![]() Then he sent for them and struck off their heads in those trenches as they were brought out to him in batches. Then the Apostle went out to the market of Medina (which is still its market today) and dug trenches in it. Then they surrendered, and the Apostle confined them in Medina in the quarter of d. Ibn Ishaq describes the killing of the Banu Qurayza men as follows: “ 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. They think that the Confederates have not withdrawn and if the Confederates should come (again), they would wish they were in the deserts (wandering) among the Bedouins, and seeking news about you (from a safe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. And if an 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 behold! The Hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease (even) say: 'Allah and His Messenger promised us nothing but delusion!' 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 Muhammad, saying, 'Truly our houses are bare and exposed,' though they were not exposed they intended nothing but to run away. Quran describes the situation in surah Al-Ahzab: “īehold! they came on you from above you and from below you, and behold, the eyes became dim and the hearts gaped up to the throats, and ye imagined various (vain) thoughts about Allah! In that situation were the Believers tried: they were shaken as by a tremendous shaking. The Medinans harvested all their crops early, so the Confederate armies would have to rely on their own food reserves. Women and children were moved to the inner city. ![]() ![]() The digging of the ditch coincided with a near-famine in Medina. The ditch was dug on the northern side only, as the rest of Medina was surrounded by rocky mountains and trees, impenetrable to large armies (especially cavalry). Every capable Muslim in Medina including Muhammad contributed to digging the massive trench in six days. ![]() The tactic of a defensive trench was introduced by Salman the Persian. Ultimately, the outnumbered Muslims opted to engage in a defensive battle by digging deep trenches to act as a barrier along the northern front. Meeting the enemy in the open (which led to victory at Badr), and waiting for them inside the city (a lesson learnt from the defeat at Uhud) were both suggested. Muhammad gathered the Medinans to discuss the best strategy of overcoming the enemy. The men from Banu Khuza'a reached Muhammad in four days, warning him of the Confederate armies that were to arrive in a week. ![]()
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March 2023
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