Gazwaa
e Khandaq is a place where the Battle of Trench was fought there
were Seven Masjids Buil in this Area hence its known as Sabaa
Masajid also.
1.
Masjid Fateh, 2. Masjid Hz Sulieman Farsi 3. Masjid Aisha 4.
Masjid Ali
5. Masjid Abu Bakr 6. Masjid Umar 7. <dont remember>
Masjid Fatah (Like a White Cubical on small hill) - RasoolAllah
s.a.w. prayed here.
Masjid of Hz. Sulieman Farsi r.d.a. (Creame colored with a half
dome)
Knore
more about Gawaae Khandaq :
The Qureshite
community had one important dream: The destruction of Mohammed
s.a.w. and his religion. Pagan tribes outside Mecca were sharing
with them the same dream. Like the Meccans, these tribes considered
Mohammed a serious menace to their religion. This belief brought
these tribes and the Muslims into military confrontations in
which the Muslims had the upper hand. These tribes, therefore,
were like the Meccan community full of resentment and rancor
towards Mohammed and his religion.
Sabaa Masaajid (Seven Masjid made at the place where Battle
of Khadaq was fought)
Also
known as Gazwaa e Khandaq
Non-Pagan
Tribes
There were
clashes between the Muslims and some of the people of scripture
who were neighboring Medina caused by their breaching of covenants
with the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.). Tribes from among them such
as Banu Al-Natheer and others were exiled by the Prophet (s.a.w.).
Inside View of the Masjid at Gazwae Khandaq.
A
delegation from these people went to Mecca and other Arab communities
during the fifth year after the Hijrah, propagating war against
the Prophet (s.a.w.) and attempting to mobilize the Arab forces
for the proposed war. They did not need much effort to persuade
the Meccans to a military undertaking against the Prophet (s.a.w.).
Their response to the invitation was prompt, and without hesitation,
they mobilized four thousand fighters. This army was supplemented
with six thousands from Ghatafan, Saleem, and other tribes.
Thus, ten thousands strong marched towards Medina.
The Holy
Prophet (s.a.w.) received the news of the imminent invasion
a few days before their arrival at Medina. He consulted his
companions, and Salman Al-Farisi (the
Persian) advised the Prophet
to dig a moat around Medina to prevent the invaders from entering
it. The Messenger (s.a.w.) commanded the Muslims (who
were about three thousands) to implement the plan. The moat
was dug within six days.(The Trench
is Now covered and a Road runs over it)
Check out one more Masjid at the top of the Hill
Witnessing
the moat, the invaders were surprised and realized that it had
become difficult for them to enter Medina. Thus they found it
necessary to besiege Medina instead of invading it directly.
Banu Quraidhah, a community from the followers of the Scripture,
joined the pagan army after its arrival. This community had
a covenant of peace with the Prophet. Their treacherous action
was a frightening surprise to the Muslims. By breaching the
covenant, this community gave the pagan army additional forces
and equipment. It became the duty of the Muslims to add to their
defensive lines another line.
The Muslims
in horror
There were
many hypocrites among the Muslims who circulated frightening
rumors, which added to the fear of the Muslims. The Holy Qur'an
tells us of the psychological crisis with which the Muslims
lived during that period:
"Behold!
They came upon you from above you and from below you, and when
the eyes grew wild and the hearts gaped up to the throats, and
ye imagined various (vain) thoughts about God! In that situation
the believers were tried: They were shaken with a mighty Shock.
And behold! The hypocrites and those in whose hearts there is
disease (even) say: God and His Apostle promised us nothing
but delusion! Behold! A party among them said: O people of Yathrib
(Medina), you cannot stand (the attack), therefore turn back!
And a band of them ask for leave of the Prophet, saying: Truly
our houses are bare and exposed though they were not exposed;
they intended nothing but to flee." (33:10-13)
The
pagan army, on the contrary, was enjoying an extremely high
morale. Victory to them was certain. Medina was under their
siege, and its inhabitants did not possess the courage to come
out of it. Their confidence in victory and morale went higher
when Banu Quraidhah joined them. This made them change their
strategy from the siege of Medina to a direct invasion.
