Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

THE BATTLE OF AHZAB
(CONFEDERATE) OK THE
BATTLE OF TRENCH
(627 A.D./5 A.H.)
CAUSES
The causes of this battle were the following:
1. Through his untiring expeditions against the non-believers’ forces, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) had broken up his enemies and apparently Medina became free from raids. The Muslims were also happy; they were also better off economically through the body they earned in various expeditions. They ploughed the land left by Banu Qainuqa and Banu Nazir and got good crops. But the period of satisfaction from wars proved to be very short.1
2. Though the Muslims were defeated in the battle of Uhud, they regained their formei position and even improved upon it the following months. The Quraysh could not reconcile themselves with the growing power of the Muslims in Medina. They found in the growing power of the Muslims a threat to their social and religious position as well as their commercial prosperity. Hence they wanted to decide their fate once for all.
Abdul Hameed Siddiqui, P 203

126 Political and Cultural History of Islam
3. The neighbouring Bedouins of Medina mainly depended upon looting and plundering for their livelihood. The Holy Prophet did not like this way of life and so he punished them on many occasions for their predatory acts. The Bedouins saw in the rise of Islam a great menace to their predatory habit. Hence they joined the Quraysh in a common cause against the Muslims.
4. After the battle of Uhud the Jews of the Banu Nazir clan of Medina were expelled from the city for their treacherous acts and misconduct, and since then the Nazirite jews had been instigating the Quraysh and the Bedouins against the Muslims, though they actually did not take part in the siege of Medina.
5. Although Banu Nazir left Medina, they spread hatred and enmity against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Muslims. Their chiefs went to Makkah and instigated Quraysh, all time enemies of Islam. They visited other tribes as well (e.g. Banu Ghatfan) and instigated them against Islam and the Muslims. Leading Jews who visited various tribes were: Salam bin Abi al-Huqaiq, Huayy bin Akhtab; and Kinanah bin al-Rabi etc. They offered Banu Ghatfan the bait of half the yield of Khayber for attacking Medina and destroying the Muslims. Ghatfan also prepared their allies-Banu Asad; and Quraysh prepared Banu Sulaim. The Jews emissaries spread all over the Arabia and tried to form a coalition of the Jews and all the non-believers against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Muslims. Their work was so secret that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Muslims knew nothing about that. The Jews told the idolaters of Arabia that they would prefer their religion (i.e. idolatry) over Islam as they had nothing to do with Muhammad (PBUH) and his religion2
6. They raised huge funds for the war. Jews being the richest in Arabia, subscribed handsomely. Besides the Jews and Quraysh following were the main tribes who took part in the battle: Ghatfan, Banu Murra, Banu Fazara Ashia, Banu Sulaim, Banu Sa’d, Banu Asad, and a number of small tribes. They were determined to wipe out Muslims from Arabia once for all. According to Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah, ”the
Dr Majid Ah Khan, P 214
The Battle ofAhzab (Confederate) or the Battle of Trench
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expulsion of the Jews of the Banu Nazir from Medina, if it strengthened the position of the Muslims inside the capital, created new difficulties from outside.”3 For, the Jews migrated to the north and settled in the oases of Khayber, Wadi al-Qura and other stations of the trade-route to Syria. They at once began to intrigue with them against the Islamic State. The Makkhans and their allies were encouraged and their morale was uplifted by the news of the new alliance. ”Abdul Hameed Siddiqui says, ”The Jews said that Quraysh’s religion was far better than that preached by Muhammad (PBUH) and thus they have better claim to be in the right The Quraysh were highly delighted at these words and joined hands with the Jews in order to fight the common foe i.e. the Muslims.”4 Funds were raised and the Jews and the Makkhans donated liberally to the war preparations. There was hardly any tribe of the disbelieving Arabs which was not approached to join the federation. It was in fact a decisive battle between the rising force of Islam and that of the rest of Arabia.
EVENTS
The Makkhans prepared themselves fully to attack the Muslims. Due to famine Abu Sufyan did not go to Badr in 4 A.H. as promised to meet the Muslims but reserved his energies and supplies for the following year’s campaign. Quraysh were joined by the Banu Nazir of Khayber who negotiated with the Jews all over Arabia and declared that they were prepared to be pagans but not to accept Islam, or to accept Muslims suzerainty. As they were losing their social, religious and financial influences, the Bedouin tribes living in the vicinity of Makkah also responded to their caH and in 627 A.D. The Quraysh
entered in to alliance with the Becouin tribes the Fazarah, the
Ghatfan, the Sulaym, the Asad and others against Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH). The Makkhans and the Jews subscribed handsomely to the Makkhans and the Jews and an army of about 10,000 mercenary troops, the majority being Abyssinians, marched in Shawwal

5 A.H. (627 A. D.) to attack Medina. The Jews of Medina whose loyalty was suspected also joined the assailants at the last moment.5

3 Dr M Hamidullah, The Battle Fields of the Holy Prophet, P 62.
4 Abdul Hameed Siddiqui, P 203
S M Imamuddm, A Political Histo’y of the Muslims, P 54.

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