Banu Aus
Encyclopedia
The Banū Aws or simply Aws was one of the main Arab tribes of Medina
. The other was Khazraj, and the two, constituted the Ansar ("helpers [of Muhammad]") after the Hijra
.
Aws and Khazraj were known as Banū Qayla ( bænuː qeːlɐ) in pre-Islamic era.
"). The name was changed in Islamic times to Aws Allāh
.
prior to the Great Flood of Maʼrib Dam, Thaʻlaba bin ʻAmr, grand father of al-Aws, separated from his tribe and settled in Yathrib
(Medina), which was then controlled by Jewish clans, and Banū Qayla were subordinate to the Jews for some time, until Mālik bin ʻAjlān of Khazraj asserts independence of the Jews, so Aws and Khazraj obtained a share of palm-trees and strongholds. Thus, about 5th century, Banū Qayla took control of Yathrib and Jews retired into the background for about a century.
During these persiods before Hijra
, Abū Qays al-Aslat of the clan of Wāʼil, the leader of Aws, gave away the leadership to Ḥuḍayr bin Simāk of ʻAbd al-Ashhal. After a serious defeat, ʻAbd al-Ashhal and Ẓafar were withdrawn from Yathrib. The opposing leader, ʻAmr bin Nuʻmān of the Khazrajite clan of Bayāḍa, drove the Jews tribes of Banū Qurayẓa
and Banū Naḍīr
into alliance of the two. Nomads of Muzayna joined them too. Most of the Khazrajexcept [[ʻAbd Allāh bin Ubayy]] and another Khazraj leader as well as the Jews tribe Banū Qaynuqāʻ and the nomadic Juhayna and Ashjaʻ suppurted ʻAmr bin Nuʻmān. The Awsite clan of Ḥāritha remained neutral. Then, about 617 A.D., The Battle of Buʻāth begans: Aws forced back at first, but finally defeated their opponents. The leaders of both sides were killed.
Shi'a sources say they were Jews , while a Jewish source says they and the Banu Khazraj
were Arab tribes from Yemen
who came to Medina in the fourth century CE. The Jewish source continues to say that the two tribes took the power of Medina from the Jews in the fifth century "By calling in outside assistance and treacherously massacring at a banquet".
However, all sources agree that the Banu Aus and Banu Khazraj
became hostile to each other.
A Shi'a source states that they had been fighting for one hundred and twenty years and were sworn enemies.
The Jewish source states that they went to war against each other in the Battle of Bu'ath
a few years before the Islamic prophet Muhammad
migrated to Medina.
There are many Jewish tribes at present in Medina: Banu Nadir
, Banu Qurayza
, Banu Qaynuqa
and many more.
During the battle, The Banu Nadir and the Banu Qurayza fought with the Banu Aus, while the Banu Qaynuqa were allied with the Banu Khazraj. The latter were defeated after a long and desperate battle.
. He ultimately did so by absorbing both factions into his Muslim community, forbidding bloodshed among Muslims.
The Banu Aus were included in point 30-31 of the Constitution of Medina
as allies to the Muslims, being as "one nation/community with the Believers" .
After this, Banu Aus and others became known as the Ansar
.
In 624, Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf
was killed by men from Banu Aus
were a Jewish tribe who lived in Medina. The bulk of the tribe's men, apart from a few who converted to Islam, were killed in 627 CE, following a siege mounted by Muslim inhabitants of Medina and immigrants from Mecca after Banu Qurayza had agreed to aid their Meccan enemies in their attack on Medina, which the Muslims had just repulsed in the Battle of the Trench
.
Since Banu Qurayza was an ally of the Banu Aus during the Battle of Bu'ath
, they choose Sa'ad ibn Mua'dh, the chief of the Banu Aus as their judge. He, in spite of the pleading of his own tribe, condemned the men to death and the women and children to slavery. Sa'ad ibn Mua'dh himself died shortly after the event, due to injuries received during the Battle of the Trench
.
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
. The other was Khazraj, and the two, constituted the Ansar ("helpers [of Muhammad]") after the Hijra
Hijra
Hijra as an Arabic word meaning migration or flight may refer to:* The Hijra is the emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 CE, marking the first year of the Islamic calendar, 1 AH * Hijri year, marks the start of the Hijri year of the Islamic calendar*...
.
Aws and Khazraj were known as Banū Qayla ( bænuː qeːlɐ) in pre-Islamic era.
