The Battle of Ahzab (Al-Khandaq) - 3rd or 17th of Shawal
Quraysh leaders were dismayed and frustrated by the trench. This they were not prepared for. However Amr Ibin Abd Wudd suddenly noticed that the narrowest section happened for a moment to be
badly guarded. To the surprise and dismay of all his fellow horsemen he succeeded in making his horse leap the gap, andreluctantlyy he was followed successfully by four others, namely
Ikrimah Ibin Abu Jahl, Khalid Ibin Al-Waleed, Nawfal Ibin Abdullah and Zirar Ibin Khattab. But by the time the fourth man had crossed, Ali and those with him had rushed and remanned
the narrow sector and made it once more impregnable, thereby also cutting off the retreat of the horsemen who were now on their side. Together the five horsemen galloped deep into the
Muslim lines until they reached a line of thick palm trees. There they stopped just out of reach from any lurking bowmen hiding behind a palm tree. Amr Ibin Abd Wudd now raised the
standard he was carrying high over his head, letting it flow with the cool desert breeze. At the other side of the palm groves was the camp of the Muslim army. Amr Ibin Abd
Wudd This warrior was one of the most famous of all the Arabs in his valour, skill and strength. He was physically a huge giant of a man. He rode towering his Arabian stallion with his
two feet resting flat on the ground below. His shoulders was double the width of most grown men. He wore heavy armour and carried a specially made sword forged from the best Indian iron and a
shield the height of a man. As soon as Amr Bin Abd Wudd had crossed the trench, he began to tease and goad the Muslims before him. All Arabia knew well of this champion's reputation
and they feared facing him for they knew that the most probability they would not survive but be killed. Amr laughing , stood upon his stirrups, making him even more larger than was,
now shouted for the Muslims to a challenge to single combat. He tormented and dared the Muslims by saying: "Come now, where are the claimants of Paradise. Don't you Muslims, say that
those who are killed from amongst you will go to Paradise, and those who are killed from amongst you will go to Hell!?" The rest of the horsemen with him laughed out loudly and jeered
at frightened hiding Muslims behind their battlements. "Is not one of you prepared to send me to Hell or to go to Paradise at my very hands?!" Again much laughter and
jeering from his comrades. "I tire of shouting a challenge. Is there no one to fight me? My voice has become hoarse and dry!" Again the torment of laughter and jeering from
his comrades. One of the horsemen produced a sack of wine and offered it to Amr, Who gladly took it and raised above his head and poured the cool liquid down his throat, spilling from his mouth
down his neck and chest. He wiped his mouth with his left arm and stared towards the Muslim lines. As for the Muslims a most deafening silence prevailed and they all cowered for
covered from behind palm trees fearing that least the impatience of the champion for combat will make him chose his own adversary. Ali could hear Amr's shouting followed by his
compatriots laughter but could not make out what Amr was shouting about. So as he arrived he asked one of the Muslims standing before the Prophet what was all the commotion about. Abu
Bakr informed him of the blackest day of Islam had fallen upon them for Amr was demanding single combat with the Muslims, but no one had yet dared to accept Amr's demand. The Holy
Prophet rallied his army of Muslims and spoke to them. "Remain steadfast before your enemy and remember that Paradise is under the shadow of the sword which is drawn against the path
of truth and justice." 1.The Holy Prophet then asked:. "Is there no one prepared to face this enemy of God? Who so ever does I shall guarantee him the highest place in God's
Seven Heavens in the Garden of Paradise!" But only a deafening silence prevailed, no one moved but Ali who immediately stood up and offered himself to fight Amr. "O,
Messenger of God. I will fight Amr." But The Holy Prophet refused him, and told him to sit down. 2.For the second time The Holy Prophet asked of his men: "Is
there no man amongst you who will fight Amr? And who so ever does I shall guarantee him the highest place in God's Seven Heavens in the Garden of Paradise!" Again total silence and Ali
again stood up and volunteered himself to fight and kill Amr. "O, Messenger of God. let me fight and kill this enemy of God." But yet again The Prophet declined and told Ali
to sit still. 3.The Holy Prophet again for the third time shouted at the top of his voice: "Is there no man amongst you who will fight Amr? And who so ever does I shall
guarantee him the highest place in God's Seven Heavens in the Garden of Paradise!" Again no one spoke up and Ali once again stood up for the third time and demanded to be let to fight
and silence the abuses from this enemy of God. "O, Messenger of God. I am here before thee and ready to dispose of this blasphemer!" But The Holy Prophet gestured Ali to
