033- AL-AḤZĀB
THE PARTIES
Al-Aḥzāb
A Madinan sūrah, al-Aḥzāb is believed to have been revealed immediately after Sūrah 3, Āl ʿImrān. The surah takes its name from the mention of the parties (al-aḥzāb), or confederates (an alliance consisting of the Makkan Quraysh and other Arab and Jewish tribes), who fought the Muslims at the Battle of the Trench (5/627), also known as the Battle of the Parties and as the Siege of Madinah.
The strength of the confederate armies is estimated to have been around ten thousand men with six hundred horses and many camels; the Madinans numbered around three thousand. When news of the forces marching upon Madinah reached the Prophet, the outnumbered defenders of Madinah, mainly Muslims, had only six days to prepare. They employed a strategy suggested by the Persian Salmān al-Fārsī and heretofore unknown to the Arabs: they dug a trench on the northern outskirts of Madinah that connected its natural fortifications, large lava tracts to the east and west whose rough, irregular surface impeded cavalry attacks. The earth and rock excavated from the trench were heaped up on the defenders’ side, giving them protection from projectiles and providing them with many rocks as ammunition. The trench also made it almost impossible for horses to leap to the other side. Hundreds of high-walled gardens that created serpentine pathways already impeded attack from the south, because any attacking army would be forced to march in long columns that would be open to ambush.
The Muslim forces patrolled the approximately three-and-a half-mile trench day and night. These defenses limited the fighting to small skirmishes and turned the battle into a test of wits and wills that resulted in a month-long siege. The confederate army made several attempts to cross the trench at night, but repeatedly failed. Hoping to make several attacks at once, the confederates persuaded the Jewish tribe of Banū Qurayẓah, who resided in Madinah, to allow them through their fortifications to attack the city from the south. The Muslims, however, caught wind of this plan and managed to sow dissension between the Quraysh and the Banū Qurayẓah and thus derail their negotiations. They further weakened the confederacy by offering one of its key tribes, the Banū Ghaṭafān, one-third of the date harvest of Madinah if they left the battlefield. Although terms of the treaty with the Banū Ghaṭafān could not be agreed upon, the fact that a large part of the confederacy had entered into negotiations with the Prophet strained the already tense relations within the confederacy. The dissension between the parties, the sinking of confederate morale, and a sandstorm that lasted several days helped bring the siege to an end.
In the aftermath, the Muslim army laid siege to the Banū Qurayẓah and forced their unconditional surrender. For their act of treason in negotiating with an opposing force and thus breaking the treaty of Madinah, the men of the Banū Qurayẓah were all sentenced to death and the women and children taken captive. The defeat also caused the Makkans to lose much of their prestige and was the last major battle between the Muslims and the Quraysh before the conquest of Makkah in 8/630. In addition to addressing this major turning point in early Islamic history, al-Aḥzāb is significant for highlighting the importance of the Prophet in Islam and the status of his wives. He is said to be closer to the believers than they are to themselves (v. 6) and a beautiful example for those who hope for God and the Last Day, and remember God much (v. 21). The believers are thus counseled to obey him (vv. 33, 36, 66, 71), especially when he has decreed a matter (v. 36). The sūrah further confirms that he is not the biological father of any of the men among the believers (v. 40), but in extolling the virtues of the Prophet’s wives and declaring them to be the mothers of the believers (v. 6), it confirms his status as a spiritual father to all believers. In addition to affirming that the Prophet is a witness, a warner, a bearer of glad tidings, and one who calls unto God (vv. 45–46), as do many other passages of the Quran, this surah refers to him as the Seal of the prophets (v. 40) and a luminous lamp (v. 46).
In one of the most celebrated verses of the Quran, al-Aḥzāb declares that God and His angels invoke blessings upon the Prophet and enjoins the believers to do so as well (vv. 56–57). Finally, the Prophet’s wives are afforded a status above other women (vv. 31–32), and the family of the Prophet, here referred to as the People of the House, are said to be those whom God desires to purify of all defilements (v. 33). Based upon such verses and many aḥādīth, love for the Prophet and his family has long been regarded as a foundational component of faith. In the words of the Prophet, “Love God for how He nourishes you from His Blessings. Love me for the love of God. And love the people of my house for the love of me.” In this regard, the famous scholar and ascetic Sufyān al-Thawrī (d. 161/778) is reported to have said, “Whosoever loves one whom God loves only loves God. And whosoever honors one whom God has honored only honors God.”
(source: “The Study Quran” a new translation and commentary by Seyyed Hossein Nasr)
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