Chapter 30

30. THE BATTLE OF THE TRENCHES

The two great armies faced each other across the battlefield. On one side were the Muslims of Madina who were much smaller in number but were now fighting for; their very survival. On the other side were the army of the Kuffar which was made up of many different tribes gathered from all over Arabia. The army included Quraish, Gatfan and other Jewish and Arab tribes. This huge army was much bigger than the whole Muslim population.

Between the two armies was a trench (Khandak in Arabic). It had just been completed by the Muslims as their only means of defence against the Kuffar. This was not a common tactic used by the Arabs so the Kuffar were unsure how they would contend with it. It was deep enough and wide enough to be a formidable barrier against any army.

The Kuffar tried their best to cross the trench so that they could march onto Madina. However, the Muslims repelled all their attacks and attempts to cross the trench by shooting arrows at them. There were many attempts made by the Kuffar but none were successful. There was a narrow section in the trench where some Kuffar forces managed to break through. They took control of that small area and their leader ‘Amr bin ‘Abd-e-Wudd demanded a man-to-man battle with a Muslim fighter.

Ali stepped forward and quickly finished ‘Amr causing the small group of Kuffar to retreat. The Muslims soon had re-gained this area that the Kuffar had occupied. The battle continued for days with more futile attempts to cross the trench by the Kuffar. The Muslim were utterly exhausted in defending Madina but despite this they continued fighting. The Kuffar had resigned to the fact that they would not be able to cross the trenches so they laid siege to Madina, preventing supplies entering Madina. It was only a matter of time before the Muslims would begin to starve.

The Kuffar did not rest in this siege but tried many new tactics to penetrate Madina and attack the Muslim forces through volleys of arrows. The Muslims held onto their position and braved these difficult and trying circumstances.

The Muslims would often be late for Salah and would need to pray them late. In one incident, Umar cursed the Kuffar army because they had caused him to miss his Asr Salah. The fighting had been so intense that day that the Prophet (pbuh) prayed the Asr Salah (mid Afternoon prayer) after sunset followed by the Maghrib Salah, the sunset prayer.

As the days dragged on, things had become very difficult with morale extremely low amongst the Muslims. However, they still defended with such gallantry and bravery that the Kuffar were unable to cross the trenches and enter Madina.

The Jewish tribes decided that they would try their own tactics and went to see Bani Quraizah, their allies in the past. Bani Quraizah would not even let them into their forts let alone join them in battle. After some coaxing from the K’ab bin Asad - the former leader of Bani Nadir, Bani Quraizah finally let them into the fort to listen to their proposals.

The Jews said that this was the best opportunity to attack the Muslims who had concentrated all their defences on the northern side. If the Kuffar had access through their forts, they would attack them from behind and crush the Muslims. The women and children were located in this part of Madina so there would be no resistance from anyone.

Bani Quraizah were not convinced, they had seen the success Allah had granted the Prophet (pbuh) in the past and they knew that this would be treachery of the highest order. However, after lots of coaxing, the sweet words of K’ab and other delegates convinced Bani Quraizah that the Muslims would not stand a chance against their attacks. All the Kuffar army needed was a way of getting into Madina and then the Muslims would be decisively finished.

Bani Quraizah finally decided to accept their offer and side with the Kuffar army. They began to make preparations for battle against the Muslims. This move would leave the Muslims defences wide open. The second front would make defending Madina impossible and defeat for the Muslims would be imminent.

The rumours were now spreading that Bani Quraizah were preparing for war, which was one of their worst fears. It was in breach of the treaty the Muslims had with Bani Quraizah who were suppose to help the Muslims defend Madina and not help the enemy. The Muslims were already utterly exhausted in defending their position and were submerged in difficulties. This was a test of character and nerves for the Muslims.

The Prophet (pbuh) commanded some of his trusted companions to investigate if there was any truth in the rumours that Bani Quraizah were preparing to fight them. After making some discrete investigations they returned to inform the Prophet (pbuh) of the bad news. This came as a shock to the Muslims who they were shaken by this disastrous news. However, despite everything stacked against them they knew that Allah had promised them victory and they would surely succeed.

Safiyah, the aunt of the Prophet (pbuh) saw a Bani Quraizah warrior wandering about outside their quarters. In these quarters, there were only women and children but had no men guarding. Every able man was needed on the battlefront to defend Madina and fight off the Kuffar army. In fact, the only man in these quarters was the elderly Hassan.

