Surah 33. Al-Ahzab

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Verses [Section]: 1-8[1], 9-20 [2], 21-27 [3], 28-34 [4], 35-40 [5], 41-52 [6], 53-58 [7], 59-68 [8], 69-73 [9]

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Quran Text of Verse 9-20یٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالَّذِیْنَwhoاٰمَنُواbelieveاذْكُرُوْاRememberنِعْمَةَ(the) Favorاللّٰهِ(of) Allahعَلَیْكُمْupon youاِذْwhenجَآءَتْكُمْcame to youجُنُوْدٌ(the) hostsفَاَرْسَلْنَاand We sentعَلَیْهِمْupon themرِیْحًاa windوَّ جُنُوْدًاand hostsلَّمْnotتَرَوْهَا ؕyou (could) see themوَ كَانَAnd Allah isاللّٰهُAnd Allah isبِمَاof whatتَعْمَلُوْنَyou doبَصِیْرًاۚAll-Seer اِذْWhenجَآءُوْكُمْthey came upon youمِّنْfromفَوْقِكُمْabove youوَ مِنْand fromاَسْفَلَbelowمِنْكُمْyouوَ اِذْand whenزَاغَتِgrew wildالْاَبْصَارُthe eyesوَ بَلَغَتِand reachedالْقُلُوْبُthe heartsالْحَنَاجِرَthe throatsوَ تَظُنُّوْنَand you assumedبِاللّٰهِabout Allahالظُّنُوْنَا the assumptions هُنَالِكَThereابْتُلِیَwere triedالْمُؤْمِنُوْنَthe believersوَ زُلْزِلُوْاand shakenزِلْزَالًا(with a) shakeشَدِیْدًا severe وَ اِذْAnd whenیَقُوْلُsaidالْمُنٰفِقُوْنَthe hypocritesوَ الَّذِیْنَand thoseفِیْinقُلُوْبِهِمْtheir heartsمَّرَضٌ(was) a diseaseمَّاNotوَعَدَنَاAllah promised usاللّٰهُAllah promised usوَ رَسُوْلُهٗۤand His messengerاِلَّاexceptغُرُوْرًا delusion وَ اِذْAnd whenقَالَتْsaidطَّآىِٕفَةٌa partyمِّنْهُمْof themیٰۤاَهْلَO Peopleیَثْرِبَ(of) Yathrib!لَاNoمُقَامَstandلَكُمْfor youفَارْجِعُوْا ۚso returnوَ یَسْتَاْذِنُAnd asked permissionفَرِیْقٌa groupمِّنْهُمُof themالنَّبِیَّ(from) the ProphetیَقُوْلُوْنَsayingاِنَّIndeedبُیُوْتَنَاour housesعَوْرَةٌ ۛؕ(are) exposedوَ مَاand notهِیَtheyبِعَوْرَةٍ ۛۚ(were) exposedاِنْNotیُّرِیْدُوْنَthey wishedاِلَّاbutفِرَارًا to flee وَ لَوْAnd ifدُخِلَتْhad been enteredعَلَیْهِمْupon themمِّنْfromاَقْطَارِهَاall its sidesثُمَّthenسُىِٕلُواthey had been askedالْفِتْنَةَthe treacheryلَاٰتَوْهَاthey (would) have certainly done itوَ مَاand notتَلَبَّثُوْاthey (would) have hesitatedبِهَاۤover itاِلَّاexceptیَسِیْرًا a little وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyكَانُوْاthey hadعَاهَدُواpromisedاللّٰهَAllahمِنْbeforeقَبْلُbeforeلَاnotیُوَلُّوْنَthey would turnالْاَدْبَارَ ؕtheir backsوَ كَانَAnd isعَهْدُ(the) promiseاللّٰهِ(to) Allahمَسْـُٔوْلًا to be questioned 33. Al-Ahzab Page 420قُلْSayلَّنْNeverیَّنْفَعَكُمُwill benefit youالْفِرَارُthe fleeingاِنْifفَرَرْتُمْyou fleeمِّنَfromالْمَوْتِdeathاَوِorالْقَتْلِkillingوَ اِذًاand thenلَّاnotتُمَتَّعُوْنَyou will be allowed to enjoyاِلَّاexceptقَلِیْلًا a little قُلْSayمَنْWhoذَا(is) it thatالَّذِیْ(is) it thatیَعْصِمُكُمْ(can) protect youمِّنَfromاللّٰهِAllahاِنْIfاَرَادَHe intendsبِكُمْfor youسُوْٓءًاany harmاَوْorاَرَادَHe intendsبِكُمْfor youرَحْمَةً ؕa mercyوَ لَاAnd notیَجِدُوْنَthey will findلَهُمْfor themمِّنْbesidesدُوْنِbesidesاللّٰهِAllahوَلِیًّاany protectorوَّ لَاand notنَصِیْرًا any helper قَدْVerilyیَعْلَمُAllah knowsاللّٰهُAllah knowsالْمُعَوِّقِیْنَthose who hinderمِنْكُمْamong youوَ الْقَآىِٕلِیْنَand those who sayلِاِخْوَانِهِمْto their brothersهَلُمَّComeاِلَیْنَا ۚto usوَ لَاand notیَاْتُوْنَthey comeالْبَاْسَ(to) the battleاِلَّاexceptقَلِیْلًاۙa few اَشِحَّةًMiserlyعَلَیْكُمْ ۖۚtowards youفَاِذَاBut whenجَآءَcomesالْخَوْفُthe fearرَاَیْتَهُمْyou see themیَنْظُرُوْنَlookingاِلَیْكَat youتَدُوْرُrevolvingاَعْیُنُهُمْtheir eyesكَالَّذِیْlike one whoیُغْشٰیfaintsعَلَیْهِfaintsمِنَfromالْمَوْتِ ۚ[the] deathفَاِذَاBut whenذَهَبَdepartsالْخَوْفُthe fearسَلَقُوْكُمْthey smite youبِاَلْسِنَةٍwith tonguesحِدَادٍsharpاَشِحَّةًmiserlyعَلَیtowardsالْخَیْرِ ؕthe goodاُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseلَمْnotیُؤْمِنُوْاthey have believedفَاَحْبَطَso Allah made worthlessاللّٰهُso Allah made worthlessاَعْمَالَهُمْ ؕtheir deedsوَ كَانَAnd isذٰلِكَthatعَلَیforاللّٰهِAllahیَسِیْرًا easy یَحْسَبُوْنَThey thinkالْاَحْزَابَthe confederatesلَمْ(have) notیَذْهَبُوْا ۚwithdrawnوَ اِنْAnd ifیَّاْتِ(should) comeالْاَحْزَابُthe confederatesیَوَدُّوْاthey would wishلَوْifاَنَّهُمْthat they (were)بَادُوْنَliving in (the) desertفِیamongالْاَعْرَابِthe Bedouinsیَسْاَلُوْنَaskingعَنْaboutاَنْۢبَآىِٕكُمْ ؕyour newsوَ لَوْAnd ifكَانُوْاthey wereفِیْكُمْamong youمَّاnotقٰتَلُوْۤاthey would fightاِلَّاexceptقَلِیْلًا۠a little

