النص المفهرس

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Surah al-Aņzab : 33 : 1 - 3
because in that case they would become open disbelievers. What, then,
was the need to mention them separately? The answer is that it is possible
that although the hypocrites may not have said anything against Islam
very openly, but that they may have said something in support of other
disbelievers.
And if the event featuring the hypocrites, described under the
background of revelation, is taken to be the cause of revelation, it simply
leaves no difficulty or vagueness behind - because, in terms of this event,
the Holy Prophet
has simply been prohibited from dealing with Jews
calling themselves Muslims in a spirit of extra civility and accommodation.
إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا :Later, towards the end of this verse, by saying
(Surely, Allah is All- Knowing, Wise - 1), stated there is the wisdom of the
order given immediately earlier - that is, 'fear Allah and do not obey the
disbelievers and hypocrites.' The reason is that Allah Ta'ala, who knows
the consequences of everything, is most wise, and fully aware of what is
better for His servants. This was said to counter some of the things put
forth by the disbelievers or hypocrites which could generate for them
certain advantages of lesser tension and increased mutual tolerance. But,
from this Allah Ta'ala prohibited him by declaring that even this
tolerance of such people was counter to what was expedient under the
circumstances and that such a policy was not going to end well.
وَاتَّبِعُ مَايُوُحِىّ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ ﴿ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا:2 What is said in verse
(And follow what is revealed to you from your Lord. Surely Allah is
All-Aware of what you do.) is actually a complement of the first order. It
means: Do not be beguiled or taken in by what the disbelievers and
hypocrites say and do not agree or yield to it. Instead of all that, whatever
you have been told by Allah through wahy (revelation) remains the only
thing you and your companions should follow. Since, the noble
companions
and Muslims at large are included under this address,
therefore, by saying: 3'Lus ta (what you do) in the plural form at the end,
everyone was alerted.
Once again, the last statement : ◌ًوَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَى اللهِ وَكَفى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيُلا (And place
your trust in Allah and Allah is enough as a guardian- 3) is also a
complement of the same order. Here it is being said: As for your approach,
just pay no heed to what they say and, in order to succeed in your

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objective, you should trust no one but Allah for He, in Himself and by
Himself, is the ultimate doer, maker and fixer of all matters and things.
With Him there, you do not need to acquiesce in the opinion of anyone.
Ruling
The cited verse proves that, in religious matters, even consulting with
disbelievers is not permissible. In other matters relating to technical or
functional experience, there is no harm in doing so. And Allah knows
best.
Verses 4 - 5
مَا جَعَلَ اللّهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِّنُ قَلْبَيْنِ فِىُ جَوْفِهَ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَزْوَاجَكُمُ الْيُ
تُظهِرُونَ مِنْهُنَّ أُمَّهَتِكُمُّ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَدْعِيَاءَ كُمْ أَبْنَآءَ كُمُْ ذِلِكُمْ
قَوْلُكُمُ بِأَقْوَاهِكُمُ وَاللّهُ يَقُوُلُ الْحَقِّ وَهُوَ يَهْدِى السَّبِيْلَ ﴿٤﴾
◌ُدُعُوُهُمْ لِبَائِهِمُ هُوَأَقْسَطُ عِنْدَ اللهِّ فَإِنْ لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوْآْ أَبَآءَ هُمُ
فَإِخْوَانُكُمُ فِى الدِّيْنِ وَمَوَالِيُكُمُُ وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمُ جُنَاحٌ فِيُمَآَ
أَخْطَأْتُمُ بِهِ ﴿ وَلَكِنْ مَّا تَعَمَّدَتْ قُلُوبُكُمُْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿٥﴾
Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his
(chest) cavity, nor did he make your wives whom you
subjected to zihar, your mothers, nor did he make your
adopted sons your (real) sons. That is (merely) a word
uttered by your mouths. And Allah says the truth and
He shows the (right) way. [4] Call them by (the name of)
their (real) fathers; It is more equitable in the sight of
Allah. And if you do not know their fathers, then they
are your brothers in faith and your friends. And there
is no sin on you in the mistake you make, but in that
which you do with intention of your heart and Allah is
Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful. [5]
Commentary
Previous verses carried instructions to the Holy Prophet & asking him
not to act upon their advice and not to be cajoled into what they wanted
to achieve. In the cited verses, there is a refutation of three customs
prevailing among disbelievers as well as of their false notions.

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Surah al-Aņzab : 33 : 4 - 5
(1) During Jahiliyyah, Arabs used to say about a person who was
smarter than others that he had two hearts in his chest cage.
(2) Then they had a custom about their wives following which a
person would declare his wife to be like the back of his mother, or some
other part of the body, and go on to say, 'you are, for me, like the back of
my mother.' This, in their usage, was called "Zihar." It is a derivation
from: Zahr, which means 'back'. They thought that if a person who had
done "Zihar" with his wife, she becomes haram (unlawful) to him for ever.
(3) And then they had another custom under which one person would
make the son of another his so-called or adopted son and who so would
take a son in that manner, the boy would become known as 'his' son and
would be addressed as such. According to their practice, this so-called or
adopted son used to be recognized in all rules and regulations as a 'real'
son. For instance, he would be regarded as a sharer even in inheritance,
like a real offspring along with the children from his loins. Then, they
would also regard the marriage relations of the so-called or adopted son as
falling under the standard rule whereby the marriage with a category of
certain women is unlawful. For example, as marriage with the wife of
one's real son remains unlawful even after he has divorced her, they also
took the divorced wife of the so-called or adopted son to be unlawful for
that person.
Since the first of the three notions of the period of Jahiliyyah were
not tied up with religious belief or conduct, therefore, the Shari'ah of
Islam had no need to refute it. To determine whether there is just the one
heart inside the chest or, may be, there are two as well was simply a case
of anatomical inquiry. That it was obviously false was known to everyone.
Therefore, most likely, the matter of its refutation was also introduced as
a prologue to the other two issues and it was said: The way false is the
saying of the people of Jahiliyyah - that 'someone could have two hearts
in his chest', the falsity of which is known to everyone - similarly, false
are their notions in the matters of Zihar (falsely declaring one's wife
unlawful to him like his mother) and adoption of sons.
As for the injunctions governing the two issues of Zihar and adopted
son, these are among the social and familial issues that have a great
importance in Islam - to the extent that even their subsidiary details have

