ﳐ ﳑ ﳒ ﳓ ﳔ ﳕ ﳖ ﳗ ﳘ ﳙ ﳚ ﳛ ﳜ ﳝ ﳞ ﳟ ﳠ ﳡ ﳢ
And when the believers saw the companies, they said, "This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth." And it increased them only in faith and acceptance.
Tafsir
Verse range: 33:22
When the state of the hypocrites was explained, the state of the believers is now mentioned. They said: "This is what Allah promised us [of trial]."
Then they said: {And the saying of Allah and His Messenger was true} (Al-Ahzab: 22), in direct contrast to the hypocrites' statement: {And what Allah and His Messenger promised us was but delusion} (Al-Ahzab: 12).
Their statement, {And the saying of Allah and His Messenger was true}, is not merely an acknowledgment of what has already occurred, as they knew the truthfulness of Allah before the events took place. Rather, it is an affirmation regarding the glad tidings: they had said, {This is what Allah promised us}, and it has now materialized. Thus, Allah is true in everything He promised, such as the conquest of Mecca, the Romans, and the Persians.
And His saying, {It only increased them in faith}, refers to their conviction in the occurrence of the promise and their submission upon its realization.
{Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah. So, of them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to die], and of them is he who awaits [his turn], and they have not altered [their commitment] in the least} (25) {That Allah may recompense the truthful for their truthfulness and punish the hypocrites if He wills or accept their repentance. Indeed, Allah is Ever Forgiving, Merciful} (26) {And Allah repelled those who disbelieved, in their rage; they attained no [worldly] good. And Allah sufficed the believers from fighting. And ever is Allah Powerful, Exalted in Might} (27).
{Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah} (25): This verse praises the steadfastness of the true believers.
{So, of them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to die]}: This refers to those who died fighting bravely, fulfilling their pledge to Allah, such as Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him).
{and of them is he who awaits [his turn]}: This refers to those who are still alive, awaiting the opportunity to fulfill their covenant by achieving martyrdom, such as those who remained firm during the Battle of the Trench (Al-Ahzab).
{and they have not altered [their commitment] in the least}: They did not change their sincere intention or waver in their resolve despite the severe hardship and fear they faced.
{That Allah may recompense the truthful for their truthfulness} (26): This is the purpose of their steadfastness—to receive the reward for their sincerity.
{and punish the hypocrites if He wills or accept their repentance}: This indicates that the punishment of the hypocrites is contingent upon Allah's will; He may choose to punish them or grant them repentance.
{Indeed, Allah is Ever Forgiving, Merciful}: This emphasizes Allah's boundless mercy, even towards those who showed hypocrisy but might later repent.
{And Allah repelled those who disbelieved, in their rage; they attained no [worldly] good} (27): Allah turned back the Confederates (Ahzab) in their intense anger and frustration because their effort yielded them no benefit or spoils.
{And Allah sufficed the believers from fighting}: This refers to the Battle of the Trench, where Allah aided the believers through the wind, the terror sent upon the enemy, and the internal sabotage by the Banu Qurayza, thus sparing the believers from extensive direct combat.
{And ever is Allah Powerful, Exalted in Might}: This confirms that Allah has the absolute power to execute His will, whether by aiding His friends or defeating His enemies.
