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Offline Reader Questions

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Massacre of Banu Qurayza and Troubling Islamic History
« on: February 24, 2014, 08:26:10 PM »
Dear Brother,

I've recently read Lesley Hazleton's book on the prophet's life, The First Muslim, and she mentioned some troubling "facts", such as the Satanic Verses, the massacre of the jewish tribe of Qureyz, the killing of poets critical of the prophet. I'm not sure where or why she got these stories. Have you read her book and can you throw some light on these "historical" facts, please?"

Offline Joseph Islam

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Re: Massacre of Banu Qurayza and Troubling Islamic History
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2014, 08:32:59 PM »
May peace be with you

Without commenting on Lesley Hazleton's book(s), such evidently remarkable detailed stories are found in the works of Islamic historians, Ahadith et al and not the Quran. There are many such stories that many readers would find troubling, but they are not Quranic.

Such stories are not historical facts but unproven hearsay.

There is absolutely no warrant in my humble opinion, for any author or writer (no matter who that is) to rely on such stories written decades / centuries after the death of the prophet by fallible human beings in a sectarian, political milieu and present them as facts.

Please see below

[1] IBN ISHAQ'S SIRA OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (pbuh)
http://quransmessage.com/articles/ibn%20ishaq%20FM3.htm

If the desire remains to probe the story that you mention regarding the 'ALLEGED' massacre of Banu Qurayza further, I would personally recommend the following scholarly article as a start.

[2] New Light on the Story of Banu Qurayza and the Jews of Medina - By W.N. Arafat, From Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, (1976), pp. 100-107.
http://www.haqq.com.au/~salam/misc/qurayza.html

However, please be aware that from a Quran's perspective, such stories written by fallible men, often centuries after the death of the prophet are irrelevant.

I hope that helps, God willing
Joseph
'During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act' 
George Orwell