MUHAMMAD:

Sixth to Seventh Year of Hijrah

 Muhammad (pbuh)

59-60 years old

THE DITCH ENCOUNTER

      Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) held a council immediately.  They listened to numerous suggestions, some of which were good, others not so good.  However, they soon heard the best of all.  Salman was a Persian who had become a Muslim devotee a few years back.  After so many suggestions were discussed, Salman asked permission to speak.  His suggestion was to dig a wide enough and deep enough ditch, at certain weak spots around Medina, to prevent the enemy from reaching Medina.  The ditch was to stretch between the high rugged mountains surrounding Medina.  The homes near the ditch area were to be fortified, and some had to be aban­doned.  The Muslims would then stay guard on the inner side of the ditch, ready to fight off any of the enemy, any who dared to cross the ditch.

      Upon hearing Salman's plan, the face of the Prophet (pbuh) and the council brightened with joy.  Salman's decision was agreed upon immediately, unanimously.  There was no time to lose.  Only six days were left, and the Muslims were to beat the enemy to it.  The ditch was to be fifteen feet wide and fifteen feet deep, to be dug with the utmost speed.  The area was rocky, and the land very hard.

      And while the enemy was on the march, daydreaming that at last there was going to be a final victory, the Muslims were as busy as a beehive.  They were digging and digging, to make it a deep, wide ditch, to be finished in a very short time.

      The veteran enemy of Islam, Abu Sufyan, was once again the commander of the invading army.  This was the second time he led the forces of the disbelievers to crush the Muslims, and he, along with his family, were grateful to their idols, the stone gods.  They were thankful to them that there was no resistance thus far as the large army was speeding without trouble toward Medina.

Sketch of the Trench confrontation

      Upon reviewing his large force, Abu Sufyan, full of pride and self importance, thought that Muhammad would buckle under immediately, once he was face to face with such an intimidating force!

      On the other hand, the Muslims were using every shovel and hoe available.  They were digging the earth into a deep ditch, a ditch to protect them and Medina.  Thousands of strong muscles and calloused hands tirelessly worked together, day in and day out, calling Allaahu‑Akbar every once in a while.  Even Muhammad the Prophet was one of the diggers, and by so doing he once again gave the Muslims a good example of how even the leader should do his share of work.  Women supplied food and help.

      Only one Jewish tribe was left by now in Medina, the rest had left some time before.  This was the last Jewish tribe which had a treaty of mutual defense with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).  This tribe helped lend their tools to the Muslims for the purpose of digging the ditch.  Their name was Benu Quraidha. 

THE DITCH WAS COMPLETED 

      Finally, and when the sixth day came about, the ditch was completed.  What a sigh of relief!  The Muslims stood on guard behind the ditch.  They were to protect the area with all their might, they were a total of 1500.  They were divided into groups of ten archers.  The Prophet (pbuh) had a red tent, erected at an elevation at a distance.  He was to direct and supervise this Muslim force.  The moment of confrontation was getting nearer and nearer.

SURPRISE! 

    The Muslims could hear them approaching, and there was a cloud of dust in the distance.  Even the earth shook from under­neath.  They could hear the noise of the massive force, coming closer and closer.  The women were singing very loud, for the joy of victory was there!  Their frowning gods, the idols, made from wood or stone, were carried by the people for bless­ings.  It was in such a grand manner that the 10,000 fighters approached Medina.

▪ Confident and jubilant, Abu Sufyan screamed, giving the order to attack, when hundreds of horses and hundreds of camels galloped for the attack.  They left a big cloud of dust behind.  But wait, suddenly there was a loud noise, coming through the clouds of dust, and there was unexpected confusion and disorderly movement!

▪   Abu Sufyan, the commander-in-chief of the disbelievers, immediately sensed that an unexpected, if not grave, trouble was brewing.  He rushed to see for himself, and lo and behold, there was the surprise of his life.  He stood still for a moment, collecting his thoughts with admiration, and said to himself, "Oh how brilliant of them, and how disappoint­ing for us!"

▪   He saw the ditch, wide and deep, beaming in his face.  It was about impossible to cross, but invitingly so.  "They outwitted us again," he thought with a sinking feeling, a queazy stomach,

"so what shall we do now?  Especially after having gone through all the scheming, collecting the army, the march, and all the preparations, what a fate!" he shook his head with dismay.

▪   The news broke out and the pagans were spellbound.  Upon seeing the ditch, they were all eyes, their mouths widely open in disbelief.  "No one ever thought of such a brilliant thing!" they muttered to each other.  "How clever, how clever!"

THE MUSLIMS WERE SCARED STIFF 

      The disbelievers had collected a relatively huge army, the biggest the Muslims had ever seen, and it camped just across the ditch.  The enemy stood glaring at them, reminding them of the possibility of the worst onslaught were it not for the ditch to protect them.  The Muslims were very worried and upset, they thought of the consequences to their families, children and belongings in case they ever lost the possible encounters that lay ahead.  They were fighting for their own religion and their very existence, but the odds seemed overwhelming.

      They could imagine the enemy with its huge force laying siege to the area, as if they intended to stay forever.  The aim of the disbelievers by now was to starve the Muslims perhaps, or to force them to surrender.  The coordinators and the planners of all this were certain leaders of the Jewish Benu Nadheer.  They were the Jewish tribe which had to leave Medina not long ago, because they broke their treaty with the Muslims and the trouble they gave them.

