On their way...

On their way, Huyay ibn Akhtab pledged Abu-Sufyan the cooperation of Banu-Qurayzah who had seventy-five warriors.[^204] Concerning the great capital which both Quraysh and the Jews had spent on the preparation for this war, they considered it epoch-making and were determined to annihilate Muslims forever.

Through the secret reports of Banu-Khuza`ah who were allies of Muslims, the Holy Prophet knew about the movement of the enemy troops.[^205] In a military session held by the Holy Prophet, nobody agreed to leave Medina; the vote was unanimous.[^206] There were palm-groves around the city and they hindered the enemy’s free access.[^207] Salman proposed that they would dig a ditch around the part of the city in which there were no natural obstructions so that the enemy could not pass.[^208] The ditch was dug in a short time due to the participation of all Muslims, including the Holy Prophet.[^209] He had women and children relocated to the castles and shelters inside the city.[^210] The Islamic forces, consisting of three thousand,[^211] stayed between the ditch and Mount Sala`, having it behind them.[^212] The commanders of the allies expected the war to take place outside Medina like the Battle of Uhud.

However, this did not happen. Arriving at the city borders and noticing the ditch, they were bewildered, because the digging of the ditch was unprecedented among Arabs as a war technique.[^213] Thus, they had to surround the city behind the ditch. The siege lasted for nearly twenty days and both parties started shooting at each other.

The warriors of Quraysh started special military maneuvers to frighten the Muslim troops.[^214] Due to the enemy’s siege of the city, Muslims were caught in a severe plight, which is described by God in the following words: [Those who believe remember the day] when they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes turned dull, and the hearts rose up to the throats, and you began to think diverse thoughts of Allah.

There the believers were tried and they were shaken with severe shaking. (33:10-11) The Treason of Banu-Qurayzah At this time, something else took place and jeopardized the Muslims’ status even more; Banu-Qurayzah breached their nonaggression pact with Muslims. They did so on account of Huyay ibn Akhtab’s temptations.[^215] Moreover, they committed two other acts of treason: first, they brought ammunitions to the allies who were short in supplies.