khandaq

Khandaq, meaning "trench" in Arabic, refers to the Battle of the Trench (Ghazwat al-Khandaq), an early Islamic engagement that took place in 627 CE in Medina. After a coalition led by the Quraysh of Mecca and allied tribes threatened the Muslim community established by Prophet Muhammad, Medina was besieged by land forces.

To defend the city, Muslims dug a deep trench around the northern and eastern approaches. The tactic, attributed to Salman al-Farsi, prevented direct cavalry assaults and forced the attackers into a difficult, protracted standoff. The siege lasted about two weeks, during which the besiegers faced weather difficulties, supply problems, and limited progress. Unable to breach Medina, the coalition eventually withdrew.

The battle fortified the Muslim position in Medina and demonstrated the value of unconventional tactics and collective defense. It is commonly cited as a turning point in early Islamic history, influencing subsequent military and political developments in the region and affecting relations with Mecca and its allies. In the months following the siege, tensions within Medina intensified with the punishment of the Banu Qurayza, a Jewish tribe, an episode treated by historians as a separate but related consequence of the same period.

Khandaq remains a notable example in Islamic historiography of adaptive warfare and community resilience under siege, illustrating how strategic planning and coordination can alter the course of conflict.