After reciting tashahhud, ta‘awwuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^(aba) stated:

The Battle of the Confederates was being discussed in the previous sermon as to how the treachery and enmity of the Jews of Khaibar led to the formation of an army of the disbelievers which sought to attack and eliminate the Muslims. Further details in relation to this have been recorded in history in the following manner.

The Holy Prophet^(sa) sent Sulait and Sufyan bin ‘Auf Aslami in order to bring news of these armies. As such, both of them went to do so. They reached a place called Baida, an open field located between Mecca and Medina, a little further than Dhu al-Hulaifah, which is at a distance of six to seven miles from Medina. The cavalry of Abu Sufyan turned towards them, and the enemy noticed them, after which both of them gave their lives in battle. They were both brought to the Holy Prophet^(sa) and were buried in the same grave. It is recorded that when it had been decided to dig the ditch, the Holy Prophet^(sa) rode out on his horse and he was accompanied by several Muhajirun and Ansar. Subsequently, the Holy Prophet^(sa) searched for a suitable place for the army to set up camp. As such, he considered it most appropriate to have the mountain Salah behind them and to dig a ditch spanning from Mizaz to Zubab, all the way to Ratij. Mizaz was a place in Medina, located near the Salah mountain. Zubab was the name of a mountain near Medina. Ratij was one of Medina’s fortresses belonging to the Jews. It is also said that it was a small mountain towards the east of Zubab.

That day, the task of digging the ditch commenced. Muslims had borrowed various digging tools from the Banu Quraizah, such as spades, large axes and shovels, etc. The Holy Prophet^(sa) assigned the digging of each side of the ditch to each tribe. The Holy Prophet^(sa) divided the Companionsra into groups of 10 and assigned to them an area of approximately 40 yards. The Holy Prophet^(sa) personally took part in the digging as well and carried the earth on his back, to the extent that his back and stomach would be covered in dirt. Those Muslims who finished their part would go and help others until the ditch was completed. They would not simply rest upon completing their assigned task; rather, they would go and assist their comrades.

No Muslim stayed behind in digging the ditch. If Hazrat Abu Bakr^(ra) and Hazrat Umar^(ra) were unable to find baskets, they would quickly fill the earth in their clothes and whatever sheet they had with them and then take the dirt away. (Subul al-Huda Wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 364-365; Farhangh-e-Sirat, Zawar Academy, Karachi, pp. 105, 125, 129, 265; Khulasah al-Wafa ba Akhbar Dar al-Mustapha, Al-Maktabah Al-‘Ilmiyah, Medina, pp. 553-554)

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^(ra) has detailed this as well. He says:

“It was difficult for such a big army to keep its movements secret, and then, the intelligence system of the Holy Prophet^(sa) was also very well organised. Hence, the army of the Quraish had only just left Mecca when the Holy Prophet^(sa) received the news, upon which he gathered the Companions and sought counsel in this regard. In this consultative meeting, a sincere Companion from Iran named Salman^(ra), the Persian, was also present. [...] Since Salman^(ra), the Persian, was knowledgeable in the non-Arab strategy of war (that is to say that he was acquainted with the warfare tactics of non-Arabs), he proposed that a long and wide ditch be dug around that part of Medina, which was insecure, in order to defend themselves. The idea of a ditch was a novel concept for the Arabs, but upon learning that this method of war was generally prevalent among the non-Arab world, the Holy Prophet^(sa) accepted this proposal.”

In the previous sermon, it was mentioned that Allah the Almighty had also informed him that this was the right strategy.

He continues, “The city of Medinawas secure on three fronts to some extent. Due to the walls of a continuous succession of homes, thick trees and large rocks, these fronts were protected from a sudden attack by the army of the Quraish. It was only from the front-facing towards Syria that the enemy could swarm upon Medina. For this reason, the Holy Prophet^(sa) instructed that a ditch be dug along the unprotected side of Medina. Under his own supervision, the Holy Prophet^(sa) had the lines of the ditch marked out and divided the ditch into segments of fifteen feet each, after which he divided this work amongst groups of ten Companions.

