The anger of the Prophet was aroused, for were they not presuming to oppose his will and that of Allah, whose instrument he was?  He marshalled his army and put a great white banner at their head, gave the leadership to Hamza, and so marched forth to attack the rebellious Kainukaa.  For fifteen days the tribe was besieged in its strongholds, until at last, beaten and discouraged, faced by scarcity of supplies, and the certainty of disease, it surrendered at discretion.

Then was shown in all its fullness the implacable despotism conceived by Mahomet as the only possible method of government, which indeed for those times and with that nation it certainly was.  The order went forth for the slaying and despoiling of the Kainukaa, and the grim work began by the seizure of their armour, precious stones, gold, and goldsmith’s tools.  But Abdallah, chief of the Khazraj, and formerly leader of the Disaffected, became suppliant for their release.  He sought audience of Mahomet, and there petitioned with many tears for the lives of his friends and kinsmen.  But Mahomet turned his back upon him.  Abdallah, in an ecstacy of importunity, grasped the skirt of Mahomet’s garment.

“Loose thou thy hand!” cried Mahomet, while his face grew dark with anger.

But Abdallah in the boldness of desperation replied, “I will not let thee go until thou hast shown favour to my kinsmen.”

Then said Mahomet, “As thou wilt not be silent, I give thee the lives of those I have taken prisoner.”

Nevertheless, the exile of the tribe was enforced, and Mahomet compelled their immediate removal from the outskirts of Medina.  The Prophet’s later policy towards the Jews was hereby inaugurated.  He set himself deliberately to break up their strongholds one by one, and did not swerve from his purpose until the whole of the hated race had been removed either by slaughter or by enforced exile from the precincts of his adopted city.  He would suffer no one but himself to govern, and uprooted, with his unwavering purpose, all who refused to accept him as lord.

For about a month affairs took their normal and uninterrupted course in Medina, but in the following month, Dzul Higg (March), the last of that eventful second year, a slight disturbance of his steady work of government threatened his followers.

Abu Sofian’s vow pressed sorely upon his conscience until, unable to endure inaction further, he gathered together 200 horsemen and took the highway towards Medina.  He travelled by the inland road, and arrived at length at the settlements of the Beni Nadhir, one of the Jewish tribes in the vicinity of Medina.  He harried their palm-gardens, burnt their cornfields, and killed two of their men.  Mahomet had plundered the Meccan wealth, his allies should in turn be harassed by his victims.  It was purely a private enterprise undertaken out of bravado and in fulfilment of a vow.  As soon as the predatory attack had been made, Abu Sofian deemed himself absolved and prepared to return.