Banu Qaynuqa

At the dawn of Islam, three major Jewish tribes lived in Medina: Banu Qaynuqa, Banu Nadir, and Banu Qurayza. The first of these, Banu Qaynuqa, resided in Wadi Buthan, southwest of Medina. This community, which used Hebrew letters in writing, named their children both from the Bible and Arabic names, and spoke Arabic, specialized in jewelry making, weapon manufacturing, and trade. When the Prophet migrated to Medina, he signed a treaty known as the Constitution of Medina with the Arab and Jewish tribes in Medina. The Banu Qaynuqa participated in this treaty as allies of the Khazraj tribe. The document guaranteed the safety of the Jews' lives, property, and religious freedom while also stipulating shared responsibility for the city's defense. The great victory achieved by the Muslims in the Battle of Badr (624 CE) disturbed the Banu Qaynuqa. Shortly after Badr, an attack on the honor of a Muslim woman in their marketplace and the ensuing conflict that resulted in deaths revealed that the treaty had effectively been broken. The Banu Qaynuqa, who retreated to their fortress, eventually surrendered after a fifteen-day siege by the Prophet. Upon Abdullah ibn Ubayy intervening to secure the lifting of the death penalty, the Prophet allowed them to leave Medina after collecting their dues with around 700 warriors. Exiled from the city, the Banu Qaynuqa withdrew to the region of Damascus, where they continued their trade. It is known that a few individuals from Banu Qaynuqa converted to Islam. Notably, the famous companion Abdullah ibn Salam was one of the Jews of Banu Qaynuqa and embraced Islam shortly after the migration. [Source: Casim Avcı, "Kaynukā' (Banu Qaynuqa)" article, TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/kaynuka-beni-kaynuka]