“In the division of these parties, a friendly debate arose as to which group Salman^(ra), the Persian, would be counted amongst. (They all wanted Salman^(ra) in their group.) Would he be counted amongst the Muhajirun, or due to his having arrived in Medina prior to the advent of Islam, would he be considered a part of the Ansar? Since Salman^(ra) was the originator of this idea and despite being of old age, was an active and strong man, both groups desired to include him among themselves. Eventually, this disagreement was presented before the Holy Prophet^(sa). Upon hearing the arguments of both parties, (he listened to the case made by both of them), he smiled and said, ‘Salman is from neither one of these parties, but rather:

سَلْمَانُ مِنَّا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ

“I.e. Salman is to be counted from amongst the members of my family.’ From then on, Salman received the honour of being known as a family member of the Holy Prophet^(sa).

“Hence, after the plan of digging a ditch had been finalised, the Companions came into the field of battle dressed as labourers. The work of excavation was not an easy task, and then, the cold season was also in full force, due to which the Companions were made to bear severe hardships. Moreover, since all other business came to a halt, those people who earned their bread and butter on a daily basis, and there were many such people from among the Companions (they would do their daily jobs to earn money and eat), were compelled to bear the adversity of hunger and starvation as well. Furthermore, since the Companions did not have servants and slaves, all of them had to work with their own hands.

“Within these parties of ten, there was a further division of work, where certain men would dig and others would fill this excavated earth and stones in baskets carried on their shoulders and throw it away. The Holy Prophet^(sa) would spend most of his time near the ditch and would often join the Companions in digging and transporting the dirt.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets^(sa), Vol. 2, pp. 451-453)

In order to keep the Companions’^(ra) spirits high as they dug the ditch, poetic couplets were recited to them. It is recorded in this regard as related by Sahl bin Sa’d and Anas, “The Holy Prophet^(sa) came to us whilst we were digging the trench and transporting the earth on our shoulders. When he saw us in this state of toil and hunger, the Holy Prophet^(sa) stated:

اللهُمَّ لا عَيْشَ إِلَّا عَيْشُ الآخرة

فَاغْفِرِ الْأَنْصَارَ وَالْمُهَاجِرَةُ

“‘O Allah, the true life is only that of the afterlife. Thus, grant forgiveness to the Ansar and the Muhajurin.’ Upon hearing this, the blessed Companions responded to the Holy Prophet^(sa) saying:

نَحْنُ الَّذِیْنَ بَایَعُوْا مُحَمَّدًا

عَلَی الْجِھَادِ مَا بَقِیْنَا أَبَدًا

“We are of those who pledged allegiance to Muhammad^(sa) that we would strive in Jihad as long as we may live.”

Hazrat Baraa’ bin Aazib^(ra) narrates that “On the day of the Battle of the Ditch, I saw the Holy Prophet^(sa) picking up dirt, to the extent that the whiteness of his blessed abdomen was hidden by the dirt. I heard the Holy Prophet^(sa) reciting this couplet of Ibn Rawahah:

وَاللهِ لَوْلَا مَا اهْتَدَيْنَا

وَلَا تَصَدَّقُنَا وَلَا صَلَّيْنَا

فَأَنْزِلَنْ سَكِينَةً عَلَيْنَا

وَثَبِّتِ الْأَقْدَامَ إِنْ لَاقِيْنَا

وَالْمُشْرِكُونَ قَدْ بَغَوْا عَلَيْنَا

اِذَا أَرَادُوْا فِتْنَةً أَبَيْنَا

“‘Our Lord, if we did not possess Your bounty, we would not be guided and we would not be capable of giving charity or worshipping You. Thus, O our Lord, when you brought us to this stage, then bestow comfort upon our hearts in this time of distress. And if we face the enemy, then make our steps firm. You know full well that these people are attacking us in an oppressive and tyrannical fashion, and that their intention is to remove us of our faith. However, O our Lord, by Your blessings, we are in such a condition that when they intend and plan to strip us of our faith, then we strike against their machinations from afar, and refuse to fall for their disorder.’ He would project his voice when he would say أَبَيْنَا [We refuse].”

According to another narration, the Holy Prophet^(sa) would elongate the ending of the couplets.