THE SIEGE AND THE INTRIGUE 

      The disbelievers came only for a one day encounter, one big battle.  They came to crush the Muslims, enslave their families, steal, loot and destroy everything the Muslims had, all to be done in one day.  To do so had become ab­solutely impossible, now that there was a big ditch, and three thousand Muslim fighters stan­ding alert on guard.  And out of such a force, there were one thousand five hundred archers, no less.

      Taken by surprise by the ditch, and having to lay a lengthy boring siege, the enemy had to do things not to its liking.  A lot of argument arose; the question now was what to do next.

      Benu Nadheer, the Jewish tribe responsible for unifying such a big force, unified the groups again.  They:

▪   suggested starving the Muslims by laying a siege.

▪   They also negotiated with Benu Quraidha, the Jewish tribe still left in Medina (who had a treaty of mutual defense with the Muslims) to break its treaty with Muhammad (pbuh) and attack the Muslims from behind.

      It convinced them that the moment was ripe to deal a fatal blow to the Muslims.  They were to combine forces with the Hypocrites of Medina for the purpose.

      It was a critical moment for the Muslims, it meant that the Muslims were to face an enemy in front, and a deceitful enemy from behind. (Surah  33  :  Ayah  20.  Also Surah  33  :  Ayahs  22-23.

Also Al-Haakim in Mustadrak.  Ibn Atheer .  Abul Fida.)

      It took some doing and sometime for all this intrigue to take place.  The Jewish Benu Quraidha along with the hypocrites in Medina were to attack the Muslims from behind, and the 10,000 pagan forces were to attack from the front, thus crushing the Muslims.

      When Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the Muslims heard about the plot, they were alarmed, and red with anger.  They had already been besieged for some time—they were starving, tired and living on tense nerves.  Now they hear of this intrigue, and a new deadly threat!  Which way to turn to?

AMR IBN ABD-WID CROSSES 

      Of the few fighters crossing, Amr was a huge hunk of humanity.  He was fierce, strong, and ugly.  He was a killer alright and everyone knew it.  He and two others were able to cross the ditch at its narrowest point and enter the Muslim camp.  Amr roared, with froth coming out of his mouth, challenging the Muslims, in a vulgar way.  He was confident in himself, certain in his superiority.

▪   Abu Sufyan and his fighters were excitedly curious, anxious for the impending clash, a great duel.  After all, who could ever beat the frightful Amr, they thought?  None in Arabia had ever before beaten the killer of 1000 challengers.  He was the fearless fighter, whom everyone feared.

▪   Having heard the challenge of Amr ibn Abd-Wid, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) asked the Muslims who would take the challenge.  The Muslims stood still, unnerved, not daring to volunteer, except one, only one.  This special one was Ali, the husband of Fatima, the father of Al-Hasan and Al-Husain, the beloved cousin of the Prophet, the ardent defender of Islam, and the hero during Badr and Ohod.

▪   Ali came out to the front to take the chal­lenge, to confront Amr ibn Abd-Wid to the finish.  But the Prophet (pbuh) wanted to see someone else, he hated the idea of taking such a big chance with the life of Ali.  So, the Prophet (pbuh) asked the Muslims again.  "Anyone to take the enemy's challenge?" and again it but Ali.  For a third time the Prophet asked, and for a third time everyone was too scared to take the challenge, that is except Ali.  Now it became clear that the matter was not to be delayed.  Ali was to go, since Amr was bragging, yelling, and threatening so nastily.

▪   The Muslims saw the muscular, short, well-built Ali, speeding for the challenge.  His skill in fighting was legendary by now, his dedication to Islam was second to none, and his brave stand was the envy of all.  He was about thirty years old by now.

▪   Amr looked at Ali with a twisted look of sarcasm, then he wryly said, "By God, I don't like to put you to death because your father was my friend, and I enjoyed many a feast at his dinner table."  With a voice confident and piercing, Ali replied, "There could be no friendship between belief and disbelief, so by Allah, I am here to kill you. ”  (The Holy Quran, Commentary by M.A. Ali, Page 891.)

     When Amr heard Ali, the blood rushed to his face with anger.  He swung his sword, and there was a swish in the air, and it kept falling left and right, time and time again.  But Ali was so elastic and agile that he avoided every single hit.  That infuriated Amr even more, and it made him fume with anger.  He kept hitting and hitting, but none of his hits was ever successful.  Amr became fatigued, his muscles exhausted, he huffed and puffed, angry at his own failure.  Never had he had such an experience before!  Never had he been so frustrated before.  Exhaustion was overtaking him, and out of sheer exhaustion, he could hold himself up no more.  He fell to the ground, and Ali sprang upon him.  Ali caught Amr by the neck, pointing his sword at its center.  "Do you want to become a Muslim?" Ali asked.

▪   The giant Amr felt ever so frustrated, humiliated, and mad at his failure that he spat at Ali's face.  He could stand this humiliation no more, seeing Ali on top of him.  None had ever done that before, none whatsoever.  Ali let Amr get up again, and he gave him another chance.  As Ali explained, he did not want his killing Amr to be seen as revenge for a personal insult.

