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 21-27لَقَدْCertainlyكَانَisلَكُمْfor youفِیْinرَسُوْلِ(the) Messengerاللّٰهِ(of) Allahاُسْوَةٌan excellent exampleحَسَنَةٌan excellent exampleلِّمَنْfor (one) whoكَانَhasیَرْجُواhopeاللّٰهَ(in) Allahوَالْیَوْمَand the Dayالْاٰخِرَthe Lastوَ ذَكَرَand remembersاللّٰهَAllahكَثِیْرًاؕmuch وَ لَمَّاAnd whenرَاَsawالْمُؤْمِنُوْنَthe believersالْاَحْزَابَ ۙthe confederatesقَالُوْاthey saidهٰذَاThisمَا(is) whatوَعَدَنَاAllah promised usاللّٰهُAllah promised usوَ رَسُوْلُهٗand His Messengerوَ صَدَقَand Allah spoke the truthاللّٰهُand Allah spoke the truthوَ رَسُوْلُهٗ ؗand His Messengerوَ مَاAnd notزَادَهُمْit increased themاِلَّاۤexceptاِیْمَانًا(in) faithوَّ تَسْلِیْمًاؕand submission 33. Al-Ahzab Page 421مِنَAmongالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَthe believersرِجَالٌ(are) menصَدَقُوْا(who) have been trueمَا(to) whatعَاهَدُواthey promised Allahاللّٰهَthey promised Allahعَلَیْهِ ۚ[on it]فَمِنْهُمْAnd among themمَّنْ(is he) whoقَضٰیhas fulfilledنَحْبَهٗhis vowوَ مِنْهُمْand among themمَّنْ(is he) whoیَّنْتَظِرُ ۖؗawaitsوَ مَاAnd notبَدَّلُوْاthey alterتَبْدِیْلًاۙ(by) any alteration لِّیَجْزِیَThat Allah may rewardاللّٰهُThat Allah may rewardالصّٰدِقِیْنَthe truthfulبِصِدْقِهِمْfor their truthوَ یُعَذِّبَand punishالْمُنٰفِقِیْنَthe hypocritesاِنْifشَآءَHe willsاَوْorیَتُوْبَturn in mercyعَلَیْهِمْ ؕto themاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahكَانَisغَفُوْرًاOft-ForgivingرَّحِیْمًاۚMost Merciful وَ رَدَّAnd Allah turned backاللّٰهُAnd Allah turned backالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedبِغَیْظِهِمْin their rageلَمْnotیَنَالُوْاthey obtainedخَیْرًا ؕany goodوَ كَفَیAnd sufficient isاللّٰهُAllahالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ(for) the believersالْقِتَالَ ؕ(in) the battleوَ كَانَand Allah isاللّٰهُand Allah isقَوِیًّاAll-StrongعَزِیْزًاۚAll-Mighty وَ اَنْزَلَAnd He brought downالَّذِیْنَthose whoظَاهَرُوْهُمْbacked themمِّنْamongاَهْلِ(the) Peopleالْكِتٰبِ(of) the Scriptureمِنْfromصَیَاصِیْهِمْtheir fortressesوَ قَذَفَand castفِیْintoقُلُوْبِهِمُtheir heartsالرُّعْبَ[the] terrorفَرِیْقًاa groupتَقْتُلُوْنَyou killedوَ تَاْسِرُوْنَand you took captiveفَرِیْقًاۚa group وَ اَوْرَثَكُمْAnd He caused you to inheritاَرْضَهُمْtheir landوَ دِیَارَهُمْand their housesوَ اَمْوَالَهُمْand their propertiesوَ اَرْضًاand a landلَّمْnotتَطَـُٔوْهَا ؕyou (had) troddenوَ كَانَAnd Allah isاللّٰهُAnd Allah isعَلٰیonكُلِّeveryشَیْءٍthingقَدِیْرًا۠All-Powerful

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Translation of Verse 21-27

(33:21) Surely there was a good example for you in the Messenger of Allah,³⁴ for all those who look forward to Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much.³⁵

(33:22) As for the true believers,³⁶ when they saw the invading confederates, they cried out: “This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us, and what Allah and His Messenger said was absolutely true.”³⁷ This only increased their faith and submission. ³⁸

(33:23) Among the believers there are those who have remained true to the covenant they made with Allah. Among those some of them have fulfilled their vow and others await the appointed time.³⁹ They have not changed in the least.

