Al-Ahzab (the Trench) Incursion 5 H.: Analysis and Dimensions

Abstract

In all the previous battles, the Muslims fought each army separately. In Al-Ahzab (The Trench) Incursion which took place in Shawal , 5 H. , the Jews unified the Arabian tribes to fight the Muslims despite the fact that they did not personally participate in the fighting . They gathered four thousand fighters from Quraish and six thousands from Ghatafan ,When the Messenger of God (P.B.U.H) heard about them and what they had prepared for him, he consulted his companions. Salman , the Persian , advised him to dig a trench in the only exposed side before the invaders .As for the other sides , they were immune due to the entwining of the trees and buildings, which made it difficult for camels and the infantry to pass through. Thus, Al- Madeena hypocrites decided not to join the Muslims in the fight because they did not believe in God’s power to achieve victory. They became a great threat to the nation. On the other side, Banu Quraidha , whose homes lied behind the Muslims’ lines – had announced their joining of the factions’ invading armies and breached their treaty with the Muslims .Thus, the distress of Muslims had doubled and the plight became prominent. Historians who are specialized in Muslims battles have agreed that in Al-Ahzab incursion ( which lasted for a month ) the Muslims reached unparalleled degrees of fear , restlessness , confusion and hunger which they had never reached before . Many incidents had taken place during that month, and the incursion ended with the departure of disbelievers and the Muslims’ victory, despite the latter’s weakness and little number. The irony is that the victory was achieved with almost no fight at all. The factions had been defeated by God’s grace (He defeated them by Himself).The conclusion of the paper is that such an invaluable incursion and its aftermath should be carefully studied and deeply analyzed to extract the basis on which this dazzling victory had been achieved.