Life-of-Muhammad

Life of Muhammad sa 97contagious. They all started packing and withdrawingfrom the field. It is said that Abu Sufyan ra was asleep inhis tent. News of the sudden withdrawal of the pagandivisions reached his ears. He got up agitated and, inexcitement, mounted a tethered camel. He spurred theanimal, but the animal would not move. His friendspointed to what he was doing, untied the animal, andAbu Sufyan ra with his friends was able to leave the field.Two-thirds of the night had passed. The battle-fieldhad cleared already. An army of between twenty andtwenty-five thousand soldiers and followers disappeared,leaving a complete wilderness behind. Just at that timethe Prophet sa had a revelation that the enemy had fledas the result of an act of God. To find out what hadhappened the Prophet sa wanted to send one of hisfollowers to scan the battlefield and make a report. Theweather was icy cold. Little wonder, the ill-clad Muslimswere freezing. Some heard the Prophet's sa voice when hecalled out in the night. They wanted to reply, but couldnot. The cold was forbidding. Only Hudhaifa ra was ableto say aloud, "Yes, Prophet sa of God, what do you wantus to do?"The Prophet sa called out again. Again nobody couldanswer because of the cold. Only Hudhaifa ra answeredagain. The Prophet sa asked Hudhaifa ra to go and surveythe battle-field, for God had informed him that theenemy had fled. Hudhaifa ra went near the ditch, andfrom there saw that the enemy had vacated the field.There were no soldiers and no men. Hudhaifa ra returnedto the Prophet sa , recited the Kalima and said the enemyhad fled. On the morrow Muslims also unpegged theirtents and started packing for the city. A severe triallasting for about twenty days had ended.BANU QURAIZA PUNISHEDMuslims were able to breathe again in peace. Butthey still had the Banu Quraiza to settle with. The Banu