(33:24) (All this is) in order that Allah may reward the truthful for their truthfulness, and either punish the hypocrites or, if He so wills, accept their repentance. Verily Allah is Most Pardoning, Most Compassionate.

(33:25) Allah sent back the unbelievers empty-handed, their hearts seething with rage. Allah sufficed the believers in their fight. Allah is Most Powerful, Most Mighty.

(33:26) Allah brought down from their fortresses those People of the Book who had supported the invading confederates⁴⁰ and cast such terror into their hearts that some of them you kill and some of them you take captive.

(33:27) Allah made you inherit their land, their dwellings, and their goods, and a piece of land on which you had not yet trodden. Verily Allah has power over all things.

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Commentary

34. The context in which this has been said indicates its purpose. It was to teach a lesson to those who were concerned with their own safety and the furtherance of their own worldly interests on the occasion of the Ahzab Campaign. How could they do so when they claimed to believe in and submit to God and to follow the Prophet (peace be on him)? They should have taken into account the example of God’s Messenger (peace be on him) among whose followers they were. Had their leader been overly concerned with his personal safety, or was given to a life of ease and comfort, or was someone whose attention was focused on his own interests, or was someone who took to heel at the first sight of danger, then any show of weakness on the part of his followers would have been understandable. In this case, however, their leader, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) was indeed of quite a different mettle.

He did not ask anyone to bear a burden that he himself did not bear.

In fact, he was ahead of others in doing so. There was no hardship which he did not share with his followers. He was also among those who dug the trench to protect Madinah from the onslaught of Islam’s, enemies. He also equally shared with other Muslims the pangs of hunger and the inclemency of a cold winter. During the siege he was always present on the battlefront and did not shrink even for a moment from taking part in encounters. His own family, too, was exposed. to the same perils to which the rest of the Muslims were exposed as a result of Bani Qurayzah’s perfidy. He made no special security arrangements for himself or for his family. Instead, he wed his readiness to sacrifice whatever he had and did so before asking others to do so. He was, therefore, a living role model for his followers, one which they should, naturally have followed.

This, then, is the obvious meaning of the verse in its given context.

However, the verse is also universal in its import and cannot be restricted only to a particular context. God does not say that the Prophet (peace be on him) is a model only in this particular respect. Rather, he stands out as a role model in the broadest possible sense of the term. Muslims must emulate his example and mold their lives on his exemplary pattern.

35. For those negligent of God, the Prophet (peace be on him) is obviously not a role model. His example is emulated, however, by all those who remember God much. Likewise, there are those who do not believe and do not look forward to any reward from God. They also do not believe that the Day of Resurrection will ever come. Such a person will fail to discern anything remarkable in the life-example of the Prophet (peace be on him). As for those who look forward to God's grace and favor and are concerned about the Hereafter, they will inevitably draw upon the Prophet's example. The success of such people rests on the extent to which they are able to emulate the Prophet's life-example.

36. After stressing that the Prophet (peace be on him) is the role model, attention is drawn to the exemplary conduct of his Companions. This is done in order to highlight the difference between the wholesome conduct of these true men of faith and the wickedness of false claimants to faith.

Outwardly, both seemed alike in so far as both professed to believe, were reckoned to belong to the fold of Islam, and offered Prayers. However, in the hour of crisis each stood apart from the other, making it abundantly clear whose allegiance to God and His Messenger was sincere and whose was not.