Safiyah told Hassan to go and finish off the warrior lurking about outside. He refused saying that he was too old to fight. Safiyah herself went outside and attacked the lone warrior with a piece of wood. Soon the warrior was dead so Safiyah told the elderly Hassan to check his clothes and remove his weapons. Hassan again refused saying he was too old so Safiyah did it herself. She then threw the body over the wall which made Bani Quraizah think that this area was also well guarded.

This act of bravery was a deterrent to anyone thinking of attacking the Muslim position from behind. Bani Quraizah had been sure that this place was unguarded but this casualty put doubts in their minds so they were reluctant to attack. However, they continued to send supplies to the Kuffar army who were camping outside the trench.

When the rumour of the Bani Quraizah reached the Hypocrites they began to play their usual games. They took this opportunity to weaken the Muslim ranks by mocking them about the prediction that they would conquer the Persians, Syria and Yemen. How could they conquer such super powers when they were almost defeated now!

The Hypocrites announced that they were retreating back to their homes to defend their women and children. This left the Muslims army weakened on the battle front, just as it had been weakened at Uhud with their departure. The situation was dire and the morale of the Muslim army was greatly reduced. Despite this, the Muslims remained steadfast and watched the Hypocrites retreat from the battlefront for the second time.

The Prophet (pbuh) was concerned and thought how the Kuffar could be persuaded to leave or their ranks broken. Could Bani Ghatfan be persuaded to return to their homes, which would weaken the Kuffar army. The Prophet (pbuh) consulted Sa’d bin Mu’adh about offering the Ghatfan a share of the date harvest in return for them leaving the battle.

Sa’d had many dealings with the Ghatafan tribe and knew them well. He said that Bani Ghatfan did not need their harvest and only wanted to defeat the Muslims. This concession from the Muslims of sharing a harvest would was unlikely to persuade them to leave the battlefield. Sa’d advised in continuing with the battle and let Allah open a path to victory.

A short while later, one of the warriors from the Kuffar army, Na’im bin Masud, sneaked across the trench and came to the Prophet (pbuh). He had accepted Islam in secrecy and was now a Muslim. He asked the Prophet (pbuh) how he could help the Muslims in their time of need. The Kuffar were not aware of his conversion to Islam, which he could use to his advantage.

After consulting the Prophet (pbuh), he returned to the Kuffar to try and cause distrust between them and break them up. This would break their resolve and would force them to return to their homes. He went to Bani Quraizah first and said that the Quraish were planning on leaving the battle and no longer wanted to fight. They would leave Bani Quraizah to face the Muslims once it was over. He told them not to trust the Quraish and to ask for hostages from their nobles as a sign of their willingness to fight. He parted from Bani Quraizah telling them that he was their friend and to keep this conversation secret.

Na’im then went to the Quraish and said that the Bani Quraizah are regretting turning against the Muslims. He said that they no longer wanted to fight but wanted to hand over some of the nobles of Quraish as compensation to the Muslims. He advised them not to trust Bani Quraizah and also request that this conversation be kept secret.

He went to the Ghatfan and did a similar sort of trick which caused them to doubt the other parties. This divided the different tribes who began to see everyone intentions in a different light.

A delegation of Quraish and Ghatfan went to see the Bani Quraizah and told them to prepare for a major offensive against the Muslims the following day. The Bani Quraizah refused saying that it was against their religion to fight on Saturday. The Makkans felt that the Jews no longer had the will to fight and wanted to make amends with the Muslims. Bani Quraizah then asked for a few of their dignitaries as reassurance to prove their desire to fight.

The Makkans were sure that Bani Quraizah were trying to trick them and wanted the prisoners so that they could hand them over to the Muslims. When both the parties left there was a feeling of mistrust and double crossing. This was the objective that Na’im wanted to achieve as the resolve of the kuffar army was finally broken.

Allah sent strong winds that turned over the cooking pots of the Kuffar army and blew their tents down. The weather was so cold and uncomfortable that they couldn’t wait to leave the battle. As dawn broke, they began to prepare for marching back. Before long the armies started to leave Madina and return home.

The Muslim were also suffering from the cold and strong winds. They were so exhausted that they did not want to move either. When the Prophet (pbuh) asked for a volunteer to check on the Makkan army no one came forward. The Prophet (pbuh) commanded Hudaifah to go and check on the Kuffar army. Although Hudaifah bin Al-Yaman was very tired, hungry and cold, he immediately got up and checked on the Kuffar army. He returned with the good news of their departure and the Muslims thanked Allah for this clear victory.

