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BATTLES OF THE PROPHET SERIES
THE BATTLE OF
THE TRENCH
Excerpt from the book "The Battles Of The
Prophet"
by Ibn Kathir as translated by Wa'il Abdul-Mut'aal
Shihab
The author, Abu Al-Fida Imad Ad-Din Isma'il bin Umar bin Kathir
Al-Qurashi Al-Busrawi was born in 1301 in Busra, Syria.
Considered as one of the great Muslim scholars, Ibn Kathir wrote
the famous Tafsir al-Quran al-Adhim, now popularly known as
Tafsir Ibn Kathir. His other popular works include the 14-volume
Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (The Beginning and the End) - considered
one of the most authoritative sources on Islamic history, and
Al-Sira An-Nabawiyyah (Life of the Prophet.) The book Battles of
the Prophet is a part of Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah. Ibn Kathir died
in the year 774 AH (1373 CE).
Regarding the battle of Al-Ahzab or Al-Khandaq(the trench),
Allah, Most High, revealed the following Qur'anic verses,
 
O ye who believe! Remember the grace of Allah, (bestowed) on
you, when there come clown on you hosts (to overwhelm you):
but We sent against them a hurricane and forces that ye saw
not: but Allah sees (clearly) all that ye do. Behold! They
came on you form above you and from below you, and behold,
the eyes swerved and the hearts gaped up to the throws, and
ye imagined various (vain) thoughts about Allah! In that
situation were the believers tried: they were shaken as by a
tremendous shaking. And behold! The hypocrites and those in
whose hearts is disease say: 'Allah and His Messenger
promised us nothing but delusions!' Behold! A party among
them said: 'Ye men of Yathrib! Ye cannot stand (the attack)!
Therefore go back!' And a band of them ask for leave of the
Prophet, saying, 'Truly our houses are bare and exposed. '
Though they were not exposed: they intended nothing but to
run away. And if any entry had been effected to them from
the sides (of the city), and they had been incited to
sedition, they would certainly have brought it to pass, with
none but a brief delay! And yet they had already covenanted
with Allah not to turn their backs, and a covenant with
Allah must (surely) be answered for. Say: `Running away will
not profit you if ye are running away from death or
slaughter; and even if (ye do escape), no more than a brief
(respite) will ye be allowed to enjoy!' Say: 'Who is it that
can screen you from Allah if it be His wish to give you
punishment or to give you mercy?' Nor will they find for
themselves, besides Allah, any protector or helper. Verily
Allah knows those among you who keep back (men) and those
who say to their brethren, 'Come along to us', but come not
to fight except for just a little while, covetous over you.
Then when fear comes, thou -wilt see them looking to thee,
their eyes revolving, like one who faints from death: but
when the fear is past, they will smite you with sharp
tongues, covetous of goods. Such men have no faith, and so
Allah has made their deeds of none effect: and that is easy
for Allah. They think that the Confederates have not
withdrawn; and if the Confederates should come (again), they
would wish they were is the deserts (wandering) among the
Bedouins, and seeking news about you (from a safe distance);
and if they were in your midst, they would fight but little.
Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah an excellent
exemplar for him who hopes in Allah and the Final Day, and
who remembers Allah much. When the believers saw the
Confederate forces, they said, 'This is what Allah and His
Messenger had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger told
us what was true.' And it only added to their faith and
their zeal in obedience. Among the believers are men who
have been true to their covenant with Allah: of them some
have died and some (still) wait: but they have never changed
(their determination) in the least: that Allah may reward
the men of Truth for their Truth, and punish the hypocrites
if that be His will, or turn to them in mercy: for Allah is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And Allah turned back the
unbelievers for (all) their fury: no advantage did they
gain; and enough is Allah for the believers in their fight.
And Allah is Full of Strength, Exalted in might. And those
of the people of the Book who aided them ‑ Allah did take
them down from their strongholds and cast terror into their
hearts, (so that some ye slew, and some ye made captives.
And He made you heirs of their lands, their houses, and
their goods, and of a land which ye had not frequented
(before), And Allah has Power over all things.
