Cook, Pot, Cook!

 The Battle Of The Trench 

A Cook, Pot, Cook! sort of tale, but this one is TRUE! 

8 min read

(adapted with permission from Qalam Podcast; Seerah, Life of The Prophet by Sh Abdul Nasir Jangda Episode 126)

Read on to discover a very beautiful and miraculous event that displays the remarkable nature of the Messenger (S), some amusing interactions between him (S) and some of his companions (R.A), and how the help from Allah came in such an unexpected fashion. 

During the 5th year of the Prophet’s (S) residence in the city of Madinah the battle of the trench occurred. 

Over 1000 companions along with the Prophet (S) were tirelessly digging a trench to secure the defence of the City of Madinah, they were all covered in dirt and hadn’t eaten. The Prophet (S) had noticed that even though his companions were hungry, weak and struggling, they kept on digging, kept working. 

Jabir Bin Abdullah (R.A) relates that, ‘I was struck by the sight of the Prophet (S) with his sleeves rolled up, covered in dust and dirt, relentlessly digging away with the others at the bottom of the trench. I wanted to do something for him. I asked permission to leave and then went home to speak with my wife.’ 

When I arrived home, I said to my wife, ‘I saw the Prophet (S) in a situation today that I cannot be patient with, I can’t bear to watch it’, (meaning that any one of us; when we are hungry, dirty, and overwhelmed that’s fine,  but to see the Prophet of Allah, the beloved of Allah, in that situation breaks my heart). 

‘I just cannot watch that. Is there anything that you can do? Is there some food that maybe you can prepare, so I can bring my Prophet (S) home from the trench, just for a little while. Sit him down, rest himself and eat a little.’

My wife replied that she had a little bit of flour and a small piece of lamb that she could prepare. So as she began to prepare the meat in the pot and the dough for bread, I left to fetch the Prophet (S). 

When I arrived back at the trench, I approached the Prophet(S) and crouched down next to him whispering in his ear, ‘Oh Messenger of God, I have just a little bit of food prepared for you at home, so please come with me and maybe bring one or two people’. (In the hadith of Shama’il, it is said that the Prophet (S) never ate by himself, he always shared food with people. This was the advice of the Prophet (S) when he first arrived in the city of Madinah, and advised about establishing the right type of culture. He (S) had said, ‘Feed food’, . (Not simply to the poor, as that would be charity, but even when you’re eating food on a daily basis, call your family members, your children, wife and husband. Call your neighbour over or if you’re at work, share with a coworker. Share food because it builds relationships, it wins the hearts.) So with this in mind, knowing that the Prophet (S) wouldn’t accept Jabir Bin Abdullah’s offer without an extended invite to others and that there was only a small amount of food, Jabir said, ‘One or two companions can come too’. ). 

The Prophet (S) asked, ‘How much food do you have exactly?’

 ‘I have a little bit of food,’ I replied. 

The Prophet (S) said, ‘That’s a lot of food Masha’Allah and it’s good food. Before we proceed I have some instructions, please tell your wife not to remove the meat from the pot or the bread from the oven until I get there. Once the meat and bread have cooked, turn off the stove and oven and leave the food in its place.’  

And then he (S) stood up and said, ‘Let’s go everybody!’ (In another narration he (S) said, Everyone, we are going to Jabir’s place!’). 

Jabir Ibn Abdullah (R.A) narrates further, ‘I just stood there in awe, thinking what’s going on? This is the messenger of Allah, you don’t argue with him. He (S) told me to make my way home and they’ll follow behind, I just quietly proceeded. When I arrived home I said to my wife, ‘Your ruined!’  

‘What happened?’, she asked. 

‘The Prophet (S) has brought the Muhajarun, Ansar and everybody else with him!’ 

‘Did he ask you how much food you have?’ She asked. 

‘Yes,’ I said, ‘I told him (S) exactly how much food we have’. 

In another narration Jabir Bin Abdullah says, referring to the moment the Prophet (S) announced the invitation, ‘At that moment I was so embarrassed, when he (S) called out come on everybody, I thought all these people are going to show up at the house and there’s not going to be any food for anyone.

I went home and I told my wife the messenger of Allah is coming with all of mankind! And all we have is a little bit of bread and a little bit of meat. I told my wife you are going to be humiliated today. The Prophet (S) has brought everybody from the trench. She then asked, ‘Did he (S) ask you how much food you have?’ 

‘Yes,’ I replied. 

‘Then Allah and His messenger know best, right? You people say this all the time right? Do you believe it or not? Do you believe that God and His messenger know what they’re doing? 

Immediately I stopped worrying. The messenger of God must have a plan I thought. 

At that moment the Prophet (S) walked in and sat down next to the pot and the oven. He (S) told my wife to take a step back as He (S) would handle it all from here. 

