The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 453
X - Siege of <mark>Madīnah</mark> and Delicate State of <mark>the</mark> Muslims, Failure of <mark>the</mark> Disbelievers and Reality of Miracles 453 arguments of both parties, he smiled and said, “Salmān is from nei<mark>the</mark>r one of <mark>the</mark>se parties, ra<mark>the</mark>r, ِ سَلْمَان ُ مِنَّا اَھْل َ الْبَیْت , i. e. , ‘ Salmān is to be counted from amongst <mark>the</mark> members of my family. ’” 1 From <mark>the</mark>n on, Salmān received <mark>the</mark> honour of being known as a family member of <mark>the</mark> Holy Prophet sa. Hence, after <mark>the</mark> plan of digging a ditch had been finalised, <mark>the</mark> Companions came into <mark>the</mark> field of battle dressed as labourers. <mark>The</mark> work of excavation was not an easy task, and <mark>the</mark>n, <mark>the</mark> cold season was also in full force, due to which <mark>the</mark> Companions were made to bear severe hardships. Moreover, since all o<mark>the</mark>r business came to a halt, those people who earned <mark>the</mark>ir bread and butter on a daily basis, and <mark>the</mark>re were many such people from among <mark>the</mark> Companions, were compelled to bear <mark>the</mark> adversity of hunger and starvation as well. Fur<mark>the</mark>rmore, since <mark>the</mark> Companions did not have servants and slaves, all of <mark>the</mark>m had to work with <mark>the</mark>ir own hands. 2 Within <mark>the</mark>se parties of ten, <mark>the</mark>re was a fur<mark>the</mark>r division of work, where certain men would dig and o<mark>the</mark>rs would fill this excavated earth and stones in baskets carried on <mark>the</mark>ir shoulders and throw it away. <mark>The</mark> Holy Prophet sa would spend most of his time near <mark>the</mark> ditch and would often join <mark>the</mark> Companions in digging and transporting <mark>the</mark> dirt. In order to keep <mark>the</mark>ir spirits high, on certain occasions, during <mark>the</mark> course of work, <mark>the</mark> Holy Prophet sa would begin to recite couplets, upon which <mark>the</mark> Companions would sing along <mark>the</mark> same verse with <mark>the</mark> Holy Prophet sa. <mark>The</mark> following couplet recited by <mark>the</mark> Holy Prophet sa has been especially recorded in narrations: ْ فَاغْفِر ْ لِلْاَنْصَار ِ وَالْمُھَاجِرَة ْ اَللّٰھُم َّ اِن َّ الْعَیْش َ عَیْش ُ الْاٰخِرَة “O Our Lord! True life is that of <mark>the</mark> hereafter. Make it so by Your Grace, that <mark>the</mark> Anṣār and Muhājirīn are blessed with your forgiveness and bounty in <mark>the</mark> life of <mark>the</mark> hereafter. ” 3 In response to this couplet, on certain occasions, <mark>the</mark> Companions would recite <mark>the</mark> following verse: 1 * Tārīkhur-Rusuli Wal-Mulūk (Tārīkhuṭ-Ṭabarī), By Abū Ja‘far Muḥammad bin Jarīr Aṭ-Ṭabarī, Volume 3, p. 98, Thumma Kānatis-Sanatul-Khāmisatu Minal-Hijrati / Dhikrul-Khabari ‘An Ghazwatil-Khandaqi, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002) 2 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Maghāzī, Bābu Ghazwatil-Khandaqi Wa Hiyal-Aḥzābu, Ḥadīth No. 4099 3 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Maghāzī, Bābu Ghazwatil-Khandaqi Wa Hiyal-Aḥzābu, Ḥadīth No. 4099