Bismillāh
وَلَمَّا رَأَى الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْأَحْزَابَ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَصَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ ۚ وَمَا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّآ إِيمَـٰنًۭا وَتَسْلِيمًۭا
But when the believers saw the allied forces, they said, “This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us. The promise of Allah and His Messenger has come true. And this only increased them in faith and submission.
Sūrat Ahzāb, No.33, Āyat 22
This verse relates to the Battle of al-Ahzāb (Confederates), also known as the Battle of the Trench. The various tribes of Arabia banded together to form an army of ten thousand soldiers and marched upon the city of Madinah. They surrounded the city from all directions with the objective of annihilating the Muslim army, occupying Madinah, and extinguishing the light of Islam. For the Muslims, it was a moment of immense trial and uncertainty. They stood on the brink of destruction with only a trench separating them from imminent death.
When the hypocrites saw the massive confederate armies, they were overcome by fear and doubt, and they exclaimed,
وَإِذْ يَقُولُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌۭ مَّا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ إِلَّا غُرُورًۭا
And ˹remember˺ when the hypocrites and those with sickness in their hearts said, “Allah and His Messenger have promised us nothing but delusion!” (Q33:12)
In this verse, Allah ‘azza wajall underlines the exemplary response of the believers. When they saw the confederate forces, they recognized it as the fulfillment of Allah’s promise and affirmed the truthfulness of His Messenger. According to Majma‘ al-Bayān, they recalled that the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) had informed them that the tribes of Arabia would one day unite to wage war against the Muslims. Alternatively, the verse may refer to Allah’s general promise that the believers would be tested with hardship, trials, and affliction in the path of Islam before attaining victory:
أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَ لَمَّا يَأْتِكُمْ مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ مَسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْساءُ وَ الضَّرَّاءُ وَ زُلْزِلُوا حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ مَتى نَصْرُ اللَّـهِ أَلا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّـهِ قَرِيبٌ
Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while there has not yet come to you the like of what came to those before you? Affliction and hardship befell them, and they were shaken until the Messenger and those who believed with him said: ‘When will the help of Allah come? Indeed, Allah’s help is ˹always˺ near (Q2:214).
Their statement, “Allah and His Messenger have spoken the truth,” does not merely refer to the occurrence of the event itself, for they already believed in the truthfulness of Allah and His Messenger before it came to pass. Rather, it refers to the promises and glad tidings that had been given to them. In other words, they were saying: “This is what Allah promised us, and now we see it unfolding before our eyes.” The fulfillment of this promise served as a confirmation of Allah’s truthfulness in all that He had promised. Consequently, they became even more certain that His other promises would also be fulfilled, including the conquest of Mecca and the victories over the Romans and the Persians.
It is noteworthy that the believers attribute truthfulness to both Allah (swt) and His messenger. This is because the hypocrites had stated that Allah and His messenger have promised nothing but delusion (Q33:12). Hence the believers responded to them by saying that both Allah and his messenger have promised the truth. This shows the importance of having faith in prophethood is a part of having faith in Allah (swt).
This reality of trials strengthening faith can be seen most clearly in the tragedy of Karbala. The family and companions of Aba ‘Abdillāh al-Husayn (a) remained steadfast by his side through the most difficult of circumstances, sacrificing everything to preserve the true message of Islam. Far from weakening their resolve, the severe trials they faced only deepened their faith, loyalty, and certainty. It was in recognition of this unwavering devotion that Imam al-Husayn (a) declared: “I do not know of any companions more loyal and better than my companions.”
We pray to the Almighty to increase our faith in Him and His messenger, and to grant us certainty in His promises and submission to His will. We continue to pray for the safety and victory of the Muslim Ummah through the hastening of Imam al-Hujjah ‘ajjallāhu farajah.
Sources: Āyatullāh Nāsir Makārim Shirāzī (Ed.), Tafsīr-e Namūneh, ‘Allāmah Muhammad Husayn Tabātabā’ī, Tafsīr al-Mīzān, Shaykh Tabarsī, Tafsīr Majma‘ al-Bayān; Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, Tafsīr al-Kabīr.