The Battle of the Trench and Banu Qurayzah

Sayyiduna Amr bin Awf al-Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: In the year of the Confederates, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) marked out the trench from Ahmar al-Sabkhatayn, on the side of Banu Harithah, until it reached al-Madhad, and he allotted forty cubits to every ten men. The Muhajirun and the Ansar disputed over Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him), who was a strong man. The Muhajirun said: "Salman is from us," and the Ansar said: "(He is) from us." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Salman is from us, the people of the household."
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains Kathir bin Abdullah al-Muzani, whom the majority declared da'if (weak), while al-Tirmidhi graded his narration hasan (good); the rest of its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us to dig the trench. At one place in the trench a rock confronted us on which the pickaxes had no effect. The people complained about it to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came. The narrator says: I think the words in the narration are: He put down his garment and climbed onto the rock. He took hold of the pickaxe and said: "In the name of Allah." Then he struck one blow, and a third of the stone (i.e. the rock) broke off. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah is the Greatest! I have been given the keys of Syria. By Allah! From this place of mine I can see its red palaces." Then he said: "In the name of Allah," and struck a second blow, and another third of it broke off. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah is the Greatest! I have been given the keys of Persia, and I can see the cities (or the city called al-Mada'in), and from this place of mine I can see its white palace." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "In the name of Allah," and he struck another blow and broke the rest of the stone as well. He said: "Allah is the Greatest! I have been given the keys of Yemen, and standing in this place of mine I can see the gates of San'a'."
Ahmad recorded it; its chain contains Maymun Abu Abdullah, whom Ibn Hibban declared thiqah (trustworthy) while a group declared him da'if (weak); the rest of its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the trench to be dug, and a trench was dug around Madinah. The people said: "O Messenger of Allah! We have come up against a rock which we are unable to dig (i.e. break)." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) got up, and we got up with him. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived, he took hold of the pickaxe, struck a blow with it and said the takbir, and I heard a sound the like of which I had never heard. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Persia has been conquered." Then he said the takbir and struck another blow, and I heard a sound the like of which I had never heard. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Rome has been conquered." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said the takbir and struck another blow, and I heard a sound the like of which I had never heard. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "(The people of the tribe of) Himyar have come as helpers and supporters."
Al-Tabarani recorded it with two chains; one of them contains Huyayy bin Abdullah, whom Ibn Ma'in declared thiqah (trustworthy) while a group declared him da'if (weak); the rest of its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his (peace and blessings be upon him) Companions were digging the trench, and those Companions had tied stones on their bellies because of severe hunger. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) observed this, he said: "Can you be directed to someone who would feed us a meal?" A man said: "Yes!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Very well, come forward and guide us to him." Then they went to that man; he was in the trench, working on his share of it. His wife sent him word: "Come! The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has come to us." The man came running and said: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you!" He had a she-goat with her kid, and he leapt toward it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The kid is behind us." So he slaughtered the kid. Then his wife began kneading flour; she kneaded it and baked bread, and meanwhile the cooking pot was ready, so she prepared tharid, put it in a bowl and presented it to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) put his fingers into it and said: "In the name of Allah. O Allah! Put blessing in it. O Allah! Put blessing in it!" (Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the people:) "Eat!" They ate from it, and when they got up and went back, they had been able to eat only a third of it; two thirds of it remained. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent off the ten men who were with him and said: "Go, and send to us as many people as you are!" They went, and another ten men came in their place; they too ate the food until they were full and got up. They supplicated for the master of the house, and prayed for him and his wife. Then they went to the trench. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Come with us to Salman!" There, in front of him, was a rock which they had not been able to break. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his Companions: "Give me the chance to strike it." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "In the name of Allah," and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) struck it, and a third of it broke off. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah is the Greatest! By the Lord of the Ka'bah, the palaces of Rome!" Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) struck another blow, and another piece of it broke off. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah is the Greatest! By the Lord of the Ka'bah, the palaces of Persia!" At that, the hypocrites said: "We are digging a trench (to protect) ourselves, and he is promising us the palaces of Persia and Rome!"
