▁Arab ia . ▁According ▁to ▁H ag ai ▁Maz uz , ▁" The ▁Jewish ▁community ▁of ▁northern ▁Arab ia ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁ancient ▁Jewish ▁communities ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁people ." ▁For ▁almost ▁a ▁thousand ▁years ▁Jews ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁o ases ▁of ▁T ey ma , ▁Kh ay bar , ▁and ▁Y ath rib ▁( l ater ▁known ▁as ▁Med ina ), ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁Arab ian ▁pen ins ula . ▁According ▁to ▁Muslim ▁sources , ▁the ▁Muslim ▁soldiers ▁attacked ▁the ▁native ▁Jews ▁who ▁had ▁bar ric aded ▁themselves ▁in ▁for ts . ▁ ▁Muslim ▁sources ▁acc use ▁Jews ▁living ▁in ▁Kh ay bar ▁of ▁a ▁plan ▁to ▁un ite ▁with ▁other ▁Jews ▁from ▁Ban u ▁W adi ▁Q ur ra , ▁Ta ima ', ▁F ad ak ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Gh ata fan ▁Arab ▁tribe ▁to ▁attack ▁Mad in ah . ▁Scottish ▁historian ▁William ▁Mont gom ery ▁W att ▁notes ▁the ▁presence ▁in ▁Kh ay bar ▁of ▁the ▁Ban u ▁Nad ir , ▁who ▁were ▁working ▁with ▁neighbor ing ▁Arab ▁tribes ▁to ▁protect ▁themselves ▁from ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁community ▁in ▁Med ina ▁who ▁had ▁earlier ▁sent ▁into ▁ex ile ▁the ▁Jewish ▁tribes ▁for ▁viol ating ▁the ▁terms ▁of ▁the ▁Char ter ▁of ▁Med ina ▁and ▁for ▁consp iring ▁to ▁kill ▁Muhammad . ▁Italian ▁orient al ist ▁Laura ▁Ve cc ia ▁V ag lier i ▁claims ▁other ▁mot ives ▁might ▁have ▁included ▁the ▁prest ige ▁the ▁eng agement ▁would ▁confer ▁upon ▁Muhammad ▁among ▁his ▁follow ers , ▁as