aws, while the Banu Qaynuqa were allied itself with the tribe of Khazraj. The latter were defeated after a long and arduous battle.

Muhammad emigrated to Yathrib in September 622, he arrived with a group of his followers, who were given shelter by the members of the indigenous community who were known as the Ansar. Amongst his first actions were the construction of the first mosque in Medina and the acquisition of a residence with Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. Then he made a pact, known as the Constitution of Medina, between the Muslims, the Ansar, and the various Jewish tribes of Medina to regulate the matters of governance of the city, as well as the extent and nature of inter-community relations. The conditions of the pact included boycotting Quraysh, abstinence from "extending any support to them", assistance of one another if attacked by a third party, as well as "defending Medina, in case of a foreign attack".

After the incidence between Muhammad and the Bani Qaynuqa, the tribe was besieged by Muhammad and expelled from Medina. The Banu Nadir did not get involved, viewing the conflict as another example of Jewish tribal struggle.

After the Battle of Badr, one of the Banu Nadir's chiefs Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, went to the Quraish in order to lament the loss at Badr and to incite them to take up arms to regain lost honor, noting the statement of Muhammad: "He (Ka'b) has openly assumed enmity to us and speaks evil of us and he has gone over to the polytheists (who were at war with Muslims) and has made them gather against us for fighting". This was in contravention of the Constitution of Medina, of which the tribe led by Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf was a signatory, which prohibited them from "extending any support" to the tribes of Mecca, namely Quraish. Some sources suggest that during his visit to Mecca, Ka'b concluded a treaty with Abu Sufyan, stipulating cooperation between the Quraysh and Jews against Muhammad.