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih, except Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal and Nu'aym al-Anbari, and both of them are thiqah (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Al-Harith (al-Ghatafani) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "Give us half of the dates of Madinah; otherwise I will gather horsemen and foot soldiers against you." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Let me consult the men named Sa'd"; by this the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) meant Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him). The two of them said: "No! By Allah! Even in the time of Ignorance we never accepted humiliation for ourselves; so how could that be now, when Allah Almighty has granted us the blessing of Islam?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went back to al-Harith and informed him about this, and he said: "O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)! You have broken the pact." The narrator says: Sayyiduna Hassan bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) composed these verses about it: "O Harith! Who betrays the protection of one who grants protection more than you? Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) does not betray. If you betray, then betrayal is part of your habits, and baseness grows in the roots of the sakhbar plant. And the trust of al-Nahdi, when I met it, was like glass which, once broken, cannot be mended." The narrator says: Al-Harith said: "O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)! Restrain Hassan's tongue from us! For if it were mixed with the water of the sea, it would make even that bitter."
Al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani recorded it, and the wording of their narration is: Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Al-Harith al-Ghatafani came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)! Give us half of the dates of Madinah!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Let me first consult the men named Sa'd." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent for and summoned Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh, Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Sa'd bin al-Rabi' (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Khaythamah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: "I know that the Arabs will shoot at you from a single bow. Al-Harith has demanded of you that you give him half of the dates of Madinah. If you make this payment to him this year, it will be better for your affairs afterwards." They said: "O Messenger of Allah! Is this revelation coming from the heavens? If so, then we submit to the command of Allah. Or is it your personal opinion and your wish? Then we consider that we should follow your wish and your opinion. And if your aim is to look after our survival, then by Allah, regarding ourselves and those people, we consider that they can take dates from us only if they buy them from us or come as (our) guests." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do you hear what these men are saying?" Then those people said: "O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)! You have broken the pact." So Sayyiduna Hassan bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) composed these verses: "O Harith! Who betrays the protection of one who grants protection more than you? Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) does not betray. And the trust of al-Murri, when I met it, was like glass which, once broken, cannot be mended. If you betray, then betrayal is part of your habits, and baseness grows in the roots of the sakhbar plant." Among the narrators of al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani is Muhammad bin Amr, whose narration is hasan (good); the rest of its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: On the day of the Battle of the Trench, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was reciting these verses: "By Allah! Were it not for Allah, we would not have been guided, nor would we have fasted, nor would we have prayed. (O Allah!) Send down tranquillity upon us!"
Al-Bazzar and Abu Ya'la recorded it, and the narrators of both are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: I have not forgotten these words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the day of the Battle of the Trench. He was handing bricks to the people, his chest had become covered in dust, and he was saying: "O Allah! The only good is the good of the Hereafter, so forgive the Ansar and the Muhajirun."
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih;
Abu Ya'la also recorded it.

Sayyiduna Rafi' bin Khadij (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: There was no fortress stronger than the fortress of Banu Harithah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed the women, the children and the offspring in it, and said: "If anyone tries to come at you, flash the sword (at him)." A man from Banu Tha'labah bin Sa'd, named Najdan, one of Banu Hashshash, came toward those women riding a horse, until, when he reached the foot of the fortress, he began saying to the women: "Come down to me; it is better for you." The women moved the sword about, and the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw him. They hurried to the fortress; among them was a man from Banu Harithah named Zuhayr bin Rafi'. He said: "O Najdan! Come out!" He came out to face him; he charged at him on his horse and killed him, and took his head and went with it to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna al-Zubayr bin al-Awwam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went out to the trench. He placed his wives and his paternal aunt Sayyidah Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) in a tall building (fortress) called "Fari'", and he placed Sayyiduna Hassan bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) with them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went toward Uhud. A Jew climbed up and began to reach the women and the paternal aunt of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Sayyidah Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "O Hassan! Get up, go to him and kill him." He said: "By Allah! I do not have the courage for this; if I had it in me, I would have gone out with the Messenger of Allah." Sayyidah Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "Then tie the sword on my arm." The narrator says: Then Sayyidah Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) went to him and killed him. She cut off his head and said to Sayyiduna Hassan (may Allah be pleased with him): "Take this head and throw it at the Jews." He said: "How can I do this?" So Sayyidah Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) took the head and threw it at the Jews herself. The Jews said: "We know that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) would not leave his family in such a way that no one was with them." So those people scattered here and there and went away. Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by, saying: "Only a little while remains, then the camel will reach the battle; and when the (final) time has come, there is no harm in death." Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: That day I did not see anyone more handsome than him. There was a trace of yellow on him, and he was wearing a coat of mail that had shrunk short. He had married and, some time before, had taken his bride to his home, so there was a trace of saffron on him. The narrator says: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) charged at the disbelievers, Sayyiduna Hassan (may Allah be pleased with him) opened the door of the building, and when they turned back, he came back with them.