After thanking Allah for his blessing and favours, the Muslims too began to return to their homes. As the weary Muslims returned, the Angel Jibrael came to the Prophet (pbuh) and asked him why he was removing his armour. He said the angels still had their armour and were ready to march onto Bani Quraizah for their treachery.

The Angel departed saying that they were going ahead and would shake the forts of Bani Quraizah, instilling fear into their hearts. The Prophet (pbuh) commanded his men to get ready for battle and march to Bani Quraizah.

Would the weary Muslim army respond to the call of their Prophet (pbuh)? What would the outcome of this battle be? Would Bani Quraizah put up a good fight and beat the already weakened and weary Muslims? Bani Quraizah were well stocked up with supplies, which could last months. 

The outcome of this battle might not be as straight forward, all will be revealed in next chapter

    [NEXT CHAPTER --> 31. BEYOND KHANDAK]

Chapter 31

31. BEYOND KHANDAK

The Muslims had just managed to drive away one of the biggest armies they had ever faced. This army had the sole intention of crushing the Muslims of Madina and ending the religion of Islam. The Muslims had strengthened their defences by digging a huge trench that stopped the enemy in their tracks. The army tried its best to cross and attack Madina but the Muslims fought them off with their customary bravery.

Bani Quraizah lived within Madina and towards the end of the battle; they joined the ranks of the enemy to fight against the Muslims. This opened a second front against the Muslims. These actions considerably weakened the Muslims and could easily have caused the downfall of Madina. Bani Quraizah had a treaty with the Muslims of working together to defend Madina against any aggressors. They had broken this treaty at its most critical time.

The army of the kuffar became divided and Allah sent strong winds which destroyed their resolve to fight the Muslims. The army departed the following morning leaving Bani Quraizah to face the consequences of their treachery.

As the Muslims returned to their homes, the Angel Jibrael came to the Prophet (pbuh) and told him to join the angels in fighting against the Bani Quraizah. The Angels went ahead to shake Bani Quraizah, putting fear into their hearts. The Muslims followed behind to fight them because of their treachery and breach of the treaty.

The Prophet (pbuh) gathered all the Muslims and announced to make immediate preparation for battle. The Muslims began to quickly gather their forces and head towards Bani Quraizah. The Prophet (pbuh) appointed Ali head the army into battle.

The Muslims marched to Bani Quraizah’s quarters, which was a fortified city. It would be difficult to fight Bani Quraizah there because it was well protected and had ample supplies that could last for many months. Bani Quraizah had plenty of weaponry and armed men, which would make them a formidable opponent for any army.

The Muslims laid siege to the Bani Quraizah’s quarters with many short skirmishes taking place. Bani Quraizah considered the options available to them and decided to speak to some of the Muslims who had maintained good relationship with them in the past. Bani Quraizah invited Abu Lubaba to their quarters and put on a display of despair. The crying and mourning of the people moved Abu Lubaba so when Bani Quraizah asked him what would happen to them, he pointed to his throat. This signalled that they would be killed in this ensuing battle and its aftermath.

Abu Lubaba immediately realised his mistake and went to the Prophet’s mosque. He tied himself to the wooden post and refused to leave until Allah forgave him for his mistake of leaking information. He remained there for a few days and would only be untied by his wife for prayers and eating food.

The siege had lasted for a few days now and Bani Quraizah were very worried about the possible outcome. They considered all the options available to them. They considered killing all their women and children so that they had nothing to live for. Then they would fight to the death. They also thought about launching a surprise attack on the Saturday, which was normally a day that Jews would not fight. They also considered becoming Muslims so that they could be freed from their previous sins.

They were indecisive so they spoke to the Muslims and asked for a truce. They wanted someone to be judge between the two parties in this situation. Sa’d bin Muadh was proposed and both sides accepted him as judge. Both parties would be bound by his decision. In the past, Sa’d bin Muadh was a great ally of Bani Quraizah and was known to be a just and wise person. However, he was not present because he had been injured in the battle of the trenches.

Sa’d was escorted to the battlefield still very weak and ill from his wounds. He insisted on both parties to abide by his judgement, regardless of whose favour it would be in. After considering the situation, he judged that Bani Quraizah should be put to death for their treachery and double-crossing during the battle of the trenches. All the men should be put to death and the women and children should be sold into slavery. This judgment was made in accordance to the law of the Tawrah.

This command was carried out and Bani Quraizah no longer remained a part of Madina. The women and children were sold into slavery, which was the final end to the whole incident. The Muslims then finally rested after these hectic and testing weeks of battle.

