He thus demoralized their enemy and kept them from advancing against them, whether from above or from below.
Then Nuʿaym ibn Masʿūd ibn ʿĀmir ibn Unayf [ibn Thalabah] ibn Qunfudh ibn Hilāl ibn Khulāwah ibn Ashjaʿ ibn Rīth ibn Ghaṭafān came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “Messenger of Allah, I have embraced Islam, yet my people do not know of my conversion. Command me as you wish.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied, “You are only one man among us, so try to sow dissension on our behalf if you can, for war is deception.”
Nuʿaym left and went to Banū Qurayẓah. He had been a close drinking companion of theirs in the Days of Ignorance. He said, “O Banū Qurayẓah, you know my affection for you and the special ties between us.”
They answered, “You speak the truth; we do not suspect you of anything.”
He continued, “Quraysh and Ghatafān are not like you. This city is your home; here are your wealth, your children, and your wives, and you have no way to move elsewhere. Quraysh and Ghatafān, however, have come only to wage war on Muhammad and his Companions. You have supported them, yet their towns, women, and property lie elsewhere. If they see an opening, they will seize it; if not, they will return to their lands and leave you alone with this man in your own city—and you have no strength to face him when left to yourselves. Therefore, do not fight alongside them until you take hostages from their nobles, to keep in your hands as a guarantee that they will stand with you against Muhammad until the battle is decided.”
They said, “You have given sound advice.”
Nuʿaym then went to Quraysh and said to Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb and the Qurayshite leaders with him, “You know my affection for you and my separation from Muhammad. News has reached me which I feel duty-bound to convey to you sincerely—yet keep it secret.”
They replied, “We will.”
He said, “Know that the Jews have regretted what they did in breaking with Muhammad. They have sent word to him: ‘We have repented of our actions. Would it please you if we seize some of the leading men of Quraysh and Ghatafān, hand them over to you, and let you behead them; after that we will join you against the rest until you wipe them out?’ He answered them, ‘Yes.’ So if the Jews send to you asking for hostages from among your men, do not give them a single man.”
Nuʿaym next went to Ghatafān and said, “People of Ghatafān, you are my kin and my clan, the dearest of people to me; surely you do not suspect me.”
They replied, “Indeed, we do not suspect you.”
He said, “Then keep what I tell you to yourselves.” They answered, “We will.” He then told them exactly what he had told Quraysh and warned them in the same way.
On the night of Saturday in Shawwāl of the fifth year AH, by Allah’s own design for His Messenger ﷺ, Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb and the chiefs of Ghatafān sent ʿIkrimah ibn Abī Jahl with a group of men from Quraysh and Ghatafān to Banū Qurayẓah. He said to them, “We cannot stay here indefinitely; our camels and horses are perishing. Prepare for battle so that we may engage Muhammad and settle our business with him.”
Banū Qurayẓah replied, “Today is Saturday, a day on which we do nothing. Some of us once violated it and were struck with a punishment you know about. Moreover, we will not fight Muhammad with you until you give us hostages from your men to hold as a pledge until we take the field against him. We fear that if the war wears you down and the fighting becomes intense, you will retreat to your own lands and leave us face-to-face with the man in our land, and we have no strength against him.”
When the envoys returned with Banū Qurayẓah’s message, Quraysh and Ghatafān said, “By Allah, what Nuʿaym ibn Masʿūd told you is true.”
They sent back to Banū Qurayẓah: “By Allah, we will not hand over a single man of ours to you. If you want to fight, then come out and fight.” At that, Banū Qurayẓah