The Muslims dug a trench as a defensive measure against the cavalry

والصَّلَاةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيّبِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْن

Allah, ta^ala, said:

﴿وَلَقَدْ سَبَقَتْ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا الْمُرْسَلِينَ * إِنَّهُمْ لَهُمُ الْمَنْصُورُونَ * وَإِنَّ جُنْدَنَا لَهُمُ الْغَالِبُونَ﴾

Allah, ta^ala, said:

﴿إِنْ يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ الْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِثْلُهُ وَتِلْكَ الْأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنْكُمْ شُهَدَاءَ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾

 « What afflicts Muslims today in terms of trials, calamities, and the gathering of forces against them is akin to what occurred during the time of the Prophet ﷺ. Indeed, one who contemplates the noble Prophetic biography and scrutinizes his legacy will discern the path to salvation from hardships. »

Allah, ta^ala, has said:

﴿لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا﴾

“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for anyone whose hope is in Allah's acceptance and success on the Day of Judgment, and who frequently remembers Allah.”

(Suratu l-‘Ahzab, 33:21)

One notable example in this regard is the Battle of the Trench, also known as al-‘Ahzab. Thus, what transpired during this battle, and how did Allah grant victory to His Prophet ﷺ and his Companions, may Allah accept their deeds?

The Beginning of the Battle of the Trench

In the fifth year of the Hijrah, the polytheists, Arabs, and Jews united against the Prophet ﷺ and his companions during the Battle of al-‘Ahzab. The objective of the polytheists and Jews was to destroy the religion of Islam and undermine the call of Muhammad ﷺ and his companions to embrace Islam and follow its teachings. However, Allah granted victory to the Muslims, exalted their message, and caused their enemies to fail, turning them back in defeat.

Thus, Allah grants victory to His righteous servants in every age when they hold firmly to the path of Muhammad ﷺ, regardless of how fiercely the enemies of the faith may gather against them.

The Reason for Naming It the Battle of the Trench (al-‘Ahzab)

The battle was named "the Battle of the Trench" because the Muslims dug a trench as a defensive measure against the cavalry of the polytheists. It was also known as " the Battle of al-‘Ahzab," as various factions of polytheists, Jews, and Arabs united in this campaign to confront the Muslims and attempt to eradicate Islam.

The Cause of the Battle

After the Prophet ﷺ expelled Banu n-Nadir, Huyayy ibnu ‘Akhtab, along with a group of Jews, traveled to Makkah, where they incited the Quraysh and their allies to wage war against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They played a crucial role in uniting the factions, declaring to Quraysh, "We will stand with you until Muhammad is eliminated; we have come to form an alliance with you in enmity toward him and in fighting against him." The Quraysh eagerly welcomed this proposal, recalling their past grievances from the Battle of Badr. ‘‘Abu Sufyan exclaimed, "Welcome! Dearest to us are those who assist us in enmity toward Muhammad." He then appointed fifty men from all branches of Quraysh, who formed an alliance and pledged mutual support at the Ka^bah, vowing that none would abandon the other, thus ensuring that their resolve against Muhammad remained unified for as long as any of them lived.

Subsequently, the Jews approached Banu Sulaym, promising to march alongside them once Quraysh set out. The Quraysh then prepared for battle, mobilising and calling upon the Arabs to join them in support.

The Number of Factions

Some historians noted that those assembled for the Battle of the Trench—comprising Quraysh, Sulaym, ‘Asad, and Ghatafan—numbered ten thousand. Command of the coalition that day was placed in the hands of ‘Abu Sufyan ibnu Harb.

The Prophet ﷺ Learns of the Approaching Factions

Upon learning of Quraysh's mobilisation, the Prophet ﷺ gathered the people, informed them of the impending threat, and consulted them on the best course of action: whether to engage the enemy outside Madinah or remain within it, defending the city and its approaches. Salman al-Farisiyy, may Allah accept his deeds, advised, “O Messenger of Allah, in Persia, when we feared the advance of cavalry, we would dig trenches around us for protection.” The suggestion was well received, and the people favoured remaining in Madinah, defending it through this method. Notably, the Arabs had not previously adopted trenching as a defensive tactic.

Digging the Trench

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ allocated the task of digging the trench among the Companions, assigning each group of ten men a stretch of forty cubits. At that time, there were three thousand men present, resulting in a total trench length of twelve thousand cubits. The Companions faced significant exhaustion and hunger during this arduous period, which coincided with a time of hardship and famine. They endured three days without food, to the point where the Prophet ﷺ tied a stone to his stomach out of hunger.

Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ invoked Allah with the following words:

“اللَّهُمَّ لاَ عَيْشَ إِلَّا عَيْشُ الآخِرَهْ، فَأَصْلِحِ الأَنْصَارَ وَالمُهَاجِرَةْ”

“O Allah, there is no life except the life of the Hereafter. So, rectify the condition of the ‘Ansar and the Muhajirun.”

This narration is reported by Al-Bukhariyy

Throughout this period, the Prophet ﷺ actively participated by transporting dirt, causing dust to settle on the skin of his blessed stomach.

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