The Battle of the Trench (al-Ahzab)

In a linguistic comment made in the course of his commentary, unrelated to the Trench itself, the Sheikh explains the word hiqba and says the Arabs reckoned it at eighty years and some reckoned it at a hundred (needs_source) ¹. He mentions that Musa used the word in his story with al-Khidr ¹.

In another episode, again in a linguistic context unrelated to the Trench, the Sheikh says that ahqab either means years without end or a long span of time, as Musa said to his attendant ².

The Sheikh relates that the night at the Trench was so bitterly cold that two of the Companions wrapped themselves in a single garment, and that the Prophet ﷺ said: who will cross the trench and bring me news of the enemy, without causing any incident? No one answered him (needs_source) ³. He says the Prophet repeated the request, that the night was at the end of the month and the place was dark, and that the Companion crossed and Abu Sufyan passed in front of him at a very short distance (needs_source) ⁴. He mentions that the Companion thought that Abu Sufyan was the head of the group and that killing him might end the matter, but remembered the Prophet's words not to start anything, so he held back his sword and stopped at the limits set by God (needs_source) ⁵.

The speaker names the Battle of the Confederates, also called the Trench, and mentions Ghatafan in its context. He holds (speaker's view, opinion) that the present day resembles it ⁶.

The speaker's view (opinion): Muslims today do not learn the language, the thinking or the view of others toward them. He says that at the Battle of the Confederates God sent a wind and hosts that they did not see, and the matter ended ⁷.

He says the Qur'an describes that battle in an extraordinary way: the believers were shaken, hearts reached the throats, until God's help came ⁸.

He recounts Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman (may God be pleased with him)'s account of a freezing night, when the Prophet asked who would go to the enemy and bring back news without starting anything. Hudhayfa rose into the dark ⁹. Hudhayfa says Abu Sufyan was close to him, within a spear's thrust, and he held back because he remembered the Prophet's charge not to start anything against them ¹⁰.

The speaker's view (opinion): one man's deed is better than a thousand men's speeches, and the Battle of the Confederates is a model of the Muslims' victory through "there is no god but God" ¹¹.