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been given in the Qur'an by Allah Ta'ala Himself. unlike other matters,
this has not been left at the declaration of principles only with its detailed
enunciation entrusted with the Holy Prophet
. Regarding both these
issues, the people of Jahiliyyah, following their baseless whims, had a
bunch of self-made laws relating to the lawful and the unlawful, the
permissible and the impermissible. It was the duty of the True Religion
that it should refute these false notions and make the truth manifest.
Therefore, it was said : ◌ْوَمَا جَعَلَ أَزْوَاجَكُمُ الَّيْ تُظهِرُونَ مِنْهُنَّ أُمَّهَاتِكُم It means: 'You are
wrong in thinking that, should someone call his wife the equal or like of
his mother, the wife does not go on to become unlawful for him for ever
like his real mother. Just because you say so, a wife does not become a
mother, in reality. Your mother is but she who gave birth to you.' Now, at
least, the notion of the people of Jahiliyyah that Zihar makes one's wife
unlawful for ever is refuted by this verse. What happens next? Does
saying so bring about any legal effect? The standing injunction in this
connection appears in Surah al-Mujadalah [58:2-4] where saying so has
been called a sin and abstention from it obligatory. And it is provided
there that he who has made such a declaration should offer a kaffarah
(expiation) of having done zihar after which having intercourse with his
wife becomes lawful for him. The details of this issue will appear in the
Commentary on Surah al-Mujadalah (Ma'ariful-Qur'an, Volume VIII).
The second issue was that of the mutabanna, i.e adopted son. About
that, it was said: ◌ْوَمَا جَعَلَ أَدْعِيَاءَ كُمْ أَبْنَاءَكُم (nor did he make your adopted sons
your (real) sons - 4). The word: Usi (ad'iya') is the plural of: 25 (da'iyy)
which means a so-called son. The sense is that the way no man has two
hearts inside him and the way by likening one's wife to one's mother, the
wife does not become the mother - similarly, the so-called son does not
become your real son. In other words, neither will he be entitled to a
share in inheritance with other sons, nor the precepts of the unlawfulness
of marriage will apply to him. For example, the way the divorced wife of a
real son is unlawful for his father for ever, the divorced wife of an
adopted son is not unlawful for his so-called father. Since this last matter
affects many other matters, therefore, it was complimented by another
injunction, that is, even an adopted son should be attributed to his real
father, and not to the person who has adopted him - because, this spells
out the danger of misgiving and confusion creeping in many matters.

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Surah al-Aņzab : 33 : 6
There is a hadith from Sayyidna Ibn 'Umar
appearing in
al-Bukhari, Muslim and others in which it has been said: 'Before the
revelation of this verse, we used to call Zayd Ibn Harithah by the name of
Zayd Ibn Muhammad (because the Holy Prophet _
g had taken him in as
his mutabanna, adopted son). After the revelation of this verse, we
abandoned this practice.'
Ruling
This tells us about many people who call the children of others as 'son'
which, if because of simple affection, not because of declaring him an
adopted son or a mutabanna , then, this would though be permissible,
still, it is not the better choice, because it looks like violating the
prohibition, at least in appearance. (As in Rūp al-Ma'ani from al-Khafaji Ala
al-Baidawi)
And this is the same matter which, by throwing the Quraish of Arabia
into deception, led them to commit a sin of terribly serious proportions to
the extent that they started blaming the Holy Prophet y by saying that
he had married the divorced wife of his 'son' , while in fact, he was not his
son, but only a mutabanna (adopted son) - something that will be
mentioned in this very Surah a little later.
Verse 6
النَّبِىُّ أَوْلِى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ انْفُسِهِمُ وَأَزْوَاجُهٌ أُمَّهْتُهُمُْ وَأُوْلُوا
الْأَرُحَامِ بَعْضُهُمُ أَوْلِى بِبَعْضٍ فِىُ كِتْبِ اللّهِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
وَالْمُهْجِرِيْنَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَفْعَلُوًّا إِلَى أَوْلِيَئِكُمْ مَّعُرُوُفًّا كَانَ ذلِكَ فِى
الْكِتْبِ مَسْطُورًا (٦)
The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own
selves and his wives are their mothers. And those
having mutual kinship are closer to one another (for
the purpose of inheritance) than (other) believers and
emigrants according to the Book of Allah, unless you do
some good to your friends (by making a will in their
favour). This had been written in the Book (the
Preserved Tablet). [6]

