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MOSQUE OF ASH-SHAMS
Where the Banu Nadir attempted the assassination.
The plot that changed the history of Medina
Year 4 of the Hijrah. The Prophet ﷺ, accompanied by Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali, and several other companions, goes to the Banu Nadir — a Jewish tribe of Medina allied by treaty to the Muslims. He comes to ask for their help in paying the blood money (diya) for two men from Banu 'Amir who were accidentally killed.
The Banu Nadir receive the Prophet ﷺ with apparent cordiality. They accept his request. They invite him to sit against the wall of one of their houses, in the shade, while they gather the money.
But it is a trap.
The stone that was to fall
While the Prophet ﷺ settles against the wall, the Banu Nadir hold a secret council: "Here is our chance. Who among us will go up on the roof with a large stone, throw it on his head, and rid us of him?"
One of them — 'Amr ibn Jahash ibn Ka'b — volunteers. He climbs onto the roof with a huge stone. He positions himself directly above where the Prophet ﷺ is sitting. He is about to drop it.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is about to die in a few seconds.
The intervention of Jibreel
But Allah is watchful. The archangel Jibreel descends immediately to the Prophet ﷺ and reveals the plot to him. Without saying a word, without alerting his companions, the Prophet ﷺ calmly stands up, gives a trivial excuse, and leaves the house.
He heads straight back to Medina, walking briskly. When his companions realize he has left, they join him. The Prophet ﷺ then reveals the plot to them.
The consequence
The Prophet ﷺ immediately sends a message to the Banu Nadir: "Leave Medina. You have 10 days." They refuse, encouraged by the hypocrites. The Prophet ﷺ marches on their fortresses. The siege lasts between 6 and 15 days. Allah casts terror into their hearts. The Banu Nadir capitulate and are expelled to Khaybar and the Sham.
The verse that immortalizes the event
The entire Surah Al-Hashr (Surah 59) — "The Gathering" — was revealed to commemorate this event. Allah says: "It is He who expelled from their homes those among the People of the Book who did not believe... They were demolishing their houses with their own hands, as much as by the hands of the believers. Take a lesson from this, O you who possess insight." (Surah Al-Hashr, 2)
What this mosque teaches
1. The divine protection of the Prophet ﷺ: "Allah will protect you from men." (Quran 5:67)
2. Betrayal has a price: a signed pact is not a game
3. Prophetic diplomacy: firm yet merciful