Nonetheless, the digging of the ditch was a physically demanding task, and just like the other Companionsra, the Holy Prophet^(sa) was also present in order to dig the trench. Sometimes he would wield the pickaxe; other times he would collect the dirt with a shovel, and sometimes he would carry the dirt in buckets.

One day, the Holy Prophet^(sa) became extremely fatigued, so he sat down. Then he leaned against a rock to his left and fell asleep. Hazrat Abu Bakr^(ra) and Hazrat Umar^(ra) stood beside the Holy Prophet^(sa) and stopped people from passing by him so that they wouldn’t wake him.

When the Holy Prophet^(sa) woke up after some time, he quickly stood up and stated, “Why didn’t you wake me up?” (I was asleep, why didn’t you wake me up?) Then he picked up a big axe and began striking the ground (i.e., he began working).

By virtue of the Holy Prophet’s^(sa) blessed participation and prayers, the Companions all but forgot the taxing nature of their task. On one hand, they would recite dignified poetry and, on the other, exchange light-hearted humour. And so, on one occasion, Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit^(ra), who was a young man, fell asleep in the part of the ditch he was digging. One of his friends jokingly took away Zaid’s digging equipment so that when he awoke, he became worried, having not found it. Meanwhile, his colleagues enjoyed their friend's confusion. When the Messenger of Allah^(sa) heard about this, he said, “Young man, you fell so deeply asleep that you didn’t even realise what happened to your equipment.” One narration records that the Holy Prophet^(sa) personally went to Hazrat Zaid^(sa), smiled, and said, یَا أبَا رُقَادِ “O you deep sleeper.” Thus, the Holy Prophet^(sa) also rectified such types of jokes in a very intelligent manner and asked, “Does anyone know where Zaid’s belongings are?”

One person replied, “O Holy Prophet^(sa), I have it, and I was the one who took it.”

The Messenger of Allah^(sa) said, “One should not worry a fellow Muslim by taking his equipment and tools like this.” (Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 420; Subul al-Huda Wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 365-367; Imta’ al-Isma’, Vol. 1, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 227)

Owing to the round-the-clock efforts of the Companions^(ra) and the blessed prayers of the Holy Prophet^(sa), the ditch was finally completed. The Muslims fortified the trench after digging it. About the time it took to complete digging the trench, there exist narrations saying it took six days, ten days, 15 days, 20 days and even a month. These are the lengths of time that narrators have stated. However, 15 days and one month are the times which most agree upon. (Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 422)

The length of this trench was approximately 6,000 yards, or about 3.5 miles. It was about nine cubits in width and seven cubits in depth. One cubit is normally about 1.5 feet long; hence, the trench was 13-14 feet wide and 10-11 feet deep. (Atlas Sirat Nabi^(sa), Darussalam, p. 278; Muhammad Ahmad Bashmil, Ghazwah Ahzab, Nafis Academy, Karachi, p. 171; Al-Sahih min Sirah al-Nabi al-A’zam^(sa), Vol. 10, Al-Markaz al-Islami li al-Darasat, p. 208)

This long and wide trench remained for centuries, until erosion from the regular flow of water from the Valley of Buthan eventually erased it. Buthan is one of the three famous valleys of Medina. The other two are the Valley of Aqiq and the Valley of Kinah. (Farhang-e-Sirat, Zawar Academy, Karachi, pp. 58-59)

Some parts of the trench had been filled by people had filled to create paths to navigate the surrounding areas, and the rest became filled with the runoff of the Valley of Mandah’s water flow. Runoff refers to the flow of a mixture of water and dirt that results from rain and accumulates in a place.

The famous historian of Medina from the sixth century, Hafiz Ibn Najjar writes, “As for the Trench, it still exists in our day and age, although it has now assumed the form of a stream. Its walls have crumbled from many places, and a great number of date palm trees are growing inside of it.”