He (S) then proceeded to reach inside the oven for a piece of bread, place some meat on it and hand it to one person and then he would  reach down again, a piece of bread, a piece of meat and hand it to the 2nd person, the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th person. The Prophet (S) told everyone to keep on walking in, don’t  push, don’t shove, create a single file order.  Take some food and proceed out. The Prophet (S) kept serving like this, picking up a piece of bread, putting a piece of meat in and giving it to people with his own hands. 

One narration says that he served 300 people another another narration says that he served 800 people.  He (S) sat there and he served everyone himself with his own hands. This entire meal was prepared for the sake of the messenger, but he was more worried about feeding everyone else. 

This is a sign of great leadership. When that  type of compassion,  type of mercy, and selflessness is found within leadership then that creates the type of followers that the companions became, Alhamdu’lillah. 

The Prophet (S) sat and continued to serve until every person had been fed and then even after feeding everyone, the pit and oven were still completely full of bread and meat, Subhan’Allah. He (S) turned to Jabir Bin Abdullah’s wife and said, ‘Please sister, eat and share it with the neighbours and call other people to come and eat too’. 

We can only assume that the Prophet (S) had eaten too, surely the companions would have ensured that He (S) had. However, the interesting point to note here is that there are many variations of this narration; Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Ibn Ishaq, Ibn kathir (May Allah be pleased with them all), so many different versions and not a single one of them mentions the Prophet (S) eating. The narrations mention him (S) serving food, calling the family to eat, telling them to give food to others after which he (S) wiped his hands and simply walked away. 

May Allah SWT grant us all the ability to be more like the messenger of Allah (S) and May Allah SWT grant us the love, the understanding, the implementation of the seerah within our lives Aameen. 

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Abdullah and Aminah - The Prophet’s (s) Parents

 Abdullah and Amina

The Prophet’s (s) Parents  3 min read

(adapted with permission from Qalam Podcast; Seerah, Life of The Prophet by Sh Abdul Nasir Jangda Episode 8) 

Abdullah was a very handsome, most intelligent, well-behaved, well respected and gifted son of Abdul Muttalib, the greatest leader of the Quraysh. Abdullah was known as the Prince of Makkah, very eloquent in his speech and the most eligible bachelor of Makkah. 

When he was old enough to get married Abdul Muttalib proposed on Abdullah’s behalf to a young girl called Amina bint Wahab. 

Amina had a nickname, Zahrah Tuh Makkah meaning The flower of Makkah. She was very beautiful, intelligent and well spoken. She was known to write deep and beautiful poems. And she also was the most sought after woman in Makkah for marriage. 

The proposal was accepted and they were married shortly after. This incredible couple, were a perfect fit for each other and very much in love.  

Sometime after their marriage, Abdul Muttalib sent his son Abdullah on a business trip. There are two narrations in the books of history as to where he travelled too. The first mentions a trip direct to Madinah to purchase fresh dates to sell back in Makkah and the second mentions a stop over in Madinah as he was heading for As-Shams to do business. 

However, Abdullah fell ill whilst in Madinah and passed away there, he was buried in the house of An Nabigah Al Ja’adee. Abdullah was about 25 years old at the time of his death. 

The vast majority of narrations, books and scholars tell us that at the time of the death of Abdullah, his wife Amina, back in Makkah, was pregnant with Prophet Muhammad (S). 

When the news of the death of Abdullah reached Amina she was stricken with grief and sadness. During her time of mourning she wrote some couplets about the grief and loss of her husband. Through these couplets, you can feel her pain and can almost see her intelligence and eloquence in her words; 

‘The Earth has become very lonely without Ibn Hashim. 

Abdullah has gone to become the neighbour of a grave and he is out there amongst the noise. (Meaning: Abdullah is not in the comfort of his home any more but he is out there in the wilderness)

He died alone. 

Death came to call him and so he had to answer. 

But death has to remember one thing. Death came to call him and he had to answer he had no choice but death needs to realise, that death did not leave anyone else on the earth that was of the calibre of Abdullah. 

Death took Abdullah but did not replace him with anybody that was equal to Abdullah. 

Its the evening time, and they are carrying his body out towards the graveyard. 

And they’re fighting and they’re struggling, and they’re pushing with each other, to  switch hand from hand. It’s all crowded and rushed and everyone is trying to get to it, so they can carry his body to the grave.

Death came and seized him, snatched him away, and the uncertainty of death snatched him away.

But Death should realise that Abdullah was a gift to this earth, and to the people of this earth, who was very abundant in his blessings. (Abdullah was a gift of many many blessings, so many people loved him and many people benefited from him. So many people cared about him and he cared about so many people.)

And we understand that but people need to realise that Abdullah was a blessing upon this earth and he had so many blessings in him.’

These were the words spoken by the mother of prophet (s) when the news of the death of the father of the prophet (s) had reached her. 

(Note: Amina’s poem has been translated from Arabic. To enjoy her majestic words in their truest form, head to the Qalam Podcast, Seerah Episode 8)