The Jews, Imam Ali, and Their Relationship with the Messenger: Between Ibn Hisham's Narration and Karen Armstrong's Reading

Abstract

The study examined the stances of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) towards the Jews, and the nature of the relationship that developed between them in Medina, analyzing the most prominent events related to the tribes of Banu Qaynuqa', Banu al-Nadir, Banu Qurayza, and Khaybar, and explaining the causes and consequences of the conflict in light of Islamic sources and the views of some Orientalists, particularly Karen Armstrong. The study also examined the relationship between Prophet Muhammad and Imam Ali (AS), from his upbringing in the household of prophethood, his precedence in embracing Islam, and his stances in supporting the Islamic call, while examining the prophetic hadiths indicating his status. The study adopted the comparative, analytical, and descriptive methodology to uncover the religious, political, and intellectual dimensions of those relationships. The study concluded with a set of findings, most notably: that the Prophet's relationship with the Jews was governed more by treaties and political circumstances than by purely religious conflict, and that the stances of some Jewish tribes contributed to straining relations with the nascent Islamic state due to their breach of covenants and political alliances. The study recommended the necessity of re-reading the Prophetic biography (Sirah) in an objective, scholarly manner, based on reliable historical sources, and avoiding biased interpretations or one-sided readings.