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Surah al-Aḥzab : 33 : 6
Commentary
As stated earlier, most of the subjects in Surah al-Ahzab relate to the
reverence of the Holy Prophet # and to the unlawfulness of causing pain
to him. After the mention of pains caused to him by disbelievers and
hypocrites at the beginning of the Surah, some instructions were given to
the Holy Prophet weg following which three customs of the Jahiliyyah were
refuted. Out of these, the last custom related to such a pain inflicted on
the Holy Prophet
because the disbelievers had - at the time of the
marriage of Sayyidah Zainab Lis al so, the divorced wife of Sayyidna
Zayd age, and on the basis of their pagan custom of mutabanna - blamed
the Holy Prophet
of having married the divorced wife of his 'son.'
Thus, from the beginning of the Surah up to this point, the subject
concerned the pain caused to the Holy Prophet 5. In the present verse
(6), it has been stated that the reverence of and the obedience to the Holy
Prophet & more than the whole creation is wajib (necessary in the degree
of obligation)
The meaning of the expression:"The Prophet is closer to the believers
than their own selves" mentioned by Maulana Thanavi is based on the
saying of Ibn 'Atiyyah and others which has been opted for by al-Qurtubi
and most commentators. According to it, every Muslim is duty-bound to
obey and implement the command of the Holy Prophet & more than the
command of his parents. If one's parents oppose any command of the Holy
Prophet , their obedience in that matter is not permissible. Similarly,
the implementation of his command takes precedence even over the pulls
of one's own desiring self.
In a hadith of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah 4ce appearing in the Şahin of
al-Bukhari and others, the Holy Prophet
has been reported to have
said:
مَا مِنْ مُّؤْمِنٍ إِلَّا وَأَنَا أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِهِ فِى الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ إِقْرَءُوّا إِنْ شِئْتُمُ النَّبِىُّ أَوْلى
بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمُ
There is no such believer for whom I am not the closest of all
people in this world and in the world to come. Read if you wish
(this verse of the Qur'an to confirm): ... (The Prophet is ... ).
The sense of the statement is that his affection for every Muslim
exceeds the affection of the whole world and, as such, the necessary

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Surah al-Aḥzab : 33 : 6
outcome has to be no other but that every believer holds him dearer than
anyone else - which is something also said in another hadith:
لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمُ حَتَّى اَكُوْنَ آَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ وَّالِدِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِيْن
None of you can become a believer until I become the dearest
one to him, dearer than his father, and his son, and the whole
world full of people/and the rest of the human beings, all of
them. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim - Mazhari)
Said in the following sentence of the verse was: 'jig (and his
wives are your mothers). Here, the reference to the blessed wives of the
Holy Prophet
as mothers of the Muslim community means being
mothers in terms of their respect and honor. Injunctions relating to the
mother and her children, and those of the forbiddance of marriage, and of
the absence of hijab due to having the status of a mahram, and of
holding a share in the inheritance are injunctions which have nothing to
do with it - as made explicit towards the end of the verse. As for the
forbiddance of the marriage of the blessed wives with anyone in the
Muslim community, this has been declared in a separate verse. Therefore,
it is not necessary that even this forbiddance of marriage may be for the
reason of being mothers.
Ruling
The cited verse proves that the least breach of etiquette in the case of
anyone of the blessed wives رضى الله عنهن is forbidden for two reasons: (1)
That they are the mothers of the Muslim community and (2) also because
any pain caused to them would cause pain to the Holy Prophet Eg - which
is forbidden in a far too extreme a degree.
The literal sense of the expression: أُولُوا الأرحام (ulu 'l-arham) in the
next sentence of the verse: ◌ٍوَأُولُوا الْأَرْحَامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلَى بِبَعْض (And those having
mutual kinship are closer to one another (for the purpose of inheritance)
than (other) believers and emigrants) covers all relatives, whether they
are those whom Muslim jurists call by the name of: Suas ('asbat: agnates)
عَصَبَات ulu 'l-arham" against" أُولُو الأَرْحَام or those who are juxtaposed as
"aşbat" in the light of a particular terminology. This terminology used by
Muslim jurists, a later day product, is not what is meant here in the Holy
Qur'an.
Thus, it means that the relationship of the revered rasul and his

9:
Surah al-Aḥzab : 33 : 7 - 8
blessed wives with the believers of the community is, though of a degree
which precedes even that of a mother and father but, on the injunctions
relating to the distribution of inheritance, this has simply no bearing. This
inheritance, in fact, will be distributed only on the basis of lineal and
closer relationships.
In the early stage of Islam, entitlement to shares in the inheritance
was based on spiritual relationship. Later on, it was abrogated in favour
of closeness of relationships which has been announced by the noble
Qur'an itself. This entire detail of the abrogating and the abrogated
verses has appeared in Surah al-Anfal (Ma'ariful-Qur'an, Volume IV). And in
مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِين :and the emigrants) after) وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ :that context, the mention of
(and the believers) is there to highlight their distinction.
And some early commentators have said that, at this place, the
Believers ('al-mu'minin') mean the Ansar and the Emigrants (Muhajirin)
mean the Quraish. When placed in contrast with the Muhajirin, it
becomes clear that the word: 'al-mu'minin' (the believers) is for the
Anşar. In that case, this verse will be an abrogator of the rule of
inheritance on the basis of the Hijrah (توارث بالهجرة) because, during the
early stage of Hijrah, the Holy Prophet
¿ had, by establishing brotherly
relations between the Muhajirin and the Ansar, ordered that they will
also inherit from each other. This verse abrogated that rule of 'inheritance
by virtue of Hijrah' (Qurțubi)
Soon thereafter, it was stated : إِلَّ أَنْ تَفْعَلُوا إِلَى أَوْلِيَاءٍ كُمْ مَّعُرُوفًا (unless you do
some good to your friends (by making a will in their favour - 6). In other
words, this means that inheritance as such will be received only on the
basis of relationship - anyone unrelated will not be an inheritor - but,
there may be people with whom you relate as your brothers in faith. If
you wish to give them something, you have the right to do so. You could
do so within your lifetime and give it to them as a gift, and it is also
possible to make a will in their favour so that they get it after your death.
Verses 7 - 8
وَإِذْ آَخَذُنَا مِنَ النَّبِيِّنَ مِيْثَاقَهُمُ وَمِنْكَ وَمِنْ تُوُحٍ وَّإِبْرِهِيْمَ وَمُوُسى
وَعِيْسِىَ ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ ، وَأَخَذُنَا مِنْهُمُ مِيْنَاقًا غَلِيْظًا ﴿٢﴾ لِّيَسْئَلَ