(Al-Ahzab: 9-27)
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According to most of the late and early Muslim
scholars, the Battle of Al-Ahzab took place in
Shawwal, 5 AH.
The Occasion of the Battle
Scholars of Siyrah relate that a number of
Jews who had formed a party against the Messenger of
Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
among whom were Sallam Ibn Al-Hugayq An-Nadri,
Huyayy Ibn Akhtab An-Nadri, Kinanah Ibn Abu Al‑
Hugayq An-Nadri, and Haudhah Ibn Qays Al-Wa' and Abu
' Ammar Al-Wa'ili with a number of the tribe of
An-Nadir and the tribe of Wall went to Quraish at
Makkah and invited them to join them in an attack on
the Messenger so that they might get rid of him
altogether. |
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Map of the Batle of the Trench |
Quraish
said, "You, O Jews, are the first scripture people and know the
nature of our dispute with Muhammad. Is our religion is the best
or his'?"
They replied, "Certainly, your religion is better than his and
you had a better claim to be in the right."
It was about them that Allah, Most High, sent down the following
Qur' anic verses,
Hast thou not turned thy thought to those who were given a
portion of the book? They believe in sorcery and Taghut and say
to the unbelievers that they are better guided in the (right)
way than the believers! They are (men) whom Allah has cursed:
and those whom Allah hash cursed, thou wilt find, have no one to
help.
(An-Nisa' : 51-52)
These words, consequently, rejoiced Quraish and they responded
gladly to their invitation to fight the Messenger and they
assembled and made their preparations. Then that company of Jews
went off to Ghattafan of Qays Aylan and invited them to fight
the Messenger and told them that they would act with them and
that Quraish had followed their leadin the matter; they too
joined in with them.
Quraish marched under the leadership of Abu Sufyan Ibn Harb; and
Ghatafan led by ' Uyaynah Ibn Hisn Ibn Hudhaifah with the tribe
of Fuzarah; and Al-Harith Ibn Awf Thu Harithah Al-Marri with the
tribe of Murra; and Mis' ar Ibn Rukhlah Ibn
Nuwayrah Ibn Tarif Ibn Suhmah Ibn Abdullah Ibn Ililal Ibn
Khalawah Ibn Ashja' Ibn Rayth Ihn Ghatafan with those of his
people from Ashja' who followed him.
Muslims Make Their Preparations
When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) heard of the intention of his enemies he drew a trench
about Madinah. Digging a trench, according to Ibn Hisham, was
the suggestion of Salman, the Persian. The Messenger of Allah'
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) joined the Muslims in
digging the trench encouragim2, the Muslims with the hope of
reward in heaven. True Muslims worked very hard with the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) while the disaffected
held hack from hem and began to hide their real object by
working slackly and by stealing away to their families without
the Messenger's permission or knowledge. In this connection,
Allah, Most High, revealed the following Queanic verses,
Only those are believers, who believe in Allah and His
Messenger: when they are with him on a matter requiring
collective action, they do not depart until they have asked for
his leave; these who ask for the
leave are those who believe in. Allah and His Messenger,
so when they ask for thy leave, for some business of their, give
leave to those of them whom thou wilt, and ask Allah for their
forgiveness; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Deem not
the summons of the Messenger among yourselves like the summons
of one of you to another: Allah cloth know those of Von who slip
away under shelter of
some excuses: then let those beware who withstand his
(the Messenger) order, lest some trial befall them or a grievous
chastisement be inflicted on them. Be quite sure that to Allah
cloth belong whatever in
the heavens and on earth. Well doth He know what ye are
intent upon: and the day they will be brought back to Him, He
will tell them the truth of what they did: for Allah doth know
all things.
(An-Nur: 62-64)
The Muslims worked at the trench until they had finished it,
and they made a jingle about one of the Muslim called Ju'
ayl whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) named ' Arnr.
