The Battle of Khandaq

Adopted from the book : "Story of the Holy Ka’aba And its People" by : "S.M.R. Shabbar"

The Battle of Khandaq: 4th year of Hijra, 626 AD: At the end of the battle of Ohud when Abu Sofian was unable to hurt the Holy Prophet, he returned to Makka after promising that he will come back next year and will take revenge for the defeats of Badr and Ohud. This time it was not only the non believers of Makka who were with him. He had also taken the help of the Jews of Madina to defeat Islam for ever.

The Jewish tribes of Madina promised to help in two ways, one to send soldiers to fight in the battlefield and two to create fear among the women and children who were left in the town unprotected. The Prophet’s companion Salman Farsi suggested that the muslims must dig a moat on the unprotected side of the town. The muslims took this advice and the moat was ready within 3 days in which the Prophet himself took part. When the enemy forces arrived at the scene they were unable to enter the city due to the newly dug moat and they stayed on the outerside. But one of their most famous soldier's named Amr Ibne Abde Wud jumped the moat with his horse and challenged the muslims to fight with him. When The Prophet asked his bravest to go and fight Amr none of them was eager to come out.

Omar Ibne Khattab even suggested that this man was so brave that he fought one thousand men alone and defeated them. Ali was eager as ever to fight this man and he came out with the blessings of the Holy Prophet who said, ‘Today the whole faith has come out to fight the whole infidelity. ”Ali was able to kill the enemy soon and when the Prophet saw Ali victorious he uttered the words “ Verily one blow of Ali’s sword on the day of Khadaq is superior to the worship of all beings until the Day of Judgement.”

Amr was killed, but the battle was not over. Armies of non believers were on the other side of the ditch while the muslims were inside the city almost besieged without any provisions. After a while with the prayers of the Holy Prophet a storm blew up that frightened the army of the non believers and they ran away never to come back again.