Invasion of Banu Qaynuqa

According to Islamic tradition, the invasion of Banu Qaynuqa, also known as the expedition against Banu Qaynuqa, occurred in AD 624. The Banu Qaynuqa were a Jewish tribe expelled by the Islamic prophet Muhammad for breaking the treaty known as the Constitution of Medina after an argument arose between them after they sexually harassed a woman in a market place. The tribe eventually surrendered to him after fifteen days of being blockaded. Muhammad, who was about to make a decision, ultimately yielded to Abdullah ibn Ubayy's insistence and decided to expel Banu Qaynuqa. Banu Qaynuqa In the 7th century, the Banu Qaynuqa were living in two fortresses in the south-western part of the city of Yathrib, now Medina, having settled there at an unknown date. Although the Banu Qaynuqa bore mostly Arabic names, they were both ethnically and religiously Jewish. They owned no land and earned their living through commerce and craftsmanship, including goldsmithery. Yathrib's marketplace was in the area of the town where the Qaynuqa lived. The Banu Qaynuqa were allied with the local Arab tribe of Khazraj and supported them in their conflicts with the rival Arab tribe of Aws. According to Ibn Hisham, a dispute broke out between the Muslims and the Banu Qaynuqa (the allies of the Khazraj tribe) soon afterwards when a Muslim woman visited a jeweller's shop in the Qaynuqa marketplace and she was pestered to uncover her face. The goldsmith, a Jew, pinned her clothing such, that upon getting up, she was stripped naked. A Muslim man coming upon the resulting commotion killed the shopkeeper in retaliation. The Jews in turn killed the Muslim man. This escalated to a chain of revenge killings, and enmity grew between Muslims and the Banu Qaynuqa. The Jews of Medina became increasingly hostile to Muhammad because he claimed to be a Prophet, although some Jews did convert to Islam. The Banu Qaynuqa had allegedly had 300 soldiers with armour, and 400 without. In December 623, Muslims led by Muhammad defeated the Meccans of the Banu Quraish tribe in the Battle of Badr.