THE EVENTS OF THE BATTLE OF AHZAB (KHANDAQ)
The battle of Ahzab(Khandaq/Trench) took place in the year 4 A.H. according to the lunar calendar in the month of Ramazan, during winter. All the tribes of Arab joined forces together against the Muslims in Madinah. Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W.W.) ordered all forces to move forward to the ground of Ahzab outside Madinah, with the women and children.
The ground of Ahzab was surrounded by mountains on three sides. On top of the tallest mountain, Muhammad’s tent was erected. On the opposite side, the tallest mountain became the site of Ali’s tent. On the mountain beside it, Muhammad’s daughter and Ali’s wife, Fatimah Zehra(S.A.)’s tent was placed.
Salman-e-Farisi (Salman the Persian) advised the Prophet to dig a trench(Khandaq) on the side of Ahzab not surrounded by mountains, a method used in Persia. The Prophet ordered so. Everyone, including the Prophet and Ali, involved themselves in digging a trench on the side of Ahzab. But somewhere, “some people” did not do the work properly.
When the Arab army reached Madinah, they found it surrounded by the trench. Through great deliberation, they concluded that it must have been the Persian’s idea to dig the trench as they were used only in Persia.
The Arab army’s might centered on one particular man, Amr, son 0f Abdewad. He was considered to be the bravest of the Arabs, having won many battles before. He was a huge man and people used to shudder in his presence.
The next morning Amr, with seven other warriors, rode his horse throughout the length of the trench to analyze it and to find any weak spots. At last, he found the place where the work had not been done properly. He pulled his horse back to some distance, then raced it to the trench and jumped across. The seven warriors followed suit. He reached Muhammad’s tent and pierced his spear through it and called out.
“O Muslims. You say you can go to Jannat(heaven) by either killing an infidel or getting killed by him. Come out and kill me or be killed me and go to heaven.”
Upon hearing his call, all the people gathered in Muhammad’s tent edged closer to the Prophet. Only Ali, by Muhammad’s side, spoke out:
“O’ Prophet of Allah, I’m here for him!”
The Prophet quietened Ali. Amr called out again and Ali said the same thing. This repeated once more. Then the Prophet spoke:
“Who is going to shut this dog’s mouth?”
To this, Umar stood up and said, “O’ Prophet of Allah! You don’t know how strong Amr is. He was traveling in this caravan. I was with him. The caravan was attacked by bandits. Amr fought back. He didn’t have his shield so he picked up a camel child nearby with one hand and used it as a shield. He single-handedly fought them all away!”
Upon hearing this, the Prophet turned to Ali:
“Ali, get up!”
The Prophet then proceeded to dress Ali in his own robes. He put shoes on Ali’s feet with his own hands, tied a belt on Ali’s waist. Then he brought Ali outside the tent, put his turban on Ali’s head and gave him his sword, Zulfiqar(Two Ended One).
Ali proceeded to fight with Amr while the Prophet returned to his tent. In the tent, he turned to all present and said that whoever brought him the news of Ali’s victory would live in heaven in the Prophet’s own room.
(I’m Adding…)
THE EVENTS OF MARTYRDOM
The days of 19th to 21st Ramazan mark the days of martyrdom of Ali(A.S.), 19th being the day he was wounded in the head with a poisoned sword and 21st being the day he left the world. Ali was the caliph of the Muslim world at that time.
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Whenever the month of fasts, Ramazan, arrived, Ali’s sons and daughters took turns inviting him to Iftar at their houses everyday.
During the Ramzan of 40th A.H., he started asking them the date everyday. On hearing the answer he would say to himself that “that day” is not far.
On 18th Ramzan, 40th A.H., he was invited by his daughters Zainab(S.A.) and Umme-Kulsoom(S.A.) Narrates Zainab(S.A.) that I placed two things in front of my father at the time of iftar, salt and honey.
“My dear daughter, have you ever seen me eat more than one type of food at a time?” asked my father, “Take one thing away.”
I tried to take the salt away but my father asked me to take away the honey and broke his fast with salt. After iftar, he busied himself in his prayers but every now and then he would get up, go out in the open and say to himself:
“Ali, the redness of the sky tells that the day has come of which the Prophet(S.A.W.W.) promised!”