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and Abu Ya'la recorded it in abridged form; (in it) the narrator says: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) learned of this, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) allotted a share to Sayyidah Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) as well, just as he had allotted shares to the men. The chains of both narrations are da'if (weak). Before this, in the chapter on the events of Uhud, the narration transmitted by Sayyidah Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) has already passed.

Urwah narrates: On the occasion of the Battle of the Confederates, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had his wives enter one of the tall buildings (fortresses) of Madinah. Sayyiduna Hassan bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) was a faint-hearted man, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed him with the women as well, and he shut the door. A Jew came and sat at the door of that building. Sayyidah Safiyyah bint Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "O Hassan! Go down to this lout and kill him." He said: "I am not capable of killing this lout." So Sayyidah Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) wrapped a cloak around herself, took a fihr (a stone for grinding medicine), went down to him and cut off his head.
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators up to Urwah are the narrators of the Sahih; however,
this narration is "mursal" (lacking the Companion in its chain).

Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah bin al-Hakam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: We were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). My brother Ali bin al-Hakam tried to cross the trench on his horse; the horse struck the wall of the trench, and my brother's shin was broken. We brought him on his horse to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed his hand over his shin, and he was already well before he dismounted from the horse. Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah bin al-Hakam (may Allah be pleased with him) composed an ode about this (whose verses are): "He made it leap, and it came down the way a full bucket comes down when let fall; he tried to cross the trench, but a dark, droning plunge threw him down. That man bound up his leg and began to walk on it the way a falcon goes on a day of heavy rain. Then Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), blessings be upon him, who is the king of the people, said: 'This is a good deed; rise, and walk on it (the leg) straightened.' And after that, that leg was in the condition of the best of legs." Muhammad bin Ubadah narrates: When a she-camel stumbles, this word is said to her: "La'an laki", that is, "Get up, rise up!" A man named al-A'sha composed these verses: "She (the she-camel) was a weak one; when she stumbled we slaughtered her, for becoming a carcass was more fitting for her than for it to be said: 'Get up!'"
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator whom I do not know, and Ya'qub bin Muhammad al-Zuhri, whom the majority declared da'if (weak) while Ibn Hibban declared him thiqah (trustworthy).

Abd al-Aziz bin Abi Bakr bin Malik bin Wahb al-Khuza'i transmits from his father, from his grandfather: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Sayyiduna Salit (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Sufyan bin Awf al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) to scout on the occasion of the Battle of the Confederates. The two of them set out, and when they reached the place called "al-Bayda'", some horsemen of Abu Sufyan came upon them. The two of them fought until both were martyred. The two of them were brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and were placed in one grave; so these two were the two who were martyred together.
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a group of narrators whom I do not know.

Nafi' narrates: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) was asked: "Where did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offer prayer on the occasion of the Battle of the Confederates?" He replied: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offered prayer in the middle of the low ground, beside an old ruined building that was there. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had given the people permission to go back; then he ordered me to call them, so I called them."
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: My maternal uncle Sayyiduna Uthman bin Maz'un (may Allah be pleased with him) sent a quilt for his father. I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked his permission; at that time he was at the trench. He gave me permission and said: "Whomever you meet, say to him: 'The Messenger of Allah is ordering you to come back.'" The narrator says: This was in severe cold. I went out and spoke with people, and I said to them: "The Messenger of Allah is ordering you to go back." The narrator says: By Allah! Not even two or one of them refused what I said.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: On the day of the Battle of the Trench, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) became hidden (from people's sight), except that six people were different: four of them were from the Muhajirun, namely Sayyiduna Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him); and those from the Ansar were Sayyiduna Abu Dujanah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna al-Harith bin al-Simmah (may Allah be pleased with him).