A historian of the ninth century writes, “Today, nothing remains of that trench.” For 600 years, this trench remained, but in the ninth century, he says that there was no sign of it, except that its whereabouts are known by the rivulet that forms a part of the valley of Buthan, which flows in its place. (Justaju-e-Madinah, Oriental Publications, Pakistan, p. 405)

It is written that “Despite the fact that there was an atmosphere of fear and apprehension in Medina, the hypocrites made up excuses to keep on returning to their [temporary] dwellings and homes. But the overall passion and zeal of the Companions was a sight to behold. Women and children worked alongside them in unison giving them their full support. Even in this dangerous moment, the wives of the Holy Prophet^(sa) demonstrated feats of valour by standing bravely alongside him. Since the ditch was being dug outside of Medina and the Holy Prophet^(sa) would spend most of his time there, the women and children of Medina were transferred to various secure forts. For this reason, sometimes Hazrat Aisha^(ra) would come and stay with the Holy Prophet^(sa) for a few days and then Hazrat Umm Salamah^(ra) would come and stay, after which Hazrat Zainab^(ra) would stay for a few days. The rest of the noble wives of the Holy Prophet^(sa) were in the forts of Banu Harithah. Some said the wives of the Holy Prophet^(sa) were in the Fort Nasr of the Banu Zuraiq, and some said the wives were in Fort Fareh.” There are varying accounts. Fort Fareh was the fort in Medina belonging to Hazrat Hassan bin Thabit^(ra). (Subul al-Huda Wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 367; Farhang-e-Sirat, Zawar Academy, Karachi, p. 223)

During the digging of the trench, there is mention of certain miracles; among them, there was a rock that would not break. In the narrations, it is mentioned that when digging the trench, the Companions came across difficult rocky terrain. Despite all their efforts, the Companions could not dig through it. Eventually, they went to the Holy Prophet^(sa) and mentioned their predicament. The Holy Prophet^(sa) took a pickaxe and struck the area, which immediately became soft like sand.

In one narration, it has been recorded that the Holy Prophet^(sa) asked for water and mixed his saliva with it. He then prayed to Allah the Almighty, after which the water was sprinkled onto the rocky terrain. Some of the Companions present there said: “By the One who sent the Holy Prophet^(sa) with the truth, as soon as the water touched the ground, it became soft like sand.” (Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyahh, Beirut, p. 420)

There is another narration relating to the glad tidings given about kings, while the first incident was where the Holy Prophet^(sa) sprinkled the water. The other incident is where he was given glad tidings of future events with regards to certain kings. With regards to this, it is written, “On one occasion, Hazrat Salman^(sa) the Persian was unable to break a rock. Upon this, the Holy Prophet^(sa) took the pickaxe from Hazrat Salman and struck the rock. There was a spark of light and the Holy Prophet^(sa) proclaimed, ‘Allahu Akbar’ [Allah is the Greatest]. The Companions standing nearby also said ‘Allahu Akbar’ and one part of the rock broke. Subsequently the Holy Prophet^(sa) struck it for a second time and a spark of light was emitted from it again. The Holy Prophet^(sa) said, ‘Allahu Akbar’ and another part of the rock broke. The Holy Prophet^(sa) then struck the rock for a third time and the remaining part of the rock also broke. A spark of light came out from it once more and the Holy Prophet^(sa) said, ‘Allahu Akbar’. The Companions repeated, ‘Allahu Akbar’ each time. Hazrat Salman^(ra) the Persian was standing nearby and submitted: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Each time you struck the rock, a flash of light emerged from it and you exclaimed, “Allahu Akbar”’. Upon this, the Holy Prophet^(sa) said: ‘O Salman! Did you also witness the light?’ to which he replied, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah^(sa), I also saw it.” The Holy Prophet^(sa) said: ‘The first time the flash of light emerged, I was shown the palaces of Al-Hira and the Chosroes, and Gabriel informed me that my people would conquer them. In the second flash of light, I was shown the red-bricked palaces of Roman lands and Gabriel informed me that my people would conquer them. On the third flash, I was shown the palaces of San’a and Gabriel informed me that my people would overcome them. Thus, rejoice for these glad tidings.’ Everyone proclaimed: ‘All praise belongs to Allah; this is a true promise. Allah the Almighty has given us tidings of his succour after our difficult times.’ The Holy Prophet^(sa) began to recount the features of the palaces of Persia to Hazrat Salman^(ra), and Hazrat Salman^(ra) said: ‘The Messenger of Allah^(sa) has spoken the truth, these indeed are its descriptions.’ (I.e., Hazrat Salman^(ra) the Persian affirmed that whatever the Holy Prophet^(sa) mentioned was the correct description.) He said: ‘I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah^sa.’

