Battle of the Trench (Ghazwat al-Khandaq)

Historical overview

The Battle of the Trench (Ghazwat al-Khandaq), also known as the Battle of the Confederates (al-Ahzab), took place in 5 AH (627 CE) around the northern periphery of Medina. A coalition of pagan Quraysh from Mecca, the Banu Ghatafan, and other allied tribes formed an unprecedented force of roughly 10,000 men with the goal of completely besieging and annihilating the Muslim community in Medina. Upon the strategic advice of Salman al-Farsi, Prophet Muhammad ordered the digging of a vast defensive trench across the vulnerable northern entry of Medina, protected on other sides by natural volcanic basalt fields and dense date-palm groves. For several weeks, the allied confederation attempted to breach or cross the trench but were repeatedly repelled by Muslim forces stationed along Mount Sela' and the southern embankment. Severe winter storms, harsh icy winds, shortage of supplies, and diplomatic stratagems orchestrated by Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud eroded the coalition's cohesion. Ultimately, Abu Sufyan ordered a full retreat, securing a decisive strategic triumph for Islam.

Historical context and how to read this record

This record presents Battle of the Trench (Ghazwat al-Khandaq), dated in the archive as 5 AH / 627 CE and associated with Northern Outskirts of Medina, Hijaz. The date, place, summary, named groups, terrain features, and references shown here come from the bundled or published event record. They provide a concise entry point for study, while the linked source notes remain the place to check what each historical or religious text actually reports. A label in the archive is not, by itself, proof that every chronology, number, or interpretation is agreed across historians.

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Record timeline and tactical markers

1. Archive date: 2026-10-10 · 5 AH / 627 CE
2. Recorded setting: Northern Outskirts of Medina, Hijaz
3. Map feature 1: Mount Sela' ridge overlooking the trench line
4. Map feature 2: Man-made defensive trench spanning the open northern corridor
5. Map feature 3: Black volcanic basalt harrah fields obstructing east and west flank movements
6. Map feature 4: Southern date-palm groves and residential oasis dwellings
7. Schematic marker 1: Muslim Army at Mount Sela' · Prophet Muhammad (with Ali ibn Abi Talib & Salman al-Farsi) · 3,000 infantry and light cavalry
8. Schematic marker 2: Quraysh & Meccan Allies · Abu Sufyan ibn Harb · 4,000 warriors and cavalry
9. Schematic marker 3: Banu Ghatafan & Bedouin Tribes · Uyaynah ibn Hisn · 6,000 warriors

Marker ordering is a reading aid, not a chronological claim about the event.

Forces and commanders

• Muslim Army at Mount Sela' — Prophet Muhammad (with Ali ibn Abi Talib & Salman al-Farsi) (3,000 infantry and light cavalry)
• Quraysh & Meccan Allies — Abu Sufyan ibn Harb (4,000 warriors and cavalry)
• Banu Ghatafan & Bedouin Tribes — Uyaynah ibn Hisn (6,000 warriors)

Geography: water and landscape

• Bir Ruma (Well of Ruma) (well)
• Wadi al-Aqiq (river)
• Mount Sela' ridge overlooking the trench line
• Man-made defensive trench spanning the open northern corridor
• Black volcanic basalt harrah fields obstructing east and west flank movements
• Southern date-palm groves and residential oasis dwellings

Sources

• Tabari, Ta'rikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk, Vol. 8 (The Victory of Islam)
• Ibn Hisham, Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Vol. 2, The Siege of Medina
• Al-Waqidi, Kitab al-Maghazi, Vol. 2
• Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Vol. 2

More 3D maps

• Karbala · The Plain of 61 AH
• Battle of Badr · Wells and Two Slopes
• Khaybar · Basalt Harrat and Fortified Oases
• Hijrah Route · Makkah to Madinah
• Najaf & Kufa · The Historic Plain
• Siffin · Euphrates Campaign Landscape