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Surah al-Ahzab : 33 : 7 - 8
a
ع
الصَّدِقِيْنَ عَنُ صِدْقِهِمُ وَاَعَدَّ لِلْكَفِرِيُنَ عَذَابًا أَلِيُّمًا ﴿1﴾
And (recall) when We took from the prophets their
covenant, and from you and from Nuh and Ibrahim and
Musa and 'Isa, the son of Maryam. And We did take from
them a firm covenant, [7] so that He (Allah) may ask the
truthful about their truth. And He has prepared a
painful punishment for the disbelievers. [8]
Commentary
At the beginning of the Surah, by saying : ◌َوَاتَّبِعُ مَا يُوُلحَى إِلَيْك ,the Holy
Prophet
was asked to follow the Divine revelation sent to him. Then, in
the previous verse: ◌َالنَّبِىُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِين , the believers have been obligated with
the implementation of the orders of the recipient of the revelation. It is to
further confirm and emphasize these very two things that, in the present
two verses as well, the same two subjects have been reiterated, that is, the
recipient of the revelation has been obligated to follow the revelation
received by him from Allah and the non-recipient of the revelation has
been obligated to follow the recipient of the revelation.
The Covenant of the Prophets
The covenant taken from the blessed prophets, according to the cited
verse, is in addition to the universal pledge taken from the entire creation
as it appears in a saying of the Holy Prophet
reported by Imam
Ahmad:
خُضُّوا بِمِيْثَاقِ الرِّسَالَةِ وَالنُّبُوَّةِ وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ، تَعَالِى وَإِذْ آَخَذُنَا مِنَ النَّبِيِّنَ مِيْثَاقَهُمُ
"It was the prophets only from whom the covenant of messenger-ship
and prophethood was taken, and this is the meaning of what Allah Ta'ala
has said :.... (And when We took from the prophets their covenant ... to the
end of the verse).
This pledge from the prophets was the pledge of discharging the
duties of prophethood and messenger-ship and of attesting to the veracity
of each other and of being mutually helpful - as Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim
and others have reported from Sayyidna Qatadah 4
é. And according to
one narration, it was also included in this pledge of the prophets that they
should also proclaim that "Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa
is the
messenger of Allah, and the last of the prophets. After him, there will be
[ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللهِ لَا نَبِىَّ بَعْدَهُ] no prophet

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Surah al-Aņzab : 33 : 9 - 27
And this pledge from prophets was also taken in eternity (Azal) at the
same time when the pledge of: " EuJi (alastu bi-rabbikum: Am I not
your Lord?) was taken from the created at large. (Ruh al-Ma'ani and Mazhari)
After having generally mentioned prophets, peace be on them all,
before saying : وَمِنْكَ وَمِنْ نّوْح (and from you and from Nub ... up to the end of
the verse), five of them were particularly named on the basis of the
unique distinction they have among the group of prophets. Then, even
within those, it was by using the word: ' (minka: from you) that the
mention of the Holy Prophet
was made to precede that of others -
although, his appearance in this world is later than all of them. The
reason for this has been given in Hadith itself:
كُنْتُ أَوَّلَ النَّاسِ فِى الْخَلْقِ وَاخِرَهُمُ فِى الْبَعْثِ (رواه ابن سعد وابو نعيم في الحلية عن
ميسرة الفجر والطبرانى فى الكبير عن ابن عباس - مظهرى)
'I am the first human being in the creation and the last of them
in being sent (with the prophetic mission).' (Reported by Ibn
Sa'd and Abu Nu'aim in Al-Hilyah from Maisirah al-Mafjar and
At-Tabarani in al-Kabir from Ibn 'Abbas de - Mazhari)
Verses 9 - 27
◌َأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا اذْكُرُوْ نِعُمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْجَآءَتْكُمُ جُنُودٌ
فَارُسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيْحًا وَّجُنُوْدًّا لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا* وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ
بَصِيْرًا ﴿٤﴾ إِذْجَاءُوُكُمُ مِّنُ فَوْقِكُمُ وَمِنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنْكُمْ وَإِذْ زَاغَتِ
الْأَبْصَارُ وَبَلَغَتِ الْقُلُوبُ الْحَنَاجِرَ وَتَظُنُّوْنَ بِاللهِ الُّّنُوْنَا (١٠)
هُنَالِكَ ابْتُلِىَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَزُلْزِلُوْ زِلْزَالًا شَدِيدًا ﴿١١﴾ وَإِذْ يَقُوُلُ
الْمُنْفِقُونَ وَالَّذِيْنَ فِىُ قُلُوبِهِمُ مَّرَضٌ مَّا وَعَدَنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ، إِلَّ
غُرُورًا ﴿١٢﴾ وَإِذْ قَالَتْ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمُ يَهُلَ يَغْرِبَ لَا مُقَامَ لَكُمُ
فَارْجِعُوا، وَيَسْتَأْذِنُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمُ النَّبِىِّ يَقُوْلُونَ إِنَّ بُيُوُتَنَا عَوْرَةٌ، وَمَا
هِىَ بِعَوْرَةٍ ، إِنْ يُّرِيُّدُونَ إِلَّ فِرَارًا ﴿١٣﴾ وَلَوْدُخِلَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ

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Surah al-Aņzab : 33 : 9 - 27
أَقْطَارِهَا ثُمَّ سُئِلُوا الْفِتْنَةَ لَأَتَوُهَا وَمَا تَلَبَُّوا بِهَا إِلَّ يَسِيْرًا ﴿١٤) وَلَقَدُ
كَانُوا عَاهَدُوا اللهَ مِنْ قَبْلُ لَايُوَلُّوُنَ الْأَدْبَارَهُ وَكَانَ عَهْدُ اللَّهِ
مَسْئُوْلاً ﴿١٥﴾ قُلُ لَّنْ يَّنْفَعَكُمُ الْفِرَارُ إِنْ فَرَرْتُمُ مِّنَ الْمَوْتِ أَوِ الْقَتْلِ
وَإِذَا لَّا تُمَتَّعُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلاً ﴿١٦﴾ قُلْ مَنُ ذَا الَّذِىُ يَعْصِمُكُمْ مِّنَ اللّهِ
إِنْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ سُؤَّءًا أَوْ آَرَادَ بِكُمْ رَحْمَةً وَلَا يَجِدُوْنَ لَهُمْ مِّنْ دُوْنٍ
اللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا ﴿١٧﴾ قَدْ يَعْلَمُ اللهُ الْمُعَوِّقِيْنَ مِنْكُمْ وَالْقَآئِيْنَ
لِإِخْوَانِهِمُ هَلُمَّ إِلَيْنَاء وَلَا يَأْتُوُنَ الْبَأْسَ إِلَّ قَلِيْلاً ﴿١٨﴾ اشِحَّةً
عَلَيْكُمُ صِ فَإِذَا جَآءَ الْخَوُفُ رَآَيْتَهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ تَدُوْرُ اَعْيُهُمُ
كَالَّذِىُ يُغُشِى عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ ، فَإِذَا ذَهَبَ الْخَوْفُ سَلَقُوْكُمُ
بالْسِنَةٍ حِدَادٍ أَشِحَةً عَلَى الْخَيْرِ*ُ أُولِكَ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا فَأَحْبَطَ اللَّهُ
أَعْمَالَهُمُْ وَكَانَ ذلِكَ عَلَى اللهِ يَسِيرًا ﴿١٩) يَحْسَبُوُنَ الْأَحْزَابَ
لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا وَ إِنْ يَّأْتِ الْأَحْزَابُ يَوَدُّوا لَوْأَنَّهُمُ بَادُونَ فِى الْأَعْرَابِ
يَسْئَلُونَ عَنْ أَنْبَائِكُمُ +ُ وَلَوْ كَانُوْا فِيُكُمُ مَّا قُتَلُوْا إِلَّا قَلِيْلاً ﴿٤﴾ لَقَدُ
كَانَ لَكُمْ فِىُ رَسُولِ اللهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُوا اللهَ وَالْيَوْمَ
الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللّهَ كَثِيْرًا ﴿١١﴾ وَلَمَّا رَءُا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْأَحْزَابَ قَالُوا
هُذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا اللهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ، وَصَدَقَ اللّهُ وَرَسُوْلُه، " وَمَا زَادَ هُمْ إِلَّا
◌ِيْمَانًا وَّتَسُلِيْمًا ﴿٢﴾ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَا هَدُوا اللهَ
عَلَيْهِ" فَمِنْهُمُ مَّنْ قَضْى نَحْبَهُ، وَمِنْهُمُ مَّنْ يَّنْتَظِرُ مٌ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيْلاً
﴿٢٣°» لِّيَجْزِىَ اللهُ الصُّدِقِيْنَ بِصِدْقِهِمُ وَيُعَذِّبَ الْمُنْفِقِيْنَ إِنْ شَآءَ
أَوْ يَتُوُبَ عَلَيْهِمُْ إِنَّ اللهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿٢٤﴾ وَرَدَّ اللّهُ الَّذِيْنَ
كَفَرُوْا بِغَيْظِهِمُ لَمْ يَنَالُوا خَيْرًاُ وَكَفَى اللهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الْقِتَالَّ

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Surah al-Aņzab : 33 : 9 - 27
وَكَانَ اللّهُ قَوِيًّا عَزِيْزًا ﴿٢٥﴾ وَاَنْزَلَ الَّذِيْنَ ظَاهَرُوُهُمُ مِّنْ أَهْلِ
الْكِتْبِ مِنْ صَيَاصِيُهِمُ وَقَذَفَ فِى قَلُوْبِهِمُ الرُّعُبَ فَرِيْقًا تَقْتُلُونَ
وَتَأْسِرُوُنَ فَرِيْقًا ﴿٢﴾ وَأَوْرَتَّكُمْ آَرْضَهُمْ وَدِيَارَهُمْ وَ أَمْوَالَّهُمْ وَأَرْضًا
لَّمُ تَطَئُوْهَا وَكَانَ اللهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيْرًا ﴿٢٧﴾
O those who believe,"" remember Allah's favour to you,
when the forces (of the infidels) came upon you, and We
sent upon them a wind, and the forces (of angels) you
did not see. And Allah is watchful of what you do. [9]
(Recall) when they came upon you from above you and
from below you, and when the eyes were distracted and
the hearts reached the throats, and you were thinking
about Allah all sorts of thoughts. [10] At that occasion,
the believers were put to a trial and were shaken with a
violent convulsion. [11] And (remember) when the
hypocrites and those having malady in their hearts
were saying, "Allah and His messenger did not promise
us but deceitfully; [12] and when a group of them said,
"O people of Yathrib (Madinah), there is no place for
you to stay; so go back." And a group of them was
seeking permission (to leave) from the prophet, saying,
"In fact our homes are vulnerable," while they were not
vulnerable; they wanted nothing but to escape. [13] And
if it (Madinah) is entered (by the enemy, in their
presence,) from all its sides and they are asked (to join)
the mischief, they would readily commit it, and would
not remain in them (their homes) but for a short
while(2) [14] despite that they had already made a
covenant with Allah that they would not turn their
backs; and a covenant with Allah has to be answered
for. [15](3)
(1) These verses refer to the battle of Ahzab, also known as 'the battle of Khandaq' in
which different tribes of Arabia, led by the Quraish invaded upon Madinah, and the
Holy Prophet # defended the city by digging a trench.
(2). It means that although they are escaping from the battle - field on the pretext that
their homes are not safe, yet if the forces of the enemy invite them to join the battle
against Muslims, after their having entered the city from all sides, they would
easily join them in their mischief against Muslims, and would no more remain in
their homes.It shows that their pretext is sham.
(3). That is, everyone who enters into a covenant with Allah, has to answer how
he has fulfilled it.