“The Holy Prophet^(sa) stated, ‘O Salman! Allah the Almighty shall grant these victories after me. Syria shall be conquered, and Heraclius will flee to the farthest part of his land, and you will be victorious over Syria. No one shall be able to oppose you or say anything against you. And the Eastern [land] shall also be conquered, and Chosroes will be killed, and there will be no Chosroes after him.’” It is written in history that, “Despite their circumstances of great difficulty, state of helplessness and fear, this extraordinary and yet seemingly impossible glad-tiding strengthened the faith of the believers and impassioned them; however, on the other hand, the hypocrites began to mock at this. The hypocrites stated, ‘Muhammad^[sa] is giving you glad tidings of seeing fortresses all the way from Yathrib to Hira and the cities of Chosroes being conquered, and yet you are digging a ditch in order to save yourselves. You don’t even have the ability to leave from here in order to answer the call of nature.’ These remarks from the hypocrites at the time have been mentioned by Allah the Almighty in the following verse:

وَاِذۡ یَقُوۡلُ الۡمُنٰفِقُوۡنَ وَالَّذِیۡنَ فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِھِمۡ مَّرَضٌ مَّا وَعَدَنَا اللّٰہُ وَرَسُوۡلُہٗۤ اِلَّا غُرُوۡرًا

“‘And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was a disease said, “Allah and His Messenger promised us nothing but a delusion.”’ (The Holy Quran, 33:13)

But then everyone witnessed that within a few years, during the era of the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr^(ra) and Hazrat Umar^(ra), all of these cities and palaces were conquered. The very same Companions who were once in a state of helplessness and in difficult conditions, now became the inheritors of these palaces. Hazrat Salman Farsi^(ra) relates that he witnessed all of these victories.” (Al-Iktifa’, Vol. 1, p. 422; Subul al-Huda Wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 368)

The accounts relating to the breaking of the stones and witnessing the miracles have been mentioned by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^(ra) in the following manner:

“In this very state of adversity and difficulty, while the ditch was being dug, a stone which simply refused to break was excavated. The state of the Companions was that due to three days of continuous starvation, they fell faint. Unable to succeed in this task, they finally presented themselves before the Holy Prophet^(sa) and submitted, ‘There is one stone which knows no breaking.’ At the time, the Holy Prophet^(sa) had also tied a stone on his stomach due to hunger, but he immediately went there upon their request and, lifting an axe, struck the stone in the name of Allah. When iron hit stone, a spark flew, upon which the Holy Prophet^(sa) loudly said, ‘God is the Greatest!’ Then he said, ‘I have been granted the keys of the kingdom of Syria. By God, at this time, I am beholding the red-stone palaces of Syria.’ His stroke had somewhat crushed a portion of the stone. The Holy Prophet^(sa) wielded the axe a second time in the name of Allah, which caused a spark again, upon which the Holy Prophet^(sa) said, ‘God is the Greatest!’ Then he said, ‘This time, I have been granted the keys of Persia, and I am witnessing the white palaces of Madaen.’ Now, the rock had been broken to a large degree. The Holy Prophet^(sa) wielded the axe yet a third time, which resulted in another spark and the Holy Prophet^(sa) said, ‘God is the Greatest!’ Then he said, ‘Now, I have been endowed the keys of Yemen, and by God, I am being shown the gates of San‘a at this time.’ Finally, the rock was broken completely. In another narration, it is related that on every occasion, the Holy Prophet^(sa) would loudly proclaim the greatness of God and after the Companions would inquire, he would relate his visions.