▪   Ali fought Amr in a superb manner, and his skill and agility was far superior to that of Amr, the hero of the enemy.  Amr fell to the ground for the second time, now covered with blood, gushing from deep wounds.  The sheer exhaustion and the loss of blood were overwhelm­ing, too much to take.  Ali sprang on Amr and finished him off with Amr's own sword.

HOW THEY FELT ABOUT IT? 

      The two sides were watching the fight breathlessly.  Each side was hoping for victory, and when Ali had the job finished he shouted, Allaahu Akbar!  He was followed by Allaahu‑Akbar from thousands of Muslims, making the valley echo, over and over again.  It was said with joy and exultation.  The Muslim spirit shot up sky high, and they became ever so thankful and grateful to the Almighty.  When Ali returned the Prophet said, "The embodiment of faith has crushed the personification of evil."  (The Holy Quran, Commentary by M.A. Ali, Page 891.  Also Al-Haakim, Mustadrak.  Also Ibn Atheer.  Also Abul Fida.)

      As to the disbelievers, they hardly looked each other in the eye.  "They did it again, they did it again," they thought in disbelief.  They were ashamed and felt small—after all, they had just seen their hero of heroes fall to the ground.  They could easily see that he was finished by Ali who was about half his size!

      The disbelievers were suffering, since they did not like the siege to begin with.  The psychological effect was very great, Ali had dealt them a devastating blow once more.  It crushed their ego.  Just as he had during the Badr and Ohod battles Ali crushed their hope of conquering Islam.

      Ali was a reminder now for every disbeliever who even had the slightest thought of crossing the ditch.  Ali brought the memories of the Battle of the Badr and that of Ohod to everyone's mind, and he brought the power of Faith to the mind of all.  Let it be quite clear, that the Muslims were a dedicated, strong and a ferocious force.  It was a good reminder not only to the enemy to beware, but also to the Muslims of their grand Islam, their devotion to it and their selfless sacrifice for their aim, the struggle for Islam.

      At the same time, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) beat the enemy with their very own game.  It was a man named Nuaim who did the trick.  He had become a Muslim but none of the enemy knew about it.  In a clever manner he got in touch with the conspiring Jews in Medina (Benu Quraidha) and the pagan enemy camping outside the ditch.  He saw them separately, one group at a time.  He managed to put doubts and mistrusts in the hearts of these two sides toward each other, the Jewish Benu Quraidha in Medina on the one side, and the disbelievers of Quraish on the other side.  Each group began to question the sincerity of the other.  As a result, he successfully broke the confidence of the leaders of each group in each other, thus undoing their plans.  This way, Benu Quraidha and the hypocrites inside Medina did not attack the Muslims from behind.  By not doing so, the Muslims had a welcome breather at such a critical time and their back became safe, while they continued to guard the ditch.

AND THE WIND BLEW HARD 

      Though the siege continued for a few weeks, the enemy was increasingly impatient and restless, feeling very downhearted.  It was cold at that time of year, the weather was merciless, and the comfort of home grew bigger in their eyes.

      It was a cold, dark, and windy day.  It was dreary‑looking with a very strong wind, sweeping the tents and hitting everything mercilessly.  The sheets of rain were pouring heavily, the thunder and lightning were playing havoc in the hearts of the enemy.  The horses and camels became frightened and began to run in different directions, bringing more terror into the hearts of the enemies of Islam.  The enemy was cold, wet, and panicky, no longer confident as they had been.

      It was night time, and with the disorder and noise of scared horses, thunder, and wind, the disbelievers thought the Muslims were coming in a surprise attack, to cut them to pieces.  One of them cried, "Muhammad's men are in your midst, save yourselves, save your­selves!"  This lead to a tremendous confusion in the enemy's camp, and each ran helter skelter for his life.  Each wanted to escape, to run away, they couldn't stand an onslaught in that dreary darkness.  The fighters escaped on animals if they could, or on foot if they couldn't.  They left much of their belong­ings behind, and the grounds were littered with the stuff.

      But next day it was a beautiful morning.  It was a morning of tremendous relief for the Muslims; in the field across the ditch there was no one to be seen.  The enemy had run away, praise be to Allah!  No Muslim lives were lost, the ordeal was over, and a lesson was learned about Benu Quraidha.

THE MECCANS IN DESPAIR 

      The disbelievers in Mecca and surrounding areas kept talking about the confrontation at the trench.  How certain they were of the victory at first, and what a failure the result was!  They remembered Ali, fearless and brilliant, boldly facing the fearsome giant, Amr, no less!  and how brilliantly he finished off the mightiest man in Arabia!  They kept talking about the cold days and how they became terribly disenchanted with the whole idea of the siege, with the bad advice of their allies Benu Nadheer, and more so about their repeated failures in their efforts to destroy Islam.  If all of Arabia couldn't outwit or outsmart Muhammad (pbuh), what next?

      New ideas however, kept creeping in, slowly but surely.  Some of these people were thinking of new direction, a bright direction.  Their thoughts were that:

1. since Muhammad (pbuh) was already of the clan of Quraish, no less, wasn't it silly of them to oppose him so vehemently, to try to intimidate him, destroy him?