Amru's
Venture
Amru Ibn
Abd Wodd, accompanied by Dhirar Ibn Al-Khattab, Akramah Ibn
Abu Jahl, and others, sought and found a narrow place in the
moat. Their horses leaped above the moat to the other side.
Had this adventure succeeded many pagan fighters were expected
to follow them and make it feasible for the whole army to pass
through that narrow place, for they could have spanned the two
sides of the ditch by filling that narrow gap with soil.
The Muslims
were in a state of shock and horror before the passage of these
pagan soldiers to their side. The new danger, which was presented
by their passage, made the morale of the Muslims much lower
than before.
Men of
strong faith
Though the
hearts of most of the Muslims were filled with fear, some of
them were unshaken by the new danger. It rather made their faith
stronger in God, His Messenger, and the promised victory. These
individuals were ready to sacrifice themselves and one of them
certainly was determined to try to confine the danger, then
to remove it. The Holy Qur'an tells us of the morale of these
believers.
Inside View of the Masjid at Gazwae Khandaq.
When
the believers saw the confederate forces, they said: This is
what God and His Apostle had promised us. And God and His Apostle
told us what is true. And it only added to their faith and their
zeal in obedience. "Among the believers are men who have
been true to their covenant with God: Of them some have completed
their vow (to the extreme), and some (still) wait; but they
have never changed (their determination) in the least."
(33:23)
Inside View of the Masjid at Gazwae Khandaq.
The
Holy Qur'an does not inform us of the number of those believers
whose faith was increased by the increase of the danger. These
believers may have been scores or just a few. However, faith
sometimes remains only as a state of mind without being transformed
into action. Some of the faith is active, flowing with vitality
and moving the faithful to face the danger and to rise to its
level and above its level.
The
number of these distinguished believers remained unknown.
Hazrat
Ali's r.d.a. Response
However,
history informed us of one of them because of his outstanding
achievements at this battle, in confining and removing the danger,
which shook the very foundation of the Islamic state. That man
was no other than Hazrat Ali Ibn Abu Talib.r.d.a.
Amru Ibn
Wodd, who crossed the moat, was well known among the Arabs.
He attended the battle, boastfully making his place known to
people. His very passage from one side to the other side of
the moat, accompanied only by a small number of fighters, indicates
that the man was extremely courageous. He was the only one from
among the ten thousand fighters who tried to invade the Muslims
directly and challenge them totally while he was with them on
one side.
Beautiful Chandelier in the Masjid of Gazwae Khandaq
The passage
of Amru and his companions presented to the Muslims a new
and serious danger and a frightening surprise, which they never
expected. The door was about to be opened widely, and hundreds
and thousands were expected to follow. The surprise, however,
did not frighten or astonish Hazrat Ali r.d.a.. History informs
us of Ali's present-mindedness and fast response, for he immediately
moved to confine the danger, then to remove it. Leading a small
number of believers, he went immediately to the point where
the Islamic defense line was broken by the passage of Amru.
He had his companions stand there, preventing others from attempting
to follow Amru. And after he confined the new danger, he managed
to remove it completely.
While
mounting his horse, Amru went around the area of Sal'a, facing
the Muslims and challenging them: "Is there any dueler?"
He repeated this call but there was no response on the part
of the companions. This compelled Hazrat Ali r.d.a. to leave
his place where he was deterring the pagan forces from following
Amru by crossing the Moat. Responding to Amru's challenge, he
left that place temporarily to be defended by the few who were
with him.
Masjid e Fatima (In the Trees) and Masjid e Ali (White on left
hand corner)
He
neared Amru and asked him to face him in a duel. At this moment
the Prophet (S.A.W.) uttered this historical sentence: "Entire
faith is facing entire infidelity". Amru arrogantly replied:
"Why, son of my brother (Amru was a friend of Abu Talib,
father of Ali)? By God, I would not like to kill you."
Ali replied: "But, by God; I would love to kill you."
A short but extremely violent duel between the two heroes took
place. Ali killed Amru immediately and Amru's companions ran
away, trying to re-cross the moat from the Islamic side to the
pagan side.