stand still, as he looked about for the last time, scanning one by one the wide eyed pale faces of all his followers gathered before him, hoping for any other to respond. He then finally turned
towards Ali and said to him. "Ali, this is no ordinary warrior! This is Amr the undefeated champion of all the Arabs!" And the faithful and valiant young man shrugged and
answered in a manner, as if was a matter of fact. "And I am Ali! the son of Abu Taleb." Then The Holy Prophet smiled and beckoned Ali to him. Before all the Muslims The holy
Prophet removed his very own helmet, woven around it with a golden colour turban. He placed it onto Ali's head, and then he placed his right hand over Ali's head and prayed over him
saying: "O, Allah! Protect Ali from all sides. O, Lord! Ubaydah Ibin Harith was taken away from me on the day of Badr and the Lion of Allah, Hamzah was taken away from me in the
Battle of Uhud." O, Nourisher! Protect Ali from being harmed by the enemy." Still holding onto to his young cousin Ali, The holy Prophet then recited this verse from The Holy
Koran Al-Kareem out aloud: Koran:21 verse:89 He then kissed and embraced Ali lovingly and said to him, "Now go, and do thy task before thee." Ali quickly walked
out of the palm grooves and strode out towards the five horsemen, as if to cover the much delay caused of this enemy death. Behind him The holy Prophet uttered loudly, "The entire
faith is facing the entire infidelity." The entire body of Ali was covered in armour and his eyes shown through his helmet and Ali uttered his own poem of defiance, in rhythm and rhyme
in conformity in return to the poems Amr was saying in torment against Islam and The Holy Prophet. "Don't be in a hurry, because a stronger man has come in the battle field to give
your a certain reply." Amr was stunned and quickly stopped his showing off and turned towards the walking armour of a man approaching him. He now desired to know who his approaching
adversary is. "Who are thee?" Ali who was also famous for his excellent command of the Arabic language and its fluency replied, "I am Ali the son of Abu Taleb""I
hate to kill the like of thee. Thy father was a bosom companion of mine. Therefore go back, thou art but a stripling." But Ali just replied "But, I want to kill
thee!" Amr showed fear in his manner and in his weakening voice. For he knew and heard of Ali's great valour and reputation of the battles of Badr and of Uhud. So he
said. "I am thinking of how your cousin Mohammad could even send such a young boy to do a man's job. in the field with such confidence." Ali stood before the mounted giant
and demanded. "Come now, don't delay further your death by my hand, but dismount and fight!" This visibly angered Amr and he shouted back at Ali menacingly. "I
can pick you up on the point of my lance and keep you suspended between the earth and the sky so that you are neither dead nor alive! " Ali was not impressed and
replied. "You need not worry about my death. For in both cases whether I kill or be killed. I shall be blessed and my place shall be in Paradise. But in all cases Hell and the wrath of
Hellfire awaits thy carcass!" Amr smiled back and noted. "O, Ali. This division is unjust. Both Paradise and Hell belongs to you!" Ali now decided to use an
approach so he began to reminded Amr, of the day he had put his hands flatly onto the coverings of the Holy Kabah and had made an announcement. Pledging that any warrior who wish to make him any
of three suggestions in a battlefield before combat with him. Can do so, and he will he pledged, in return accept only one of them. Amr wrongly sensed, that Ali was afraid to fight him
and wanted a face saving withdraw. So Amr acknowledged he had made such a pledge. So, Ali then suggested three things that Amr was free to accept. The 1st suggestion
was: "Amr you should embrace Islam" Amr replied "O Ali leave this. For it is impossible! What is your second suggestion?" The 2nd suggestion
was: "Withdraw and leave Mohammad alone!" He replied, "It is a matter of shame to accept this proposal. Because tomorrow the poets of Arabia will satirize me and
will imagine that I did withdraw on the account of fear! Make your third and final proposal." The 3rd and final suggestion was: "Then stop this foolishness and the wasting
of time. For I am eager to kill thee and send thee to the depth of the Hellfire. Thine opponent, as you had demanded, is here before thee, on foot. Therefore dismount so that we may combat each
other!" Amr was now quite visibly angry and stared hard down at Ali. Realizing that he was tricked and manoeuvred so skillfully and that he no choice but to accept and do combat with
this young fearless lad before him. Amr shouted back. "O, Ali. This is a very insignificant suggestion of yours. I had never thought that an any Arab would ever dare make such a
request of me!" Then he discard the sack of wine onto the ground and quickly dismounted and stood towering over Ali. Now Ali was of a average height of a person with strong muscular
body. But compared to Amr he stood with his head leveling Amr's naval. Ali stood steadfastly before him and slowly but deliberately unsheathed his famous sword, letting it gleam and
