While the other Muslims were busy preventing the collapse of...

While the other Muslims were busy preventing the collapse of Madinah by blocking any crossover of the trench by the enemy, he and his colleagues were breathing safely in their hideout. Judging from the panic and instinctive outbursts of ‘Umar, one could also say that he was not aware of the real situation of things in the city. He apparently thought that the enemy had entered it, and that it was extremely risky to move around.

That explains why he moved into, and remained in, the garden in the first place. At Khaybar, our second khalifah repeated his old feat. Imam al-Hakim (d.

403 H) records: أخبرنا أبو العباس محمد بن أحمد المحبوبي بمرو ثنا سعيد بن مسعود ثنا عبيد الله بن موسى ثنا نعيم بن حكيم عن أبي موسى الحنفي عن علي رضي الله عنه قال : سار النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى خيبر فلما أتاها بعث عمر رضي الله تعالى عنه وبعث معه الناس إلى مدينتهم أو قصرهم فقاتلوهم فلم يلبثوا أن هزموا عمر وأصحابه فجاءوا يجبنونه ويجبنهم فسار Abu al-‘Abbas Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Mahbubi – Sa’id b. Mas’ud – ‘Ubayd Allah b. Musa – Na’im b.

Hakim – Abu Musa al-Hanafi – ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him: The Prophet, peace be upon…