Chapter: The Ghazwa of Al-Khandaq or Al-Ahzab Battle

That the Prophet (ﷺ) inspected him on the day of Uhud while he was fourteen years old, and the Prophet (ﷺ) did not allow him to take part in the battle. He was inspected again by the Prophet (ﷺ) on the day of Al- Khandaq (i.e. battle of the Trench) while he was fifteen years old, and the Prophet (ﷺ) allowed him to take Part in the battle.

We were with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the Trench, and some were digging the trench while we were carrying the earth on our shoulders. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'O Allah! There is no life except the life of the Hereafter, so please forgive the Emigrants and the Ansar."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out towards the Khandaq (i.e. Trench) and saw the Emigrants and the Ansar digging the trench in the cold morning. They had no slaves to do that (work) for them. When the Prophet saw their hardship and hunger, he said, 'O Allah! The real life is the life of the Hereafter, so please forgive Ansar and the Emigrants." They said in reply to him, "We are those who have given the Pledge of allegiances to Muhammad for to observe Jihad as long as we live."

Al-Muhajirun (i.e. the Emigrants) and the Ansar were digging the trench around Medina and were carrying the earth on their backs while saying, "We are those who have given the pledge of allegiance to Muhammad for Islam as long as we live." The Prophet (ﷺ) said in reply to their saying, "O Allah! There is no goodness except the goodness of the Hereafter; so please grant Your Blessing to the Ansar and the Emigrants." The people used to bring a handful of barley, and a meal used to be prepared thereof by cooking it with a cooking material (i.e. oil, fat and butter having a change in color and smell) and it used to be presented to the people (i.e. workers) who were hungry, and it used to stick to their throats and had a nasty smell.

We were digging (the trench) on the day of (Al-Khandaq ( i.e. Trench )) and we came across a big solid rock. We went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "Here is a rock appearing across the trench." He said, "I am coming down." Then he got up, and a stone was tied to his belly for we had not eaten anything for three days. So the Prophet (ﷺ) took the spade and struck the big solid rock and it became like sand. I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Allow me to go home." (When the Prophet (ﷺ) allowed me) I said to my wife, "I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) in a state that I cannot treat lightly. Have you got something (for him to eat?" She replied, "I have barley and a she goat." So I slaughtered the she-kid and she ground the barley; then we put the meat in the earthenware cooking pot. Then I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) when the dough had become soft and fermented and (the meat in) the pot over the stone trivet had nearly been well-cooked, and said, "I have got a little food prepared, so get up O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), you and one or two men along with you (for the food)." The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, "How much is that food?" I told him about it. He said, "It is abundant and good. Tell your wife not to remove the earthenware pot from the fire and not to take out any bread from the oven till I reach there." Then he said (to all his companions), "Get up." So the Muhajirn (i.e. Emigrants) and the Ansar got up. When I came to my wife, I said, "Allah's Mercy be upon you! The Prophet came along with the Muhajirin and the Ansar and those who were present with them." She said, "Did the Prophet (ﷺ) ask you (how much food you had)?" I replied, "Yes." Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Enter and do not throng." The Prophet (ﷺ) started cutting the bread (into pieces) and put the cooked meat over it. He covered the earthenware pot and the oven whenever he took something out of them. He would give the food to his companions and take the meat out of the pot. He went on cutting the bread and scooping the meat (for his companions) till they all ate their fill, and even then, some food remained. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said (to my wife), "Eat and present to others as the people are struck with hunger."

When the Trench was dug, I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) in the state of severe hunger. So I returned to my wife and said, "Have you got anything (to eat), for I have seen Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in a state of severe hunger." She brought out for me, a bag containing one Sa of barley, and we had a domestic she animal (i.e. a kid) which I slaughtered then, and my wife ground the barley and she finished at the time I finished my job (i.e. slaughtering the kid). Then I cut the meat into pieces and put it in an earthenware (cooking) pot, and returned to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). My wife said, "Do not disgrace me in front of Allah's Apostle and those who are with him." So I went to him and said to him secretly, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have slaughtered a she-animal (i.e. kid) of ours, and we have ground a Sa of barley which was with us. So please come, you and another person along with you." The Prophet (ﷺ) raised his voice and said, "O people of Trench ! Jabir has prepared a meal so let us go." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to me, "Don't put down your earthenware meat pot (from the fireplace) or bake your dough till I come." So I came (to my house) and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) too, came, proceeding before the people. When I came to my wife, she said, "May Allah do so-and-so to you." I said, "I have told the Prophet (ﷺ) of what you said." Then she brought out to him (i.e. the Prophet (ﷺ) the dough, and he spat in it and invoked for Allah's Blessings in it. Then he proceeded towards our earthenware meat-pot and spat in it and invoked for Allah's Blessings in it. Then he said (to my wife). Call a lady-baker to bake along with you and keep on taking out scoops from your earthenware meat-pot, and do not put it down from its fireplace." They were onethousand (who took their meals), and by Allah they all ate, and when they left the food and went away, our earthenware pot was still bubbling (full of meat) as if it had not decreased, and our dough was still being baked as if nothing had been taken from it.