2. his call for Allah and the Divine teachings may be the right thing after all!, and

3. Muhammad's success might be the very proof of the blessings and support of his Allah!

But they would think of their idols, made by man of stone or wood, as if they were useless pieces of furniture, giving no help, standing motionless!  If these gods were of any benefit, why didn't they support the Meccans, or protect them, or at least do something, anything?  It seemed as if there was a feeling of disgust mixed with desperation.  The Meccans were in turmoil anymore, not sure of the soundness of their old beliefs, and wondering whether they should continue to oppose Muhammad (pbuh) or consider accepting his teachings.

      Once again, and at the most critical moment of the ditch confrontation, the Jewish tribe of Benu Quraidha, decided unilaterally to break their treaty with Muhammad (pbuh).        Benu Quraidha were the third Jewish tribe left in Medina;  they did more or less similar undermining acts to the Muslims as the others before it, even though they had treaties of mutual defense with Muhammad (pbuh)!

 They couldn't be trusted, just like the two Jewish tribes before them.  They elected to betray rather than be friends, by cooperating with the enemies, the other Jewish tribes and the disbelievers of Mecca.  They almost succeeded in crushing, if not destroying Islam.  How would you deal with such people?  And once the Ditch Encounter was over, Benu Quraidha defiantly cursed the Muslims, and attempted to stir trouble in every way possible.

      Having had enough, the Muslims besieged Benu Quraidha in their own fortifications.  Benu Quraidha threw rocks from the tops of their fortifications.

      Running short of food supplies after 25 days of the siege, the Jewish Benu Quraidha asked for an arbitrator, a man to judge between them and the Muslims.  The Prophet (pbuh) welcomed the demand and agreed to it right away.  He even generously allowed the Jews to choose any arbitrator they wished. 

THE ARBITRATOR 

      The arbitrator was chosen by the Jewish Benu Quraidha themselves, his name was Sa'ad ibn Mu'adh.  Mu'adh was the head of the Aus tribe, and  the Jews of Benu Quraidha had him as a close friend.  He was also the same person who pleaded to Benu Quraidha, convincing them not to attack the Muslims during the confrontation of the Ditch.

      Muhammad (pbuh) agreed to their choice right away, he had no objections at all.  Each side was to accept without any question whatever decision Mu'adh was to take.  No objections were to be raised.

      Once accepted Ibn Mu'adh kept thinking for some time.  He thought that Benu Quraidha intended to destroy Muhammad and the Muslim community.  They did that through their dealings with the enemies of Islam, and at the most critical moment for the Muslims.  Suppose they along with disbelievers of Mecca had succeeded, wouldn't they have destroyed the Muslims!  And won't that have destroyed Islam for good, and wouldn't Islam have gone without return?

      What would you do to a person who intends to destroy you?  What would you do to a spy or a traitor?  The decision was tough, but Ibn Mu'adh kept thinking and thinking, trying to reach a truly just solution.

      Ibn Mu'adh made sure both sides accept any and all his decisions, with no objections nor any modifications.  Both Jews and Muslims repeatedly assured him that they would honor whatever he decided with no objections whatsoever.  There was to be no opposition, no going back on their word.

      When Ibn Mu'adh was well assured by the two sides, he declared: "The men of Benu Quraidha, who wanted to carry arms and fight Prophet Muhammad, were to be executed.  The women, old men, and children, along with their belongings, were to be dealt with by the Muslim community as they saw fit."

      That decision was carried out right away.  Medina, for the first time, became free from their intrigue.  No more Jewish tribes, no more intrigue, no more worrisome source from within.  (Surah  8:  Ayahs  27-28.)

THE KA'BA WAS THEIR AIM 

      It was a year after the showdown of the ditch when the Prophet (pbuh) saw in a dream that he was performing Haj, or Pilgrimage.  It fueled the desire to do so.  But how could it be done even if he wished?  The disbelievers of Mecca were the formidable force which prevented any Muslim from pilgrimage, let alone letting Muhammad (pbuh) and the Muslims perform it together as a group.  The Ka'ba was the monopoly of the disbelievers of Mecca at the time; it was the very core of their influence and the spring-head of their livelihood.

      But nothing would stop the Prophet (pbuh).  An announcement was made in Medina, asking the Muslims to prepare for Haj (Omrah), to the happy and pleasant surprise of all Muslims.  The excitement was immediate and sky high.

      The Muslims in Medina, and especially those who were forced to leave Mecca a few years back (Muhajiroon), were rightfully very homesick.  They were getting anxious to see Mecca again, after all, they had been away from home for so many years.  But above all, they wanted to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca which the Almighty had already ordered them to perform.  Unfortunately, the Muslims had never been able to fulfill the order so far.  The reason was obviously Quraish and other disbelievers of Mecca, who had always been a grave enemy to Islam.

ON THE WAY 

      The time was the sixth year of Hijrah.  When the Prophet (pbuh) got ready for the Haj (Omrah), hundreds of Muslims were ready to join, anxious to go and restless for the move.  Many tribes from around Medina were invited to join in.  Their number swelled to 1,500 Muslims.  They were carrying no weapons of war, and all marched under the leadership of the beloved, Muhammad the Prophet (pbuh).

▪   It was February, in the middle of winter and fairly cold, but it was a good time in which to travel.  Seventy camels were with them, they were to be sacrificed during the Haj.  There was to be no war, the intention, as said, was to perform pilgrimage.

▪   When the news reached Mecca the disbelievers became not only furious, but at the same time alarmed.  They thought that Prophet Muhammad was going to invade them, perhaps to take revenge.  They felt it was an extremely bold step, a very daring step, well taken by Muhammad (pbuh).