Etymology
The word al-Aws means "the gift", probably a contraction for Aws Manāt ' onMouseout='HidePop("23876")' href="/topics/Manat">ManātManat
Manat may refer to* Azerbaijani manat, unit of currency in Azerbaijan* Turkmenistani manat, unit of currency in Turkmenistan* The designation of the Soviet ruble in both Azerbaijani and Turkmen* Manāt, the goddess of fate and destiny in pre-Islamic Arabia...
"). The name was changed in Islamic times to Aws Allāh
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
.
Early history
About 300 A.D., during the emigration of Kahlān from YemenYemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
prior to the Great Flood of Maʼrib Dam, Thaʻlaba bin ʻAmr, grand father of al-Aws, separated from his tribe and settled in Yathrib
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
(Medina), which was then controlled by Jewish clans, and Banū Qayla were subordinate to the Jews for some time, until Mālik bin ʻAjlān of Khazraj asserts independence of the Jews, so Aws and Khazraj obtained a share of palm-trees and strongholds. Thus, about 5th century, Banū Qayla took control of Yathrib and Jews retired into the background for about a century.
During these persiods before Hijra
Hijra
Hijra as an Arabic word meaning migration or flight may refer to:* The Hijra is the emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 CE, marking the first year of the Islamic calendar, 1 AH * Hijri year, marks the start of the Hijri year of the Islamic calendar*...
, Abū Qays al-Aslat of the clan of Wāʼil, the leader of Aws, gave away the leadership to Ḥuḍayr bin Simāk of ʻAbd al-Ashhal. After a serious defeat, ʻAbd al-Ashhal and Ẓafar were withdrawn from Yathrib. The opposing leader, ʻAmr bin Nuʻmān of the Khazrajite clan of Bayāḍa, drove the Jews tribes of Banū Qurayẓa
Banu Qurayza
The Banu Qurayza were a Jewish tribe which lived in northern Arabia, at the oasis of Yathrib , until the 7th century, when their conflict with Muhammad led to their demise, after the Invasion of Banu Qurayza, took place in the Dhul Qa‘dah, 5 A.H i.e. in February/March, 627 AD...
and Banū Naḍīr
Banu Nadir
The Banu Nadir were a Jewish tribe who lived in northern Arabia until the 7th century at the oasis of Yathrib . The tribe challenged Muhammad as the leader of Medina. and planned along with allied nomads to attack Muhammad and were expelled from Medina as a result. The Banu Nadir then planned the...
into alliance of the two. Nomads of Muzayna joined them too. Most of the Khazrajexcept [[ʻAbd Allāh bin Ubayy]] and another Khazraj leader as well as the Jews tribe Banū Qaynuqāʻ and the nomadic Juhayna and Ashjaʻ suppurted ʻAmr bin Nuʻmān. The Awsite clan of Ḥāritha remained neutral. Then, about 617 A.D., The Battle of Buʻāth begans: Aws forced back at first, but finally defeated their opponents. The leaders of both sides were killed.
Shi'a sources say they were Jews , while a Jewish source says they and the Banu Khazraj
Banu Khazraj
-Early history:Abu Muhammad Al-hasan Ibn Ahmad Al-hamdani mentioned that The Banu Khazraj along with Banu Aws settled the area of Yathrib around the 2nd century ad as part of the PreIslamic Exodus of Yemen due to the Great Dam damage....
were Arab tribes from Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
who came to Medina in the fourth century CE. The Jewish source continues to say that the two tribes took the power of Medina from the Jews in the fifth century "By calling in outside assistance and treacherously massacring at a banquet".
However, all sources agree that the Banu Aus and Banu Khazraj
Banu Khazraj
-Early history:Abu Muhammad Al-hasan Ibn Ahmad Al-hamdani mentioned that The Banu Khazraj along with Banu Aws settled the area of Yathrib around the 2nd century ad as part of the PreIslamic Exodus of Yemen due to the Great Dam damage....
became hostile to each other.
A Shi'a source states that they had been fighting for one hundred and twenty years and were sworn enemies.
The Jewish source states that they went to war against each other in the Battle of Bu'ath
Battle of Bu'ath
The Battle of Bu'ath was fought in 617 between Banu Aus and Banu Khazraj, the Arab tribes of Yathrib , in Saudi Arabia, in the south-eastern quarter of the Medinan oasis, belonging to the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza...
a few years before the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
migrated to Medina.
There are many Jewish tribes at present in Medina: Banu Nadir
Banu Nadir
The Banu Nadir were a Jewish tribe who lived in northern Arabia until the 7th century at the oasis of Yathrib . The tribe challenged Muhammad as the leader of Medina. and planned along with allied nomads to attack Muhammad and were expelled from Medina as a result. The Banu Nadir then planned the...
