the  perfidy of Banu Quraiza. The spirit of hopefulness prevailed over him and he rose to his feet saying:
“Allâh is Great. Hearken you Muslims, to Allâh’s good tidings of victory and support.”
He then started to lay decisive plans aiming at protecting the women and children, and sent some  fighters back to Madinah to guard them against any surprise assault by the enemy. The second step  was to take action that could lead to undermining the ranks of the disbelieving confederates. There,  he  had in mind to conclude a sort of reconciliation with the chiefs of Ghatfan on the basis of donating  them  a third of Madinah’s fruit crops. He sought the advice of his chief Companions, namely, Sa‘d bin
Mu‘adh  and Sa‘d bin ‘Ubadah, whose reply went as follows:
“O Messenger of Allâh! If it is Allâh’s injunction, then we have to obey, but if it is a new course you  want  to follow just to provide security for us then we don’t need it. We experienced those people in  polytheism and idolatry and we can safely say that they don’t need the fruit of our orchards, they  rather need to exterminate us completely. Now that Allâh has honoured us with Islam, I believe the  best recourse in this situation is to put them to the sword.” Thereupon the Prophet (Peace be upon  him)  corrected their Belief saying: “My new policy is being forged to provide your security after all the
Arabs  have united to annihilate you (Muslims).”
Allâh, the Glorious, the Exalted, praise is to him, created something that led to the dissension of the  enemies of Islam and later on to their full defeat. A man from the tribe of Ghatfan called Na‘im bin
Mas‘ud asked to be admitted in the audience of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). He declared that he  had embraced Islam secretly and asked the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to order him do anything  that  might benefit the Muslims. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) asked him to do anything that could help  the Muslims in the present distress and use any strategem of avail. The man, in a shuttle movement,  between the Jews, Quraish and Ghatfan managed to incite each party to let down the other. He went  to  see the chiefs of Banu Quraiza and whispered in their ears not to trust Quraish nor fight with them  unless the latter pledged some hostages. He tried to lend support to his counsel by claiminthat
Quraish  would forsake them if they perceived that victory over Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was far  fetched, and the Muslims then would have terrible revenge on them. Na‘im, then headed for the camp  of Quraish and managed to practise a similar strategem in its final result but different in content. He  claimed that he felt that the Jews regretted breaching their covenant with Muhammad (Peace be upon  him) and his followers. He told them that the Jews maintained regular correspondence with the
Muslims  to the effect that Quraishite hostages be sent to the camp of the Muslims with full Jewish allegiance  paid to them as already agreed upon. Na‘im then exhorted Quraish not to send hostages to the Jews.
On a third errand, he did the same with the people of Ghatfan.
On Saturday night, Shawwal 5 A.H., both Quraish and Ghatfan despatched envoys to the Jews  exhorting them to go into war against Muhammad (Peace be upon him). The Jews sent back messages  that they would not fight on Saturday. They added that they needed hostages from them to guarantee  their consistency. On receiving the replies, Quraish and Ghatfan came to believe Na‘im’s words fully.
Therefore, they sent a message to the Jews again inviting them to war and asking them to preclude  that condition of hostages. Na‘im’s scheme proved successful, and a state of distrust and suspicion  among the disbelieving allies prevailed and reduced their morale to deplorable degree.
Meanwhile, the Muslims were preoccupied supplicating their Lord to protect their homes and provide  security for their families. The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) on his part invoked Allâh’s  wrath on the Confederates supplicating:
“Oh, Allâh! You are quick in account, You are the sender of the Book, we beseech You to defeat  the confederates.”
Allâh the Glorious, the Exalted, responded to the call of the Muslims on the spot. Coupled with the  dissension and variance that found their way into the hearts of the disbelievers, forces of nature —  wind, rain and cold wearied them, tents were blown down, cooking vessels and other equipage  overthrown.