Battle of the Trench Site and Seven Mosques

The Battle of the Trench (Ahzâb) is a major battle that took place in the month of Shawwal in the year 5 AH (March 627 AD) between the Muslims and the polytheists of Mecca and their allies, considered one of the turning points in Islamic history. The Quraysh, Ghatfan, Fazara, Sulaym, Kinana, Sakif, and other tribes gathered to form a massive force of about 10,000 men; for this reason, the battle is referred to in the Qur'an as "Ahzâb" (groups). The idea of digging a trench was proposed to the Prophet Muhammad by Salman the Persian. This tactic was a defensive method that the Arabs had never used before. The trench, dug along the open land north of Medina, extended from the Shayhayn fortresses in the northeast to the hill of Seniyyet al-Wada in the north, and from there to the foothills of Sel' Mountain and the location of the Conquest Mosque. It was approximately 5.5 km long, 9 meters wide, and 4.5 meters deep. During the battle, the Prophet established his headquarters at the foothills of Sel' Mountain; the Muslims kept watch behind this trench, which prevented the enemy from advancing for about 27 days. During the battle, Amr ibn Abd al-Wudd managed to cross the trench and entered the Muslim ranks; the Prophet's cousin Ali fought him one-on-one and killed him. Finally, a severe storm and cold wave sent by Allah scattered the enemy ranks; the siege ended. Six Muslims were martyred in the battle: Sa'd ibn Mu'az, Anas ibn Aws, Abdullah ibn Sahal, Tufayl ibn Nu'man, Salabah ibn Ganamah, and Ka'b ibn Zayd. Eight enemy soldiers also lost their lives. The Seven Mosques are structures built later at the places where the companions prayed on the battlefield. The most important of these are: 1) Conquest Mosque (Masjid al-A'la / Ahzâb Mosque): The place where the Prophet established his headquarters and prayed for the enemy's defeat. 2) Salman the Persian Mosque: The location of Salman’s tent, who proposed the idea of digging the trench. 3) Ali Mosque: Built at the place where Ali prayed. 4) Abu Bakr Mosque. 5) Umar Mosque. 6) Sa'd ibn Mu'az Mosque (also known as Fatima Mosque). Some sources mention Masjid al-Rayah as the seventh mosque, while others refer to it as Bani Haram Mosque. [Source: "Battle of the Trench", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/hendek-gazvesi; "Seven Mosques", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/mesacid-i-seba]