Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 299
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 299 accordingly. She was greatly perplexed as the food was sufficient only for a few, and she was told that a huge throng was on the way. As soon as the Holy Prophet arrived, he said a Prayer over the cooking pot and the dough and said, ‘Now start baking the b read. ’ When some of the bread was ready he started distributing the food, and people ate turn by turn in parties, and all ate their fill while the pot was still boiling and the dough had not all been used up. In about a week’s time through the continuous and diligent labour of the entire body of Muslims, the trench was completed, though everybody was exhausted. By that time, the combined forces of the Jews and the pagans in all their panoply were approaching Me dina. Abu Sufyan at the head of his host first advanced towards Uhud, and finding it deserted, veered round towards that side of Medina from which an attack could be delivered effectively; but on approaching Medina, they were brought to a stand by the tren ch. Closely guarded all along by pickets on the city side, it formed a barrier, which they could not pass. They were astonished and disconcerted at the new tactics of the Holy Prophet. Unable to come to close quarters, they made camp on the plain beyond, a nd contented themselves for some time with a distant discharge of archery. Meanwhile Abu Sufyan succeeded in detaching Banu Quraidha, now the only remaining principal Jewish tribe in Medina, from their allegiance to the Holy Prophet. Huyay, the exiled leader of Banu Nadhir, now an ally of Quraish, sent by Abu Sufyan to the fortre ss of Banu Quraidha, was at first refused admittance. But persevering in his solicitations, and representing