The Genocide of Banu Qurayza: Exposing the Atrocity Committed by Muhammad

By Bobby Darvish

The massacre of the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza stands as one of the most brutal and disturbing events in early Islamic history—one that exposes the violent and unjust foundations of Muhammad’s political and military leadership. Far from being a model of mercy or divine justice, this event was a calculated act of genocide, sanctioned and approved by Muhammad himself, according to Islam's own most authoritative sources.

Background of the Siege

In the year 627 AD, during the Battle of the Trench (Ghazwat al-Khandaq), the Muslim city of Medina was under siege by a coalition of Meccans and other tribes. The Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza, who lived in Medina, were accused of conspiring with the Quraysh, though no direct attack by them occurred. This accusation, largely based on hearsay and strategic deception by a recent Muslim convert, Nu’aym ibn Mas’ud, was used by Muhammad to justify the complete annihilation of the tribe once the external threat had passed.

Muhammad’s Role and the Mass Execution

After the retreat of the Meccan coalition, Muhammad turned his attention to Banu Qurayza. According to Sahih al-Bukhari and Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah—Islam’s earliest and most trusted biography of Muhammad—the Muslims laid siege to the Qurayza stronghold for 25 days, until the Jews surrendered unconditionally. Rather than offering clemency, Muhammad handed over judgment to Sa’d ibn Mu’adh, a Muslim ally who had been wounded in the recent battle. Sa’d declared that all the men should be executed, and the women and children enslaved.

“Then the Messenger of Allah commanded that ditches be dug. Then he sent for them and struck off their heads in those ditches as they were brought out to him in batches.”
— Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah, translated by Alfred Guillaume, p. 464.

According to Islamic historians, between 600 and 900 men and boys were beheaded in a single day. The Chronicles of al-Tabari confirms this number and adds that the Prophet was present and approved of the slaughter.

“The Messenger of God commanded that trenches be dug… The Prophet sat and watched as their heads were struck off.”
— Al-Tabari, History of the Prophets and Kings, Volume 8, p. 35-36.

The women and children were taken as slaves. One woman, according to Sunan Abu Dawud, was executed for allegedly killing a Muslim in battle—making her the only woman murdered in this event. The remaining women and children were sold into slavery in exchange for horses and weapons, often sold back to other Jewish tribes, like Banu Nadir.

Moral Implications

This was not a battle—it was a genocide. The men had surrendered. There was no trial, no investigation, no clemency. Instead, there was a mass execution and the enslavement of an entire community, based on an alleged betrayal that was never proven in any fair way. This event is proudly recorded in Islamic tradition—not hidden or denied. Worse still, modern Islamists defend it as "justice," using verses like Qur’an 33:26:

“And He brought down those of the People of the Scripture who supported them from their fortresses and cast terror into their hearts, [so that] a party you killed, and you took captive a party.”
— Qur’an 33:26, Sahih International.

This verse is interpreted by many classical and modern Muslim scholars as referring directly to the Banu Qurayza massacre. That means the Qur’an itself justifies the slaughter and terrorization of Jews who opposed Muhammad politically.

A Christian Contrast

Jesus Christ taught:

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
— Matthew 5:44.

He forgave even those who crucified Him, offering salvation to all who repent. There is no instance in the life of Christ where He ordered the killing of anyone—let alone hundreds of prisoners of war or the enslavement of women and children. The difference could not be clearer.

Muhammad’s actions against Banu Qurayza are not examples of divine justice or holy leadership—they are the actions of a violent warlord. They reflect a moral code that is incompatible with the Gospel of peace and the dignity of every human life. The Banu Qurayza genocide must not be whitewashed or dismissed—it must be acknowledged as the atrocity it was.

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Citations

1. Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah, trans. Alfred Guillaume, Oxford University Press, 1955, pp. 461–464.

2. Al-Tabari, The History of al-Tabari, Volume 8: The Victory of Islam, trans. Michael Fishbein, SUNY Press, 1997, pp. 35–36.

3. Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3044; Book 56, Hadith 163.

4. Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 2671.

5. The Qur’an, Surah 33:26, Sahih International.

6. The Holy Bible, Matthew 5:44, KJV.