In his Sahih, Al-Bukhari narrated the following ahadith:
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Allah's
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went
out towards the Khandaq (i.e., trench) and saw the Muhafirun
and the Ansar digging the trench in the cold morning. They
had no slaves to do that (work) for them. When the Prophet
saw their hardship and hunger, he said,
"O Allah! The real life is the life of the Hereafter, so
please forgive the Ansar and the Muhajirun."
They said in reply to him, "We are those who have given the
pledge of allegiance to Muhammad for to observe Jihad as
long as we live."
Also, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the
Muhajirun and the Ansar were digging the trench around
Madinah and were carrying the earth on their backs while
saying, "We are those who have given the pledge of
allegiance to Muhammad for Islam as long as we live." The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in
reply to their saying,
"O Allah! There is no goodness except the goodness of the
Hereafter; so please grant Your Blessing to the Ansar and
the Muhajirun."
The people used to bring a handful of barley, and a meal
used to be prepared thereof by cooking it with a cooking
material (i.e., oil, fat and butter having a change in color
and smell) and it used to be presented to the people (i.e.,
workers) who were hungry, and it used to stick to their
throats and had a nasty smell.
Sahl Ibn Sa' d (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that
we were with Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) in the trench, and some were digging the trench
while we were carrying the earth on our shoulders. Allah's
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
"0 Allah! There is no life except the life of the Hereafter,
so please forgive the Muhajirun and the Ansar."
Al-Bara' (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) was carrying earth on the day of Al-Khandaq until his
abdomen was fully covered with dust, and he was saying,
"By Allah, without Allah we would not have been guided,
neither would we have given in charity, nor would we have
prayed. So (O Allah), please send Sakina (i. e., calmness)
upon us, and make our feet firm if we meet the enemy as the
enemy have rebelled against us, and if they intended
affliction (i. e., want to frighten us and fight against
us), then. we would not (flee but withstand them)."
The Prophet used to raise his voice
saying,
"Abaina! Abaina! (i. e., we would not, we would not)."
In another narration, Al-Bara' (may Allah be pleased with
him) said that when it was the day of Al-Ahzab (i.e., the
clans) and Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) dug the trench, I saw him carrying earth out of
the trench until dust made the skin of his abdomen out of my
sight and he was a hairy man. I heard him reciting the
poetic verses composed by Ibn Rawahah while he was carrying
the earth,
"0 Allah! Without You we would not have been guided, nor
would we have given in charity, nor would we have prayed.
So, (0 Allah), please send Sakina (i.e.,
 calmness)
upon us and make our feet firm if we meet the enemy, as they
have rebelled against us. And if they intend affliction (i.
e., want to frighten us, and fight against us), then we
would not (flee but withstand them)."
The Prophet would then prolong his voice at the last words.
Marvelous Scenes
Ibn Ishaq said, "I have heard some stories about the digging
of the trench in which there is an example of Allah's
justifying His Messenger and confirming his prophetic
office, things which the Muslims saw with their eyes."
In this context, Al-Bukhari narrated on the authority of
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) who said, "We were
digging (the trench) on the day of AI-Khandaq (i.e., trench)
and we came across a big solid rock. We went to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, 'Here
is a rock appearing across the trench.' He said, 'I am
coming down.' Then he got up, and a stone was tied to his
belly for we had not eaten anything for three days. So the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took the
spade and struck the big solid rock and it became like sand.
I said, '0 Allah's Messenger! Allow me to go home.' (When
the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
allowed me) I said to my wife, 'I saw the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) in a state that I cannot
treat lightly. Have you got something (for him to eat?)' She
replied, 'I have barley and a she-goat.' So, I slaughtered
the she-kid and she ground the barley; then we put the meat
in the earthenware cooking pot. Then I came to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when the dough
had become soft and fermented and (the meat in) the pot over
the stone trivet had nearly been well‑ cooked, and said, 'I
have got a little food prepared, so get up 0 Allah's
Messenger, you and one or two men along with you (for the
food).' The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) asked, `How much is that food?' I told him about it. He
said, 'It is abundant and good. Tell your wife not to remove
the earthenware pot from the fire and not to take out any
bread from the oven until I reach there.' Then he said (to
all his Companions), 'Get up.' So, the Muhajirun and the
Ansar got up. When I came to my wife, I said, `Allah's peace
be upon you! The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) came along with the Muhajirun and the Ansar and
those who were present with them.' She said, 'Did the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ask you
(how much food you had)?' I replied, `Yes.' Then the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, 'Enter and
do not throng.' The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) started cutting the bread (into pieces) and put
the cooked meat over it. He covered the earthenware pot and
the oven whenever he took something out of them. He would
give the food to his Companions and take the meat out of the
pot. He went on cutting the bread and scooping the meat (for
his Companions) until they all ate their fill, and even
then, some food remained. Then the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said (to my wife),
`Eat and present to others as the people are struck with
hunger.'"
