الْخَنْدَقُ وَصُلْحُ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ

The battle of the Trench (Al-Khandaq) In the month of Shawwaal in year 5 (some say year 4), Quraysh and several Arab tribes, urged on by leaders of the Jewish tribe of Banu n-Naḍiir who had been expelled from Madinah, formed a coalition (al-aḥzaab) of about ten thousand men [À VÉRIFIER : date et nombre]. On the advice, it is said, of Salmaan al-Faarisi, the Muslims dug a trench on the north of the town, the only open side [À VÉRIFIER : attribution]. The Prophet ﷺ dug with them. They were so hungry that they tied a stone to their stomachs. Jaabir relates that one rock resisted everyone; the Prophet ﷺ, his stomach bound with a stone, took the pickaxe and reduced it to dust (Bukhari 4101). The companions sang: "O Allah, there is no true life but the life of the Hereafter; forgive the Anṣaar and the emigrants", and he answered them [À VÉRIFIER : référence]. The siege lasted about a month [À VÉRIFIER : durée]. The Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayẓa, bound to the Muslims by the covenant, broke its commitment. The believers were tested: "when eyes grew wild and hearts rose to the throats" (meaning of verse 33:10). The true believers said: "This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us" (verse 33:22, below). Then Allah sent an icy wind and unseen forces; the coalition scattered (meaning of verse 33:9). The Prophet ﷺ said: "From now on we will go to them, and they will no longer come to us" (Bukhari 4110).

The journey towards Makkah In the month of Dhu l-Qa'da in year 6, the Prophet ﷺ set out with about one thousand four hundred companions to perform the 'umra, without weapons of war, with animals for sacrifice [À VÉRIFIER : nombre, d'autres récits disent 1 500]. Quraysh refused to let them enter. They stopped at Al-Ḥudaybiya, near Makkah.

The pledge of Ar-Riḍwaan The Prophet ﷺ sent 'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan to negotiate. The rumour spread that he had been killed. The Prophet ﷺ then called the companions to pledge, under a tree, that they would not flee; Allah said of this pledge: "Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you under the tree" (verse 48:18, below). Then it was learned that 'Uthmaan was alive.

The treaty Quraysh sent Suhayl ibn 'Amr. The treaty provided (Bukhari 2731 and 2732): • that the Muslims go back this year without performing the 'umra, and return the following year; • a truce of ten years [À VÉRIFIER : durée, souvent citée]; • that anyone from Makkah coming to Madinah without his guardian's permission be returned, but not the other way round; • that every tribe be free to ally itself with either side. Suhayl even refused to have "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful" and "Muhammad, Messenger of Allah" written; the Prophet ﷺ accepted "In Your name, O Allah" and "Muhammad son of 'Abdullah". At that very moment Abu Jandal, Suhayl's son, arrived in chains, and had to be handed back. 'Umar was deeply shaken and asked: "Are we not on the truth? Why accept humiliation in our religion?" The Prophet ﷺ ordered them to shave their heads and sacrifice, but no one moved, so great was their sadness. He went in to his wife Umm Salama, who advised him to go out and do it himself without saying a word; when they saw him, they all followed (Bukhari 2731 and 2732). On the way back, Surah Al-Fatḥ was revealed: "We have granted you a clear victory" (verse 48:1).

Exercise: at Al-Ḥudaybiya, the companions found unfair an agreement that turned out to be a victory. Think of a situation in which you had to accept a compromise: what good did it bring, or can it bring?

The text: Surah Al-Aḥzaab (33), verse 22 وَلَمَّا رَأَى الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْأَحْزَابَ قَالُوا هَٰذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَصَدَقَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ۚ وَمَا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّا إِيمَانًا وَتَسْلِيمًا ﴿٢٢﴾

The text: Surah Al-Fatḥ (48), verse 18 ۞ لَقَدْ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَنْزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَثَابَهُمْ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا ﴿١٨﴾

Meaning of 33:22: "When the believers saw the Confederates, they said: 'This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth.' And it only increased them in faith and submission." Meaning of 48:18: "Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you under the tree; He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquillity upon them and rewarded them with a near victory."

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Simple, version 1.0.2), © 2008-2010 Tanzil.net, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, reproduced without any change (http://tanzil.net). Each verse is on its own line, followed by its number; the basmala, which the Tanzil file places at the start of the first verse, is written on its own line.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The Trench was the test of fear and hunger. The Prophet ﷺ did not command from a distance: he dug, he was hungry like the others, he sang with them. It was during this battle that the verse of the "excellent example" (33:21, seen in lesson 1) was revealed. The same trial revealed two kinds of people: the hypocrites, who looked for excuses to leave, and the believers, whose faith increased (33:22). Danger does not create faith or hypocrisy; it shows them. Al-Ḥudaybiya was the test of patience and obedience when one does not understand. The treaty seemed humiliating; but the truce allowed people to meet freely and to hear Islam. According to Az-Zuhri, more people embraced Islam during the two years of truce than in all the years before [À VÉRIFIER : référence]. Allah called it "a clear victory" before the companions could even see it. Finally, Umm Salama's advice shows a woman's wisdom in a moment of crisis, and how example succeeds where words are not enough.

Lessons to draw from it • Share the effort of those one leads. • See trial as an opportunity to strengthen one's faith. • Accept a compromise that serves the good in the long term. • Obey Allah and His Messenger even when the wisdom is not yet visible. • Listen to good advice, wherever it comes from, and lead by example.

Key points to remember • The Trench: year 5; about 10,000 confederates; Bukhari 4101 and 4110; 33:22. • Al-Ḥudaybiya: year 6; about 1,400 companions; the pledge under the tree (48:18). • The clauses of the treaty (Bukhari 2731 and 2732). • Umm Salama's advice. • 48:1: "a clear victory".

The main message In fear as in frustration, faith shows itself through patience and obedience: what seems a loss can be, with Allah, a clear victory.