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a group of narrators whom I do not know.

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and at that time he was at the trench. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was keeping watch over a gap in the mountain, about which he had concerns. He would come and lie down with his head in my lap, then get up and listen out. He heard the sound of a person wearing iron armour, coming toward the mountain. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Who is it?" He replied: "I am Sa'd. I have come so that you may give me some order." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to spend the night in that gap. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) fell asleep in my lap, until I heard the sound of his snoring. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: After that I never forgot (to pray) for Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him). (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Part of this narration is mentioned in the "Sahih".
Al-Bazzar recorded it from his teacher Abdullah bin Shabib, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: On the day of the Battle of the Trench, a man was protecting himself with his shield, and he was doing like this with his shield: he would put it over his nose, then he would do like this, lowering it a little. I reached for my quiver and took out an arrow from it that had blood on it, and I set it in the bow. When he did like this and lowered the shield a little, I shot the arrow. I have not forgotten the striking of the arrow on such-and-such a part of the shield. The narrator says: The man fell down and his leg went like this, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) laughed. The narrator says: I think he said: until his molar teeth became visible. The narrator says: I asked: Why did he do that? He replied: Because of what the man did.
Ahmad and al-Bazzar recorded it, except that al-Bazzar's wording is: "That man had two shields, and Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) was an archer. The man would do like this and like this with the two shields, covering his forehead. Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) drew an arrow for him, and when he raised his head, Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) shot him, and it did not miss his forehead." The rest of the narration is as above. The narrators of both narrations are the narrators of the Sahih, except Muhammad bin Muhammad bin al-Aswad, and he is thiqah (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: On the night of the Confederates (al-Ahzab), the people dispersed from around the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and only twelve men remained with him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me while I was lying in sleep, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Ibn al-Yaman! Get up and go to the camp of the Confederates, and see what state they are in." I said: "O Messenger of Allah! By the One who sent you with the truth, I only got up for you out of shyness (before you), because of the cold." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Go, O Ibn al-Yaman! You will suffer no harm from cold or heat until you come back to me." So I went until I reached their camp, and I found Abu Sufyan with a fire lit and a small group around him, the rest of the people having dispersed from him. I came and sat among them. Abu Sufyan sensed that someone who was not one of them had entered among them, so he said: "Let every man among you take hold of the hand of the one sitting next to him." Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: So I struck my right hand on the man to my right and took hold of his hand, then I struck my hand on the man to my left and took hold of his hand. Then I stayed among them for a little while, then I got up and came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who at that time was standing in prayer. He signalled to me to come near, so I came near, and he put over me the cloth that was on his body so that I might get warmth from it. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) finished his prayer, he said: "O Ibn al-Yaman! Sit down. What is the news of the people?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah! The people have dispersed from Abu Sufyan; only a few men remained with him, who had lit a fire. Allah Almighty has sent down on them the same kind of cold that He has sent down on us, but we hope from Allah Almighty for what they do not hope for."
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy). In the Sahih there is a hadith from Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) with a different wording from this.

