Battle of the Trench Myth :-
It is imperative that I must stress the following point at the start of as many chapters as possible; a monumental FACT that easily escapes the attention of people studying the subjects of Muhammad, his Quran and his Sunna:
All the information that humanity has regarding Muhammad, his alleged revelations, his deeds, his thoughts and those whom he and his followers accuse of having been his persecutors and enemies, are bequeathed to us by one source only: that of Muhammad and his followers.
Their reports about the Pagan Arabs, Christian and Judaised Arabs and others, are of course self serving and transmitted by the victors without a SINGLE outside eye witness report to any of them.
There are no independent records from the VICTIMS of Muhammad and his followers verifying or contesting their allegations since these victims, Pagan Arabs, Christian Arabs and Judaised Arabs were slaughtered, forcibly converted or exiled and any and all of their records and artifacts have been lost.
Hence, not a single Hadith transmitted to humanity by the Muhammadan Muslims can be considered based on any Fact or Reality.
Having said this, when studying, and I repeat the word studying these subjects, one can still find several nuggets of truth among the tons of rubble mendacities.
The story of the Battle of the Trench has references to it in Muhammad's Quran but the main source comes from the reports mentioned by Muhammad Ibn Ishaq in his monumental "Sirat Rassool Allah" as translated by Alfred Guillaume in his "The Life of Muhammad".
So called Believers and Unbelieving Kuffar, before I start exploring this battle with you, I must remind you all once again that every single word mentioned herein had been written by the self serving followers of Muhammad between 140 to 300 years after the event itself and is entirely one-sided, unsubstantiated and uncorroborated by any other eyewitnesses to the same event.
I shall summerise this story the details of which can be found in Alfred Guillaum's "The Life of Muhammad" starting on Page 450.
According to the different Muslim sources this battle allegedly occurred on the 2nd, 4th or 9th of Shawwal 5 AH, March 627 AD.
Muslim Army: 3,000
Pagan Army: 24,000
Muslim martyrs: None
This battle is also known by various names - battle of Khandaq (trench), battle of Ahzaab and battle of Abu Sufiyan.
The pagans considered Islam a threat to their economic security and political supremacy in Arabia, and they could never be reconciled to its existence.
They knew that if they could kill Muhammad, their interests would be safeguarded, and their hegemony would be restored in Arabia. With this aim they decided to strike a final and a crushing blow upon Madina, and to exterminate all Muslims.
Pagan tribes outside Mecca were sharing with them the same dream. This belief brought together these tribes.
A delegation from these people went to Mecca and other Arab communities during the fifth year after the Hijrah, propagating war against Muhammad 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 Muhammad. Their response to the invitation was prompt, and without hesitation, they mobilized four thousand fighters.
There were clashes between the Muslims and some of the People of the Book (Judaised Arabs or Jews) who were neighboring Medina caused by their breaching of covenants with Muhammad.
The following seven tribes took part in this battle against the Muslims: Ghatfan, Saleem, Asjaa, Asad, Qareeza, Tazeer and Quresh. This army of about 24,000 was commanded by Abu Sufiyan and the Muslim army which numbered 3,000 was commanded by Muhammad.
Muhammad 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) counseled to dig a trench around Medina to prevent the invaders from entering it.
Muhammad commanded the Muslims to implement the plan. The number of days required to dig the trench is reported to be between six and twenty days as per different historical accounts.Witnessing the trench, 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.
This siege continued for about 20 or 27 days.
There were many hypocrites among the Muslims who circulated frightening rumors, which added to the fear of the Muslims. The Quran tells us of the psychological crisis with which the Muslims lived during that period:
Al Ahzab 33:10-13 "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 Allah! …
The hypocrites and those in whose hearts there is disease (even) say: Allah and His Apostle promised us nothing but delusion! Behold! A party among them said: O people of Yathrib (Madina), you cannot stand (the attack), therefore turn back! … they intended nothing but to flee"
It is also reported in Maarij-un-Nabuwwah (4:128) that when Amr ibn Abduwud challenged the Muslims, Umar added to the fright by saying that Amr was such a fighter who alone fought 1,000 men at one time. Amr ibn Abduwud, accompanied by Dhirar Ibn Al-Khattab, Akramah Ibn Abu Jahl, and others, sought and found a narrow place in the trench. Their horses leaped above the trench to the other side.
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. 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 Allah and his messenger, and the promised victory.
There were Muslims who were ready to sacrifice themselves and one of them, Ali bin Abi Talib, certainly was determined to try to confine the danger, then to remove it. The Quran tells us of the morale of these believers.
Al Ahzab 33: 23 "Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah: Of them some have completed their vow (to the extreme), and some (still) wait; but they have never changed (their determination) in the least."
Amr Ibn Abduwud, who crossed the trench, 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 trench, accompanied only by a small number of fighters, indicates that the man was extremely courageous. He was the only one from among the 24,000 fighters who tried to invade the Muslims directly and challenge them totally while he was with them on one side.
