In reviewing the question of whether or not Islam is in a "clash of civilizations" with Israel, another key source is Sirat Rasoul-Allah, a biography of Muhammad collated by Ibn Ishaq (early 700s CE) which is also treated as supremely authoritative for an understanding of Islam and its founder.

In that account of Muhammad's campaign against the Jews, the story of Safiya:

"The apostle occupied the Jewish forts one after the other, taking prisoners as he went. Among these were Safiya, the wife of Kinana, the Khaybar chief, and two female cousins; the apostle chose Safiya for himself. The other prisoners were distributed among the Muslims.

What became of Kinana, Safiya's groom?

"Kinana, the husband of Safiya, had been guardian of the tribe's treasures, and he was brought before the apostle, who asked where they were hidden. But Kinana refused to disclose the place. Then a Jew came who said, 'I have seen Kinana walk around a certain ruin every morning.' The apostle asked Kinana, 'Art thou prepared to die if we find thou knewest where the treasure was?' And he replied, 'Yes.' So the apostle ordered the ruin to be dug up, and some of the treasure was found. After that Kinana was asked again about the remainder, but he still refused to tell. The apostle of Allah handed him over to al‑Zubayr, saying, 'Torture him until he tells what he knows', and al‑Zubayr kindled a fire on his chest so that he almost expired; then the apostle gave him to Muhammad b. Maslama, who struck off his head."

After that, it is probably of little surprise when Ibn Ishaq tells us:

"When the people of Fadak, a Jewish town nearby, heard what was taking place they sent emissaries to the apostle to ask him to spare them and they would abandon to him all their property. He agreed.

This little arrangement, Ibn Ishaq describes by saying "The people of Fadak made peace with [Muhammad]..." In this version of "peace" the property of the people of Fadak "belonged to the apostle of Allah, because he had conquered it without the aid of cavalry or camels."

Another "Jewish tribe asked that the apostle of Allah should not shed their blood, but permit them to carry away as much of their property as their camels could bear. He consented and they loaded as many of their possessions as they could on their camels, even demolishing their houses that they might take away the thresholds. Then they left, with their wives, children, and household goods, and accompanied by their drums, flutes and singers. The rest they left to the apostle of Allah."
Some of the treasure was found. After that Kinana was asked again about the remainder, but he still refused to tell. The apostle of Allah handed him over to al‑Zubayr, saying, 'Torture him until he tells what he knows'.

While much of the Ibn Ishaq account of a Jewish tribe's discussion when besieged by Muhammad and his posse is plainly aimed at confirming Islamic beliefs, there is one or two sentences that ring true. Reacting to the suggestion they accept Islam, the Jews of the Banu Qurayza tribe supposedly said: "We shall never abandon the commandments of the Torah, nor substitute any others for them." Secondly, when contemplating the fate of their children should they fail to defeat the Muslims, the leader suggested killing them themselves, saying, "If we perish, we shall perish without leaving orphans who might suffer evil."

Their discussions didn't help, for according to Ibn Ishaq, the decision - made "....according to the will of Allah, above the seven firmaments," in Muhammad's words - was death even after they surrendered.

"The apostle of Allah imprisoned the Qurayza in Medina while trenches were dug in the marketplace. Then he sent for the men and had their heads struck off so that they fell in the trenches. They were brought out in groups, and among them was Kab, the chief of the tribe. In number, they amounted to six or seven hundred, although some state it to have been eight or nine hundred. All were executed. One man turned to his people and said, 'It matters not! By God's will, the children of Israel were destined for this massacre!’ Then he seated himself and his head was struck off."

Only one Jewish woman was murdered, instead of being taken as a slave. And she was reported by Muhammad's wife Aisha as "talking and laughing" with "good humor". Perhaps it was better to die than to become a slave to the Muslims, or perhaps the woman was laughing because, as Ibn Ishaq wrote, "She was the woman who threw a millstone down from the Qurayza fort and killed a Believer."

Either way, was that heroic Jewish woman at war with Islam? Or was perhaps Islam at war with her even before Muhammad and his gang arrived at the Qurayza fort?

And now a little theology from Hadith, Sahih Muslim Book 041, Number 6985 - to round out the picture:

"Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews."

In case someone will still try and reject all of the foregoing as irrelevant to the modern struggle of Israel with its Muslim neighbors, let's point out that that last Hadith appears in the Hamas covenant as a guiding principle.

So, again, is Israel at war with Islam? Well, I don't know, but Israel had better be prepared to defend itself against it.

And finally, one more Islamic tale of another Jewish woman from Safiya's tribe who fell into Muhammad's clutches, Zaynab. She tried to poison "the apostle of Allah" and was discovered. When asked why she did it, Zaynab replied: "It is no secret to you what my people feel towards you."

Researched, compiled and presented by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz