The raids, taken together with the disciplinary action meted out by the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) in the wake of the battle of Uhud, had a great effect in restoring the high standing of the Muslims and in reasserting the authority of the Islamic State.
The Muslims’ sphere of influence widened and their authority increased dramatically, reaching new heights. The whole of the Arabian Peninsula became cautioned of the might exercised by the Muslims. Whenever the Arabs got wind of a raid that was about to be launched against them by Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) they would not contest it but rather run away. This happened in Ghatafan and Dumat al-Jandal. The Quraysh were no longer a match for the Muslims and they could no longer dare to confront them on their own. For example, in the last raid at Badr, the Quraysh backed down and did not even turn up. This helped the Muslims to enjoy some stability and gave them some respite, allowing them to concentrate on life in Madinah. They were able to adopt their living in lieu of the recent changes that had taken place. Now that the Muhajireen had gained the booties of Banu Nadir such as their lands, palm trees (date palms), houses and furniture, which had been distributed among them, a considerable change in their fortunes had occurred. However, this did not distract them from pursuing their top priority, which was evidently Jihad, for Jihad has been decreed till the Day of Reckoning. Nevertheless, their living standards had become better and more stable than before.
Despite the serenity in Madinah, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) always remained on the alert fearing the treachery of the enemy. He was forever keen to gather news about everyone and every development taking place in the Arabian Peninsula. He (pbuh) would send people on exploratory and news gathering missions all over the land and beyond. He (pbuh) was anxious to learn everything about the movements of the Arabs in order to be ready to deal with any hostilities. This was especially the case at this point, now that the enemies of the Muslims in the Peninsula numbered many, which was reactionary to the building of an army and a State to be reckoned with. This was particularly the case after the expulsion of the Jews of Banu Qaynuqa’ and Banu Nadir, as well as after having dealt the tribes such as Ghatafan, Hadhayl and many others a crushing blow.
In light of the above, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) considered intelligence gathering to be vital. In fact it was through this medium that he received early warnings of the Quraysh, combining together with several other tribes to raid Madinah. He (pbuh) was therefore able to make advanced preparations to meet the new threat.
It was the Jews of Banu Nadir who endeavored to incite the Arabs against the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) in order to exact their revenge for being expelled from Madinah. A number of them had formed a party against the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), among whom were Huyayy ibn Akhtab, Salam ibn Abi al-Huqayq and Kinanah ibn Abi al-Huqayq, and from Banu Wa’il were Haudhah ibn Qays and Abu ‘Ammar, and it was this party which approached the Quraysh in Makkah. The Quraysh asked Huyayy about his people and he said, “I left them between Khaybar and Madinah hesitating and waiting for you to march with them against Muhammad and his Companions.” They also asked him about Banu Quraydah and he said, “They remained in Madinah to deceive Muhammad. They are waiting for you to raid Madinah to help you from within.” At that stage the Quraysh were hesitant, not knowing whether to attack Madinah or not. They considered that there was no dispute between them and Muhammad (pbuh) except his (pbuh) call to Allah (swt) and Islam. They, therefore, wondered whether Muhammad (pbuh) was in the right? To lessen their doubts the Quraysh asked the Jews, “You, O Jews, are the first people to receive scripture and know the nature of our dispute with Muhammad. Is our Deen the best or is his ?” The Jews replied, “Certainly your Deen is better than his and you have a better claim to be in the right!”
The Jews were monotheistic and they knew very well that the Deen of Muhammad (pbuh) was the right one, but their burning desire to incite the Arabs against him (pbuh) landed them in this despicable blunder. To declare that the worshipping of idols was better than the Tawheed was their eternal disgrace and shame, but the Jews did it and are ready to do it over and over again.
Once they were assured that the Quraysh were convinced and that they would gladly respond to their call the Jews went to Ghatafan of Qays Ghaylan, to Banu Murrah and to Banu Fazarah, to Ashja’a, to Salim, to Banu Sa’d, to Asad and to anyone else who held a grudge against the Muslims. In time, a number of Arab tribes allied and went out with the Quraysh heading for Madinah.
