▁is ▁more ▁logical ▁to ▁assume ▁that ▁the ▁weapons ▁were ▁stored ▁in ▁a ▁dep ôt ▁for ▁future ▁sale . ▁Similarly ▁the ▁Jews ▁kept ▁ 2 0 ▁b ales ▁of ▁cloth ▁and ▁ 5 0 0 ▁clo aks ▁for ▁sale , ▁and ▁other ▁lux ury ▁goods . ▁ ▁These ▁commercial ▁activities ▁as ▁a ▁cause ▁of ▁host ility , ▁V ag lier i ▁arg ues , ▁are ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁economic ▁causes ▁behind ▁per sec utions ▁in ▁many ▁other ▁countries ▁throughout ▁history . ▁ ▁The ▁o asis ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁three ▁regions : ▁al - N at at , ▁al - Sh ikk , ▁and ▁al - K at iba , ▁probably ▁separated ▁by ▁natural ▁divisions , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁desert , ▁la va ▁dr ifts , ▁and ▁sw amps . ▁Each ▁of ▁these ▁regions ▁contained ▁several ▁for tr esses ▁or ▁red ou b ts ▁including ▁homes , ▁store h ouses ▁and ▁st ables . ▁Each ▁for tr ess ▁was ▁occupied ▁by ▁a ▁separate ▁family ▁and ▁surrounded ▁by ▁cultiv ated ▁fields ▁and ▁pal m - gro ves . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁improve ▁their ▁def ensive ▁capabilities , ▁the ▁for tr esses ▁were ▁raised ▁up ▁on ▁hills ▁or ▁bas alt ▁rocks . ▁ ▁Ban u ▁Nad ir ▁ ▁After ▁they ▁were ▁sent ▁into ▁ex ile ▁in ▁ 6 2 5 ▁from ▁Med ina ▁by ▁Muslim ▁forces , ▁the ▁Ban u ▁Nad ir ▁had ▁settled ▁in ▁Kh ay bar . ▁In ▁ 6 2 7 , ▁the ▁Nad ir ▁chief ▁H uy ay y ▁ibn ▁Ak ht ab