      "How dare they!  Only one year had passed since Quraish and its allies invaded the Muslims, and now the Muslims were coming their way," they said indignantly but gloomily.  "Imagine,  how daring the Muslims have become!" they moaned and groaned.  This was the feeling of the moment, a feeling of fear mixed with anger, yet with much admiration for the Muslims.

h  The disbelievers of Mecca decided to prevent the Muslims, and to stop them at whatever price.  They sent a large force on horses, under the leadership of the famous Khalid ibnil Waleed.  The orders were to stop the advance of the Muslims, and never allow them to approach Mecca.  When the Muslims learned about the Meccan force heading toward them, they were in a dilemma.

h  The Prophet (pbuh) was faced with a grave problem.  "What to do in such a situation?" he thought, "we came with no arms, have no intention to fight, yet a large force is heading toward us!  What is the best solution?  What can we do?"

HE COMES TO THE RESCUE AGAIN 

      "Does anyone know a different route to Mecca?" Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) asked suddenly.  "Surely," came a prompt answer, "but the new road is rough, tough, and very difficult," the man finished off his sentence.

      The Muslims, knowing the gravity of the situation, were relieved to know of the detour route.  They changed direction right away, and took the new route, even though it was extremely rough and very rugged.  All 1500 of them went through the new route, as quickly as they could; their aim was still to approach Mecca safely and as soon as possible.  In doing so, Muhammad (pbuh) cleverly managed to avoid the Meccan fighters, and prevent blood shed, though Khalid ibn Al‑Waleed was its leader.

      When Khalid's force arrived at where the Muslims were supposed to be, they saw nothing but an empty area.  It was a jolt, especially when they discovered that the Muslims had taken a new route, and that they were heading toward Mecca.  The Meccan force, once again, felt outsmarted, and cleverly outwitted.  Discouraged, they headed toward Mecca, as fast as they could, to beat the Muslims to it.  They thought they better protect Mecca from a possible attack by the Muslims, though this assumption was the creation of their own imagination.  They had to hurry back, and as they did, they were thinking to themselves, "Oh, the Muslims were coming to attack Mecca, and no one was there to defend it, we should hurry, we should hurry."  For them, it seemed as if they were in a race, who would reach Mecca first, the Muslims or the Meccan army.

      Though the intention of the Muslims was only to perform Haj (Pilgrimage), and their aim was that of peace, the Meccans didn't believe that, and they thought the Muslims came to challenge Quraish in its very own base and enter Mecca by force.

AT HUDAIBIYA 

      At a place called Hudaibiya, not far from Mecca, the Muslims pitched their tents.  They arrived exhausted and dusty.  The detour route was very hard, tough to go through.  But in spite of that, they were quite anxious to learn about the next step.  They weren't sure if the disbelievers of Mecca would allow them to perform the Pilgrimage, or fight them instead.  They didn't come fully armed, they came in peace.

      Quraish and other dis­believers of Mecca were in anxiety and near panic, thinking Muham­mad (pbuh) was going to trick them, then attack them by surprise.  They also felt they were extremely challenged by the new and unusual way, a method of entering Mecca in the name of Pilgrimage, but to take it over by a surprise move.  It was difficult for them to imagine Muhammad (pbuh) coming to Mecca only in peace.  They knew that he was going to Mecca at a time and a place where none of the Arabs would ever like to be in a war, it was the time of the sacred months of the year, but that didn't comfort them or make them feel at ease.

      In spite of all that, the pagans wanted to make sure of the intentions of the Muslims.  What they did was to send many of their men as emissaries, to find out.  The emissaries went on several occasions and they interviewed the Prophet (pbuh).  They could see without doubt that the Muslims came with the intention of peace, to perform Haj.  Every emissary was convinced, and everyone went back to Quraish assuring it that the Muslims came with peaceful intentions to perform Pilgrimage.  Despite that, the Meccans still wouldn't believe their own men, the emissaries they sent to go after the facts.

      Finally, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) sent one of his dignitaries to Quraish to explain to them first hand.  It was his son‑in‑law Uthman, a well known man to both sides.  It took some time but finally they decided to negotiate, they had become convinced of Muhammad's intention.

A MOMENT OF SUSPENSE 

      It took Uthman a long time in Mecca, much longer than expected under similar circumstan­ces.  He was trying very hard, his best, to convince the Meccans that the Muslims came only with peaceful intentions.  Uthman was making headway, but it was painfully slow.  His long absence, however, became worrisome to the Muslims, especially Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).  They even imagined him killed in a gruesome manner, since the Meccans were not to be trusted.

      Because of that, the Prophet (pbuh) and the Muslims took a serious oath, a pledge.  The pledge was that if Uthman didn't show up, the Muslims were to fight the unbelievers to the death.  This pledge is called Pledge of Radhwan, a pledge that showed the intense dedication and unity of purpose of the Muslims of those days.    

A TREATY IS THE RESULT 

      Finally, however, it was learned that Uthman was safe, thanks to the Almighty, and what a happy feeling.  A representative from the Meccans was sent to the Prophet (pbuh), and negotiations were to take place, and it wasn't necessary for any blood shed to take place.  The negotiat­ions were difficult, taking quite a few hours.  Ali was the scribe.  They were able to reach an agreement after some time.

