The Angels helping in the Battle of the Confederates
The Almighty says:
"O you who believe! Remember Allah's blessing to you
when forces came against you and We sent against them a wind and other forces that you could not see. Allah sees everything that you do..." (33:9)
Ibn Kathir says that the Almighty reports about His blessing, bounty and goodness to His believing slaves in averting their ene- mies and defeating them in the year in which they joined forces and allied themselves against them. That is referring to the Affair of the Ditch which took place in Shawwal, 5 AH, according to most well-known sources.
Musa b. "Uqba and others said that it happened in 4 AH, and that the reason the Confederates came was that a group of the Jewish nobles of Banu'n-Nadir, who had been exiled from Madina by the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to Khaybar, including Sallam b. Abi'l-Huqayq, Huyayy b. Akhtab and Kinana b. Abi'l-Huqayq, went to Makka and met with the nobles of Quraysh and encouraged them to fight the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, promising them their help and support. They agreed to do it.
Then they went out to the tribe of Ghatafan and invited them, and they also agreed. Quraysh went out with their battalions fol- lowing them led by Abu Sufyan Sakhr b. Harb. In charge of Ghatafan was "Uyayna b. Hisn b. Hudhayfa. Altogether they num- bered about 10,000 men.
When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, learned of their advance, he commanded the Muslims to dig a ditch around Madina on the eastern side. That was on the suggestion of Salman al-Farisi, may Allah be pleased with him. So the Muslims worked on it, putting much effort into it and the Messenger of Allah shifted the earth and dug with them.
The idolworshippers came and camped on the eastern side of the city near Uhud and another group of them camped in the upper part of Madina as the Almighty says, "When they came at you from above you and below you." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Muslims with him came out. There were about 3000 of them, though some say 7000. They had their backs to Sal' and their faces towards the enemy.
The ditch had been dug, but there was no water in it to stop the horses and men from reaching them. He kept the women and chil- dren inside the fortresses of Madina.
The Banu Qurayza were a tribe of Jews who had a fortress to the east of Madina and they had a treaty with the Prophet. They had about 800 fighters. Huyayy of the Banu Nadir went to them and kept at them until they broke their treaty and supported the confederates against the Messenger of Allah. Thus the danger was great, the business very grave and the situation dire as Allah Almighty says, "At that time the believers were tested and severe- ly shaken."
They continued to besiege the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Companions for about a month although they did not attack them and there was no fighting between them except when 'Amr b. 'Abdu Wudd al-'Amiri, one of the bold horsemen famous in the Jahiliyya, rode forward with some horsemen and crossed the ditch, reaching part of the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah detailed some riders of the Muslims to meet him. It is also said that no one went out to him. He commanded 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, to go out to him and they fought for some time and then 'Ali killed him. That was a sign of impending victory,
Then Allah Almighty sent a strong wind against the Confeder- ates which blew so fiercely that they had no tents left standing nor could they light a fire nor would anything stay in its place. So they they left in disappointment and loss as the Almighty says:
"O you who believe! Remember Allah's blessing to you when forces came against you and We sent against them a wind and other forces that you could not see."
Ibn Kathir says that His words, "other forces you could not see", mean the angels who unsettled them and cast terror and fear into their hearts. The leader of every tribe said "O Banu so-and-so! To me!" and they gathered to him and he was saying, "Help! Help!" when Allah Almighty cast terror in their hearts.