Battle of the Ditch
The turning point came at the Battle of the Ditch. A large force of some 10,000 men, under the command of Abu Sufyan advanced towards Madinah, determined to put an end to Islam and its Prophet (peace be upon him). Muhammad (peace be upon him), with a mere 3,000 men at his disposal, ordered the digging of a defensive trench. He himself joined in the strenuous work. The trench rendered the Makkan cavalry useless and the confusion in the Makkan ranks that ensued, combined with the unflinching determination of the Muslims to defend their faith, their Prophet (peace be upon him) and their city, gave Muhammad (peace be upon him) a great victory. A Prophet of the one God, who could defeat a large army with the whole pantheon of pagan gods to support it, was a leader worthy of respect, even, perhaps especially, amongst his enemies.
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