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<strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muhammad</strong> sa 83<br />
BATTLE OF THE DITCH<br />
A large army was raised in the fifth year <strong>of</strong> the Hijra.<br />
The strength <strong>of</strong> this army has been estimated by<br />
historians as between ten and twenty-four thousand<br />
men. But a confederated army raised out <strong>of</strong> the different<br />
tribes <strong>of</strong> Arabia could not be an army <strong>of</strong> ten thousand.<br />
Twenty-four thousand seems nearer the truth. It could<br />
easily have been eighteen or twenty thousand. The town<br />
<strong>of</strong> Medina which this horde wished to attack was a<br />
modest one, quite unable to resist a concerted attack by<br />
all Arabia. Its population at this time was little more<br />
than three thousand males (including old men, young<br />
men and children). Against this population the enemy<br />
had raised an army <strong>of</strong> twenty to twenty-four thousand<br />
able-bodied men, experienced in warfare; and (having<br />
been assembled from different parts <strong>of</strong> the country) they<br />
were an army with a well-selected personnel. The<br />
population <strong>of</strong> Medina, on the other hand, which could<br />
be called upon to resist this huge army included males<br />
<strong>of</strong> all ages. One can judge the odds against which the<br />
Muslim population <strong>of</strong> Medina had to contend. It was a<br />
most unequal encounter. The enemy was twenty to<br />
twenty-four thousand strong, and Muslims hardly three<br />
thousand including, as we have said, all the males <strong>of</strong> the<br />
town, the old and the young. When the Prophet sa heard<br />
<strong>of</strong> the huge enemy preparations, he held a council and<br />
asked for advice. Among those who were consulted was<br />
Salman ra the Persian, being the first Muslim convert<br />
from Persia. The Prophet sa asked Salman ra what they did<br />
in Persia if they had to defend a town against a huge<br />
army. "If a town is unfortified, and the home force very<br />
small," said Salman ra , "the custom in our country is to<br />
dig a ditch round the town and to defend from inside."<br />
The Prophet sa approved <strong>of</strong> the idea. Medina has hills on<br />
one side. These provided a natural protection on that<br />
side. Another side with a concentration <strong>of</strong> lanes had a<br />
compact population. On this side the town could not be<br />
attacked unawares. The third side had houses and
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