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: On the day of the Battle of the Trench, I went out following in the tracks of the people, and I heard behind me the sound of someone walking on the ground. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I looked, and it was Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him), and with him was his nephew Sayyiduna al-Harith bin Aws (may Allah be pleased with him), who was carrying his shield. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I sat down on the ground. Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by, wearing a shirt of iron (that is, a coat of mail) from which his limbs were sticking out, and I feared for the limbs of Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) was a very big, tall man. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: When he passed by, he was reciting this rajaz verse, saying: "Wait a little, and the camel will reach the battle (field); how fine is death (in battle) when the appointed time has come." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I got up and entered a garden, and there was a group of Muslims there; among them was Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), and among them was also a man who was wearing a helmet. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Why have you come? By my life, you are very daring! What made you feel safe that some trial might not come, or some difficult situation might not arise?" Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: He kept on reproaching me until I wished that the earth would split open for me at that very moment and I would sink into it. The narrator says: Then that man removed the helmet from his face, and it was Sayyiduna Talhah bin Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: "O Umar! Woe to you! You have gone too far today. For protection and in flight, one can only go to Allah." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: A man from the polytheists, from Quraysh, shot an arrow at Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him); that man's name was Ibn al-Ariqah. He shot his arrow and said: "Take this! I am Ibn al-Ariqah!" It struck Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) on the arm and severed his vein. Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) prayed to Allah Almighty and said: "Do not give me death until You have cooled my eyes regarding Banu Qurayzah." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: Those people (that is, Banu Qurayzah) had been his (that is, Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh's) allies and clients in the Days of Ignorance. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: Then his wound stopped bleeding. Allah Almighty sent the wind against the polytheists, and Allah Almighty sufficed the believers in the fighting; Allah Almighty is All-Strong, All-Mighty. Abu Sufyan and his companions went off to Tihamah, Uyaynah bin Badr and his companions went off to Najd, and Banu Qurayzah returned and fortified themselves inside their fortresses. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned to Madinah and ordered a tent of leather to be pitched, and it was pitched for Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) in the mosque. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and there was dust on his front teeth. He said: "Have you laid down your weapons? By Allah, the angels have not yet laid down their weapons! Go out to Banu Qurayzah and fight them." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) put on his armour and ordered the people to set out, that they should depart. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also went out, and he passed by Banu Ghanm, who were neighbours of the mosque. He asked: "Who has just passed by you?" They said: "Sayyiduna Dihyah al-Kalbi (may Allah be pleased with him) has passed by us." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: In the shape of his beard, his age and the form of his face, Sayyiduna Dihyah (may Allah be pleased with him) resembled Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him). Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to those people and kept them under siege for twenty-five days. When the siege on them became severe and their trial became hard, it was said to them: "Submit to the judgement of the Messenger of Allah!" They consulted Sayyiduna Abu Lubabah bin Abd al-Mundhir (may Allah be pleased with him), and he signalled to them that in that case they would be slaughtered. So they said: "We will accept the judgement of Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him)." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Submit to the judgement of Sa'd bin Mu'adh!" So they came down. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered (that) Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) (be brought). He was brought riding on a donkey on which there was a saddle-cloth made of palm fibre. His people surrounded him, and his people were saying to him: "O Abu Amr! These are your allies, your clients, your companions, as you know." Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) gave them no reply and paid them no attention, until, when he came near their dwellings, he turned to his people and said: "It is fitting for me that, concerning Allah Almighty, the blame of any blamer should not take hold of me." The narrator says: Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When he appeared, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Get up and go to your chief, and help him down." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Our chief is Allah Almighty." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Help him down!" So the people helped him down. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Give your judgement concerning them!" Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I give this judgement concerning them: that their fighting men be killed, their children be taken captive, and their wealth be divided." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You have judged concerning them according to the judgement of Allah and the judgement of His Messenger." The narrator says: Then Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) supplicated and said: "O Allah! If anything remains of the war with Quraysh for Your Prophet, then keep me alive for that war; and if the war between the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Quraysh has ended, then take me to Yourself." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: Then blood began to flow from his wound, although it had previously healed and remained only as small as a ring. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: He went back to his tent, which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had had pitched for him. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) were present with him (when his final moment came). Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: By the One in whose Hand of Power is the soul of Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), while staying in my chamber I could distinguish the weeping of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) from the weeping of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), for those people were just as Allah Almighty has said: "They are merciful among themselves." Alqamah says: I asked: "O mother! What was the conduct of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?" Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "The eyes of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not shed tears for anyone, but when he felt intense grief, he would take hold of his blessed beard." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Part of it is narrated in the Sahih.
