Banu Aus

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The Banu Aus or Banu Aws ("Sons of Aws", Arabic: بنو اوس?) was one of the tribes of Arabia during Muhammad's era. ^[1] ^[2]

1 History
2 People
3 See also
4 References

[edit] History

[edit] Early history

Shi'a sources say they were Jews ^[3], while a Jewish source say they and the Banu Khazraj were Arab tribes from Yemen who came to Medina in the fourth century CE. The Jewish source continues 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" ^[2].

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 the sworn enemies of each other. ^[3]

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 ^[2].

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. ^[2].

[edit] Hijrah — 622

Muhammad came to Medina as a mediator, invited to resolve the feud between the factions of Banu Aws and Banu Khazraj. He ultimately did so by absorbing both factions into his Muslim community, forbidding bloodshed among Muslims.^{[citation needed]}

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" ^[4] ^[3]. After this, Banu Aus and others became known as the Ansar.

On 624, Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf was killed by men from Banu Aus ^[5]

[edit] Banu Quraizah — 627

The Banu Qurayza 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 ^[6] 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^[2]. Sa'ad ibn Mua'dh himself died shortly after the event, due to injuries received during the Battle of the Trench.