They, especially Abul Hukeik, the chief of Bani
Nazeer, had excited the Bani Fezara and other Beduoin tribes to commit
incursions on Medina. They had made a combination with the Bani Sad-Ibn
Bakr to make inroads on the Moslims. Bani Sad, a branch of Hawazin, were
among the confederates who had besieged Medina. Lately, Oseir Ibn Zarim,
the chief of Nazeer at Khyber, maintained the same relations with Bani
Ghatafan, as their former chief had, to make a combined attack on
Medina. The Bani Ghatafan, with their branches of Bani Fezara and Bani
Murra, in league with those of Khyber, were always plotting mischief in
the vicinity of Fadak at Khyber. They (the Ghatafan) had continued for a
long time to alarm Medina with threatened attacks. At the seventh year
of the Hegira timely information was received by Mohammad of the
combined preparation of Khyber and Ghatafan. He rapidly set forth in his
defence, and marched to Khyber at once. He took up a position at Raji,
between Khyber and Ghatafan, to cut off their mutual assistance. So it
was not a sudden and unprovoked invasion, as Sir W. Muir calls it. He
writes: "Mahomet probably waited for some act of aggression on the part
of the Jews of Kheibar (it was the fertile lands and villages of that
tribe which he had destined for his followers), or on the part of their
allies, the Bani Ghatafan, to furnish the excuse for an attack. But no
such opportunity offering, he resolved, in the autumn of this year, on a
sudden and unprovoked invasion of their territory."[184] It will appear
from what I have stated above, that the invasion of Khyber was purely
defensive in its character.

[Footnote 181: Hishamee, p. 545. Gottengen, 1859; or, The Life of
Muhammad, by Abd etl Malik ibn Hisham. London: Truebner and Co., 1867.]

[Footnote 182: Hishamee, p. 757.]

[Footnote 183: The Jews of Khyber, if it does not relate to Tabook. Sir
W. Muir calls this hostile declaration against Jews and Christians, and
says,--"The exclusion and growingly intolerant position of Islam is
sufficiently manifested by the ban issued against the Jews and
Christians, as unfit for the sacred rites and holy precincts of the
Meccan temple; and by the divine commands to war against them until, in
confession of the superiority of Islam, they should consent to the
payment of a tribute."--Life of Mahomet, Vol. II, p. 289. The command
referred to by Sir W. Muir refers to the treatment of those who took up
arms against the Mussal