Imam Muḥammad b. Isḥāq b. Yasār, in his book "al-Sīra," discusses the Jewish scholars, their enmity towards the Muslims and Islam, and the verses (āyāt) revealed concerning them, providing extensive details. The Jewish scholars were: Ḥuyayy b. Akhṭab and his brothers Abū Yāsir and Judayy, Sallām b. Mishkam, Kināna b. Rabīʿ b. Abī al-Ḥuqayq, Sallām b. Abī al-Ḥuqayq (also known as Abū Rāfiʿ al-Aʿwar, a merchant of the people of Ḥijāz; as will be explained later, the Companions (ṣaḥāba) killed him at Khaybar), Rabīʿ b. Rabīʿ Abī al-Ḥuqayq, ʿAmr b. Jahaš, Kaʿb b. al-Ashraf (from the Ṭayy tribe, of the Banū Nabhān; his mother was from the Banū Naḍīr Jews; as will be explained later, the Companions killed him before Abū Rāfiʿ), Kaʿb's allies Ḥajjāj b. ʿAmr and Kardam b. Qays. May Allah curse them. These mentioned individuals were from the Banū Naḍīr Jews.
As for the Jewish scholars from the Banū Thaʿlaba b. Fityawn, their names are as follows: ʿAbdullāh b. Suriyya (after him, there was no one in the Ḥijāz region more learned or more knowledgeable of the Torah among the Jews. I say: there are those who claim he became Muslim), Ibn Salūba, Muḥayriq (as will be explained later, he became Muslim during the Battle of Uḥud; he was a prominent figure among his people).
As for the scholars of the Banū Qaynuqāʿ Jews, their names are:
Zayd b. al-Lāṣit, Saʿd b. Ḥanīf, Maḥmūd b. Sayḥān, ʿUzayz b. Abī ʿAzīz, ʿAbdullāh b. Dayf, Suwayd b. Ḥāris, Rufāʿa b. Qays, Finḥās, Ashya, Nuʿmān b. Edā, Baḥrī b. ʿAmr, Shās b. ʿAdiyy, Shās b. Qays, Zayd b. Ḥāris, Nuʿmān b. ʿAmr, Sukayn b. Abī Sukayn, ʿAdiyy b. Zayd, Nuʿmān b. Abī Awfā, Abū Anas, Maḥmūd b. Daḥya, Mālik b. Sayf, Kaʿb b. Rāshit, ʿAzīr, Rafīʿ b. Abī Rafīʿ, Khālid b. Azar, Azar b. Abī Azar, Rafīʿ b. Ḥāritha, Rafīʿ b. Ḥuraym and Rafīʿ b. Ḥārija, Mālik b. ʿAwf, Rufāʿa b. Zayd b. Tābūt, and ʿAbdullāh b. Salām.
The conversion of this individual (ʿAbdullāh b. Salām) to Islam was mentioned on previous pages
and has already been described.
Ibn Isḥāq said: ʿAbdullāh b. Salām was a profound scholar and a learned figure among the Jews. His name was Ḥusayn. When he became Muslim, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) gave him the name ʿAbdullāh.
Ibn Isḥāq said: As for the scholars of the Banū Qurayẓa Jews, they are:
Zubayr b. Baṭā b. Wahb, Azal b. Samūʾīl, Kaʿb b. Asad (he was the one who made the pact which they broke during the Battle of the Trench), Samūʾīl b. Zayd b. Kaʿb, Wahb b. Zayd, Nāfiʿ b. Abī Nāfiʿ, ʿAdiyy b. Zayd, Ḥāris b. ʿAwf, Kardam b. Zayd, Usāma b. Ḥabīb, Rafīʿ b. Rumayla, Jabal b. Abī Kushayr, and Wahb b. Yahūdhā.
Ibn Isḥāq said: The learned man of the Banū Zurayq Jews was Labīd b. Aʿṣam. He was the one who performed sorcery against the Messenger of God.
The learned man of the Banū Ḥāritha Jews was Kināna b. Suriyya.
The learned man of the Banū ʿAmr b. ʿAwf Jews was Kardam b. ʿAmr.
The learned man of the Banū Najjār Jews was Silsila b. Barham.
Ibn Isḥāq said: These individuals were the scholars of the Jews and those who generated evil and enmity against the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) and his Companions (ṣaḥāba). They were the ones who asked him many questions to put him in difficulty, to be obstinate, and to further their kufr (disbelief). These were the ones who became enemies of Islam and the Muslims in order to extinguish Islam. Only ʿAbdullāh b. Salām and Muḥayriq are excepted from them.
Later, Ibn Isḥāq also relates the conversion of ʿAbdullāh b. Salām and his aunt Khālida to Islam. As we have already narrated this event, Ibn Isḥāq also reports that Muḥayriq, on the day of Uḥud, entered Islam and said to his people on the Sabbath:
– O Jewish community! By Allah, you surely know that it is an obligation upon you to support Muḥammad!
– But today is the Sabbath.
– The Sabbath is not for you!
After saying this, he took up his arms and said to those of his people who remained behind:
– If I am killed today, let my wealth belong to Muḥammad (peace be upon him). Let him dispose of it as Allah has instructed him.
Muḥayriq, who was a wealthy man, went to the Messenger of God and joined his ranks. He fought until he was martyred.
The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said about him:
"Muḥayriq is the best of the Jews."