Background Battle of trench-KHANDAQ

After their expulsion from Mecca, the Muslims fought the Meccan Quraysh at the Battle of Badr in 624,^[6] and at the Battle of Uhud in 625.^[7] Although the Muslims neither won nor were defeated at the Battle of Uhud, their military strength was gradually growing. In April 626 Muhammad raised a force of 300 men and 10 horses to meet the Quraysh army of 1,000 at Badr for the second time. Although no fighting occurred, the coastal tribes were impressed with Muslim power. Muhammad also tried, with limited success, to break up many alliances against the Muslim expansion. Nevertheless, he was unable to prevent the Meccan one.^[8]

As with the battles of Badr and Uhud, the Muslim army used unconventional methods against their opponents (at Badr, the Muslims surrounded the wells, depriving their opponents of water; at the Battle of Uhud, Muslims made strategic use of the hills). In this battle they dug a trench to render the enemy cavalry ineffective. ^{See the video}

Battle of the Trench-Summary

Battle of the Trench
Part of the Muslim-Quraish Wars
Date March and April 627 AD[1] (Shawwal, 5 AH)[2] Location Surrounding perimeter of Medina Result Failure of siege; Decisive Muslim victory
Belligerents
Muslims	Confederates including the Quraysh of Mecca the Jewish/Arab tribes of Banu Qaynuqa, Banu Nadir and Banu Qurayza Other Arab tribes such as Banu Murra, Khaybar, Huyyay ibn Auf Murri, Banu Ghatafan, Bani Assad, Banu Shuja, and more (see Confederates)
Commanders and leaders
Muhammad	Abu Sufyan
Strength
3,000[3]	10,000[3]
Casualties and losses
Light[4]	Extremely Heavy[4]

[hide]v · d · e Campaigns of Muhammad SAW
Ghazwah (expeditions where he took part) Caravan Raids – Waddan – Safwan – Buwat – Dul Ashir – Badr – Banu Salim – Eid – Zakat – Banu Qaynuqa – Sawiq – Thi Amr – Ghatfan – Bahran – Uhud – Al-Asad – Dhatur-Riqa – Badru-Ukhra – Dumatul-Jandal – Banu Nadir – Trench – Banu Qurayza – Banu Lahyan – Banu Mustaliq – Thi Qerd – Hudaybiyyah – Khaybar – Mu'tah – Mecca – Hunayn – Autas – Ta'if – Hawazan – Tabouk Sirya (expeditions which he ordered) Nakhla – Expedition of Qatan – Nejd – Banu Asad – Banu Lahyan 1 – Al Rajee – Bir Maona – Banu Hanifa

Battle of the Trench-khandaq

The Battle of the Trench (Arabic: غزوة الخندق; Transliteration: Ghazwah al-Khandaq) also known as Battle of Ahzab, Battle of the Confederates and Siege of Medina (Arabic: غزوة الاحزاب; Transliteration: Ghazwah al-Ahzab), was a fortnight-long siege of Yathrib (now Medina) by Arab and Jewish tribes. The strength of the confederate armies is estimated around 10,000 men with six hundred horses and some camels, while the Median numbered 3,000. The battle began on March 31, 627.

The largely outnumbered defenders of Medina, mainly Muslims led by Islamic prophet Muhammad, opted to dig and fight the confederates from a trench. The trench together with Medina's natural fortifications rendered the confederate cavalry (consisting of horses and camels) useless, locking the two sides in a stalemate. Hoping to make several attacks at once, the confederates persuaded the Banu Qurayza to attack the city from the south. However, Muhammad's diplomacy derailed the negotiations, and broke up the confederacy against him. The well-organized defenders, the sinking of confederate morale, and poor weather conditions caused the siege to end in a fiasco.

The siege was a "battle of wits", in which the Muslims tactically overcame their opponents while suffering very few casualties. Efforts to defeat the Muslims failed, and Islam became influential in the region. As a consequence, the Muslim army besieged the neighbourhood of the Banu Qurayza tribe, leading to their unconditional surrender.

The defeat caused the Meccans to lose their trade and much of their prestige

Defeat after victory

We may mention here as to why the warriors of Islam were victorious. It was due to the fact that till the last moment of their victory they had no motive except that of jihad in the path of Allah, acquisition of His pleasure, conveying the message of Allah and the removal of every impediment in its path.

Why were they defeated thereafter? It was because, after achieving victory, the aim and intention of most of the Muslims underwent a change. Attention towards the booty, which the army of Quraysh had themselves thrown in the battlefield and had fled, affected the sincerity of a large group and they ignored the orders given by the Prophet.

Here are the details of the event: While explaining the geographical conditions of Uhud we had mentioned that there was a particular gap in the middle of Mt. Uhud and the Prophet had entrusted fifty archers under the command of Abdullah Jibir to guard the valley behind the battle front and had given these orders to the commander of the group: "Prevent the enemy from passing through the gap in the mountain by shooting arrows and don't vacate this point at any cost whether we are defeated or victorious".

The fire of warfare blazed up on both the sides. Every time the enemies wished to cross this valley they were repulsed by the archers.

When the army of Quraysh threw away their weapons and property on the ground and ignored everything else to save their lives, a few brave officers of Islam whose oath of allegiance was perfectly sincere pursued the enemy outside the battle-field. But the majority ignored the pursuit and placing their weapons on the ground began collecting the booty and imagined that the battle had come to an end.

