The Muslims at the Trench were fewer than two thousand, while the Confederates numbered ten thousand
63- Likewise, on the Day of the Trench the enemy outnumbered the Muslims many times over; they were more than ten thousand,¹ the Confederates who had massed against them—Quraysh with its allies and the other clans surrounding Mecca, Ghatafan,² the tribes of Najd, and the Jews who had broken their pact, namely the Banu Qurayzah, the neighbours³ of the people of Madinah—while the Muslims in the city were fewer than two thousand.
A single man would charge the enemy in full view of the Prophet ﷺ
64- Moreover, during the Prophet’s ﷺ⁴ lifetime it was not uncommon for a single man to launch himself against the enemy in the Prophet’s sight, plunge into their ranks, and fight until he was killed; such feats were well known among the Muslims in the time of the Prophet and his successors.
He, may Allah have mercy on him, is referring to the report recorded by al-Bukhari (no. 2805) and Muslim (no. 1903) (148): when the people fled on the day of Uhud, Anas b. al-Nadr, may Allah be pleased with him, did not flee. He exclaimed, “O Allah, I seek Your pardon for what these people—the Muslims—have done, and I disavow what those people—the polytheists—have done.” He then advanced and met Saʿd b. Muʿadh, who asked, “Where are you going, Abu ʿAmr?” Anas answered, “Ah, the scent of Paradise, O Saʿd! I can smell it just beyond Uhud.” He moved forward, fought the enemy until he was killed, and could only be identified when his sister recognised him by his fingertips.
Abu Zurʿah al-ʿIraqi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “From this hadith one may infer the permissibility of plunging into the ranks of the unbelievers and seeking martyrdom; the majority of scholars deem it permissible without any disapproval” (7/206).
1 See Zad al-Maʿad, 3/271.
2 The original manuscript reads “Ghatfa”; the emendation follows the author’s Darʾ al-taʿarud, 7/52.
3 The original manuscript reads “Khabaran”; the emendation follows the author’s Darʾ al-taʿarud, 7/52.
4 See the previous note.