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Translation of Verse 9-20

9. O believers! Remember Allah's favour upon you when ˹enemy˺ forces came to ˹besiege˺ you ˹in Medina˺, ⁸⁴⁹ so We sent against them a ˹bitter˺ wind and forces you could not see. ⁸⁵⁰ And Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.

10. ˹Remember˺ when they came at you from east and west, ⁸⁵¹ when your eyes grew wild ˹in horror˺ and your hearts jumped into your throats, and you entertained ˹conflicting˺ thoughts about Allah. ⁸⁵²

11. Then and there the believers were put to the test, and were violently shaken.

12. And ˹remember˺ when the hypocrites and those with sickness in their hearts said, "Allah and His Messenger have promised us nothing but delusion!"

13. And ˹remember˺ when a group of them said, "O people of Yathrib! ⁸⁵³ There is no point in you staying ˹here˺, so retreat!" Another group of them asked the Prophet's permission ˹to leave˺, saying, "Our homes are vulnerable," while ˹in fact˺ they were not vulnerable. They only wished to flee.

14. Had their city been sacked from all sides and they had been asked to abandon faith, they would have done so with little hesitation.

15. They had already pledged to Allah earlier never to turn their backs ˹in retreat˺. And a pledge to Allah must be answered for.

16.

17. Ask ˹them, O Prophet˺, "Who can put you out of Allah's reach if He intends to harm you or show you mercy?" They can never find any protector or helper besides Allah.

18. Allah knows well those among you who discourage ˹others from fighting˺, saying ˹secretly˺ to their brothers, "Stay with us," and who themselves hardly take part in fighting.

19. ˹They are˺ totally unwilling to assist you. When danger comes, you see them staring at you with their eyes rolling like someone in the throes of death. But once the danger is over, they slash you with razor-sharp tongues, ravenous for ˹worldly˺ gains. Such people have not ˹truly˺ believed, so Allah has rendered their deeds void. And that is easy for Allah.

20. They ˹still˺ think that the enemy alliance has not ˹yet˺ withdrawn. And if the allies were to come ˹again˺, the hypocrites would wish to be away in the desert among nomadic Arabs, ˹only˺ asking for news about you ˹believers˺. And if the hypocrites were in your midst, they would hardly take part in the fight.

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Commentary

849. In 5 A.H./627 C.E., the Meccan pagans along with some Arab and Jewish tribes (totalling around 10 000 soldiers) laid a siege around Medina, where the Prophet ( ﷺ ) was positioned with 3000 soldiers. The Prophet ( ﷺ ) had anticipated the offence and, upon an advice from one of his companions, dug a trench around the city to protect it from invaders. After several unsuccessful attempts to cross the trench, the allied enemies quickly lost morale, and were forced to end the siege due to severe weather conditions. This encounter is commonly known as the Battle of the Trench or the Enemy Alliance.

850. The angels.

851. lit., from above and below you.

852. The believers were reassured while the doubts of the hypocrites grew more fierce.

853. Yathrib was the name of Medina before the arrival of the Prophet ( ﷺ ) and Muslim emigrants.