As the fifth year drew to a close, the expelled Jews from the tribe of Nadir that had relocated to Khybar a little over two years before became more restless than ever. There had been talk for a long time that the Koraysh were bent on revenge and planned to rid themselves of Prophet Muhammad (sa) and his followers.

With this in mind, Huyay -- who had been the chief conspirator in the failed attempt to kill the Prophet (sa) -- together with the chieftains of Khybar journeyed across the hot desert sands to Mecca to progress the matter. They were taken to Abu Sufyan upon their arrival who welcomed them as they ingratiated themselves telling him that the Koraysh were dearer to them than anyone else on account of their intent to rid themselves of the Prophet (sa).

Abu Sufyan was heartened by these words and together with Safwan, and the other Koraysh chieftains they made their way to the Ka'ba, entered it, and took a solemn oath that they would not fail one another in the achievement of their mutual goal. During this congenial occasion Abu Sufyan inquired of his new allies, "You are knowledgeable of the first scripture, therefore, give us your opinion. Is our religion better than that of Muhammad?"

Without hesitation, and despite the undeniable fact that both Judaism and Islam preached the same message, the Oneness of the Creator and the abomination of idols, the Jews replied, "Your religion is better than his -- you are nearer to the truth!" In an effort to enlist the hostile or indifferent nomadic tribes of the Najd, it was agreed that the Jews should visit with their chieftains and if revenge was insufficient enough reason to win their support then they would offer handsome bribes. There was no need to offer a bribe to the tribe of Asad; they readily lent their support.

However, the tribe of Ghatafan with its branches declared their need to be recompensed. Eventually a deal was struck with the Ghatafan being promised half the date harvest of Khybar. As for the tribe of Sulaym, there were among them those who inclined to Islam and so the leaders of the Nadir were unable to secure their full support.

When the tribe of Amir was approached they declined, remaining loyal to the alliance contracted earlier with the Prophet (sa). The current strength of the Koraysh army and its previous allies was four thousand strong, however, through the effort of Huyay and his fellow chieftains, their ranks were now swelled by an additional two thousand, seven hundred men -- more than double their number at Uhud and so the preparations for further hostilities were once again set in motion.