The Battle Of Trench After the Battle of Badr and Battle of Uhud, the Muslims started to realize their increasing military strength and combat knowledge. The Muslims’ prowess in strategic planning was on display in a skirmish – the Battle of Trench. "The Battle of Trench is known by many other names, including the Battle of Khandaq, the Battle of Ditch, The Battle of Ahzab, and the Battle of the Confederates.” The first two refer to the trenches dug by the Muslims. The latter two names resulted from the unison of other tribes with the Quraysh for one common goal, which was to eliminate Islam. The reason behind the Battle of Trench Muslims fought the battle to safeguard Madinah from the attack led by Banu Qaynuqa and Nazir tribes. Both declared war on Muslims to take revenge for their expulsion from Madinah during the expedition against Banu Qaynuqa in 624 AD and the invasion of Banu Nadir in 625 AD. Also, many Makkans hated the messenger of Allah for giving them a new religion and demolishing the worshipping of idols. As a result, the two groups rallied with the Quraish tribe against Prophet Muhammad’s (S.A.W). Battle of Trench History The Battle of Trench was a 30-day long siege of Madinah by Jewish and Arab tribes. It was also known as the Battle of the Confederates. Even though the Confederate army tried multiple moves to cross the trench, they failed repeatedly. The ditch defended the Muslim army from the Confederate army. Consequently, the confederates lay a siege on the city of Madinah for 20 nights. Such sieges were not as common in Arabian warfare at that time, so the Confederates never knew what they were up against. As the Quraish veterans grew restless, ‘Amr challenged Muslims into fighting a duel. And so, Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) sent Ali ibn Abi Talib in response to the challenge, who ultimately won the battle for Muslims. The opponent was not aware of the trench as a defence; hence, the Battle of Trench became a fine example of winning by one’s wits. It is said that the Prophet (PBUH) had already predicted the outcome of the war while digging. He stated, “This is Quraish’s last attempt to destroy Islam and Muslim, and from now on, we will rule over them.” Battle of Trench Result Even after the various trials by the Confederates, they could not pass the trench. They were getting restless, and their battle animals were dying of war wounds. The harsh winds of Madinah were also presenting a great challenge for the raiding army. Meanwhile, the Muslims were well sheltered against the stormy desert winds. As a consequence, Banu Qurayza surrendered unconditionally to the Muslims of Madinah. Miracles during the Battle of Trench There are a few mentions of miracles during the Battle of Trench. Below are three reported instances of miracles: Instance 1: On the second day of the battle, the Prophet (PBUH) broke a rock to pieces using pickaxe. The moment the axe struck the stone, there was a flash of lightning, so bright that the Muslims could see the palaces of Shaam (an area dominated by Damascus in Greater Syria). Instance 2: Ibn Babawayh has narrated that Imam Ali Reza (a.s.) narrate that Amirul Momineen (a.s.) said, “We were busy in digging the trench in the company of the Prophet when Lady Fatima (s.a.) brought a piece of bread for the Holy Prophet (S) he asked from where she had brought it and she said that she had cooked it for Hasan and Husain and from that she has also brought a piece for him.” Instance 3: When the Quraish army was fighting bitter cold winds, Huzaifa said: “I am trembling of cold, how can I cross the trench?” But it was the miracle of the Holy Prophet that became warm enough to easily cross the trench and reached the Quraish army.
