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Battle of the Ditch

The "battle of the ditch" (took place in 5 AH (March 627 CE). In preparation for the impending attack by Abu Sufyan and the Qurayshi army, the Muslims dug a wide defensive trench around Madinah, thus effectively neutralizing the Makkan cavalry. The Quraysh, the enemies of the Prophet, and their allies expected to make short work of the Muslims on this occasion. This time they had an overwhelming superiority in numbers. The Muslim forces were severely stretched and it seemed that the battle would be brief and the spoils great. But when the Quraysh reached the outskirts of Madinah they were confronted by an unexpected obstacle. The trench which now encircled the city effectively prevented the Makkans from using their cavalry and made a frontal assault exceedingly dangerous. After the exchange of a few insults and then arrows with the Muslims, the attacking host made camp outside the perimeter trench and considered how they should proceed. Days passed with the two sides locked in a stalemate. But every day in which the Quraysh and their allies waited beyond the trench, unable to take any decisive action, was a victory for Muhammad. It was not just the problems of supply which, as time passes, beset every army away from base; it was also the demoralization that affects soldiers who, confident of an easy victory, suddenly find themselves impotent. Furthermore, inactivity bred disunity. The Quraysh were aware that the tribesmen who had joined in the advance on Madinah from the east had no real commitment to the Qurayshi cause and were more motivated by plunder than principle. Then the weather worsened. For days, rain fell incessantly to add to the discomfort engendered by the exceptional cold. Finally, one night, the wind came, a howling, buffeting wind which, with the darkness of the night and the driving rain and the bitter cold, instilled terror into the hearts of the Quraysh and their allies. Every tent was blown down, leaving the occupants entirely exposed to the elements. Every campfire was extinguished, denying the soldiers all comfort and warmth. The animals panicked and ran riot, kicking and injuring their own masters The attack on Madinah had failed. Through the ingenuity of the Muslims, through the raging of the elements, above all through the will of Allah, the word of the Prophet had been fulfilled and the enemies of Islam had been frustrated once again.

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