“After this temporary hindrance had been removed, the Companions engaged in their work once again. These were visions of the Holy Prophet^(sa). In other words, during this time of affliction, Allah the Exalted created a spirit of hope and delight amongst the Companions by showing the Holy Prophet^(sa) visions of the future victories and prosperity of the Muslims. However, apparently at the time, the circumstances were of such difficulty and hardship that upon hearing these promises, the hypocrites of Medina mocked the Muslims, saying, ‘They do not even possess the strength to step out of their own homes and are dreaming of the kingdoms of Caesar and Chosroes.’ However, in the estimation of God, all of these bounties had been decreed for the Muslims. Therefore, these promises were fulfilled at their respective times. Some were fulfilled in the last days of the Holy Prophet^(sa), while most were fulfilled in the era of his Khulafa, and thus, became a source of increasing the Muslims in faith and gratitude.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets^(sa), Vol. 2, pp. 456-457)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) has also written about this as well. He states:

“When the trench was being dug, a boulder was unearthed that no one could break, despite all efforts. The Companions informed the Holy Prophet^(sa) of this, and he himself came to the site. He took a pickaxe in his hand and struck the rock with great force. As the pickaxe hit the stone, a light shone forth, and the Holy Prophet^(sa) proclaimed, ‘God is the Greatest’. Then he struck the stone again, and again a light emerged, and he said, ‘God is the Greatest.' He struck it a third time, and again the light shone, and the stone broke apart. At that moment, the Holy Prophet^(sa) again proclaimed, ‘God is the Greatest.’ The Companions asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah^(sa), why did you say “God is the Greatest" three times?' He replied, ‘A light appeared three times when the stone was struck with the pickaxe, and each time, God showed me a vision of the future victories of Islam. With the first light, I was shown the palaces of Syria and the Caesar, and its keys were given to me. With the second light, I was shown the white palaces of Mada‘in, and the keys to the Persian Empire were granted to me. With the third light, I was shown the gates of Sana’a, and the keys to the Kingdom of Yemen were given to me. Therefore, have faith in the promises of God. The enemy cannot harm you in any way.’” (Dibachah Tafsirul Quran, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 20, p. 269)

Among the miracles that occurred during this time, there was one involving food, and while there would have been various miracles related to food, one particular event is narrated in the following manner. Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah prepared food, and it was blessed. The details of this event are as follows: Hazrat Jabirra once noticed that the Holy Prophet^(sa) had tied stones to his stomach due to hunger, and the Companions had not eaten any food whatsoever for three days. Jabirra narrates, “I asked the Holy Prophet^(sa) for permission to go home, and he granted me permission. Upon reaching home, I said to my wife, ‘I cannot bear to see the signs of hunger on the face of the Holy Prophet^(sa). Is there anything at home?’ She replied, ‘We have only about one sa’ [an ancient Arabic unit of measurement, equivalent to 2.5-3 kg] of barley (equivalent to approximately two and half seer [a South Asian unit of measurement, equivalent to 933 grams]) and a young goat.’ My wife brought the dish with the small measure of barely, and I slaughtered the goat. My wife ground the barley into flour, and I added the goat meat into a pot. My wife then said, ‘Since the food is limited, quietly inform the Holy Prophet^(sa) so I won’t be embarrassed before him and his Companions (if too many people came and the food ran short).’”

Jabir further narrates, “I went before the Holy Prophet^(sa) and whispered, ‘O Messenger of Allah^(sa), ‘we have prepared a little food. You and one or two others may come.’ The Holy Prophet^(sa) interlocked his fingers with mine and asked, ‘How much food do you have?’ I informed him about the quantity, upon which the Holy Prophet^(sa) said, ‘That is plenty and good. Go and tell your wife not to remove the pot from the fire or start baking bread until I arrive.’ Then the Holy Prophet^(sa) called out, ‘O people of the trench, Jabir has prepared food for you! Come!’ The Holy Prophet^(sa) led the way, and I felt such overwhelming embarrassment of which only Allah the Almighty was aware. I thought to myself, ‘So many people have come. How can a small amount of barley and a young goat suffice? By God, this will be a terrible disappointment.’ When I arrived home to my wife, I explained the situation to her, telling her that the Holy Prophet^(sa) was bringing all the Muhajirun and Ansar with him. My wife replied, What have you done! Didn’t I tell you to inform the Holy Prophet^(sa) quietly?’ Jabir reassured her, ‘I did exactly as you said.’ She then asked, 'Did you invite all the people, or did the Holy Prophet^(sa) invite them?’ Jabir replied, ‘The Holy Prophet^(sa) invited them.’ At this, his wife, brimming with faith and devotion, said, ‘Then there’s nothing to worry about. Allah and His Messenger know best. We need not be concerned anymore.’