In another narration Jabir Ibn Abdullah (may Allah be
pleased with him) said, "When the trench was dug, I saw the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the
state of severe hunger. So I returned to my wife and said,
'Have you got anything (to eat), for I have seen Allah's
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in a
state of severe hunger.' She brought out for me, a bag
containing one Sa' of barley, and we had a domestic
she-animal (i.e., a kid) which I slaughtered then, and my
wife ground the barley and she finished at the time I
finished my job (i.e., slaughtering the kid). Then I cut the
meat into pieces and put it in an earthenware (cooking) pot,
and returned to Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him). My wife said, 'Do not disgrace me in
front of Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) and those who are with him.' So I went to him and
said to him secretly, '0 Allah's Messenger! I have
slaughtered a she-animal (i.e., kid) of ours, and we have
ground a Sa of barley which was with us. So please come, you
and another person along with you.' The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) raised his voice and said,
'0 people of trench! Jabir has prepared a meal so let us
go.' Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) said to me, 'Don't put down your earthenware meat pot
(from the fireplace) or bake your dough until I come.' So, I
came (to my house) and Allah's Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) too, came, proceeding before
the people. When I came to my wife, she said, 'May Allah do
so-and-so to you.' I said, 'I have told the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) of what you said.' Then
she brought out to him (i.e., the Prophet) the dough, and he
spat in it and invoked for Allah's Blessings in it. Then he
proceeded towards our earthenware meat-pot and spat in it
and invoked for Allah's Blessings in it. Then he said (to my
wife), 'Call a lady-baker to bake along with you and keep on
taking out scoops from your earthenware meat-pot, and do not
put it down from its fireplace.' They were one-thousand (who
took their meals), and by Allah they all ate, and when they
left the food and went away, our earthenware pot was still
bubbling (full of meat) as if it had not ecreased, and our
dough was still being baked as if nothing had been taken
from it."
According to Ibn Ishaq, a daughter of Bashir Ibn Sa' d,
sister of An-Nu' man Ibn Bashir, said, "My mother ' Arah,
daughter of Rawahah, called me and gave me a handful of
dates which she put in my garment and told me to take them
to my father and my uncle Abdullah Ibn Rawahah -for their
food. As I went off looking for them I passed the Messenger
of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who
called me and asked me what I had. When I told him that I
was taking the dates to my father and my uncle he told me to
give them to him. So I poured them into his hands but they
did not fill them then he called for a garment which was
laid out for him and threw the dates upon it so that they
were scattered on it. Then he told the men to summon the
diggers to lunch, and when they came they began to eat and
the dates went on increasing until they turned away from
them and they were still falling from the ends of the
garment."
Ibn
Ishaq, moreover, narrated on the authority of Salman
Al-Farsi that the latter said, "I was working with a pick in
the trench where a rock gave me much trouble. The Messenger
of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who was
near at hand saw me hacking and saw how difficult the place
was. He dropped down into the trench and took the pick from
my hand and gave such a below that lighting showed beneath
the pick. This happened a second and a third time. I said,
'0 you, dearer than father or mother what is the meaning of
this light beneath your pick as you strike?' He said,
'Did you really see that, Salman? The first means that Allah
opened up to me the Yemen; the second Syria and the west;
and the third the east.'"