Ahmad recorded it; its chain contains Muhammad bin Amr bin Alqamah, who is hasan al-hadith (fair in hadith), and the rest of its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Urwah bin al-Zubayr narrates: On the day of the Battle of the Trench, Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) was struck by an arrow which cut the vein of his arm called "al-akhal". People say that Hibban bin Qays shot him, who belonged to Banu al-Ariqah, a branch of Banu Amir bin Lu'ayy; others say that Abu Usamah al-Jushami shot him. Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O my Lord! Grant me healing (of my heart) regarding Banu Qurayzah before I die." Then his wound, after it had burst open, stopped (that is, the blood stopped flowing from it). The narrator says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kept Banu Qurayzah under siege until they asked him to appoint someone as arbiter between himself and them, whose arbitration they would accept. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Choose whomever you wish from my Companions; his word will be heard." So they chose Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was pleased with him, and they also accepted this. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that their weapons be placed in a house, and by the order of the Prophet those people were tied up and kept in the house of Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him). Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent for Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him). He came riding on the donkey of a Bedouin; people say that the cloth spread on that donkey was stuffed with leaves. A man from Banu Abd al-Ashhal was coming along with him. As he walked with him, he was extolling the right of Banu Qurayzah, mentioning their alliance and mentioning the conduct those people had shown on the day of Bu'ath, (saying) that those people had chosen you over everyone else, hoping that you would show kindness and be gentle with them, so take care of this, for in those people there is both beauty and numbers for you. That man said a great deal about this, but Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) gave him no reply. When they came near, that man said to Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him): "Why do you not give me any reply?" Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah! Concerning Allah Almighty, I will not care about the blame of any blamer." So that man parted from him and went to his people, having despaired of getting those people spared, and he told his people what he had said to Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) and what Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) had replied to him. Then Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Sa'd! Give judgement between us and them!" Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I give this judgement concerning them: that their fighting men be killed, their captives be divided, their wealth be taken, and their children and women be taken captive." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Sa'd has judged concerning them according to the judgement of Allah." Some people state that they had submitted to the judgement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) handed over the responsibility of judging concerning them to Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him). Then those people were brought out group after group and their necks were struck. When Huyayy bin Akhtab was brought, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Has Allah Almighty disgraced you?" He said: "You have prevailed over me, and I do not blame myself concerning you." By the order of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) he was taken to Ahjar al-Zayt, which is in the market, and there his neck was struck. All of this took place before the eyes of Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him). People also say that the wound of Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) had healed and he was close to recovering, but then he made this supplication: "O Allah! O Lord of the heavens and the earth! No people are more hateful to me than the people who denied Your Messenger and forced him to leave. I think that You have lifted the war from between us and them. If war still remains between us and them, then keep me alive so that I may fight those people in Your path; and if You have lifted the war from between us and them, then let this place begin to flow (with blood) and let my death be through this wound." So Allah Almighty made his wound flow, and he slept through the night, and the people did not even realise until he passed away; his wound kept flowing until he died. (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Part of it is narrated in the Sahih from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) with a connected chain.
Al-Tabarani recorded it as a mursal narration; its chain contains Ibn Lahi'ah, whose hadith is hasan (fair) but has weakness in it.

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: On the day of the Confederates (al-Ahzab), the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, when the enemy had gathered many armies against him, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "After this they will never attack you; rather, you will attack them."
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: On the night of the Confederates (al-Ahzab), "al-Saba" (the east wind) came to "al-Shamal" (the north wind) and said: "Come along, so that we may help the Messenger of Allah." The north wind said: "A free woman does not travel by night." So the wind by which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was helped is "al-Saba".
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: On the occasion of the battles of Qurayzah and al-Nadir, Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) was struck by an arrow which cut his vein called "al-akhal". The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had it cauterised; because of this his wound became inflamed and swelled up. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had it cauterised a second time, and Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Allah! Do not take my soul until You have cooled my eyes regarding Banu Qurayzah and Banu al-Nadir."
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains Abd al-Karim Abu Umayyah, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave judgement concerning Banu Qurayzah, the people of the Aws tribe were troubled by it. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent two prisoners each to every household of the Aws tribe, and he also sent two prisoners to Banu Harithah.
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains Dhu'ayb bin Imamah, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "They kept us from offering the Asr prayer." The narrator says: That day the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not offer that prayer until the sun had set. (The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:) "May Allah Almighty fill their graves with fire," (the narrator is in doubt; perhaps the words are:) "fill their hearts with fire," (the narrator is in doubt; perhaps the words are:) "fill their houses with fire."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat from his teacher Ahmad, whom I do not know; the rest of its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Sayyiduna Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by, and Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) was behind him; he was a prominent man. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah! Seize the man with the humps."
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains Ibn Ishaq, who is a mudallis.

Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned from pursuing the Confederates and came to Madinah, he took off his weapons, performed a ritual bath (ghusl) and used clods (istijmar).
