The biographers tell it: men of the Banû an-Nadîr went to Mecca and called Quraysh to war against the Prophet ﷺ.
Then they went to Ghatafân. Quraysh, Ghatafân and their allies marched: about ten thousand men.
Quraysh came under Abû Sufyân; Ghatafân under 'Uyayna ibn Hisn and other chiefs.
Facing them, the believers were about three thousand; some said seven hundred.
It was Shawwâl of the fifth year, as most scholars hold; az-Zuhrî and Mâlik said the fourth.
When he ﷺ heard of their march, he had a trench dug around Medina, on the eastern side.
It is said that the advice came from Salmân (may Allah be pleased with him).
He ﷺ worked in it himself, to make the Muslims long for the reward, and the Muslims worked with him.
'Abdullâh ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) was presented to him ﷺ at Uhud, aged fourteen, and not accepted.
At the Trench he was presented again, aged fifteen, and the Prophet ﷺ accepted him.
Years later, the caliph 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Azîz heard it and said: “This is the line between a child and a man.”
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports: he ﷺ went out to the trench. The Emigrants and the Ansâr were digging.
It was a cold morning, and they had no servants to do it for them. He saw their fatigue and their hunger.
He said: “O Allah, the true life is the life of the Hereafter.”
“So forgive the Ansâr and the Emigrants.” They answered: “We pledged to Muhammad ﷺ: jihâd, as long as we live.”
Sahl ibn Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him): some dug, while we carried the earth on our shoulders.
He ﷺ said: “O Allah, there is no life but the life of the Hereafter, so forgive the Emigrants and the Ansâr.”
Al-Barâ' (may Allah be pleased with him): the Prophet ﷺ carried earth at the Trench until dust covered his belly.
He was saying: “By Allah, without Allah we would not have been guided, nor given charity, nor prayed.”
“So send down tranquillity upon us, and make our feet firm if we meet them.”
“Those people have wronged us; if they want trouble, we refuse.” And he raised his voice: “We refuse, we refuse!”
These were the words of 'Abdullâh ibn Rawâha (may Allah be pleased with him), al-Barâ' says; he ﷺ chanted them.
After Uhud, Quraysh came back. This time they did not come alone.
Around Medina, hungry men dug in the cold. What kept them going?
Cold, dust up to his belly, and a prayer that named the life that counts.
Tonight, before you sleep, say once: “O Allah, there is no life but the life of the Hereafter.”