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say
when countries were conquered in the time of Urnar and Utham
and after, "Conquer where you will; by Allah, you have not
conquered and to the Day of Judgment you will not conquer a
city but Allah has given its keys beforehand to Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)."
In this context, we read in the Sahih of Al‑ Bukhari the
following narrations:
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
"I have been given the keys of eloquent speech and given
victory with awe (cast into the hearts of the enemy), and
while I was sleeping last night, the keys of the treasures
of the earth were brought to me until they were put in my
hand."
Abu Hurairah added, "Allah's Messenger left (this world) and
now you people are carrying those treasures from place to
place."
Also, Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported
that Allah's Messenger said,
"When Khosrau is ruined, there will be no Khosrau after him;
and when Caesar is ruined, there will be no Caesar after
him. By Him in Whose Hands my life is, you will spend their
treasures in Allah's Cause."
The Camp of Quraish
When
the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) finished the trench, Quraish came and encamped where
the torrent-beds of Ruma meet between Al-Jurut and Zughabah
with ten thousand of their black mercenaries and their
followers from the tribe of Kinanah and the people of
Tuhamah. Ghatafan too came with their followers from Najd
and halted at Dhanab Napa towards the direction of Uhud.
On the other side, the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Muslims came out
with three thousand men having Sala' at their backs. He
pitched his camp there with the trench between him and his
enemy, and gave orders that the women and children were to
be taken up into the forts.
According to Ibn Hisham, the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) appointed Ibn Umm Maktum as
the ruler of Madinah in that period.
Al-Bukhari narrated on the authority of ' Aishah (may Allah
be pleased with her) that the latter said, "As regards the
following Qur'anic verse,
Behold! They came on you from above you and from below you,
and behold the eyes swerved and the hearts gaped up to the
throats, and ye imagined various (vain) thoughts about
Allah!,
(Al-Ahzab: 10)
That happened on the Day of Al-Khandaq (i.e, trench)."
The Jewish tribe of Bani Quraizah, who had stood by the
agreement, was pressed by a Jewish emissary from the enemy
to break their promise. Eventually, they agreed to do so and
when the news of this reached the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) and his Companions they were
greatly troubled.
Sa'd Ibn Mu' adh, the leader of the tribe of Aws, was sent
by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
with two other men to find out if this were true. When they
arrived in the part of Madinah where the Jews lived, they
found that things were even worse than they had previously
thought. Sa' d Ibn Mu' adh, whose tribe was closely allied
with Banu Quraizah, tried to persuade their leader not to
break the treaty with the Muslims, but he refused to listen.
This meant that the Muslims could not relax their guard for
one moment, for they were now threatened not only by the
enemy beyond the trench, but by Banu Quraizah, within the
walls of the city.
The situation, according to Ibn Ishaq, became serious and
fear was everywhere. The enemy came at them from above and
below until the believers imagined vain things and
disaffection was rife among the disaffected to the point
that Mu' attib Ibn Qushair, brother of Banu ' Amr Ibn ' Awf,
said, "Muhammad used to promise us that we should eat the
treasures of Khosrau and Caesar and today not one of us can
feel safe in going to the privy!"
It reached such a point that Aws Ibn Qaizi said, "0
Messenger of Allah! Our houses are exposed to the enemy.
This he said before a large gathering of his people. So let
us go out and return to our home, for it is outside Madinah."
In this context, the Glorious Qur'an
says,
And
behold! The hypocrites and those in whose
hearts is a disease say: 'Allah and His
Messenger promised us nothing but
delusions!' Behold! A party among them said:
'Ye men of Yathrib! Ye cannot stand (the
attack)! Therefore go back!' And a band
of them ask for leave of the Prophet,
saying, 'Truly our houses are bare and
exposed.' Though they were not exposed: they
intended nothing but to run away.