It was agreed that:

1. Muhammad (pbuh) was not to perform pilgrimage that year, but would be allowed to do so the following year.

2. In so doing, the Muslims would stay for only three days, free to fulfill the religious duty.  This could be repeated every year.

3. Muhammad (pbuh) was to refuse any new Meccans converting to Islam to emigrate to Medina, unless his guardian agreed to it, whether this guardian happened to be his father or someone else.

4. On the other hand, Quraish was free to accept any Muslim who wanted to convert back to Paganism and the old ways of the indigent Meccans.

      Many Muslims reacted negatively to the treaty (particularly Omar), thought the Prophet was too lenient, too easy with Quraish, that he had given in too much.  Many Muslims, especially Omar,  thought that the Prophet was heading to a big loss.  However, it did not take long before it proved them wrong, and that the treaty was a great success, one of the greatest victories to the Muslims.  (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Tathkiratul Kareem wa Rowdhatul Ahbaab.)

WHY? 

      Every once in a while, someone from Mecca would convert to Islam and become a Muslim.  He would come to Muhammad (pbuh), asking to be beside him in Medina.  But since his guardian (be it his father, uncle, or somebody else) would object to his staying at Medina, and because of the Hudaibiya treaty, and since the Prophet would never break an agreement, the Prophet (pbuh) would say to the new convert, "Try to be patient and Allah will find a way for you."  Thus, the new convert was refused emigration to Medina.

▪   One of the new converts, by the name of Abu Baseer, instead of returning to Mecca, decided not to go back.  In other words, though he was refused to reside in Medina, he did not want to go back to Mecca to live with the disbelievers.  Instead, he decided to give trouble to Quraish and other disbelievers.

▪   What he did was to station himself and others who joined him at a strategic highway connecting Mecca to Syria, the line of livelihood of the disbelievers of Quraish.  He threatened the route of commerce of the Meccans, giving them a lot of trouble, to any caravan going up to Syria.  The news scared the disbelievers, becoming a new and unexpected danger to them!  Many Meccans who converted to Islam from then on, and were refused entry in Medina, joined Abu Baseer instead.  They instantly posed a grave threat to the line of commerce of the Meccans, causing all sorts of trouble.

▪   The new little band of the Meccan converts played havoc with Quraish's commerce.  It became so menacing to the disbelievers that an outcry came out of Quraish, pleading and request­ing.  "Please Muhammad, take all of your Muslims, please stop the new dangerous element from giving us trouble; we don't want them!  Please, we beg of you, take all the new Muslims!!

▪   Prophet Muhammad agreed to their demands, and happily so, and the route of commerce for the Meccans became safe once again.

▪   In addition to the above, the treaty of Hudaibiya made it much easier for the Muslims to declare the teachings of Islam.  As a result, the number of new Muslims began to increase at an ever faster rate.  It increased so fast that in a matter of only two years, the Muslims gained as many converts as they had ever managed in all the previous years!  See how freedom of preaching Islam succeeded and see how it allowed Islam to proceed full speed ahead, without any warfare or any dishonesty.

WILL THE NORTH BE AS SAFE THOUGH? 

      Thankfully, because of the treaty of Hudaibiya, the area south of Medina became safe.  But how about the north?  Benu Nadheer were still there, they were the Jewish tribes ousted from Medina before, and the organizers of opposition to the Muslims.  They were the ones who organized the famous alliance with the disbelievers of Mecca and different tribes, the purpose of which was to crush the Muslims at the battle of the ditch, only one year before.

      Benu Nadheer were still there, plotting and planning, in envy, making every effort to destroy the Muslims.  Benu Nadheer were posing a serious potential threat to the very existence of the Muslims, and they continued their hostilities to Islam by provoking neighboring tribes.

      Another reason for concern was a fairly clear one to Muhammad (pbuh) at the time.  "Suppose," he thought, "that the Persians or the Byzantines (Romans) made treaties with Benu Nadheer and other Jews at Khaybar.  And suppose arms, money and men came to their help, wouldn't these same Jewish tribes descend on the Muslims and cut them to pieces?"  The answer was clear, it would certainly be yes.  If such was the case, would you wait until they come and crush you, or would you rather take preventive measures?

      Khaybar was north of Medina by a good many miles, and it was there where the Jews were fortified, with no less than six major forts and many minor ones.  They posed as a grave danger, a danger to the very existence of Muslims.  "Should they be left to make more trouble?  Or should they be under the control of the Muslims?" that question was to be considered.

      The Jewish tribes of Khaybar were a massive power.  They had well‑trained fighters, loaded with arms, and were well fortified.  They expected confrontation with the Muslims, especially after their surprising attempt to crush the Muslims at the confrontation of the ditch.  As a result, they were preparing for a war with all their resources.

THE MARCH TO KHAYBAR 

      Only a few weeks had passed since the truce of Hudaibiya, when Muhammad (pbuh), the most dynamic man, called his men.  He chose only the ones who were at Hudaibiya, since they proved to be such stubborn, dedicated Muslims.  Their pledge of Radhwan was a great example, it proved that they were completely committed to Islam, whatever the price would be.

      As a solid devoted body, the Muslims arose to the call, enthusiastically so.  They could manage one hundred horses.  That was the biggest number of horses the Muslims could ever manage as of yet.  The march was fast and secret, the aim was to surprise the enemy.

