Battle of Bu'ath

The Battle of Bu'ath was fought in 617 between Banu Aus and Banu Khazraj, the Arab tribes of Yathrib (now Medina), in Saudi Arabia, in the south-eastern quarter of the Medinan oasis, belonging to the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza. The Aws were supported by the Jewish tribes of Banu Nadir and Banu Qurayza, and by the Arab Bedouins of the Muzayna tribe; the leader of the alliance was Hudayr ibn Simak. The opposing force, led by Amr ibn al-Numan, consisted of the majority of the Khazraj tribe and the Bedouin tribes of Juhayna and Ashja. The Awsite clan of Haritha and the Khazrajite chief Abdullah ibn Ubayy remained neutral. In the course of the battle, the Aws and their allies initially had to retreat, but then they counterattacked and defeated the Khazraj; both leaders of the opposing forces were killed. Despite the victory of the Aws, the outcome of the battle was an uneasy truce rather than a definite settlement.