The historians concur that Al-Aous and Al-Khazraj
were two tribes of the Qahtani. They came from the Kingdom of Saba'
in Yemen immediately following the destruction of what had met their
needs. When they reached Yathrib they were impressed by all that was
in it: the fertile land and the copious flow of water.
Characteristic of the people in it (the Jews), they wanted
money-in-hand for the use of the land. They tolerated these Arabs
settling nearby, between the eastern harrah (field of lava rocks)
and Qubaa'. At first, their circumstances and work were difficult,
but with the passing of time their conditions improved. Then the
Jews began to become fearful of these competitors and called them to
agree to borders and to swear to honour an accord for a peaceful
co-existence between them and to defend Yathrib against all
incursions. Thus, they allied and actually complied with it several
times. Meanwhile the numbers of Al-Aous and Al-Khazraj increased, as
well as their wealth. The Jews nullified their pact by killing a
number of them. The Al-Aous and Al-Khazraj were humiliated and
continued in that condition until there emerged among them one
called Maalik bin Al-'Ajalaan who appealed to the sons of his people
Al-Ghasaasanah in Al-Sham. They responded by sending an army to
break the power of the Jews. Thus, they became reconciled to live
again with stability.
When Taba'a bin Hassaan attacked Yathrib and wanted
to destroy it, groups of them stood in his way until he retreated
and made peace with them. During this stage of reconciliation the
sons of Al-Aous and Al-Khazraj moved outside of the belt to which
they were confined and built houses and fortresses in all of the
remaining directions and expanded their farms. This happened in all
of the subdivisions of their tribe in many locations. At that time,
the Jews were making plans to recover their lost authority over them
through new methods. They relied on creating schisms between the
Arabs, by some of their own migrating and living with the Arabs and
reinstating their old pacts. They wanted each of their tribes to
ally with one of the two Arab tribes, in order to facilitate
changing what was between them (the Arabs), into opposition. Banu
Nadeer and Banu Quraitha confederated with Al-Aous, while Banu
Qaynaqa'a did the same with Al-Khazraj. Thus, all of the Jewish
factions began to burn the agreements with the other side, by
stoking animosity, discord and disunity between the Arabs. They
eventually succeeded with their dastardly scheme, for a fierce war
was ignited that continued for approximately one hundred and twenty
years and did not end until Islam came to extinguish
it.