      No longer than three days passed before the Muslims reached the forts, and the Jews of Khaybar were taken by the biggest surprise of all!

THEY EVEN MADE BETS! 

      Knowing of the enormity of the Jewish strength at Khaybar, the pagans who heard of the impending contest were sarcastic.  They made fun of the Muslim strength and ridiculed it.  Many thoughts crossed their minds.  How could the Muslims ever conquer the huge forts in Khaybar, how could they ever do it with only sixteen hundred fighters and a mere one hundred horses?!  Conquering the huge, very well fortified forts, was too massive a job for such a small Muslim force.  And how could they conquer one stronghold after another, when such forts were defended by the very well‑trained Jewish warriors, the disbelievers thought?

      Therefore, they started to bet on the odds, the odds were heavily against the Muslims.  It showed how sure they were that no doubt Muhammad (pbuh) was going to be finished, and that the Muslims would be dealt the crushing defeat.

Map of the area

The largest fort of Khaybar

AND THE FIGHT WAS HEAVY 

      The Jews were defending their last chance to be powerful and big in Arabia.  It was their very last chance to either dominate Arabia, or be under the protection of the Muslims.  Within the last few years, they had tried three times to defy the Muslims, but failed every time.  Khaybar by now was the only and the last chance.

      Khaybar consisted of several castles, all of which were well built, fortified, and their most advanced fortifications.

      There were many attempts at conquering the forts but all had failed.  At last the Prophet (pbuh) gave the flag to Abu Bakr who led the Muslim force, but failed to overcome the fort too.

      Omar was given the command next day, and he too tried very hard, but he could not possibly conquer the fort.  The human losses were heavy.  Two clashes already, yet there was no success.

▪   Then the Prophet (pbuh) declared, "Tomorrow I will give the banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger and who is loved by Allah and His Messenger.  He will not return until Allah gives him victory."

▪   He did not name the lucky man.  Every Muslim  was anxious, expectantly and breathlessly, until next day, hoping to be this very man.

▪   Next day, amid excitement and expectation, Muhammad (pbuh) gave the distinction to the man.  He turned out to be the man of the highest skill, valor, and devotion to Islam.  He was Ali, the beloved cousin and son-in-law.

▪   It was the legendary Ali to lead the fight ahead.

▪   It was Ali to carry the heavy  responsibility.  It was Ali who loved Allah and His Messenger, and whom Allah and His Messenger loved so much.

▪   Ali had infected eyes at the time, his eyes were swollen shut.  He was led to Muhammad (pbuh) by the hand.  Muhammad (pbuh) wet his finger and touched Ali's eye lids.  Miraculous­ly, and to the surprise of all, Ali's eyes became cured and he could see.

▪   Now as commander-in-chief Ali rushed to the fortifications, and it was a fierce fight, relentless and ferocious.  It was so severe that at one time Ali's shield fell, so he picked up a door, a whole door, to become his shield!  Even the horse had difficulty carrying the load, of both Ali and the door.

▪   Wonder of wonders, how everyone felt seeing Ali the leader, with a door held in one hand, fighting the scared soldiers!! 

The door of khaybar

The startling scene terrified the enemy, and boosted the Muslim's spirit ever higher.  The clank of the swords, the noise and deafening shouts, the dust, the whining of the wounded, the Allaahu‑Akbar heard from hundreds of throats in the fierce battle shook the very hearts of the fighters.  Numerous Jewish fighters fell, wounded or dead.  Their frightful leader, their hero, was swiftly killed by Ali, and the Muslims pushed ever harder until they entered the fort.  Oh what a victory!

▪   To enter the fort, Ali used the heavy door that he carried as his shield, as a bridge, to cross the ditch (moat) around the castle.  This way the Muslim fighters stormed the fort!

▪   Gradually the other Jewish forts fell one by one, and in a matter of a short time, every single fort came to be in the hands of the Muslims.  It was a good many of them, and everyone of them was heavily fortified.  The fighting, as said, was ferocious, heavy, and tough.

      Before Ali took over, Muslims lay siege to the forts for a few weeks.  And there even came a time when they had hardly anything to eat.  Reserves ran so low they even had to slaughter a horse for food.

      Fortunately, the fighting was over just in time, the Muslims felt greatly relieved, and they were extremely grateful to the Almighty for their great victory.  This resulted in a treaty between the Jews of Khaybar and the Muslims.  The Jews were:

1. to continue to work in the area,

2. would be protected by the Muslims, and

3. for that they were to furnish half of their yearly produce to the Muslims.

AN ATTEMPT TO POISON HIM 

      After the battle of Khaybar, the wife of a Jewish leader invited the Prophet and the Muslims to a dinner.  A roast lamb was the main dish, it was graciously presented to the Muslims.

      The Prophet (pbuh) tasted the meat, but the meat had a peculiar taste.  So he and other Muslims stopped eating it, looking at each other surprised.  The Prophet (pbuh) hastened to say, "The taste of the meat makes me suspect that it has been poisoned."

      A companion of the Prophet, who had a good helping of the meat, became sick immediately.  With a severe stomachache he vomited and vomited.  Soon after, the poor man was in agony, shock and collapse, and died.  An uproar arose as a conse­quence.