37. Here, one should bear in mind verse 12 of this surah regarding the hypocrites and all those with diseased hearts. When such people witnessed a huge 12,000 strong army attacking from the front and Bani Qurayzah from the rear, they cried out: “All that Allah and His Messenger had promised was nothing but deceit.” They began to contend that the Muslims were promised that were they to believe in God they would receive God’s aid, that they would prevail against the Arabs as well as non-Arabs, and the treasures of Caesar and Chosroes would be theirs. However, what happened was quite contrary to this. The whole of Arabia was bent on destroying them and there was no trace of the army of angels that would rescue them from the fierce predicament in which they were caught.

Here, it is pointed out that God’s promises to the believers were not uniformly understood. It is made clear that the promises of God and His Messenger (peace be on him) were liable to two different ways of understanding. One way to understand these promises was that of the hypocrites who thought that they had been cheated. True believers, however, understood them differently. When confronted with impending dangers they too recalled those promises. They, however, did not think that they had been promised dominance over the whole world without even raising their little finger in God’s cause, or that armies of angels would land on earth to coronate them! They knew well that they themselves would first have to undergo severe tests and trials, endure immense hardships and make enormous sacrifices and only then would they be granted success in this world and the Next. This is what the Qur’an says on the subject: Do you suppose that you will enter Paradise untouched by the suffering endured by the people of faith who passed away before you? They were afflicted by misery and hardship and were so convulsed that the Messenger and the believers with him cried out: “When will Allah’s help arrive?” They were assured: “Behold Allah’s help is close by”, (al-Baqarah 2:214).

Do people think that they will be left alone on saying: “We believe”, and that they will not be tested? We did test those before them, and God will certainly ascertain those who spoke the truth and those who lied, (al- ‘Ankabut 29:2-3).

38. Far from feeling threatened, the believers’ faith grew and strengthened as they came face to face with this calamitous situation.

Also, instead of shirking their obedience to God, they resolved, with even greater faith and mental equanimity, to consecrate to Him their lives and properties.

It is pertinent to note that faith is a state of mind and heart. This is put to the test whenever one is required by one’s faith either to do something or refrain from it. On numerous occasions, faith forbids or prescribes something, requiring that one sacrifice one’s wealth, time, money, energy and even life. Whoever deviates from the course of obedience will suffer a decline in his faith. By contrast, whoever faithfully carries out the enjoinments of faith will grow in faith and resignation to God.

Initially a person becomes a person of faith and submission simply by verbally affirming Islam’s basic creed, that is: “There is no deity other than Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger.” But faith is not static. It can grow and decline. A decrease in a person’s sincerity and obedience contributes to decline of faith so much so that this process can bring man to the border line of hypocrisy. Conversely, the sincerer a person is in respect of his faith, the more he strives to obey God, and the more devoted and enthusiastic he is to exalt God’s religion, the more his faith will correspondingly grow. Such a person can even reach a stage when he becomes an embodiment of utter sincerity and faithfulness (siddiqiyah).

This growth and decline in a person’s state of faith is, however, known only to God. Hence, when a person affirms his belief in Islam, he becomes a Muslim. He will continue to be considered a Muslim as long — as he holds on to that position. No one is in a position to judge another Muslim as half a Muslim, or one quarter of a Muslim, or that someone is twice or thrice as good a Muslim as any other Muslim. As regards their legal rights, all will be considered equal. No one is entitled to a greater or lesser share in rights depending on the state of one’s faith. Faith cannot be reckoned in such terms by human beings. Imam Abu Hanifah means exactly this when he says: “Faith neither increases nor decreases”. (For details see, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, Surah al-Anfal 8: n.2, Vol.

Ill, pp. 137-138; Tafhim al-Qur'an, Surah al-Fath 48: n. 7.)

39. Some believers have already laid down their lives in God’s cause while others are poised to follow in their footsteps, being in a state of utter readiness to sacrifice their lives whenever so required.

40. That is, the Jews of bani Qurayzah tribe.