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Say, "Flight will never be of any use to you, if you flee
from death or killing, and even then you will not be let
to enjoy (life) but for a little while." [16] Say, "Who is
there to protect you from Allah, if He intends evil to
you, or (who is there to prevent Him) if He intends
mercy for you?" And beside Allah, they will not find for
themselves either a friend or a helper. [17]
Allah does know the ones from among you who prevent
(others from joining the battle) and those who say to
their brothers, "Come along with us," and who do not
come to the battle but for a little while, [18] (and that
too) with a greed against you (i.e. to extract a share of
spoils from you). But when fear comes, you will see
them looking towards you, rolling their eyes, like the
one who gets faint because of death. Then once fear is
gone, they assail you with sharp tongues,in greed for
the good (i.e. the wealth acquired as spopils).(4) These
people did not accept faith (in real terms), therefore
Allah has nullified their acts.(5) And all this is so easy
for Allah. [19] They think that the coalition forces have
not(yet) gone. And should the coalition forces come
(again), they would like to be living in countryside
among the Bedouins, asking (others) about your news.
And even if they were to remain among you, they would
not fight, but a little. [20]
There is indeed a good model for you in the Messenger of
Allah - for the one who has hope in Allah and the Last
Day, and remembers Allah profusely. [21](6)
(4). This verse has unveiled cowardice of the hypocrites on the one hand, and
their greed for wealth on the other. The sense is that they are so coward that
when an attack from the enemy is apprehended, they are frightened like a
person who becomes faint in fear of death. But when the enemy is driven
away by the Muslims, and the spoils of war are distributed, they come
forward assailing the Muslims with their sharp tongues and claiming that
the victory is achieved with their help, and therefore they deserve a share in
the spoils.
(5). It means that virtuous acts deserve reward in the Hereafter only when they
are accompanied by true faith in Allah, and since it has become evident that
these hypocrites do not have true faith, even their virtuous acts will not be of
any use to them in the Hereafter and will remain null and void.
(6). In the context of the battle of Ahzab, this verse is initially meant to remind
the hypocrites that they should have followed the example of the Holy
Prophet % who stood firm in the battle, but according to the unique style of
the Holy Qur'an, the direction is given in generic terms to lay down a
.
universal rule that the Muslims should follow the examples set by the Holy
Prophet # in all matters of life.

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Surah al-Ahzab : 33 : 9 - 27
And when the believers saw the coalition forces, they
said, "This is what Allah and His messenger had
promised us, and Allah and His messenger had told the
truth." And it only increased them in faith and
submission. [22]
Among the believers, there are men who came true to.
the covenant they had with Allah. So, some of them
have fulfilled their vows( by sacrificing their lives in
the way of Allah), and some of them are (still) waiting,
and they did not change (their commitment) in the
least. [23] (7) (All this happened) so that Allah may give
reward to the truthful for their truthfulness, and
punish the hypocrites, if He so wills, or accept their
repentance. Surely, Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-
Merciful. [24]
And Allah has turned back the disbelievers with all
their rage, having achieved no good. And Allah sufficed
the believers against fighting. (8) And Allah is Powerful,
Mighty. [25] And He has brought those of the people of
the Book who had backed them, down from their
fortresses, and cast awe into their hearts, so as to make
you kill some of them and take others as captives. [26]
And He let you inherit their land and their homes and
their wealth, and a land you have not trodden (so far).
And Allah is Powerful to do any thing. [27] (9)
(7). This verse admires those companions of the Holy Prophet & who had not
participated in the battle of Badr due to some valid excuses, and had vowed that
whenever the next battle would come to happen, they would offer their lives in
defence of faith. Then,some of them,like Sayyidna 'Anas Ibn Nadr de and Mus'ab
Ibn 'Umair Le fulfilled their vows by sacrificing their lives in the battle of 'Uhud,
while some others, like Sayyidna 'Uthman and Talhah . remained alive, but
eagerly waiting for having the honor of being martyred in the way of Allah.
(8). It means that Allah made a divine arrangement by sending a violent wind to the
coalition forces which compelled them to go back, and thus the Muslims did not
have to indulge in a regular battle, except to the extent of some individual
encounters.
(9). These two verses refer to Banu qurayzah, the Jewish tribe who had entered into a
treaty with the Muslims not to fight against them, and not to support the enemies
of the Muslims. But at the time of The battle of Ahzab, they violated the terms of
the treaty and supported the coalition forces. Even earlier, they had been
constantly conspiring against the Muslims to an intolerable extent. After the
battle of Ahzab was over, the Holy Prophet # besieged the fortress of Banu
qurayzah, and finally, they had to surrender, and most of their men were killed,
and the women and children were made captives. This event has been referred to in
these verses.At the same time, Allah Ta'ala has given a good news to the Muslims
that they would conquer some other lands which they had not entered before. The
words," and a land you have not trodden" refer to such future victories, especially to
the conquest of Khyber that followed within a few years after the battle of Ahzab.

