Jihad (Struggle, effort, endeavour) - Part 12

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('Jihad' - Struggle, effort, endeavour. [Muhammad Prophet For Our Time Glossary

pg. 217].)

 

 

Jihad - Part 12

 

(p.159) In March 627, a massive army of ten thousand men--the Quraysh and their

confederates--were on the march toward Medina. [57] Muhammad could raise only a

paltry three thousand warriors from Medina and his Bedouin allies. This time

there was no stupid bravado; the Muslims barricaded themselves into the " city "

in the center of the oasis. Surrounded on three sides by cliffs and plains of

volcanic rock, Medina was not difficult to defend. It was most vulnerable from

the north, but Muhammad adopted a stratagem suggested to him by Salman al-Farsi,

a Persian convert. The Quraysh were in no hurry, making their way grandly and

confidently in easy stages, so the Muslims had plenty of time. They gathered in

the crops from the outlying fields, so that this time the Meccans would find no

fodder, and then the entire community set to work digging a huge trench around

the northern part of the oasis. This was nothing short of astonishing--even

shocking--to Arab sensibilities. No self-respecting jahili warrior would dream

of putting a barrier between himself and the enemy. He would consider it

degrading to shovel earth like a slave. But Muhammad worked alongside his

companions, laughing, joking, and singing with his men. Morale was high.

 

When the Quraysh arrived with their army, they stared blankly at the trench. The

earth from the ditch had been used to build a high escarpment, which effectively

shielded the Medinese in their camp and gave them a superior vantage point from

which to hurl missiles. The Quraysh were bewildered. They had never seen

anything so unsporting in their lives! [58] (p.160) The cavalry, which was their

pride and joy, was useless. From time to time, one of their horsemen would try

to lead a dashing charge towards the enemy lines, only to screech absurdly to a

halt when he arrived at the dugout.

 

The siege lasted only a month, but it seemed endless. Feeding and supplying the

allies of Medina as well as their own people put a great strain on the city's

resources. Ibn Ubayy and his party accused Muhammad of bringing ruin upon them

[59] and the Jewish tribe of Qurayzah openly supported the Quraysh. The Jews of

Khaybar had contributed a large squadron to the Meccan army, which included many

of the exiled tribe of Nadir. Before the arrival of the Meccan army, Huyay ibn

Akhtab, chief of Nadir, had tried to persuade Qurayzah either to attack the

Muslims from the rear or to smuggle two thousand Nadiris into the oasis to

slaughter the women and children in the fortresses. Initially Qurayzah were

hesitant, but when they saw the vast Meccan army filling the plain in front of

the city as far as the eye could see, their chief agreed to help the confederacy

and provide the Quraysh with weapons and supplies. When Muhammad heard of this

treachery, he was visibly distressed. He sent Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, who had been

Qurayzah's chief Arab ally before the hijrah [migration] to negotiate, but to no

avail. At one point, the Qurayzah actually started to attack the fortresses on

the southeast of the settlement, but the effort petered out. For about three

weeks, it was quite unclear which way they would go.

 

Throughout the Battle of the Trench, as the siege became known, the Muslims were

terrified. Faced with the prospect of extermination, some came close to despair.

(p.161) " Your eyes swerved and your hearts reached your throats, " the Qur'an

recalled, " while you thought strange thoughts about God; here it was that the

believers were tried and shaken most mightily. " [60] But even as those inside

the city trembled, on the other side of the ditch, the Quraysh were becoming

exhausted. They had inadequate provisions and their inexperience in military

affairs meant that they were easily demoralized by a sudden reversal. Their

resolve finally snapped when a violent rainstorm devastated their camp. Abu

Sufyan recognized defeat. Horses and camels were dying, the Qurayzah had failed

to deliver, and his troops had no tents, fires, or cooking pots. " Be off, " he

announced to his men, " for I am going. " [61] When the Muslims peered over the

escarpment the next morning, the plain was completely deserted.

 

Muhammad (Prophet For Our Time)

Chapter 4, 'Jihad', p. 158-161

Karen Armstrong

Harper Perennial - London, New York, Toronto and Sydney

ISBN-13 978-0-00-723248-2

ISBN-10 0-00-723248-9

 

Notes:

 

[57] Lings, 'Muhammad' 215-30; Watt, 'Muhammad at Medina', 36-58; Mernissi,

'Women and Islam', 168-70.

 

[58] Ibn Ishaq, 677, in Guillaume, 'Life of Muhammad'.

 

[59] Qur'an 33:12.

 

[60] Qur'an 33:10-11.

 

[61] Ibn Ishaq, 683, in Guillaume, 'Life of Muhammad'.