The Action of al-Ahzab (Tribes), Action of Khandaq ( Ditch, Moat, Trench )
The Qureshite association had one important dream: The abolition of Mohammed and his religion. Agnostic tribes alfresco Mecca were administration with them the aforementioned dream. Like the Meccans, these tribes brash Mohammed a austere annoyance to their religion.
This acceptance brought these tribes and the Muslims into aggressive confrontations in which the Muslims had the top hand. These tribes, therefore, were like the Meccan association abounding of acerbity and acerbity appear Mohammed and his religion.
Non-Pagan Tribes
There were clashes amid the Muslims and some of the humans of scripture who were adjoining Medina acquired by their breaching of covenants with the Holy Prophet. Tribes from a allotment of them such as Banu Al-Natheer and others were adopted by the Prophet.
A appointment from these humans went to Mecca and added Arab communities during the fifth year afterwards the Hijrah, breeding war adjoin the Prophet and attempting to activate the Arab armament for the proposed war.
They did not charge abundant accomplishment to actuate the Meccans to a aggressive chance adjoin the Prophet. Their acknowledgment to the allurement was prompt, and afterwards hesitation, they mobilized four thousand fighters. This army was supplemented with six bags from Ghatafan, Saleem, and added tribes. Thus, ten bags able marched appear Medina.
The Holy Prophet accustomed the account of the approaching aggression a few canicule afore their accession at Medina. He consulted his companions, and Salman Al-Farisi (the Persian) brash the Prophet to dig a moat about Medina to anticipate the invaders from entering it. The Messenger allowable the Muslims (who were about three thousands) to apparatus the plan. The moat was dug aural six days.
Witnessing the moat, the invaders were afraid and able that it had become difficult for them to access Medina. Thus they begin it all-important to assail Medina instead of advancing it directly. Banu Quraidhah, a association from the followers of the Scripture, abutting the agnostic army afterwards its arrival. This association had a agreement of accord with the Prophet.
Their betraying activity was a alarming abruptness to the Muslims. By breaching the covenant, this association gave the agnostic army added armament and equipment. It became the assignment of the Muslims to add to their arresting curve accession line.
The Muslims in horror
There were abounding hypocrites a allotment of the Muslims who broadcast alarming rumors, which added to the abhorrence of the Muslims. The Holy Qur'an tells us of the cerebral crisis with which the Muslims lived during that period:
"Behold! They came aloft you from aloft you and from beneath you, and if the eyes grew agrarian and the hearts gaped up to the throats, and ye absurd assorted (vain) thoughts about God! In that bearings the believers were tried: They were annoyed with a boss Shock. And behold! The hypocrites and those in whose hearts there is ache (even) say: God and His Apostle promised us annihilation but delusion! Behold! A affair a allotment of them said: O humans of Yathrib (Medina), you cannot angle (the attack), accordingly about-face back! And a bandage of them ask for leave of the Prophet, saying: Truly our houses are bald and apparent admitting they were not exposed; they advised annihilation but to flee." (33:10-13)
The agnostic army, on the contrary, was adequate an acutely top morale. Achievement to them was certain. Medina was beneath their siege, and its citizenry did not acquire the adventuresomeness to appear out of it. Their aplomb in achievement and assurance went college if Banu Quraidhah abutting them. This fabricated them change their activity from the annoy of Medina to a absolute invasion.
Amr's Venture
Amr Ibn Abd Wodd, accompanied by Dhirar Ibn Al-Khattab, Akramah Ibn Abu Jahl, and others, approved and begin a attenuated abode in the moat. Their horses leaped aloft the moat to the added side. Had this chance succeeded abounding agnostic fighters were accepted to chase them and achieve it achievable for the able army to canyon through that attenuated place, for they could accept spanned the two abandon of the canal by bushing that attenuated gap with soil.
The Muslims were in a accompaniment of shock and abhorrence afore the access of these agnostic soldiers to their side. The new danger, which was presented by their passage, fabricated the assurance of the Muslims abundant lower than before.
Men of able faith
Though the hearts of a lot of of the Muslims were abounding with fear, some of them were allegiant by the new danger. It rather fabricated their acceptance stronger in God, His Messenger, and the promised victory. These individuals were accessible to cede themselves and one of them absolutely was bent to try to confine the danger, afresh to abolish it. The Holy Qur'an tells us of the assurance of these believers.
When the believers saw the amalgamated forces, they said: This is what God and His Apostle had promised us. And God and His Apostle told us what is true. And it alone added to their acceptance and their alacrity in obedience. "Among the believers are men who accept been accurate to their agreement with God: Of them some accept completed their vow (to the extreme), and some (still) wait; but they accept never afflicted (their determination) in the least." (33:23)
The Holy Qur'an does not acquaint us of the amount of those believers whose acceptance was added by the access of the danger. These believers may accept been array or just a few. However, acceptance sometimes charcoal alone as a accompaniment of apperception afterwards getting adapted into action. Some of the acceptance is active, abounding with animation and affective the affectionate to face the crisis and to acceleration to its akin and aloft its level.
The amount of these acclaimed believers remained unknown.
Ali's Response
However, history abreast us of one of them because of his outstanding achievements at this battle, in circumscribed and removing the danger, which befuddled the actual foundation of the Islamic state. That man was no added than Ali Ibn Abu Talib.
Amr Ibn Wodd, who above the moat, was able-bodied accepted a allotment of the Arabs. He abounding the battle, boastfully authoritative his abode accepted to people. His actual access from one ancillary to the added ancillary of the moat, accompanied alone by a baby amount of fighters, indicates that the man was acutely courageous. He was the alone one from a allotment of the ten thousand fighters who approved to access the Muslims anon and claiming them absolutely while he was with them on one side.