Allahu
Akbar Ali exclaimed: "Allahu Akbar," (God
is Great) and so did the Muslims. The death of Amru was the
end of the new danger. Those who were with him ran away, trying
to save their skin; but most of them were killed before they
could cross to the other side.
Ali made
a great contribution in the defense of Islam at this battle
during which the danger against the new Faith reached its peak.
At this
battle the Muslims faced a greater danger than ever before.
The elements of the Islamic defense were the same three elements
which played their roles during the two battles of Badr and
Ohod: The firmness of the Messenger (s.a.w.)and his ideal leadership:
the heroism of Hazrat Ali r.d.a. ; and the determination of
the Islamic army.
A
fourth element was added at this battle: The role of Salman
Al-Farisi (the Persian) who counseled the Prophet to dig the
moat around Medina.
The role
of the Islamic army during the Battle of Ohod was smaller than
its role during the Battle of Badr. And it was less important
at the Battle of the Moat than it was at the Battle of Ohod,
for the Muslims during the Battle of the Moat did not even dare
face the enemy. They only dug the moat around the city before
the arrival of the pagan army then stood behind the moat until
the end of the battle.
The roles
of the first two defensive elements were similar to their roles
at Badr and Ohod and probably bigger. The firmness of the Messenger,
his leadership, his war strategy and his speed in digging the
moat were most essential in making the Muslims pass the crisis
safely.
Hazrat Ali's
(r.d.a.) role at this battle was outstanding in the history
of the Islamic defense.
The magnitude
of Hazrat Ali's r.d.a. contribution
It
would not be logical to say that the Muslims were unable collectively
to kill Amru, who could not by himself prevail against thousands
of Muslims. But this was not the case. Amru was calling for
a duel. A duel could only be between two persons. It was considered
to be shameful for two men or more to have a duel with one man.
Amru challenged all the Muslims to send one of them to have
a duel with him. None of them was willing to face him except
THE GREA HAZRAT Ali (r.d.a.).
Nor would
it be logical to say that Amru was the entire power of the pagan
forces, and that his death was a defeat for the whole confederate
army. But it would be logical to affirm two important matters:
1. Ali's
initiative to block the passage point and prevent others from
following Amru had stopped the danger and confined it. Had the
passage point remained open, a great number of the pagan soldiers
would have followed Amru and their passage could have resulted
in establishing a bridge between the two sides of the moat.
Such a bridge would enable the whole army to cross.
One hour
of negligence could have led to a decisive defeat of the Islamic
army. This did not happen because Hazrat Ali (r.d.a.) was fast
in his response to the new danger, present minded, calm and
collective and ready to deal with the serious crisis.
2. The death
of Amru proved to the pagan army that they were unable to pass
the moat again, and that what Amru could not accomplish could
not be accomplished by others. By this the pagan army had to
face one of two alternatives: Withdrawal, or continuation of
the siege until the Muslims surrender or were forced to cross
the moat and fight the pagans. The continuity of the siege of
Medina was beyond the ability of the pagan army. It did not
have the food supplies for ten thousand fighters and their horses
and camels, which could enable them to continue the siege for
several months or weeks.
In
addition, a hurricane like wind went on causing the pagan army
many damages and making its life miserable. The hurricane was
preceded by an argument between the pagans and their Jewish
allies, which made their co-operation in the battle highly difficult.
Thus,
there was only one alternative for the pagan army to take after
the failure of Amru and his death: The withdrawal and that is
what they did.
We ought
not to forget an important matter! The death of Amru and most
of his companions raised the morale of the Muslims. Their hope
in continuity of life and in victory was revived. All this was
a result of Hazrat Ali's (r.d.a.) endeavor, and by this we can
understand the meaning of the declaration of the Prophet:
"The duel of Ali Ibn Abu Talib against Amru Ibn Abd Wodd
at the Battle of the Moat out weighs the good deeds of my whole
nation until the Day of Judgment."
The Confederate
Army withdrew and the Muslims passed the crisis safely. They
regained their confidence concerning the future because of failure
of the Confederate forces after their biggest mobilization.
The Messenger s.a.w.w said after their withdrawal: "After
today, we shall invade them and they will not invade us."
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