      The host woman was the suspect, she was caught and questioned.  She hesitatingly admitted that "she put poison in the lamb to kill the Prophet and the invited Muslims!"  The Muslims became furious, and ever more suspicious of those Jews.  At the same time, they were thankful, thankful that at least they were safe, warned by the death of only one of their companions.

      The Jewish host however, was forgiven, since both her husband and father were killed in the battle of Khaybar.  Even with such a critical and terrifying experience, we see the Prophet (pbuh) ever forgiving and so understanding. 

DRINK NOT, NOR GAMBLE 

It was during the 7th year of Hijrah that orders from the Almighty came down prohibiting drinking alcohol.  Those orders came in three stages, and only gradually:

      It is worthy of note, that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had kept receiving Revelations from Allah for all those years, and he received them steadily.  They gave numerous instructions in regards to people's conduct and behavior and many other matters.  The Holy Quran was ever expanding.  The Islamic ethics and manners, the ways of worship and so many other orders in regard to Islamic law, were reaching a point of becoming complete in terms of Revelations about every aspect of life.

QUESTIONS  

1. What did the Muslims do when Al Abbas' informant told Muhammad (pbuh) about the oncoming Quraish army?

2. Which Muslim's suggestion was the best for facing the enemy at the Ditch Confron­tation?

3. How long did it take the Muslims to dig the ditch?

4. How long was the ditch of the famed Ditch Confrontation?

5. How wide was the ditch of the famed Ditch Confrontation?

6. The force of the enemy was 10,000 for the famed Ditch Confrontation.  How large was the force of the Muslims?

7. What was the enemy's feeling when they saw the ditch and the Muslims inside posing to defend it?

8. What did Quraish decide to do?

9. What intrigue went on behind the Muslims back during the Ditch Confrontation?

10. How did Amr ibn Abd-Wid along with two others cross the ditch?

11. Who spotted the crossing of the ditch and understood its danger?

12. Having spotted the ditch crossing, what was the first thing Ali (a.s.) did?

13. Amr ibn Abd-Wid was the hero of heroes at that time.  Why?

14. How did Ali (a.s.) confront Amr ibn Abd-Wid?

15. Describe the duel between Ali (a.s.) and Amr ibn Abd-Wid?

16. When Ali (a.s.) finished off Amr, what was the feeling of the Muslims?

17. What was the feeling of Quraish when their hero, Amr ibn Abd-Wid, was gone?

18. How long did the siege of Medina take at the Ditch Confrontation?

19. Did the intrigue by the Jewish Benu Quraidha and the disbelievers of Quraish succeed during the Ditch Confrontation?

20. How did Quraish finally leave the ditch area and the siege?

21. How did Muhammad (pbuh) deal with the Jewish Benu Quraidha afterwards?

22. Ibn Mu'adh's judgment was for all Quraidha males of the fighting age to be executed; women, children and old people were to be cared for by Muslims.  How fair was that?

23. When Medina was without the intriguing Jewish tribes anymore and the spirit of disbelievers down, what did the Muslims do during that period?

24. The Prophet dreamt of performing Haj (Omrah), and along with 1500 Muslims went toward Mecca.  Was their intention purely peaceful?

25. During the sixth year of Hijrah Muhammad (pbuh) decided to perform Haj. How long after the Ditch Confrontation did this take place?

26. To do their first Haj, did the Muslims succeed?

27. Khalid ibnil Waleed was heading a force of 200 fighters to intercept the Muslims and prevent them from performing the Haj.  Did he engage the Muslims in a fight?

28. How did the Prophet avoid the force of Khalid ibnil Waleed?

29. What did the Muslims first do at Hudaibiya?

30. Who first conducted the negotiations with the Meccans before Hudaibiya?

31. When Muslims at Hudaibiya suspected that Uthman (r) might have been killed, what did the Prophet (pbuh) do?

32. What were some of the terms of Hudaibiya's treaty?

33. Hudaibiya treaty was mentioned in the Holy Quran.  What benefits did it bring the Muslims?

34. Who was disenchanted with Hudaibiya's treaty, and why?

35. By having the Hudaibiya treaty with Quraish, the Muslims felt safe from the south.  What did they do next?

36. How did the Prophet surprise the Jewish tribes in Khaybar?

37. How strong were the Jewish tribes regarded at Khaybar?

38. How many castles were at the Khaybar fortifications?

39. How long did the Muslims lay siege to the Khaybar area?

40. Who was the first leader of the Muslim force at Khaybar?

41. Who was the second leader of the Muslim force at Khaybar?

42. Why were the first two leaders of the Muslim force at Khaybar unable to take over  the castle of the enemy?

43. What did the Prophet do to Ali's eye infection at Khaybar?

44. What did the Prophet say the day before he gave the leadership to Ali (a.s.) at Khaybar?

45. How did Ali (a.s.) overwhelm the strongest castle of Khaybar?

46. At Khaybar, when the strongest castle surrendered, did the other castles fall easily?

47. After having become victorious at Khaybar, dinner was served to the Muslims, but  the food tasted unusual.  Why?

48. Who wanted to poison the Prophet at Khaybar and how did he treat her?

49. What kind of treaty did Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) make with the Jewish tribes of Khaybar?

50. After Khaybar, Allah's order of prohibiting alcohol in stages was revealed.  Explain that.