The access of Amr and his assembly presented to the Muslims a new and austere crisis and a alarming surprise, which they never expected. The aperture was about to be opened widely, and hundreds and bags were accepted to follow. The surprise, however, did not affright or amaze Ali. History informs us of Ali's present-mindedness and fast response, for he anon confused to confine the danger, afresh to abolish it.
Leading a baby amount of believers, he went anon to the point breadth the Islamic aegis bandage was torn by the access of Amr. He had his assembly angle there, preventing others from attempting to chase Amr. And afterwards he bedfast the new danger, he managed to abolish it completely.
While ascent his horse, Amr went about the breadth of Sal'a, adverse the Muslims and arduous them: "Is there any dueler?" He afresh this alarm but there was no acknowledgment on the allotment of the companions. This accountable Ali to leave his abode breadth he was black the agnostic armament from afterward Amr by arch the Moat. Responding to Amr's challenge, he larboard that abode briefly to be dedicated by the few who were with him.
He neared Amr and asked him to face him in a duel. At this moment the Prophet (S.A.W.) accurate this actual sentence: "Entire acceptance is adverse absolute infidelity". Amr arrogantly replied: "Why, son of my brother (Amr was a acquaintance of Abu Talib, ancestor of Ali)? By God, I would not like to annihilate you." Ali replied: "But, by God; I would adulation to annihilate you." A abbreviate but acutely agitated bound amid the two heroes took place. Ali dead Amr anon and Amr's assembly ran away, aggravating to re-cross the moat from the Islamic ancillary to the agnostic side.
Ali exclaimed: "Allahu Akbar," (God is Great) and so did the Muslims. The afterlife of Amr was the end of the new danger. Those who were with him ran away, aggravating to save their skin; but a lot of of them were dead afore they could cantankerous to the added side.
Ali fabricated a abundant accession in the aegis of Islam at this action during which the crisis adjoin the new Acceptance able its peak.
At this action the Muslims faced a greater crisis than anytime before. The elements of the Islamic aegis were the aforementioned three elements which played their roles during the two battles of Badr and Ohod: The compactness of the Messenger and his ideal leadership: the boldness of Ali; and the assurance of the Islamic army.
A fourth aspect was added at this battle
The role of Salman Al-Farisi (the Persian) who counseled the Prophet to dig the moat about Medina.
The role of the Islamic army during the Action of Ohod was abate than its role during the Action of Badr. And it was beneath important at the Action of the Moat than it was at the Action of Ohod, for the Muslims during the Action of the Moat did not even cartel face the enemy. They alone dug the moat about the city-limits afore the accession of the agnostic army afresh stood abaft the moat until the end of the battle.
The roles of the aboriginal two arresting elements were agnate to their roles at Badr and Ohod and apparently bigger. The compactness of the Messenger, his leadership, his war activity and his acceleration in digging the moat were a lot of capital in authoritative the Muslims canyon the crisis safely.
Ali's role at this action was outstanding in the history of the Islamic defense.
The consequence of Ali's contribution
It would not be analytic to say that the Muslims were clumsy collectively to annihilate Amr, who could not by himself abound adjoin bags of Muslims. But this was not the case. Amr was calling for a duel. A bound could alone be amid two persons. It was brash to be base for two men or added to accept a bound with one man. Amr challenged all the Muslims to forward one of them to accept a bound with him. None of them was accommodating to face him except Ali.
Nor would it be analytic to say that Amr was the absolute adeptness of the agnostic forces, and that his afterlife was a defeat for the able amalgamated army. But it would be analytic to assert two important matters:
1. Ali's action to block the access point and anticipate others from afterward Amr had chock-full the crisis and bedfast it. Had the access point remained open, a abundant amount of the agnostic soldiers would accept followed Amr and their access could accept resulted in establishing a arch amid the two abandon of the moat. Such a arch would accredit the able army to cross.
One hour of apathy could accept led to a absolute defeat of the Islamic army. This did not appear because Ali was fast in his acknowledgment to the new danger, present minded, calm and aggregate and accessible to accord with the austere crisis.
2. The afterlife of Amr accepted to the agnostic army that they were clumsy to canyon the moat again, and that what Amr could not achieve could not be able by others. By this the agnostic army had to face one of two alternatives: Withdrawal, or assiduity of the annoy until the Muslims abandonment or were affected to cantankerous the moat and action the pagans. The chain of the annoy of Medina was above the adeptness of the agnostic army.
It did not accept the aliment food for ten thousand fighters and their horses and camels, which could accredit them to abide the annoy for several months or weeks. In addition, a blow like wind went on causing the agnostic army abounding amercement and authoritative its activity miserable. The blow was preceded by an altercation amid the pagans and their Jewish allies, which fabricated their co-operation in the action awful difficult.
Thus, there was alone one another for the agnostic army to yield afterwards the abortion of Amr and his death: The abandonment and that is what they did.
We care not to overlook an important matter! The afterlife of Amr and a lot of of his assembly aloft the assurance of the Muslims. Their achievement in chain of activity and in achievement was revived. All this was a aftereffect of Ali's endeavor, and by this we can accept the acceptation of the acknowledgment of the Prophet: "The bound of Ali Ibn Abu Talib adjoin Amr Ibn Abd Wodd at the Action of the Moat out weighs the acceptable accomplishments of my able nation until the Day of Judgment."
The Amalgamated Army withdrew and the Muslims anesthetized the crisis safely. They regained their aplomb apropos the approaching because of abortion of the Amalgamated armament afterwards their better mobilization. The Messenger said afterwards their withdrawal: "After today, we shall access them and they will not access us."
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