Siege of Banu Qurayza
غزوة بني قريظة
غزوۂ بنی قریظہ
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58 local-first recordsHistorical overview
Following the retreat of the Ahzab (Confederates) from the Battle of the Trench in Dhul-Qa'dah 5 AH (627 CE), the Prophet Muhammad received a divine commandment to march against the tribe of Banu Qurayza. During the siege of Medina, Banu Qurayza had revoked their non-aggression pact with the Muslims and negotiated with the invading Quraysh alliance, threatening Medina from within. The Muslim army of approximately 3,000 men and 36 horsemen immediately marched to the Banu Qurayza fortresses in the southeastern oasis of Medina. Ali ibn Abi Talib led the vanguard and pitched the standard near the enemy strongholds. The Muslims laid a strict siege for 25 nights, cutting off all lines of communication and relief. Depleted and isolated, Banu Qurayza unconditionally surrendered and agreed to submit to the arbitration of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, chief of the Aws tribe, thereby securing the internal security of Medina.
Historical context and how to read this record
This record presents Siege of Banu Qurayza, dated in the archive as 5 AH / 627 CE and associated with Banu Qurayza Fortresses, South 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
- Archive date: 2026-10-03 · 5 AH / 627 CE
- Recorded setting: Banu Qurayza Fortresses, South Medina, Hijaz
- Map feature 1: Volcanic basalt fields (Harrat Ra't)
- Map feature 2: Fortified stone strongholds (Utum)
- Map feature 3: Date palm orchards and walled enclosures
- Schematic marker 1: Muslim Main Force · Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) · 3,000 infantry, 36 cavalry
- Schematic marker 2: Muslim Advance Guard · Ali ibn Abi Talib · 500 vanguard troops
- Schematic marker 3: Banu Qurayza Defenders · Ka'b ibn Asad · 600-900 fighters inside fortresses
Marker ordering is a reading aid, not a chronological claim about the event.
Forces and commanders
- Muslim Main Force — Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) (3,000 infantry, 36 cavalry)
- Muslim Advance Guard — Ali ibn Abi Talib (500 vanguard troops)
- Banu Qurayza Defenders — Ka'b ibn Asad (600-900 fighters inside fortresses)
Geography: water and landscape
- Bir Anna / Local Well (well)
- Southern Date Palm Springs (oasis)
- Volcanic basalt fields (Harrat Ra't)
- Fortified stone strongholds (Utum)
- Date palm orchards and walled enclosures
Sources
- Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 8, pp. 27-41
- Ibn Hisham, Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Siege of Banu Qurayza
- Al-Waqidi, Kitab al-Maghazi, Ghazwat Bani Quraydhah
- Kitab al-Irshad by Shaykh al-Mufid, Battle of Banu Qurayza