shine in the suns raze. Amr stood still for a while then withdrew his Indian iron of a huge sword in his right and with his left pointed the long lance at Ali menacingly. Ali waited patiently
with his eyes still shinning from his visor. Then Amr roared a fearful cry and rushed at Ali with both lance and sword. Soon a cloud of dust engulfed both combatants and both the
Muslims and Quraysh looked onto anguishly through the dust hoping to see his own champion delivering a fatal blow to the other's champion. Amr lurched his long sharp lance towards Ali,
but missing it mark for Ali shifted his body from his left foot onto his right and Ali knocked the lance away with his shield and with a sword blow cut the lance into two pieces. The
giant released his grip on the lance and let it fall to his feet. Amr then swiftly brought down his heavy iron sword down upon Ali's head. Ali quickly protected himself by blocking Amr's awesome
blow with his metal shield. However Amr's sword blow was so massive that it had not only sliced through his shield but also cutting into the metal helmet that he wore, badly wounding Ali on the
crown. Ali dropped to one knee and blood now was pouring out of Ali's head wound over his face and down to his chest. Ali still with his left hand holding his shield over his head, now
quickly counter attacked by swinging out his sword with his right at Amr's left thigh cutting it off cleanly above the knee. Amr his sword was still embedded into Ali's shield, froze
for a while in complete shook and looked down at his left thigh. Seeing but not believing his eyes. For where his leg was supposedly should be, was now but an empty space, and his whole leg laid
down upon the dusty ground in a pool of blood. Then like a tall tree he began to shake and sway, as he fell down onto his backside and sat there for a while. His fall had now freed his
sword from Ali's shield, and he was swinging it wildly keeping Ali at bay. Now Amr fear of certain death had now overcome him. Ali was in the mean time trying to avoid Amr's lethal
wild swings of his long broad sword. Ali tried every which way he could to near his foe and deliver the final death blow. But Amr kept Ali at bay with his sword. Ali could see his
chance as Amr was quickly wearing down from great loss of blood and that his swings of the heavy sword was telling on him. Ali waited for his chance, and when he saw it he quickly leapt forward
at Amr's body, between his swings, landing hard onto his huge chest, knocking the wind out of Amr. Amr fell back on the ground and his helmet loosened from his head and rolled down the
slight slope of the small mould. Ali quickly discarded his split shield and grasped Amr by throat choking him with his left hand, while at the same time swung his own sword across cutting off
Amr's sword arm just above the elbow, Amr's sword fell harmlessly beside him on the sand. Then the Muslims heard through the dust Ali's voice raised in
magnification: "ALLAHO AKBAR!" And they knew that Amr was dead or dying. But as soon as the clouds of dust settled instead they saw Ali was sitting on Amr's huge heaving
chest triumphantly holding the giant's head by his long hair with his sword high above poised to behead Amr. When suddenly Ali froze with his sword still poised in mid air. While the
Muslims were in jubilation and urged Ali to finish off Amr. But Ali was ignored them and remained silent and still, with his sword still held high above Amr's head poised to
strike. The onlooking Muslim cheer had now ceased and a murmur prevailed instead. Their murmur conveyed their puzzlement at Ali's inaction and stillness. They each turned to each other
asking why didn't Ali finish off the enemy! "Why hasn't Ali killed him?" Others would comment: "What favour has Amr promised Ali to be spared?" Other
asked. "What is Ali waiting for?" The questions stopped and they all started to shout again at Ali, pleading for him to finish the Amr! Even though Amr, the once fear
warrior laid helplessly on the ground fataly wounded and decaptivated. Sadly in truth, the Muslims still feared Amr, as long as he still could breath! "Bravo, bravo! take off his
head!" Ali took his time and when he felt ready he brought down his gleaming and bloody sword swiftly down, slicing Amr's head cleanly off his body and called out in magnification,
silencing all the Muslims. "ALLAHO AKBAR!" The Muslims were stunned and felt suddenly silent as he beheaded Amr. Then Ali stood up and lifted Amr's head high over his
shoulders showing it off to the Muslim masses. And again called out in a loud and victorious magnification: "ALLAHO AKBAR!" This time they reacted and responded by shouting
out in joy and jubilation, the Islamic magnification of. "ALLAHO AKBAR! ALLAHO AKBAR! ALLAHO AKBAR!" Ali thre aside Amr's head on the ground and now then turn his attention
to the other four other horsemen still mounted behind him. Ali stepped across Amr's dead carcass and walked quickly towards them. Ikrimah and his fellows were still in a state of shook
