سورة الاٴحزَاب
Surah Al-Ahzâb 33:26
The Confederates · Verse 26 of 73
وَأَنْزَلَ الَّذِينَ ظَاهَرُوهُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مِنْ صَيَاصِيهِمْ وَقَذَفَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الرُّعْبَ فَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ وَتَأْسِرُونَ فَرِيقًا
Abdul Mannan Omar
And He brought down from their strongholds those of the people of the Scripture (- the Jews of Madînah, the perfidious Banû Quraizâh) who had backed them (-the invading enemies). He inspired awful terror into their hearts (so much so that) some of them you were able to slay and others you could take as captives.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
And those of the People of the Book who aided them - Allah did take them down from their strongholds and cast terror into their hearts. (So that) some ye slew, and some ye made prisoners.
Ahmed Ali
He made those of the people of the Book who had helped (the tribes) descend from their forts, and filled their hearts with dread, so that you killed some and made many captive;
12 more translations
Ali Unal
And He brought down from their strongholds those of the People of the Book who had supported them (the Confederates in their attack on Madinah), and cast fright in their hearts: some of them you killed, and others you took as prisoners of war.
Daryabadi
And He brought those of the people of the Book who backed them down from their fortresses and cast into their hearts terror; a part of them ye slew, and ye made captives a part.
Faridul Haque
And He brought down from their forts, the People given the Book(s) who had supported them, and instilled awe into their hearts - you slay a group among them and another group you make captive.
Maulana Muhammad Ali
And He drove down those of the People of the Book who backed them from their fortresses and He cast awe into their hears; some you killed and you took captive some.
Maulvi Sher Ali
And HE brought those of the People of the Book who had aided them down from their fortresses, and cast terror into their hearts. Some you slew, and some you took captive.
Muhammad Asad
and He brought down from their strongholds those of the followers of earlier revelation who had aided the aggressors, and cast terror into their hearts: some you slew, and some you made captive;
Muhammad Musin Khan
And those of the people of the Scripture who backed 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.
Muhammad Pickthall
And He brought those of the People of the Scripture who supported them down from their strongholds, and cast panic into their hearts. Some ye slew, and ye made captive some.
Muhammad Sarwar
God brought down those among the People of the Book who had supported the confederate tribes from their castles and struck their hearts with terror. You did away with some of them and captured the others.
Muhammed ali Shakir
And He drove down those of the followers of the Book who backed them from their fortresses and He cast awe into their hearts; some you killed and you took captive another part.
Rashad Khalifa
He also brought down their allies among the people of the scripture from their secure positions, and threw terror into their hearts. Some of them you killed, and some you took captive.
Shabbir Ahmed
Those People of the Scripture who allied with the clans (despite having a treaty with you), He took them down from their forts, and cast panic in their hearts. Some of them you killed (in hostilities) and some you made captives of war.
Commentary 33:26 The tribe of Quraizah were in alliance with the Muslims and when the enemy laid siege to Madînah, they were bound by a treaty to repel the attack. It is…
وَأَنزَلَ الَّذِينَ ظَاهَرُوهُم مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مِن صَيَاصِيهِمْ وَقَذَفَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الرُّعْبَ فَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ وَتَأْسِرُونَ فَرِيقًا
33:26 The tribe of Quraizah were in alliance with the Muslims and when the enemy laid siege to Madînah, they were bound by a treaty to repel the attack. It is said that Huyaiy bin Akhtâb Nadzîrî approached Ka‘ab bin Asad of the BanûQuraizah and persuaded him to join the forces of the Confederates. Ka‘ab bin Asad refused initially, but was under the pressure of Huyaiy bin Akhtâb and agreed when he heard that a force of 10.000 warriors had already surrounded Madînah. The Holy Qur’ân refers to this in the following words, “We are the united force, capable of defending one another” (54:44). With this argument Ka‘ab bin Asad yielded to Huyaiy bin Akhtâb Nadzîrî, broke the treaty he signed with the Muslims and joined the alliance with the pagan Confederates. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) wanted to have certainty about this betrayal. He sent Sa‘ad bin Mu‘âdz, Sa‘ad bin ‘Ibâdah and Ibn Rawâha to confirm this report. This created another danger for the Muslims from inside. If the warriors of Banû Quraizah decided to leave their defensive position and attack the Muslims from behind, then the Muslim defeat would have been inevitable. The Holy Prophet (pbuh), after consulting his Companions, sent some of the defending forces to siege the quarters of Banû Quraizah in the vicinity of Madînah. After the siege, which lasted twenty five days, they surrendered to the Muslims and asked to submit to the judgement of Sa‘ad bin Ma‘âdz.
At the request of besieged Banû Quraizah, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) sent Abû Lubâba bin Mandhir to negotiate the terms of surrender. Unfortunately, Abû Lubâba gave his own mistaken opinion that the Muslim court might impose the death penalty on account of their betrayal. On hearing this, the leaders of Banû Quraizah requested that Sa‘ad bin Mu‘âdz, the chief of the tribe of A’us would determine their punishment and not the Muslims. Sa‘ad ruled according to their own Mosaic Law (Deut. 20.10-15) and punishment was implemented with the result that three hundred men suffered death. Had they trusted their case to the Holy Prophet (pbuh), he would probably have treated them leniently, as he treated Banû Qainuqa.