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Commentary
Identified in the previous verses was the great station of the Holy
Prophet g along with the instruction to Muslims that they should follow
and obey him totally and perfectly. Congruent to this, these two full
sections of the Qur'an have been revealed about the event of the battle of
al-Ahzab. Mentioned therein is the simultaneous attack of the combined
forces of many groups of disbelievers and polytheists, their threatening
encirclement, the subsequent blessings bestowed on Muslims by Allah
Ta'ala and the several miracles that issued forth at the hands of the Holy
Prophet . Then, very much as a corollary to this, there are many
instructions and injunctions relating to different departments of life. It is
because of these very priceless instructions that great commentators have
written about the details of the event of Ahzab with considered details at
this place, particularly al-Qurtubi, Mazhari and others. Therefore, some
details of the event of Ahzab along with the instructions are being
written here. Most of it has been taken from al-Qurtubi and Mazhari.
That which has been taken from some other book carries the necessary
reference.
THE EVENT OF THE BATTLE OF AL-AHZAB
The word: ◌ُالأَحْزَاب (al-ahzab) is the plural form of: حزب (hizb) which
means party or group. In this battle, the combined forces of different
groups of disbelievers had, under a pact to eliminate Muslims, mounted
an attack on Madinah. Therefore, this battle has been named as the
battle of al-Ahzab. And since, in this battle, a trench was also dug under
the orders of the Holy Prophet
across the line of enemy attack,
therefore, this battle is also called the battle of the Trench (Khandaq).
The battle of Banu Quraizah too - which took place immediately after the
battle of al-Ahzab and finds mention in the cited verses as well - that too,
was actually a part of the battle of al-Ahzab, as it would appear through
the details of this event.
In the year only next to the year the Holy Prophet g graced
Madinah after migrating from Makkah al-Mukarramah, the event of the
battle of Badr came to pass. In the third year, came the battle of Uhud. In
the fourth year, it was this battle of al-Ahzab. Some narrations say that
this event came to pass in the fifth year. Nevertheless, the attacks of the

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Surah al-Ahzab : 33 : 9 - 27
disbelievers against Muslims had been continuing since the hijrah up to
this time without any break. The attack on the occasion of the battle of
al-Ahzab was made with full power, determination and mutual pledge.
Therefore, this battle was the severest on the Holy Prophet
¿ and the
noble Sahabah as compared with other battles - because, the count of the
attacking confederate forces of the disbelievers has been given as twelve
to fifteen thousand. On the other side, there were Muslims, three
thousand in all, and those too very ill-equipped. Then, the time was hard
winter. The Qur'an describes the horrible severity of this event by saying
بَلَغَتِ الْقُلُوُبُ الْحَنَاجِرَ ,(33:10 - the eyes were distracted) زَاغَتِ الْأَبْصَارُ :things like
(and hearts reached the throats - 33:10) and وَزُلْزِلُوا زِلْزَالاً شَدِيدًا (they were
shaken with a violent convulsion - 33:11).
But, the way this time was the hardest on Muslims, they were also
compensated at its best by Allah Ta'ala. It was with His help and support
that the matter ended in favour of Muslims in the form of such a great
success and victory that broke the back of all hostile groups of Mushriks,
Jews and Hypocrites leaving them just about incapable of even thinking
of some attack against Muslims in the future. From that angle, this battle
was the last armed confrontation between kufr and Islam - fought on the
plains of al-Madinah al-Munawwarah in the fourth or fifth year of
hijrah.
The event began when about twenty men from the Jewish tribe of
Banu Nadir and the tribe of Abu Wa'il who were morbidly hostile to the
Holy Prophet g and Muslims at large reached Makkah al-Mukarramah.
They met with Quraish chiefs and roused them to start a war against
Muslims. The Quraish chiefs were under the impression that the way
Muslims took their idol-worship to be kufr (disbelief, infidelity) and for
which reason they regarded their religion as ill-founded, the Jews too
would be no different and their thinking would be similar to it. If so, how
could they hope for a common ground of unity from them? Therefore,
these chiefs asked the Jews, "You people know that there is difference of
religion and creed between us and Muhammad
. And you are the
people of the Book and the people of learning. First of all, you tell us as to
which religion is better in your sight, ours or theirs?"
A lie is no novelty in the arena of politics!
The reply given by these Jews was totally contrary to their knowledge

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and conscience. To them, they said, "Your religion is better than the
religion of Muhammad." Thereupon, the infidels of Makkah were
somewhat satisfied. Still, the matter was taken to a future demonstration
of intent. It was decided that these twenty visitors joined by fifty men
from among the Quraish chiefs would go to al-Masjid al-Haram, cling to
the walls of the Baytullah by their chests and make a solemn pledge
before Allah that they would continue fighting against Muhammad
to
their last man.
A marvel of the forbearance and magnanimity of Allah Ta'ala!
Here are the enemies of Allah in the House of Allah clinging to the
walls of the Ka'abah of Allah making a compact to fight a war against His
Rasul - and then return satisfied with a new passion for war! This is
unique manifestation of the forbearance and magnanimity of Allah
Ta'ala. Then, the ultimate end of this compact is not too far to find. It will
appear towards the end of the narrative in that all of them bolted from
this battle.
These Jews, after having made a pact with the Quraish of Makkah,
reached the tribe of Ghitfan, a great warring tribe of Arabia. They told
them that they and the Quraish of Makkah were in full agreement with
the plan to eliminate the spreaders of this new religion (Islam) once for all
with their combined power. They asked them too to join hands with them
in that pact. Then, they also offered them a bribe. They promised to give
them the total produce of dates in one year in Khaibar - according to some
narrations, they promised the half of it to the tribe of Ghitfan. 'Uyaiynah
Ibn Hisn, the chief of the tribe of Ghitfan, approved of his participation in
the pact under this condition. Thus, they too became a part of the war
effort.
Then, in accordance with the mutual pact, the Quraish armed force of
four thousand men, three hundred horses and war supplies laden on one
thousand camels came out of Makkah under the command of Abu Sufyan
and stopped at Marr az-Zahran. Here, all tribes of Aslam, Ashja', Banu
Murrah, Banu Kinanah, Fazārah and Ghițfan joined them. Their total
number has been reported in some narrations as ten thousand, as twelve
thousand in some others and as fifteen thousand in still other.
The most lethal attack on Madinah
The armed force that fought against Muslims in the battle of Badr