, Banu Qurayza
Banu Qurayza
The Banu Qurayza were a Jewish tribe which lived in northern Arabia, at the oasis of Yathrib , until the 7th century, when their conflict with Muhammad led to their demise, after the Invasion of Banu Qurayza, took place in the Dhul Qa‘dah, 5 A.H i.e. in February/March, 627 AD...
, Banu Qaynuqa
Banu Qaynuqa
The Banu Qaynuqa was one of the three main Jewish tribes living in the 7th century of Medina, now in Saudi Arabia...
and many more.
During the battle, The Banu Nadir and the Banu Qurayza fought with the Banu Aus, while the Banu Qaynuqa were allied with the Banu Khazraj. The latter were defeated after a long and desperate battle.
Hijrah — 622
Muhammad came to Medina as a mediator, invited to resolve the feud between the factions of Banu Aws and Banu KhazrajBanu Khazraj
-Early history:Abu Muhammad Al-hasan Ibn Ahmad Al-hamdani mentioned that The Banu Khazraj along with Banu Aws settled the area of Yathrib around the 2nd century ad as part of the PreIslamic Exodus of Yemen due to the Great Dam damage....
. He ultimately did so by absorbing both factions into his Muslim community, forbidding bloodshed among Muslims.
The Banu Aus were included in point 30-31 of the Constitution of Medina
Constitution of Medina
The Constitution of Medina , also known as the Charter of Medina, was drafted by the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It constituted a formal agreement between Muhammad and all of the significant tribes and families of Yathrib , including Muslims, Jews, Christians and pagans. This constitution formed the...
as allies to the Muslims, being as "one nation/community with the Believers" .
After this, Banu Aus and others became known as the Ansar
Ansar (Islam)
Ansar is an Islamic term that literally means "helpers" and denotes the Medinan citizens that helped Muhammad and the Muhajirun on the arrival to the city after the migration to Medina...
.
In 624, Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf
Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf
Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf was a chief of the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir and a poet, who plotted with Quraysh and a group of Jews to fight against Muslims and assassinate the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was assassinated by Muslims on the order of Muhammad before he could carry out his plans...
was killed by men from Banu Aus
Banu Quraizah — 627
The Banu QurayzaBanu Qurayza
The Banu Qurayza were a Jewish tribe which lived in northern Arabia, at the oasis of Yathrib , until the 7th century, when their conflict with Muhammad led to their demise, after the Invasion of Banu Qurayza, took place in the Dhul Qa‘dah, 5 A.H i.e. in February/March, 627 AD...
were a Jewish tribe who lived in Medina. The bulk of the tribe's men, apart from a few who converted to Islam, were killed in 627 CE, following a siege mounted by Muslim inhabitants of Medina and immigrants from Mecca after Banu Qurayza had agreed to aid their Meccan enemies in their attack on Medina, which the Muslims had just repulsed in the Battle of the Trench
Battle of the Trench
The Battle of the Trench also known as Battle of Ahzab, Battle of the Confederates and Siege of Medina , was a fortnight-long siege of Yathrib by Arab and Jewish tribes. The strength of the confederate armies is estimated around 10,000 men with six hundred horses and some camels, while the...
.
Since Banu Qurayza was an ally of the Banu Aus during the Battle of Bu'ath
Battle of Bu'ath
The Battle of Bu'ath was fought in 617 between Banu Aus and Banu Khazraj, the Arab tribes of Yathrib , in Saudi Arabia, in the south-eastern quarter of the Medinan oasis, belonging to the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza...
, they choose Sa'ad ibn Mua'dh, the chief of the Banu Aus as their judge. He, in spite of the pleading of his own tribe, condemned the men to death and the women and children to slavery. Sa'ad ibn Mua'dh himself died shortly after the event, due to injuries received during the Battle of the Trench
Battle of the Trench
The Battle of the Trench also known as Battle of Ahzab, Battle of the Confederates and Siege of Medina , was a fortnight-long siege of Yathrib by Arab and Jewish tribes. The strength of the confederate armies is estimated around 10,000 men with six hundred horses and some camels, while the...
.
People
- Sa'ad ibn Mua'dh - head
- Bashir ibn Sa'adBashir ibn Sa'ad-610 – 632: Muhammad's era:He was a Companion who was present at the battle of Badr.He became the chief of Banu Aus-Shi'a view: states:-External links:*http://www.bogvaerker.dk/Bookwright/rijal.html...
leader - Usaid bin Hudair bin Sammak
- Sa‘d bin Khaithamah bin Al-Harith
- Rifa‘a bin ‘Abdul Mundhir bin Zubair