As regards the following Qur'anic Verse:-- "When they came on you from above and from below you (from east and west of the valley) and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached up to the throats....." (33.10) That happened on the day of Al-Khandaq (i.e. Trench).

The Prophet (ﷺ) was carrying earth on the day of Al-Khandaq till his `Abdomen was fully covered with dust, and he was saying, "By Allah, without Allah we would not have been guided, neither would we have given in charity, nor would we have prayed. So (O Allah), please send Sakina (i.e. calmness) upon us, and make our feet firm if we meet the enemy as the enemy have rebelled against us, and if they intended affliction, (i.e. want to frighten us and fight against us then we would not flee but withstand them)." The Prophet (ﷺ) used to raise his voice saying, "Abaina! Abaina! (i.e. would not, we would not).

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I have been made victorious by As-Saba (i.e. an easterly wind) and the Ad nation was destroyed by Ad-Dabur (i.e. a westerly wind).

When it was the day of Al-Ahzab (i.e. the clans) and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) dug the trench, I saw him carrying earth out of the trench till dust made the skin of his `Abdomen out of my sight and he was a hairy man. I heard him reciting the poetic verses composed by Ibn Rawaha while he was carrying the earth, "O Allah! Without You we would not have been guided, nor would we have given in charity, nor would we have prayed. So, (O Allah), please send Sakina (i.e. calmness) upon us and make our feet firm if we meet the enemy, as they have rebelled against us. And if they intend affliction (i.e. want to frighten us, and fight against us) then we would not (flee but withstand them)." The Prophet (ﷺ) would then prolong his voice at the last words.

The first day (i.e. Ghazwa) I participated in, was the day of Al-Khandaq (i.e. Trench).

Ibn `Umar said, "I went to Hafsa while water was dribbling from her twined braids. I said, 'The condition of the people is as you see, and no authority has been given to me.' Hafsa said, (to me), 'Go to them, and as they (i.e. the people) are waiting for you, and I am afraid your absence from them will produce division amongst them.' " So Hafsa did not leave Ibn `Umar till we went to them. When the people differed. Muawiya addressed the people saying, "'If anybody wants to say anything in this matter of the Caliphate, he should show up and not conceal himself, for we are more rightful to be a Caliph than he and his father." On that, Habib bin Masalama said (to Ibn `Umar), "Why don't you reply to him (i.e. Muawiya)?" `Abdullah bin `Umar said, "I untied my garment that was going round my back and legs while I was sitting and was about to say, 'He who fought against you and against your father for the sake of Islam, is more rightful to be a Caliph,' but I was afraid that my statement might produce differences amongst the people and cause bloodshed, and my statement might be interpreted not as I intended. (So I kept quiet) remembering what Allah has prepared in the Gardens of Paradise (for those who are patient and prefer the Hereafter to this worldly life)." Habib said, "You did what kept you safe and secure (i.e. you were wise in doing so).

On the day of Al-Ahzab (i.e. clans) the Prophet (ﷺ) said, (After this battle) we will go to attack them(i.e. the infidels) and they will not come to attack us."

When the clans were driven away, I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "From now onwards we will go to attack them (i.e. the infidels) and they will not come to attack us, but we will go to them."

On the day of Al-Khandaq (i.e. Trench), the Prophet (ﷺ) said '(Let) Allah fill their (i.e. the infidels') houses and graves with fire just as they have prevented us from offering the Middle Prayer (i.e. `Asr prayer) till the sun had set."

`Umar bin Al-Khattab came on the day of Al-Khandaq after the sun had set and he was abusing the infidels of Quraish saying, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I was unable to offer the (`Asr) prayer till the sun was about to set." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "By Allah, I have not offered this (i.e. `Asr) prayer." So we came down along with the Prophet (ﷺ) to Buthan where he performed ablution for the prayer and then we performed the ablution for it. Then he offered the `Asr prayer after the sun had set, and after it he offered the Maghrib prayer.

On the day of Al-Ahzab (i.e. clans), Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'Who will bring us the news of the people (i.e. the clans of Quraish infidels)?" Az-Zubair said, "I." The Prophet (ﷺ) again said, "Who will bring us the news of the people?" AzZubair said, "I." The Prophet (ﷺ) again said, "Who will bring us the news of the people?" Az-Zubair said, "I." The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, "Every prophet has his Hawari (i.e. disciplespecial helper); my disciple is Az-Zubair.

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to say, "None has the right to be worshipped except Allah Alone (Who) honored His Warriors and made His Slave victorious, and He (Alone) defeated the (infidel) clans; so there is nothing after Him.

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) invoked evil upon the clans saying, "Allah, the Revealer of the Holy Book (i.e. the Qur'an), the Quick Taker of the accounts! Please defeat the clans. O Allah! Defeat them and shake them."

Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) returned from a Ghazwa, Hajj or `Umra, he used to start (saying), "Allahu- Akbar," thrice and then he would say, "None has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone Who has no partners. To Him belongs the Kingdom, all praises are for Him, and He is able to do all things (i.e. Omnipotent). We are returning with repentance (to Allah) worshipping, prostrating, and praising our Lord. Allah has fulfilled His Promise, made His Slave victorious, and He (Alone) defeated the clans (of infidels)."