This was the faith of a woman who, in that moment, had surpassed even her husband in faith and sincerity. Jabir^(ra) states, “Then, the Holy Prophet^(sa) entered our home and said, ‘You should enter ten at a time.’ (In other words, he distributed the people there into groups of ten.) Jabir’s^(ra) wife brought out the dough and the Holy Prophet^(sa) put his saliva in it and prayed for blessings. Then the Holy Prophet^(sa) put his saliva in our cooking pot and prayed for blessings, after which he instructed us, ‘Bake the bread, pour the stew and cover the pot. Then take the bread out of the oven and cover the loaves.’ And so that’s exactly what we did; we would take out some stew and the Holy Prophet^(sa) would cover the pot and then uncover it and when we looked inside, we realised that the amount had not lessened in the slightest. We would take the bread out of the oven and then cover it and that did not diminish either. The Holy Prophet^(sa) would break the bread into pieces, place some meat on it and offer it to his Companions saying, ‘Eat’. When a group had eaten to their fill, it would depart and send the next group, until thousands of people had eaten that food and everyone left, yet our pot was still boiling just the same, and our dough remained in the same amount. The Holy Prophet^(sa) said, ‘Eat this yourselves and send it to others as well, because these people are very hungry.’” (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 369; Lughat al-Hadith, Vol. 2, p. 648)

This incident has also been recorded by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^(ra) who writes:

“On this very occasion, a faithful Companion of the Holy Prophet^(sa) named Jabir bin ‘Abdullah^(ra) noticed signs of weakness and starvation on the countenance of the Holy Prophet^(sa), and sought permission to go home for a short while. Upon arriving at home, Jabir^(ra) said to his wife, ‘It seems as if the Holy Prophet^(sa) is in great hardship due to extreme hunger. Do you have something to eat?’ She responded, ‘Yes, I have some barley flour and one goat.’ Jabir^(ra) states, ‘I slaughtered the goat and kneaded the flour into dough. Then, I said to my wife, “You prepare the food, while I present myself before the Holy Prophet^(sa) and request him to come over.” My wife said, “Look here, do not embarrass me. The food is very little. Do not bring too many people along with the Holy Prophet^(sa).”’ Jabir^(ra) goes on to relate, ‘I went and almost in a whisper submitted to the Holy Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah! I have some meat and barley dough and have asked my wife to prepare the food. I would request you to come over with a few Companions and eat at our home.” The Holy Prophet^(sa) said, “How much food do you have?” I submitted that we have such and such amount. The Holy Prophet^(sa) said, “It is plenty.”’ Then, the Holy Prophet^(sa) cast a glance around him and called out in a loud voice, ‘O company of the Ansar and Muhajirun! Come along. Jabir has invited us to a meal. Let us go and eat.’ At this voice, about 1,000 hunger-stricken Companions joined the Holy Prophet^(sa).

“The Holy Prophet^(sa) instructed Jabir^(ra), ‘Go home quickly and tell your wife that until I arrive, she should not take the cooking pot off the stove, nor should she begin to prepare the bread.’ Jabir hurried home at once and informed his wife. The poor lady became extremely worried, because the food was only enough for a few, and since a multitude of people were on their way, she had no idea what to do. However, when the Holy Prophet^(sa) arrived, he very calmly prayed and said, ‘Now begin baking the bread.’ After this, the Holy Prophet^(sa) began to slowly distribute the food. Jabir^(ra) relates, ‘I swear by that Being, in Whose hand is my life, that this food sufficed for everyone and all ate their fill. Our pot was still boiling and the dough had not been used up completely.’” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets^(sa), Vol. 2, pp. 456-457)

I will continue mentioning details regarding the Battle of the Confederates in the future, insha-Allah.

I continuously draw attention towards prayers. Put great focus on prayers. May Allah the Almighty strengthen the faith of Ahmadis wherever they may be, whether in Bangladesh, Pakistan or other countries. May He protect every Ahmadi from every evil. May He protect the world from the fire towards which it is hurtling. May Allah the Almighty have mercy. Allah the Almighty has power over all things, and if the world turns towards reforming themselves, then Allah the Almighty can still save them from these calamities. May Allah the Almighty grant them sense and understanding.