(Al-Ahzab : 12- 13)
The
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) and the polytheists remained
twenty days and more, nearly a month, without
fighting except for some shooting with arrows, and the
siege. When condition pressed hard upon the
people, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) wanted to offer Ghatafan a third
of the dates of Madinah on condition that they would go back
and leave him and his men, so peace was
made between them so far as the writing of a
document. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) consulted both
Sa' d Ibn ' Abadah and Sa' d Ibn Mu' adh, leaders of Al-Aws and
A1-Ghazraj, regarding givinv, the unbelievers one-third of
the fruits of Madinah in return of making peace with
them. They said, "Oh
Messenger of Allah, is it a mere plan of you, or a Divine order that we should
abide by?" He said, "It is my plan to protect you
against the allied forces of Arabs." Sa' d Ibn Mu' adh
said, "Oh Messenger of Allah, we were pagans and
those never expected to take anything from the
fruits of Madinah. Then, Allah has honored us with
Islam, guided us to Him, and granted us dignity by
believing in Him and
following You. How could we give them our money! We are in no need of doing
so. By Allah, we will give them nothing but
swords, i.e., fighting, until Allah judges between us and
them." The Prophet
(pbuh) said,
"Do
according to this?"
In the
meantime, some horsemen of Quraish, among
whom were Amr Ibn ' Abd Wudd and 'Ikrimah
Ibn Abu Jahl, donned their armor and went forth on
horseback to the stations of the tribe of Kinanah,
saying, "Prepare for fighting and then you will know
who are true knights today." They galloped
forward until they stopped at the trench. When they
saw it, they exclaimed, "This is a device that the Arabs have never
employed."
Then they
made for a narrow part of the trench and beat
their horses so that they dashed trough it and
carried them into the swampy ground between the
trench and Sal' . 'Ali with some Muslims came out to
hold the gap through which they had forced a passage against
(the rest of) them and the horsemen galloped
to meet them.
'Amr Ibn
Wudd came out wearing a
distinguishing mark to show his rank, and when he and his
contingent stopped challenged anyone to fight
him. 'Ali accepted the challenge and said to him, "'
Amr, you swore by Allah that if any man of Quraish
offered you two alternatives you would accept
one of them?" "Yes, I did," he said. 'Ali replied,
"Then I invite you to Allah and His Messenger
and to Islam." He said that he had no use for them.
'Ali went on, "Then I call you to single combat."
He replied, "0 son of my brother, I do not want to
kill you." 'Ali said, "But I want to kill you." This so
enraged Amr that he got off his horse and hamstrung
it and beat its face; then he advanced on 'Ali, and
they fought, the one circling round the other.
'Ali killed him and their cavalry fled, bursting
headlong on flight across the trench.
The
situation was so difficult that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his
Companions had been prevented from offering the 'Asr
Prayer in its due time.
Al-Bukhari narrated on the authority of Ali (may
Allah be pleased with him) that the latter said, "On the
day of Al-Khandaq, the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) said,
''(Let) Allah fill their (i.e., the infidels')
houses and graves with fire just as they
have prevented us from offering the
Middle Prayer (i.e., 'Asr Prayer) until the
sun had set."
Al-Bukhari, moreover, narrated that Jabir Ibn Abdullah
(may Allah be pleased with him) reported that '
Umar Ibn Al-Khattab came on the day of Al‑ Khandaq after the sun had set
and he was abusing the infidels of Quraish saying,
"0 Allah's Messenger! I was
unable to offer the ('Asr) Prayer
until the sun was about
to set." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) said, "By Allah, I have
not offered
this (i.e., 'Asr)
Prayer."
Jabir added, "So we came down
along with the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) to Buthan where he performed
ablution for the Prayer and then we performed
the ablution for it. Then he offered the `Asr Prayer
after the sun had set, and after it he offered
the Maghrib Prayer."
The Prophet's Du' a' against Quraish and Its Allies
In this context, we read the following narrations
in Sahih
Al-Bukhari:
Abdullah
Ibn Abi Awfah (may Allah be pleased with him)
reported that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) invoked evil upon the
clans saying,
"Allah,
the Revealer of the Holy Book (i.e.,
the Qur'an), the Quick Taker of the accounts!
Please defeat the clans. O Allah!
Defeat them and shake
them."