While mounting his horse, Amr 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. Finally Amr addressed the Muslim army as follows: "You muslims have been made to believe that there is a Jannah (Paradise) , is there anyone among you who has the courage to challenge me so that I can kill him and send him to his Jannah".
Hearing this Muhammad asked his companions "Is there anyone among you who could stop the non-sense of this Dog".
*** Please notice what a coward Muhammad was. He did not take up the challenge but was weilling to let others die for it ***
Ali rose up for the third time and requested permission saying that now he cannot stop. Muhammad finally gave permission to Ali and prayed in his favor and decorated Ali with his turban and gave him his Zirah (iron protective dress) and gave him Zulfiqar - the sword that was sent by Allah during the battle of Badr.
Ali neared Amr and asked him to face him in a duel. Amr arrogantly replied: "Your father Abu Talib was a friend of mine. By Allah, I would not like to kill you." Ali replied: "But, by Allah; I would love to kill you."
*** Be aware that BOTH the Pagan Amr and the Believer Ali mentioned the name of Allah because Allah was the supreme god of pagan Arabia long before Muhammad and his Quran. Muhammad's argument with the pagans was based only upon the fact that they associated OTHER gods with Allah.
That is why Muhammad later on incorporated and 'Islamized' almost each and every tradition and fetish of the pagans. Muhammad's followers have been emulating all the pagan traditions but under the repackaging of Islam****
The battle started after exchange of some more harsh words. When the dust settled, Ali was seen coming out in such a way that the head of Amr was in his hands and blood was soaking from his sword - Zulfiqar. Viewing this scene Muhammad shouted "Allaho Akbar - God is great" and so did the Muslims.
The death of Amr 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. The death of Amr proved to the pagan army that they were unable to pass the trench again, and that what Amr 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 trench 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 24,000 fighters and their horses and camels, which could enable them to continue the siege for several months or weeks.
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 said after their withdrawal: "After today, we shall invade them and they will not invade us."
Let me now bring to you attention the following blatant anomalies, absurdities, exaggerations ad inconsistencies:
1 The Muslims were 3000 spread around the perimeter of the town while 24,000 pagans were surrounding them.
2 The trench was dry. It was not a moat and several of the pagans were able to cross over unopposed.
3 According to the Muslim records, the pagans had 10,000 black slaves among them.
4 How is it conceivable that all these men could not fill a stretch of any weak point with soil so as to be able to cross over both on foot and on horse?
5 Muhammad's agents were able to repeatedly cross over to the pagans and mingle with them as spies and as agents provocateurs and return to report to Muhammad easily.
6 If Amr Ibn Abduwud and several other Pagans were able to cross the ditch unopposed, why could not more of the Pagans do the same and invade the Medina enclosure?
7 On page 454 of the Sira, Ibn Ishaq reports: "The apostle and polytheists remained twenty days and more, nearly a month, without fighting except for some shooting with arrows, and the siege".
8 Were the Pagans on a picnic? Were they so utterly cowardly or incompetent that they were willing to siege Muhammad and his followers without attempting to fight them while their food and water resources were dwindling by the day?
9 According to al Mawardi's version of these events, Amr Ibn Abduwud issued his challenge to the Muslims on three successive days and the challenge was directed at Muhammad himself especially since his taunt was " What is the matter when none of you will advance to get his reward from his Lord (by being killed) or send an enemy to Hell?"
10 These were Muhammad's promises to his followers in case of dying for the sake of Allah in Jihad. Why did Muhammad not fight Amr but was more willing to send Ali when according to the Arabs Amr was worth a thousand fighters?
11 The same cowardly Muhammad who had Ali sleep in his house when he ran away at night from Mecca to Madina.
The same spineless Muhammad who had his companions from the Ansar get slaughtered defending him at Uhud!
The same Muhammad who showed his alleged 'bravery' by refusing to answer Abu Sufyan's challenge again at Uhud by pretending he was dead!
12 If Amr was able to challenge the Muslims on three successive days in their own enclosure, why were not the Pagans able to invade it?
13 Amr the Pagan did not want to kill Ali who belonged to his family but Ali the Muslim had no qualms whatsoever regarding slaughtering any family member who did not accept Islam.
14 As always with Muhammad and his alleged revelations, all the verses quoted in his Quran were conveniently 'descended' AFTER the events mentioned to explain them and or justify them.
15 This encounter between the Arabs proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that they used to settle their differences in general by single combat and not by mass slaughter as was being waged by Muhammad and his followers.
16 Assuming these reports are correct, by what stretch of imagination can anyone call it a battle when the Muslims of 3000 lost none and the pagans of 24,000 less than six over a period of 27 days?
Invariably, Muhammad and his followers created their own Myths and over time and repetition started to believe each and every which one as true.
They continue to do so 1400 years later.
Remember once more that all that humanity has on record of the above alleged events come from the one sides self seving reports of the VICTORS: Muhammad and his followers. No OTHER corroborating evidence whatsoever exists.
I now leave it to you Ladies and Gentlemen to ponder and assess their stories.
