Al-Ahzab: (22) "And when the believers saw the confederates..."

(And when the believers saw the confederates) — This is an explanation of what emanated from the sincere believers when matters became ambiguous and conjectures became muddled, following the account of what emanated from others. That is, they witnessed them just as they had been described to them.

(They said, "This is...") — According to some investigative scholars, this is an indication of what they witnessed, without any word indicating it crossing their minds, let alone considerations of masculine or feminine grammatical gender, for those are properties of the word itself. Yes, it is permissible to use the masculine gender, considering that the predicate is (what Allah and His Messenger promised us). This title is the first thing that crosses their minds upon witnessing. According to the majority, it is an indication of the calamity and the trial. The word "ma" (what) is a relative pronoun whose referent is omitted; it is the second object of the verb "promised," meaning: "that which Allah promised us." It is also permitted that it be an infinitive particle, meaning: "This is the promise of Allah, the Exalted, and His Messenger to us." By this, they intended what was encompassed by the saying of the Exalted in Surah Al-Baqarah: "Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while there has not yet come to you [the like of] what came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship..." as reported by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Marduyah, and Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Dala'il from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them). A group also reported it from Qatadah. The verse of Al-Baqarah was revealed a year before the event, according to what Juwaybir reported from Al-Dahhak from the scholar (Ibn Abbas), may Allah be pleased with him.

In Al-Bahr, it is reported from Ibn Abbas: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to his companions: "The confederates are marching toward you in nine or ten [days]," meaning at the end of nine or ten nights—either from the time of the news or from the beginning of the month. When they saw them approaching at the appointed time, they said that. Their intended meaning was what had been promised in this news. Ibn Hajar critiqued this, stating it is not found in the books of Hadith.

It was recited with the imalah (inclination) of the 'ra' in ra'a (saw) towards the kasrah, with the fathah on the hamzah and without its imalah. It was also narrated that both were inclined, or that the hamzah was inclined without the 'ra', according to details in Al-Nashr, so refer to it.

(And Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth) — The outward appearance suggests it is within the scope of the statement. Thus, it is permitted to be a conjunction to the clause "This is what He promised us," etc., or a conjunction to the link of the relative pronoun, which is as you can see. It is also possible that it is in the position of a state (hal), with the supposition of "qad" (already) or without it. Regardless, the intent is that the truthfulness of the news of Allah, the Exalted, and His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) became apparent, because the truthfulness was already realized before that, and what resulted from seeing the confederates was its manifestation. It is also permitted that the meaning is: "And Allah, the Exalted, and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, were truthful in [giving] victory and reward, just as Allah and His Messenger were truthful in [the trial of] calamity." The explicit naming is mentioned before the pronoun for glorification, and because if it were made a hidden pronoun and it were said, "And He and His Messenger were truthful," it would involve combining Allah the Exalted and another in a single pronoun, and it is better to avoid that. If one were to say, "And He and His Messenger were truthful," the explicit naming remains in the place of the hidden pronoun, so the objection is not resolved—this is what has been said. The discussion regarding the combination [of pronouns] has already been mentioned.

(And it did not increase them) — i.e., what they saw, understood from the saying of the Exalted (And when the believers saw the confederates), etc. The return of the pronoun to the verbal noun understood from "saw" is hindered by the masculine gender. Some return it to the "witnessing" understood from that. It is also permissible that it returns to the "promise" or the "calamity and trial," which are understood from the context or the indication.

Ibn Abi Ablah recited (And it did not increase them) with a plural pronoun returning to the confederates, (except in faith) in Allah the Exalted and His promises, (and submission) to His commands—glorified be His majesty—and His decrees—glorified be He. The verse is used as evidence for the permissibility of faith increasing and decreasing. Those who denied this said: "The increase is in what is believed in, not in faith itself." This debate is famous and recorded in the books of theology in the most comprehensive manner.