The Quraysh marched under the leadership of Abu Sufyan. They numbered about 4,000 warriors, 300 cavalrymen and another 1,500 warriors riding on camels. Banu Fazarah marched under the leadership of ‘Uyayna ibn Hisn ibn Hudhayfah with a large number of warriors and 1,000 camels. Ashja’a marched under the leadership of Mis’ar ibn Rakhaylah, and Murrah marched under the leadership of al-Harith ibn ‘Auf with 400 warriors. Salim and Bir Ma’una’s people marched with about 700 warriors. When these had all gathered they were further reinforced by Banu Sa’d and Banu Asad. Altogether the army totaled about 10,000 men and the coalition force marched under the leadership of Abu Sufyan. When news reached the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), he decided to entrench himself inside Madinah. Salman al-Farsi recommended digging a trench around Madinah. The trench was dug and the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) worked at it himself encouraging the Muslims on with the hope of reward in Heaven. He (pbuh) prodded them to double and redouble their efforts and in this way the trench was completed in six days. In addition, the walls of the houses facing the enemy were fortified, the houses beyond (outside) the trench were then evacuated, and the women and children placed inside the fortified houses within Madinah. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) set off with three thousand Muslims, he had his back to the valley of Sal’ and the trench dividing him from the enemy. There he (pbuh) encamped, and a red tent was pitched for him.
The Quraysh and their allies set off, hoping to encounter Muhammad (pbuh) at Uhud, but it was not to be. The Quraysh then marched on until they reached Madinah and to their surprise they found their way barred by the trench. Clearly the Quraysh and her allies were not familiar with this kind of defensive strategy, they were forced to encamp outside Madinah beyond the trench to consider their next move. Abu Sufyan and those with him soon realized that they were in for a long stay by the trench because they were not able to storm it. This inconclusive situation proved troublesome as it was winter, the winds were fierce and biting cold. Under these conditions the people began to feel demoralized, they wished that they could return home. Huyayy ibn Akhtab was aware of this and so he suggested that Banu Quraydah should be talked into violating the peace treaty, which they had signed with Muslims, and join the coalition. He told the Quraysh and their allies that if the Quraydah did this the Muslims would lose all links with the outside world and the way would be open to invade Madinah.
The Quraysh and Ghatafan were pleased with the idea and sanctioned Huyayy to approach Ka’ab ibn Asad, the leader of Banu Quraydah. When Ka’ab heard Huyayy coming he shut the door of the fort in his face. However Huyayy persisted until Ka’ab opened the door; he said to him, “Good heavens Ka’ab! I have brought you immortal fame and a great army. I have come with Quraysh with their leaders and chiefs, and Ghatafan with their leaders and chiefs. They have made a firm agreement and promised me that they will not depart until we have made an end of Muhammad and his men.” Ka’ab was hesitant and he recalled the Messenger of Allah’s (pbuh) loyalty and faithfulness. He feared the consequences of what he was letting himself into. But Huyayy kept on wheedling Ka’ab, reminding him of how Muhammad (pbuh) had treated the Jews and how strong the Allies were, until at last Ka’ab gave way and accepted what Huyayy had asked of him.
Thus Ka’ab broke his promise and cut loose from the bond that was between him and the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). The Quraydah, therefore, joined the Allies without the knowledge of Allah’s Messenger (pbuh). The news reached the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and his Sahabah and this caused them a great deal of concern. They feared the worst, and thus, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) sent Sa’d ibn Mu’adh, chief of the ‘Aus, and Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah, chief of al-Khazraj, together with ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah and Khawwat ibn Jubayr to go and see whether the report was true or not. He (pbuh) asked them to give him a sign which only he could understand so as not to undermine the peoples’ morale and that if the Quraydah were still loyal to their agreement they were to speak out openly before the people. So they went forth and found the situation even more deplorable than they had at first heard. When they tried to persuade the Quraydah not to dishonor their agreement, Ka’ab demanded that they allow their brothers Banu Nadir to return back to their homes. Sa’d ibn Mu’adh, who happened to be an ally of the Quraydah, attempted to persuade them to stick to their agreement. They spoke disparagingly of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying, “Who is the Messenger of Allah? We have no agreement or undertaking with Muhammad.” The envoys returned and briefed Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) of their findings. The situation was obviously extremely serious and fear was everywhere.
The Allies prepared for combat. The Quraydah meanwhile asked the Allies to allow them ten days in order to prepare for battle while they, the Allies, would fight the Muslims fiercely during that time. They formed three divisions to fight the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), the division of Ibn al A’war al-Silmi closed in on Madinah from the valley, the division of ‘Uyayna ibn Hisn moved in from the side, and Abu Sufyan came before the trench. Panic gripped the Muslims and they became terrified. The Allies’ strength was apparent, and their morale very high, they went for the trench and a few of them managed to storm it. Some Qurayshi horsemen amongst whom were ‘Amr ibn ‘Abdu Wudd, ‘Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl and Dirar ibn al-Khattab made for a narrow part of the ditch and beat their horses so that they dashed through it and carried them into the swampy ground between the trench and Sal’.