After Bani Quraizah affair, an important chapter was closed in the history of Islam. Many people who had created problems and friction within Madina were finally banished. The armies of Arabia had been soundly defeated and the Muslims had gained a great victory. There had not been many deaths in the incident but one casualty was Sa’d bin Muadh who died from the wounds that were inflicted during the battle of the trench.

There were still many hostile tribes around Madina and many more deep in Arabia who were a menace to lasting peace. They were already amassing forces to ambush Muslims and attack Madina. The Prophet (pbuh) sent a number of small forces, which often resulted in no battles but acted as a deterrent to the rest of the Arabs. There were a few incidents in which there were small skirmishes between the Muslims and different tribes.

The only remaining ‘enemies’ within Madina were the Hypocrites. They had lost all hope of seeing the Muslims beaten in combat against any army in Arabia. They had seen the biggest army ever raised against the Muslims and even they were unsuccessful. However, the hypocrites continued their mischief making, trying to cause friction and division between the Muslims.

There was one particular incident that caused a lot of grievances within the Muslim community. It all began during the Bani Mustalliq expedition when a Muslim force was sent to face an amassing army. During this expedition, Aisha was accompanying the Prophet (pbuh). The expedition was a success and the enemy retreated leaving much of the war booty behind. Soon the victorious Muslims were making the long march back to Madina.

One their return journey, the Muslims would camp during the night and travel during the day. When they reached close to Madina, they setup camp. Aisha had gone to answer the call of nature and had managed to lose the necklace she was wearing. When she returned, she realised that the necklace was missing and decided to return quickly before the caravan left.

It was quite a distance and when she retuned to the camp, the caravan had already departed for Madina. She was devastated and hoped that someone would come back for her when they discovered she was missing. They had loaded her litter, which was there for her privacy; on top of the camel without realising she wasn’t inside it.

As Aisha waited patiently at the location of the old camp, she soon fell asleep. Luckily, Safwan bin Mu’athal was coming behind the army and saw Aisha waiting in the desert. He recognised Aisha and escorted her back to Madina. Aisha sat on the camel that was led by Safwan who walked without saying a word.

As soon as Aisha returned to Madina, the Hypocrites started to spread vicious rumours about Aisha, slurring her good name. She was ill and bed ridden so was unaware of these slandering rumours that had circulated about her character. When she felt better, she went to see her parents after learning about the rumours from a woman named ume-Mistah. She was shocked that anyone could doubt her character, after all she was the wife of the Prophet (pbuh).

When she was asked about the events, she replied that she would leave it in Allah’s hands and He would clear her name. She was heart broken that anyone could think about her in that way and she shed many tears. Soon a verse from the Qur’an was revealed which cleared her name. The whole community was overjoyed and the rumours were put to rest. 

Some of the Muslims involved in spreading the rumours were whipped for defaming the name of an innocent person. The main culprit was Abdullah bin Ubai who was also the leader of the Hypocrites. He managed to escape from punishment, even though he had spread the rumours to all quarters of Madina. The prescribed punishment in the Qur’an is reserved for him in the hereafter.

A short while after this unfortunate episode finished, the Prophet (pbuh) had a dream in which he and his companions were performing the Umrah. In his dream, they were shaving their hair and completing the Umrah. This brought great joy to the Prophet (pbuh) who had left Makkan six long years ago. He had dearly missed Makkah and the Holy Ka’bah.

The Prophet (pbuh) told the Sahabah about the dream, which was a sign that they would be performing the Umrah to the holy city. Everyone was excited and many people began to make preparations to join the Prophet (pbuh) in this Umrah. They gathered all their essentials for the journey as well as the sacrificial animals for this pilgrimage.

Fifteen hundred Muslims set off from Madina to make the pilgrimage. They were not armed for battle but only had swords for self-defence as was customary. Their swords remained in their sheaths, which was an indication of the peaceful nature of their journey.

Makkah was still a few days of travelling away when the Quraish learned that the Muslims were coming towards Makkah. They sent out spies to investigate the reason why the Muslims were coming. The spies returned with the news that the Muslims were there for peaceful reasons. They explained that the Muslims were not armed and had their animals for the sacrifice. They advised them to allow the Muslims to come in peace and perform the pilgrimage.

The Makkans were already opposed to the Muslims and they were determined not to let the Muslims enter into Makkah. They called for Khalid bin Walid to lead a force into battle against the Muslims. They dispatched him immediately at the head of 200 horsemen with the intention of stopping the Muslims. Under no circumstances were the Muslims allowed to enter Makkah.

Khalid was no ordinary commander; he was very brave and skilled in battle. He wasted no time in heading for the unarmed Muslim pilgrims.