Siege of Banu Nadir

Historical overview

In 4 AH (625 CE), following the tragic incident at Bi'r Ma'una, Prophet Muhammad visited the Banu Nadir tribe in the outskirts of Medina to request their contribution toward blood-money according to their treaty. Instead of honoring the treaty, the leaders of Banu Nadir plotted to assassinate the Prophet by dropping a heavy millstone on him from the roof of a house. Divine revelation alerted the Prophet to their treasonous plot, prompting his safe departure. Consequently, the Muslims issued an ultimatum demanding Banu Nadir leave Medina. Encouraged by the chief of hypocrites, Abdullah ibn Ubayy, who falsely promised military reinforcement, Banu Nadir refused and barricaded themselves inside their heavily fortified castles. The Muslim army encamped around their fortresses and besieged them for roughly two weeks. To compel surrender, the Prophet ordered the cutting of select date palms at al-Buwayrah. Realizing no aid was arriving, Banu Nadir surrendered and were exiled, taking whatever load their camels could carry except weapons.

Historical context and how to read this record

This record presents Siege of Banu Nadir, dated in the archive as 4 AH / 625 CE and associated with Banu Nadir Fortresses, South Outskirts of Medina, Hijaz. The date, place, summary, named groups, terrain features, and references shown here come from the bundled or published event record. They provide a concise entry point for study, while the linked source notes remain the place to check what each historical or religious text actually reports. A label in the archive is not, by itself, proof that every chronology, number, or interpretation is agreed across historians.

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Record timeline and tactical markers

1. Archive date: 2026-10-03 · 4 AH / 625 CE
2. Recorded setting: Banu Nadir Fortresses, South Outskirts of Medina, Hijaz
3. Map feature 1: Volcanic basalt fields (Harrah)
4. Map feature 2: Fortified stone towers (Utums)
5. Map feature 3: Dense date-palm groves of al-Buwayrah
6. Schematic marker 1: Muslim Siege Encampment · Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) / Ali ibn Abi Talib (Banner Holder) · 1,500 infantry and cavalry
7. Schematic marker 2: Banu Nadir Fortresses (Utums) · Huyayy ibn Akhtab · 2,000 barricaded fighters
8. Schematic marker 3: Ibn Ubayy's Passive Position (Promises Unfulfilled) · Abdullah ibn Ubayy · Uncommitted supporters

Marker ordering is a reading aid, not a chronological claim about the event.

Forces and commanders

• Muslim Siege Encampment — Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) / Ali ibn Abi Talib (Banner Holder) (1,500 infantry and cavalry)
• Banu Nadir Fortresses (Utums) — Huyayy ibn Akhtab (2,000 barricaded fighters)
• Ibn Ubayy's Passive Position (Promises Unfulfilled) — Abdullah ibn Ubayy (Uncommitted supporters)

Geography: water and landscape

• Wadi Ranuna (river)
• Banu Nadir Oasis Well (well)
• Volcanic basalt fields (Harrah)
• Fortified stone towers (Utums)
• Dense date-palm groves of al-Buwayrah

Sources

• Ibn Hisham, Sirat Rasul Allah, Vol. 2
• Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2
• Kitab al-Maghazi by al-Waqidi
• Kitab al-Irshad by Shaykh al-Mufid

More 3D maps

• Karbala · The Plain of 61 AH
• Battle of Badr · Wells and Two Slopes
• Khaybar · Basalt Harrat and Fortified Oases
• Hijrah Route · Makkah to Madinah
• Najaf & Kufa · The Historic Plain
• Siffin · Euphrates Campaign Landscape