The word · History
الخَنْدَق
Khandaq
The siege of Madinah in year five, met by digging a trench across the city's open side.
Also written · Battle of the Trench · Ghazwat al-Khandaq · Al-Ahzab · Battle of Ahzab · Jang e Khandaq · Trench · Hendek · Khandak · Confederates · Battle of the Confederates · Khandaq battle
The meaning
What Khandaq means in Islam
A confederacy of Quraysh and allied tribes came to finish the matter, outnumbering the defenders several times over. Salman al-Farisi suggested the Persian tactic of a trench, which the Arabs had not seen, and the Muslims dug it in bitter cold and hunger with stones tied against their stomachs. After weeks of siege a winter wind tore the camp apart and the confederacy went home. Surah al-Ahzab is named for them and describes the fear of that month plainly.
Evidence · Qur’an · Stated directly in the Qur’an
Read beside it
Rooms that name it
Words that sit beside it
- Salman al-FarisiA Persian who searched through two religions for the truth and was enslaved before finding it.سَلْمَانُ الفَارِسِيّ
- UhudThe battle at the mountain outside Madinah where an early Muslim advantage collapsed into losses.أُحُد
- MadinahThe oasis city that took the Prophet in, where he governed, died and is buried.المَدِينَة
- HudaybiyahThe treaty of year six that looked like a defeat and opened the way to the conquest of Makkah.الحُدَيْبِيَة
More from History
- Abu BakrThe Prophet's closest friend, his companion in the cave, and the first caliph.أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيق
- Banu UmayyahThe first dynasty of caliphs, ruling from Damascus for about ninety years after the Rashidun.بَنُو أُمَيَّة
- Hasan ibn AliThe Prophet's elder grandson, who gave up the caliphate to stop a war between Muslims.الحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيّ
- Imam ash-Shafi'iThe imam who wrote the first book on how law is derived, bridging Madinah and Iraq.مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ الشَّافِعِيّ
- KhilafahSuccession to the Prophet in governing the community, not in prophethood, which ended with him.الخِلَافَة
- Safa and MarwahTwo small hills in Makkah, now enclosed in a corridor, walked between during hajj and umrah.الصَّفَا وَالمَرْوَة