Likewise, Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq recounts the episode in his Maghāzī(1) in wording parallel to the report of Mūsā ibn ʿUqbah from al-Zuhrī, and to that of Abū al-Aswad from ʿUrwah.
Ibn Isḥāq(2) says: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ encamped by one of the wells of Banū Qurayẓah, on the side of their properties—a well called Biʾr Unā(3). He besieged them for twenty-five nights, until the siege exhausted them and Allah cast terror into their hearts. Ḥuyayy ibn Akhṭab had already entered their fortress when Quraysh and Ghaṭafān withdrew, honoring the pact he had made with Kaʿb ibn Asad. When they realized that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would not depart until he engaged them, Kaʿb ibn Asad declared:
“O assembly of Jews, you see the predicament that has overtaken you. I present to you three options; choose whichever you wish.”
They asked, “What are they?”
He said, “First, let us follow this man and affirm his truthfulness. By Allah, it is clear to you that he is a Prophet sent by Allah, the very one you find described in your Scripture. If you believe in him, your lives, wealth, children, and women will be secure.”
They replied, “We shall never forsake the ruling of the Torah or exchange it for anything else.”
He said, “If you reject that, then come: let us kill our children and women, then charge out against Muḥammad and his Companions as men with drawn swords, leaving no burden behind us. Allah will judge between us and Muḥammad. If we are destroyed, we perish without leaving progeny to worry about; and if we prevail, by my life, we shall surely find women and children anew.”
They said, “Shall we kill these helpless ones? What good is life after them!”
He said, “If you refuse even that, then tonight is the night of the Sabbath. Perhaps Muḥammad and his Companions will deem us secure on it; descend and we may catch them unawares.”
They answered, “Shall we violate our Sabbath and commit in it what none before us ever did, except the one whose fate of metamorphosis you know well?”
He retorted, “Not a single one of you has spent even one night of his life acting with resolve!”
They then sent word to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: “Send us Abū Lubābah ibn ʿAbd al-Munḏir, the brother of Banū ʿAmr ibn ʿAwf”—they were allies of the Aws—“so that we may consult him about our affair.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ dispatched him. When they saw him, the men rose toward him, and the women and children burst into tears before him; his heart softened toward them. They pleaded, “Abū Lubābah, do you think we should submit to Muḥammad’s judgment?”
He replied, “Yes,” and drew his hand across his throat, indicating that surrender would mean slaughter.
Abū Lubābah later said, “By Allah, my feet had not yet moved from where I stood before I knew I had betrayed Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.” He left immediately and did not return to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until he had tied himself to a pillar of the mosque, declaring, “I will not leave this place until Allah accepts my repentance for what I have done.” He pledged to Allah never again to tread among Banū Qurayẓah, nor to be seen in any land where he had once betrayed Allah and His Messenger.