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was that of one thousand men. Then, the army that attacked in the battle
of Uhud had three thousand men. This time, the numerical strength of
the attacking forces was greater than it was any time before that - the
equipment and the combined power of the Arab and Jewish tribes were
also to be counted as additional factors.
Three ingredients of Muslim war effort
When the information about this aggressive united front reached the
Holy Prophet 5, the very first verbal reaction came out from him in the
words:
حَسُبُنَا اللهُ وَنِعُمَ الْوَكِيْلُ
Allah is all-sufficient for us, and the best One to trust in - 3:173.
After that, he assembled opinion leaders from among the Emigrants
and Helpers together and went into consultation with them. Although,
the blessed recipient of Wahy (revelation) really needs no consultation for
he acts directly with the permission of Allah Ta'ala. But, there were two
advantages in having such consultation: (1) To initiate and establish the
Sunnah (practice) of consultation in the Muslim community and (2) to
revive mutual liaison and unity in the hearts of the believers and to
persuade them to the need of helping and supporting each other. After
that, they talked about matters of defence and the physical resources
needed in fighting a war. Present among the group of consultants there
was Sayyidna Salman al-Farisi de who had recently freed himself from
the artificially imposed slavery of a Jew and had devoted himself to the
service of Islam. He advised that in his country, the Persian kings have
used trenches they arranged to be dug across the enemy line of attack.
This had always helped stop the enemy. Accepting his advice, the Holy
Prophet
ordered that trenches be dug - and he himself participated
with others doing that.
The digging of trenches
It was decided to dig this trench on the entire passage way behind the
mount of Sal' which could be used by the enemy to come into Madinah
from the north. The ground marking of the length and width of this
trench was personally drawn by the Holy Prophet . Beginning from
Shaikhayn, this trench came as far as the western corner of the mount of
Sal' and later it was extended to the intersection of the valleys of Buthan

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Surah al-Aḥzab : 33 : 9 - 27
and Ratauna. The total length of this trench was approximately three
and a half miles. The precise measurement of the width and depth could
not be ascertained from any narration. But, it is obvious that the width
and depth would have also been special, of the kind the enemy would
have not found easy to cross.
It has appeared in the narration of the event relating to Sayyidna
Salman des digging the trench that he used to dig his allotted portion of
the trench which, at the end of the day, came to be five yards long and
five yards deep (Mazhari). From this, it can be said that the depth of the
trench was five yards.
The size of the Islamic 'army'
At that time, Muslims were a total of three thousand in number along
with a total of thirty six horses.
Participant age of maturity was set at fifteen years
Some non-pubert children had also come out with the Islamic 'army'
with the desire to defend their faith. The Holy Prophet & asked children
below the age of fifteen years to leave. Those fifteen year old were
accepted - included therein were Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar, Zayd
.رضى الله عنهم أجمعين Ibn Thabit, Abu Said al-Khudri and Bara' Ibn 'Azib
When this Islamic force was ready to march for battle, the hypocrites who
normally kept a face and remained intermingled among Muslims, started
backing out. Some bolted away incognito. Others came up with false
excuses and tried to get the permission of the Holy Prophet af to go back.
This was a new trouble that rose from within. Some of the cited verses
have been revealed about these very hypocrites. (Qurtubi)
Islamic nationality and Islamic unity do not contradict
administrative and social division
For this Jihad, the Holy Prophet g appointed Sayyidna Zayd Ibn
Harithah dee as the standard bearer of the Muhajirin and Sayyidna Sa'd
Ibn 'Ubadah 4
as the standard bearer of the Ansar. At that time, the
mutual brotherhood among the Muhajirin and the Ansar stood
established on very firm foundations. All of them were brothers to each
other. But, it was in view of administrative convenience that the
leadership of the Muhajirin was separated from the leadership of the
Anşar: From this, we learn that Islamic nationality and Islamic unity are

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Surah al-Ahzab : 33 : 9 - 27
not contradictory to administrative and social division. In fact, by placing
the burden of responsibility on each group helped strengthen the bond of
mutual confidence and cooperation. And in the very first assignment, that
is, in the digging of trenches before this battle, this mutual cooperation
became all too evident as described below:
The job of digging the trenches was spread over the whole army
The Holy Prophet
divided the whole army of the Muhajirin and
the Ansar in groups of ten men each and made every group of ten men
responsible for digging forty yards of the trench. Since Sayyidna Salman
al-Farisi was the one who had advised the digging of the trench, knew
the job, was strong and was neither one of the Ansar nor one of the
Muhajirin, it created a sort of competition among the Ansar and
Muhajirin for each of the two wanted to have him with them. The matter
reached to the extent that the Holy Prophet f had to intervene in order
سَلْمَانُ مِنَّا أَهُلُ الْبَيْتِ :to avoid any dispute. He gave his verdict by saying
(Salman is part of our family).
The discrimination of local and foreign in functional expertise
The universal wont in our time is that people do not like to treat those
non-resident and non-local at par with them. But, this was a place where
every group felt proud of having the competent one on their side and with
them. It was for this reason that the Holy Prophet
included him in his
family on his own and thus put an end to the dispute. Then, he
practically picked up some Muhajirin and some Ansar to form a group of
ten which included Sayyidna 'Amr Ibn 'Awf 40, Sayyidna Hudhaifah
and others who were from among the Muhajirin.
A great miracle
By chance, in the section of the trench entrusted with Sayyidna
Salman and others with him, a huge, hard and glossy rock showed up.
Sayyidna Salman's colleague, Sayyidna 'Amr Ibn 'Awf 4ce says, "This
rock broke our implements and we failed to cut it apart. Then I suggested
to Salman that though it is possible to dig the trench by- passing the huge
rock and join it up with the main trench with a minor crookedness in it,
but we should not deviate from the line drawn by the Holy Prophet as
based on our opinion. So, you go, tell the Holy Prophet @ about the
position here and get an order from him about what we should do now."