The persons guarding the valley behind the battle front also decided to avail of the opportunity and said to themselves: "It is useless for us to stay here and it is profitable that we too should collect the booty". Their commander, however, reminded that the Prophet had ordered that whether the Muslim army gained victory or was defeated they should not move from their post. Majority of the archers, who were guarding the passage, opposed their commander and said: "0ur staying here is useless and the Prophet meant only that we should guard this passage when the battle was in progress, but now the fighting has ended".

On the basis of this false presumption forty men came down from the vigilance post and only ten persons remained there. Khalid bin Walid, who was a brave and experienced warrior and knew from the very start that the mouth of the passage was the key to victory and had attempted many times to reach at the back of the war-front through it, but had to face the archers, took advantage of the small number of the guards this time. He led his soldiers towards the backside of the Muslim army and making a surprise attack reached at the party of the Muslims. The resistance by the small group which was stationed above the mount could not prove effective till all the ten persons after putting up a tough fight were killed at the hands of the troops of Khalid bin Walid and Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl. Soon after that the unarmed and neglectful Muslims were subjected to a severe attack of the enemy from behind.

After having gained possession of the sensitive point Khalid sought the collaboration of the defeated army of Quraysh, which was in a state of flight, and strengthened the spirit of resistance and perseverance of Quraysh with repeated shoutings and cries. On account of disruption and confusion, which prevailed in the ranks of the Muslims, the army of Quraysh soon surrounded the Muslim warriors and fighting commenced between them once again.

This defeat was due to the negligence of those persons who vacated the passage for their material gains and unintentionally cleared the way for the enemy in such a manner that the mounted soldiers under orders of Khalid bin Walid entered the field from behind.

The attack by Khalid was supported by an attack by Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl and unprecedented and surprising disorder prevailed in the forces of Islam. The Muslims had no alternative but to defend themselves as a scattered group. However, as liaison with the command had also been disrupted they did not succeed in defending themselves and suffered heavy casualties, so much so that some Muslim soldiers were inadvertently killed by other Muslims.

The attacks by Khalid and Ikrimah strengthened the morale of the army of Quraysh. Their retreating forces re-entered the field and lent them support. They encircled the Muslims from all sides and killed a number of them.

SUMMARY UHUD WAR

Battle of Uhud
Part of the Muslim-Quraysh Wars
Date 19 March, 625 Location The valley that is located in front of Mount Uhud, and it is located about 5 mi (8.0 km) from Medina 24°30′12″N 039°36′42″ECoordinates: 24°30′12″N 039°36′42″E Result Tactical Meccan victory Strategically indecisive
Belligerents
Muslims	Quraysh-led Meccan coalition
Commanders and leaders
Muhammad Hamza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib † Ali	Abu Sufyan ibn Harb Khalid ibn al-Walid Ikrimah ibn Abi-Jahl
Strength
700 infantry, 2-4 cavalry	3,000 infantry, 200 cavalry[1]
Casualties and losses
70	44-45

[hide]v · d · e Campaigns of Muhammad SAW
Ghazwah (expeditions where he took part) Caravan Raids – Waddan – Safwan – Buwat – Dul Ashir – Badr – Banu Salim – Eid – Zakat – Banu Qaynuqa – Sawiq – Thi Amr – Ghatfan – Bahran – Uhud – Al-Asad – Dhatur-Riqa – Badru-Ukhra – Dumatul-Jandal – Banu Nadir – Trench – Banu Qurayza – Banu Lahyan – Banu Mustaliq – Thi Qerd – Hudaybiyyah – Khaybar – Mu'tah – Mecca – Hunayn – Autas – Ta'if – Hawazan – Tabouk Sirya (expeditions which he ordered) Nakhla – Expedition of Qatan – Nejd – Banu Asad – Banu Lahyan 1 – Al Rajee – Bir Maona – Banu Hanifa

Background Battle of Uhud

Muhammad had preached the religion of Islam in Mecca from 613 to 622. He had attracted a small community of followers, but also drew staunch opposition from the rest of the Quraysh, the clan that ruled Mecca and to which he belonged. The Muslims fled Mecca in 622 after years of persecution and established themselves at Medina (formerly known as Yathrib). The Quraysh had seized the properties and families of Muslims in Mecca and dispatched caravans, containing seized Muslim property to Damascus which the Muslims intercepted these caravans and raided them. The Meccans sent out a small army to punish the Muslims and stop their raiding. At the Battle of Badr in 624, a small Muslim force defeated the much larger Meccan army.^[3]

Many Muslims considered this unexpected victory a proof that they had been favored by God and believed they were assured such victories in the future.^[4] A number of the leading tribesmen of Quraysh had been killed at Badr and so leadership passed to Abu Sufyan. He forbade the mourning of the losses at Badr, for he was eager to exact revenge upon Muhammad, vowing to conduct a retaliatory raid on the city of Medina. Several months later, Abu Sufyan accompanied a party of 200 men to the city, obtaining temporary residence with the chief of the Jewish tribe Banu Nadir and learning more of the current situation in Medina. He and his party then left Medina, burning down two houses and laying waste to some fields in fulfillment of his vow. Further skirmishes between the Meccans and the Muslims would occur thereafter