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned from pursuing the Confederates, he took off his weapons, performed a ritual bath (ghusl) and used clods (istijmar). The narrator Duhaym has added these words in his narration: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Jibril came down and said: 'Who will excuse you from (the blame of) a warrior? I see that you have laid down your weapons, while we (the angels) have not yet laid them down.'" So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) got up at once in alarm and instructed the people that they should offer the Asr prayer only in the territory of Banu Qurayzah. The people put on their weapons and set out, and they did not reach Banu Qurayzah until the sun had set. Then a disagreement arose among the people about the Asr prayer. Some said: "Offer the prayer, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not mean that you should abandon the prayer." Others said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) firmly instructed us that we should offer the prayer only when we reach the territory of Banu Qurayzah, so we are bound by the command of the Messenger of Allah, and there will be no sin on us in this regard." So one group offered the Asr prayer with faith and hoping for reward, and another group did not offer the Asr prayer until they reached the territory of Banu Qurayzah, and they reached there after the sun had set; on arriving there they offered that prayer with faith and hoping for reward. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not show displeasure with either of the two groups.
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih, except Marzuq bin Abi al-Hudhayl, and he is thiqah (trustworthy).

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard the voice of a man, so he quickly got up and went out to him. I went after him, and it was a man who was reclining, wearing a turban, with the end of the turban hanging down behind him between his two shoulders. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came back into the house, I said: "You got up quickly and went out, and that was Dihyah al-Kalbi." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Did you see him?" I said: "Yes." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That was Jibril, and he told me that I should go out to Banu Qurayzah." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: This narration is narrated in the "Sahih" in abridged form.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat from his teacher Miqdam bin Dawud, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abu Rafi' (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to Banu Qurayzah riding a donkey on which (nothing was spread); its name was "Ya'fur".
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set out for Banu Qurayzah, he went out riding a donkey, and with him was Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him), riding a white mule, under him a cloth made of brocade (istabraq) set with pearls. He said: "O Muhammad! By the One who sent you with the truth, I will not go back from there until it is conquered for you, and I will crush them as an egg is crushed upon a rock." Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: He did not go back until that territory was conquered.
Al-Tabarani recorded it from his teacher Miqdam bin Dawud, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Aslam al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed me in charge of the prisoners of Qurayzah. I would look at the private parts of the boys; whoever I saw had grown pubic hair, I would strike his neck, and if I saw that it had not yet grown, I would put him among the spoils of war of the Muslims.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Saghir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a group of narrators whom I do not know.

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: There was a blind man named al-Zubayr. Thabit bin Qays bin Shammas said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Al-Zubayr did me a favour on the day of the Battle of Bu'ath: he set me free. So give him to me, so that I may repay him." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He is yours." Sayyiduna Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) asked al-Zubayr: "Do you recognise me?" He replied: "Yes, you are Thabit bin Qays." Sayyiduna Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I want to do you a favour just as you did me a favour on the day of the Battle of Bu'ath." He said: "Do you want to benefit me? Where is my family?" Sayyiduna Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) went back to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "Give me his family as well." The narrator says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave him his family. He came to the man named al-Zubayr and told him that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had returned his family to him. Al-Zubayr said: "O my nephew! What benefit is it to us if our bodies stay alive? Where will the wealth go?" So Sayyiduna Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) went back to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! Give me his wealth as well." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "His wealth is yours as well." Then Sayyiduna Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) came back to the man named al-Zubayr and said: "The Messenger of Allah has returned your wealth to you; Allah Almighty has intended good for you." Al-Zubayr said: "O my nephew! What became of Huyayy bin Akhtab, the chief of the townsfolk and the desert folk?" He said: "He has been killed." He asked: "O my nephew! What became of Zayd bin Ruta, who was the protector of the Jews?" He said: "He too has been killed." He asked: "What became of Ka'b bin Ashta?" He said: "He too has been killed." He asked: "What became of the two Muhammasan?" He said: "They are like yesterday that has gone." So he said: "Then between me and meeting (my) loved ones there is only as much as the time it takes to empty a bucket. I ask you to do me this kindness: join me with those people!" So Sayyiduna Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) killed him.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains Musa bin Ubaydah, who is da'if (weak).