Detailed Account of the Siege of Banu Qurayza

After the Confederates withdrew, the Prophet marched directly to the fortresses of Banu Qurayza, who had committed treason during the siege. The Prophet besieged them for twenty-five days. During the siege, the Aws tribe (who were allied with Banu Qurayza as the Khazraj had been allied with Banu Qaynuqa) asked the Prophet to be lenient, as Abdullah ibn Ubayy had secured leniency for Banu Qaynuqa. The Prophet asked the Aws: 'Would you be satisfied if one of your own judged them?' They agreed, and the Prophet appointed Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, the chief of the Aws, as arbitrator. Sa'd, who had been severely wounded at the Trench, was carried to the scene and pronounced judgment based on the Torah's own law for a besieged city that has committed treachery (Deuteronomy 20:12-14): the fighting men would be executed, and the women and children would be taken captive. The Prophet said: 'You have judged with the judgment of the King (i.e., Allah).'