The Message of Islam — Page 36
36 Opposition Continues A year later, at Uhud, the disparity in numbers and equipment was even more striking than at Badr, yet in the beginning of the battle the Muslims put the enemy to flight; but owing to a grave default on the part of a small group, the triumph was converted into near disaster for the Muslims. Even so, Quraish failed to take advantage of the situation which had placed Madinah at their mercy and returned to Makkah without the achievement of their ultimate purpose. Viewing with grave alarm the increasing strength of the Prophet saw and the Muslims, and the slow but steady progress of Islam, Quraish now had recourse to calling in aid the large num- ber of tribes whom their hostile propaganda had converted into bitter enemies of Islam. A mighty host, numbering between eight- een and twenty thousand, now advanced against Madinah with the determined purpose of putting an end, finally, to what they conceived to be a grave threat to their way of life and to all that which had value in their eyes. On arrival near Madinah they discovered that their advance on the city was barred by a wide trench, which was manned by the Muslims at various places on its inner side. Chagrined, but not discouraged, they laid siege to Madinah. The siege contin- ued for nearly three weeks and imposed unendurable suffering and hardship upon the inhabitants of the city. There was little fighting, except whenever a party of Quraish made an attempt to cross the trench. Each such attempt was gallantly foiled by the Muslims. Yet the Muslims were reduced to such a state of weak- ness and helplessness, that from the purely human point of view,