Events

• Banu Nadir had set out for Mecca, where they called upon the Quraysh to join them in waging war on the Messenger of God, claiming idolatry is better than Islam.

  Have you ˹O Prophet˺ not seen those who were given a portion of the Scriptures yet believe in idols and false gods and reassure the disbelievers that they are better guided than the believers? It is they who have been condemned by Allah. And whoever is condemned by Allah will have no helper. (Surah An-Nisa, 4:51-52)

  • Banu Qurayza, Banu Ghatafan, Fazarah and Murrah also took part.

• They planned an attack with the Makkans and other Arab tribes, and gathered an army of 10,000 while the Muslims gathered 3000 men;

• Salman al-Farsi suggested the Muslims dig trenches to keep the army out, wide enough and deep enough not to be crossed;

  • The Prophet (SAW) and the companions dug the trench together for about a week, but the hypocrites found excuses or slipped home.

    The ˹true˺ believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, and when they are with him on a public matter, they do not leave without his permission. Indeed, those who ask your permission ˹O Prophet˺ are the ones who ˹truly˺ believe in Allah and His Messenger. So when they ask your permission for a private matter, grant permission to whoever you wish and ask Allah’s forgiveness for them. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surah al-Nur, 24:62)

  • They tied stones around their stomachs to lessen the pangs of hunger.

• Jabir invited the Prophet (pbuh) to eat after slaughtering a sheep, and the Prophet fed the whole army with this one animal;

• Banu Qurayza did not initially want to break their agreements with the Prophet, but later were convinced to help the Quraysh;

  • The Prophet (pbuh) used strategic skills to create mistrust between the alliances sending Nuaym bin Mas’ud to sow seeds of mistrust between the allies (Banu Qurayza, Ghatafan and Quraysh);

• There was little food and water;

• The Quraysh tried to cross the trench, a couple of riders managed to cross a part that was narrower, including Amr ibn Abd al-Wud, a champion warrior from the Quraysh

  • ‘Ali fought them off and even killed Amr;

• The siege ran into weeks;

• The Makkans eventually gave up after a storm for three days which prevented them from lighting fires, cooking food and keeping warm;

  O believers! Remember Allah’s favour upon you when ˹enemy˺ forces came to ˹besiege˺ you ˹in Medina˺, so We sent against them a ˹bitter˺ wind and forces you could not see. And Allah is All-Seeing of what you do. (Surah al-Ahzab, 33:9)

• Banu Qurayza were punished for their treachery by their own laws.

What can Muslims learn from the Prophet’s involvement in the digging of the trench?

• The Prophet (pbuh) was the leader of the army and yet he took part in digging the trench, despite his severe hunger.
  • This teaches Muslims that no matter what their position, whether heads of state or community leaders, they should take part in hard work required for the benefit of the community or others.
  • It also provides a lesson in patience and perseverance, and that God will help if you don’t give up.
  • It also teaches humility, that you do not think yourself above certain types of work.

What can Muslims learn from this event about taking advice from others?

• Even if you are in a position of authority or power, you should not think that you cannot take advice from others. There will often be people who know more than you, or have more experience or wisdom about a subject.
  • Therefore, when you are in need, or have a dilemma, it is good to ask others who know, as the Prophet (pbuh) would also consult and take advice from his companions.
• It is not necessary to always follow the advice, but people should be open to receiving it.

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