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib with some Muslims came out to hold the gap through which they had forced a passage. Now ‘Amr ibn Abdu Wudd went forth when his contingent had come to a halt and challenged anyone to fight him. ‘Ali accepted the challenge and said to him, “I call on you to dismount.” ‘Amr replied, “O son of my brother, I do not want to kill you.” ‘Ali said, “But I want to kill you.” So they fought and ‘Ali killed him. The remaining horsemen fled bursting headlong in flight across the trench. This upset, however, did not affect the Allies’ morale it actually enraged them and made them all the more determined to terrorize the Muslims. In the meantime the zealots of Banu Quraydah began to leave their forts and enter Madinah, this was with the aim of terrorizing nearby houses. Torment, anxiety and terror intensified within the Muslims’ quarters, but the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was always confident that Allah (swt) would grant him victory. Relief came through Nu’aym ibn Mas’ud. He had already embraced Islam though his own people did not know it and he came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Nu’aym proposed to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) a way in which he could jeopardize the coalition. So Nu’aym went to Banu Quraydah, with whom he had been a close friend in the days of Jahilliyah, and reminded them of his affection and the special ties that existed between them.” Nu’aym told Banu Quraydah what their fate would be if Ghatafan and the Quraysh were to leave them to face Muhammad (pbuh) alone. He emphasized that the Quraysh and Ghatafan might not bear waiting for a long time because they were not inhabitants of that area. He told them that if they were left to face Muhammad on their own they would not be able to do so.
Finally, he suggested to them not to fight alongside the Allies until they had taken hostages from their chiefs who would remain in their hands as security in order to have Ghatafan and the Quraysh stay. Only then should they fight Muhammad (pbuh) with their allies until they made an end of him. The Quraydah thought that this was excellent advice. Nu’aym then went to Quraysh and told them that the Jews of Quraydah had regretted their action in opposing Muhammad (pbuh) and are working to overcome their shortcoming. He stated that they were prepared to make it up with him by handing over some chiefs of the two tribes, Quraysh and Ghatafan, so that he could cut their heads off. He said to them, “So if the Jews demand hostages, do not send them a single man.” Then he went to Ghatafan and told them the same story that he had told Quraysh.
The Arabs’ suspicion of the Jews grew and Abu Sufyan sent for Ka’ab informing him that they had been besieging Muhammad (pbuh) for a long time and that they should make ready for battle the next day. Ka’ab replied that it was the Sabbath, a day on which they did nothing, no fighting and no work. Abu Sufyan was enraged and he came to believe what Nu’aym had told him. He sent an envoy back to the Quraydah to tell them to make another Sabbath instead of this one for it was essential to fight Muhammad the next day. The envoy also told the Quraydah that if Quraysh and Ghatafan went out to fight alone, their coalition would be broken so they would end up fighting Muhammad alone. When the Quraydah heard Abu Sufyan’s comments they asserted their stand that they would not violate the Sabbath, and mentioned the hostages whom they should hold as security. When Abu Sufyan heard this he had no doubt left concerning what Nu’aym had told him. He began to think of a new strategy and he conferred with Ghatafan only to find out that they too had second thoughts about fighting Muhammad (pbuh).
That night, Allah (swt) sent a bitter wind and a thunderous storm which overthrew their tents and upset their cooking pots. They were stricken with panic and thought that the Muslims would seize the chance to direct their onslaught against them, so Tulayha arose and shouted, “Muhammad has come after you, so run for your lives”. Abu Sufyan said, “O Quraysh! Be off, for I am going.” So they grabbed hurriedly whatever they could carry and fled. Ghatafan and the rest of the Allies did the same. In the morning they were all gone.
When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saw this, he (pbuh) and the Muslims left the trench and returned to Madinah. Allah (swt) had spared the Muslims from fighting. Now that Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) had rid himself of the Quraysh he decided to deal with Banu Quraydah once and for all. It was they who had broken their agreement and had conspired with the allies to exterminate the Muslims, therefore Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) ordered the Mu’adhin (caller to the prayer) to inform to the people that whoever was obedient should not perform the afternoon prayer until he had reached the location where Banu Quraydah was. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) sent ‘Ali forward with his banner and the Muslims hastened to it full of joy and zeal until they reached Banu Quraydah whereupon they besieged them for twenty-five nights. The Jews told the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) that they wanted to negotiate with him. After much negotiation they settled for the arbitration of Sa’d ibn Mu’adh and he gave judgment that, “The men should be killed, the property divided and the women and children taken as Sabaya (slaves).” The judgment was implemented, and thus the entity of the tribe ceased to exist and Madinah was rid of them once and for all.
The defeat of the Allies marked the end of any serious attempt by the Quraysh to confront the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and the annihilation of Banu Quraydah meant that all three Jewish tribes, which had originally lived around Madinah and who had agreements with Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) (which each broke in turn), were not there any more. This meant that the supremacy of Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) and the Muslims over Madinah was absolute and as a result, the Arabs were just as alarmed of the Muslims as ever.