Also, 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that whenever
Allah's Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) returned from a
Ghazwah (battle),
Hajj or '
Umrah, he used
to
start (saying),
"Allahu-Akbar (Allah is
the
Greatest)," thrice and then he would say,
"None has
the right to be worshiped
except Allah alone Who has no
partners. To Him belongs the Kingdom,
all praises are for
Him, and He is Able to do all things (i.e., Omnipotent). We are returning with repentance
(to Allah) worshiping,
prostrating, and praising our Lord. Allah has fulfilled
His Promise, made His
slave victorious, and He (Alone) defeated the clans (of
infidels). "
Hudhaifah's Dangerous Mission
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) wanted to know what Quraish
was doing by night. Hudhaifah was ordered by the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to do so.
It has been
narrated by Ibrahim on the authority of his
father who said, "We were sitting in the company
of Hudhaifah. A man said, 'If I had been alive at the time of
the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him), I should have fought by
his side and should have striven hard for his
causes.' Hudhaifah said, 'You might have done that (but
you should not make a flourish of your
enthusiasm). I was with the Messenger of Allah (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) on the night of
the battle of Al-Ahzab and we were gripped by a
violent wind and severe cold. The Messenger of Allah
(pbuh) said,
`Hark, the
man who (goes reconnoitering and)
brings me the news of the enemy shall be
ranked with me on the Day of Judgment
by Allah, Most High.'
We all
kept quiet and none of us responded to him. (Again) he said,
`Hark, a
man who (goes reconnoitering and
brings me the news of the enemy shall be ranked with me on the
Day of Judgment
by Allah, Most High.'
We kept
quiet and none of us responded to him. He again said,
`Hark, a
man who (goes reconnoitering and)
brings me the news of the enemy shall be ranked with me on the
Day of Judgment
by Allah, Most High.'
Then, he
said,
`Stand
up, Hudhaifah, bring me the news of the
enemy!'
When he
called me by name, I had no
alternative but to
stand up. He said,
'Go and
bring me information about the enemy,
and do nothing that may provoke them
against me.'
When
I left him,
I felt warm as if I were
walking in a
heated bath, until I
reached them. When I saw
Abu
Sufyan warming his back against the fire, I put
an arrow
in the middle of the bow, intending to shoot at
him, but I recalled the words of the
Messenger of Allah (pbuh), 'Do not provoke them against
me.' Had I shot
at him, I
should have hit him. But
I
returned and (felt warm as if I were
walking
in a heated bath (hammam).
Presenting myself
to him, I gave
him information about the enemy.
When I had
done so, I began
to feel cold, so the
Messenger of Allah (pbuh) wrapped me in a blanket
that he had surplus his own requirements and with which
he used to cover himself while saying his prayers.
So I
continued to sleep until it was morning. When it
was morning, he said,
`Rise, Oh
heavy sleeper!'
The Coming
of Allah's Help
Allah,
Most High, sent bitter cold wind against the
polytheists in the winter nights which upset their
cooking-pots and overthrew their tents.
In this
connection, Allah, Most High, revealed the following
Qura'nic verses,
 
(0
ye who believe! Remember the grace of Allah,
(bestowed) on you, when there come down
on you hosts (to overwhelm you): but
We sent against them a hurricane
and forces that ye saw not: but Allah
sees (clearly) all that ye do... And Allah
turned back the unbelievers for (all) their
fury: no advantage did they gain; and
enough is Allah for the believers in their
fight. And Allah is Full of Strength, Exalted in
Might.
(A1-Ahzab:
9-25)
Al-Bukhari
narrated on the authority of Sulaiman Ibn Surd
who said, "When the clans were driven away, I
heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) saying,
'From now onwards we will go to attack
them (i.e., the polytheists) and they will
not come to attack us, but we will go to
them.'"
At Al-Khandaq
the following Muslims were martyred: Sa'd Ibn Mu'adh, Anas Ibn Aws, 'Abdullah Ibn Sahl, At-Tufail
Ibn Nu'man, Tha'labah Ibn Ghanamah and Ka'b Ibn Zaid (may Allah be
pleased with them all).
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