During the night my father heard clanking of armor outside the house. He looked out to find the street filled with armed soldiers. He asked Muhammad, son of Huzaifah, who was in command, what the matter was. Muhammad bin(son of) Huzaifah replied that during the day some strangers had been witnessed having their swords sharpened at the armorer’s and it was feared that Ali’s life was in danger. The soldiers had been deployed there for his protection.
Ali replied, “Muhammad, can you stop a man’s death if Allah wishes it for him or can you bring his death upon him if Allah does not want so? Tell the soldiers to go home.”
Note that this is an extract from Zainab(S.A.)’s narration, in my own words.
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Ali left for the morning prayers and reached the mosque of Kufah. He saw a man lying on his stomach, sleeping.
Ali kicked him and said, “Wake up you wretched man, do not sleep in the house of Allah.”
This man was Abdur Rehman, son of Muljim, a Kharjiite.
Ali started the congregational prayers. During the second sajdah of the first half of the morning prayers, Abdur Rehman struck with his sword, he had hidden under him, on the head of Ali.
A fountain of blood sprouted from Ali’s head. Ali remarked, “Fuzto Bi’rabbil Ka’abah!”(By the god of Ka’abah, I have succeeded!)
At the same time, another cry broke out into the night, “Qad Qutilal Ameer-ul-Momineen!” (The Ameer-ul-Momineen has been martyred!)
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Muhammad bin Huzaifah narrates that when Amir-ul-Momineen Ali, son of Abu Talib, asked me to let the soldiers go, I returned home. I was very tired so I sat, leaning against the wall, and dozed off, still in my armor.
I was suddenly shaken awake by my wife who said, “Muhammad, damn your sleep. Listen to the screams!”
I heard a voice screaming “Qad Qutilal Ameer-ul-Momineen!” I ran as fast as I could towards the mosque. As I was crossing the vast ground between my house and the mosque, I made out a man running in my direction in the darkness. I called out to him and asked him what had happened to which the reply told me to get out of his way and let him pass.
Suddenly there was a burst of lightning and I saw the man hiding a sword dripping with blood under his cloak. At the same time, I saw people running after the man and calling to me to stop the murderer of Ali Ibne Abi Talib. I attacked the man and pulled him down by throwing my arms around his neck. The man was taken captive and his hands and feet were tied. He was Abdur Rehman, son of Muljim.
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In the mosque, Hasan, Ali’s eldest son, was by his side. Hasan had tied his handkerchief to the head of Ali to stop the spurting blood. He then told Hasan to lead and finish the congregational prayers, while he himself prayed beside his son in a sitting position.
The Ali asked for a makeshift cloth stretcher to be brought, on which he was taken home. His followers and friends kept close behind but as soon as their destination came near, Ali asked Hasan to tell them to go lest his daughters rushed out of the house to see him. When the procession came to the doorstep, Ali asked to be taken off the stretcher and to enter the house on foot. His sons said that a lot of blood had drained and he was weak but he didn’t agree.
“My daughters saw me leave on foot. If they see me come back on a stretcher, they might not be able to cope with their grief.”
Ali was taken off the stretcher and he moved towards the house using the shoulders of his sons as support. As soon as the door to the house was opened, Ali’s eldest daughter Zainab(S.A.) rushed out and threw her arms around him. All his daughters surrounded him and he was taken into the house amidst their tears.
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When Ibne Muljim was brought to Ali, Ali said to Hasan:
“My son Hasan, someone has tied his hands tightly. Loosen them, he must be in pain.”
He turned to Ibne Muljim and asked him, “Was I not your good Imam(leader)?”
Abdur Rehman Ibne Muljim started crying.
At the time of Iftar, Ali ordered that the honey he had left earlier be fed to Ibne Muljim in the form of Sharbat(drink), lest he be thirsty.
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The sword that Ibne Muljim used to bifurcate Ali’s head from the top had been heated in poison many times over. After Ali was hit, the poison started showing it’s effects.
On the 20th of Ramazan, Ali’s friends and followers came to see him. Asbaq, son of Nabata was one of them. When he came out of the house after meeting Ali, he was crying loudly. Upon inquiry, he replied that Ali’s head was covered in a red bandage but it was impossible to tell which was redder, his face or the bandage.
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