in witnessing their greatest champion death, but now ware even more shocked to see that his victor was now rushing towards them on foot brandishing his bloody sword. They tore
themselves from the scene before them and quickly turned their stallions back towards the trench crossing in panic bumping into each other. Ali was now chasing after them. However the trench was
left unguarded due to the guards were watching the combat in earnest and forgot about their unguarded post. Khalid, Ikrimah, Nawfal and Zirar Ibin Khattab took advantage of the
distraction to try to return to the other side of the trench. But Nawfal of Makhzum failed to clear the gap completely and his horse stumbled and fell with him into the trench. The Muslims guards
now began to stone him but he called out: "O Arabs, to kill a person like this is not chivalrous. Let one of you come down to a single combat with me. For death is better than
this," Ali had just arrived to hear Nawfal's demand and without any hesitation he jumped down upon him and with one swift sword blow he dispatched him to Hell to join his comrade
Amr. Now Zirar Ibin Khattab reached the end of the trench only to fall back with his mount down the trench at Ali's feet. He laid down on the rocky bottom of the trench for a moment to
catch his breath. When he opened his eyes he saw Ali standing over him poised to strike with his sword. Zirar fumbled panicaly with his hands to find his sword or even his shield to
defend himself. However instead of killing the Zirar laying before him, Ali lowered his sword and out-stretched his other hand to the downed man and said. "Hast thou needth any
assistance?" Zirar was unprepared for this kind of treatment, by all accounts he should have been already slain. He shook his head and declined to take Ali's hand. Ali then took a step
back and waited for the horseman to regain his full posture, by himself. When Zirar finaly stood up, he started to slap the dust of his clothes and slowly reached for his fallen
shield, then adjusted his helmet, never taking his eyes off Ali. He now looked around for his sword which had also fallen away from him. However Ali had already picked up the sword and now was
offering it back to his enemy. Zirar Ibin Khattab took his sword and looked in dismay at Ali, who stood there silently. He never had seen or experienced such kindness in battle before.
Then Ali again spoke. "Thou canst goeth, in peace and safety to join thy brethren?" Zirar couldn't believe what he had just heard. He looked out towards the trench ridge,
where both Khalid Ibin Al-Waleed and his cousin Ikrimah Ibin Abul Jahl were looking down at them still sitting on their panting mounts. He then turned towards the other side of the trench and saw
that a number of Muslims stood looking down at both of them. Ali could sense Zirar's delima for if he agreed to withdraw without a fight, he would be labled a coward and would be
banished from his tribe. But after the kind of chiverary and honour he had seen from Ali, he didn't want to fight him. Ali broke the silence and said. "However, my advise is for thee
to embrace Islam?" And Zirar's face lit up, for Ali had gave him a face saving way out without being accussed of cowardice or anyother misconduct by the Arabs. He agreed and sheathed
his sword, and said, "Ashed Ena La Illa Il Allah, Wa Mohammaden Rasul Allah." And the Muslims cheered jubilantly, "ALLAHO AKBAR! ALLAHO AKBAR! ALLAHO
AKBAR!" And leapt into the trench to congratualte their new convert. While Ali looked up towards where the two other horsemen Khalid Ibin Al-Waleed and his cousin Ikrimah Ibin Abul
Jahl, who were mounted. Ali scrambled up the trench's slope towards them. But as soon as he reached the top they had turned their horses and fled towards their camp at full gallop to
safety out of harms way. Ali stood alone silently for a moment at the edge of the trench looking at the dust plume made by the two horsemen in the far distance heading towards the dim
yellow lights of the enemy tent camp. Ali wiped his sword and then turn his back upon the two horsemen and crossed the trench and walked towards The Prophet's camp. The jubilant
Muslims ran towards Ali congratulating him on a sweet victory for Islam and for saving them from Amr. In the meantime Umar asked The Prophet the meaning of Ali's delay in cutting off
Amr's head. The Prophet broadly smiled and said to Umar that he would ask him for his action as soon as he arrived. The Prophet took Ali in his arms and congratulated him. Then he
tendered to his bleeding head wound and tied it with the gold coloured turban he earlier had given him. Then he asked of Ali the reason for his hesitation in killing of Amr. "O,
Messenger of God. Amr spat at me and did insult you, so terribly. And I became angry, and wanted his death. But I had decided to take time to calm myself before I deliver the final fatal blow.
For I wanted that blow to be in the name of God and Islam and not because I felt anger within myself!" The Holy Prophet smiled proudly at Ali and looked about him at the people faces
who were listenly in utter silence as if to say, "O, people harken to Ali conviction, for this is eman in its most purest form!"
