Tafsir of Al-Ahzab 33:26

Surah Al-Ahzab (33): Verse 26

Original Text Segment: وأنزل الذين ظاهروهم . . . . .

Translation:

And He brought down those who supported them [from the People of the Book]...

Analysis of the Verse (Continuation):

...meaning, those who aided them from the People of the Book, who were the Banu Qurayza, from their fortresses (ṣiyāṣihim). He cast terror (al-ruʿb) into their hearts until they surrendered themselves to be killed, and their children and women to be taken captive.

He said: "A party you kill, and a party you take captive." (Referring to the men being killed, and the women and children being taken captive.)

On the Order of Mention (Grammatical/Rhetorical Inquiry):

If one asks: Is there a benefit in presenting the object (mafʿūl) first in the phrase, "A party you kill" (farīqan taqtulūn), and delaying it in the phrase, "and a party you take captive" (wa-taʾsirūna farīqan)?

Answer (Al-Razi's Explanation):

We have previously answered that there is no element in the Qur'an without inherent benefits, some apparent and some hidden.

What is apparent here, and Allah knows best, is that the speaker begins with what is most important, most familiar, and closest.

1. The Men (Killing): The men were well-known figures, and killing was the fate intended for them.
2. The Women and Children (Captivity): The captives were the women and children, who were less conspicuous. Furthermore, captivity and enslavement are more apparent outcomes than killing, as the captive remains visible to everyone, demonstrating their status as a captive.

Therefore, the speaker presented the object associated with the more prominent action first, and the more prominent of the two actions (killing/capturing) was presented first relative to the less conspicuous object.

Alternative Grammatical Explanation:

If we wish to phrase this using grammatical terminology:

In the phrase, "A party you kill" (farīqan taqtulūn), it is a verbal sentence (jumlah fiʿliyyah). The default structure for a verbal sentence is Verb-Object-Subject. If it were a nominal sentence (jumlah ismiyyah), the object (farīq) would require the nominative case (rafʿ), and the structure would be: "A party among them, you kill them" (farīqun minhum taqtulūnahum).

Since the object is in the accusative case (naṣb), it implies an omitted verb clarified by the explicit verb: taqtulūna farīqan taqtulūn. This structure (fronting the object) is employed due to the intense focus on clarifying the object.

Here, because Allah mentioned the state of those who supported them and cast terror into their hearts, if He had said, "You kill..." and the listener waited for the object of "kill," time might pass, or an interruption might occur, preventing the listener from knowing who was killed.

However, by saying "A party" first, while the terror is already in their hearts, the listener is engaged until the end of the statement. When the first part is a Verb-Object structure, the object is fronted for the benefit of connecting the second clause to it based on the default structure. The omission of the verb's fronting (i.e., keeping the object first) occurs because the necessity for fronting the verb is removed once their condition is known, and what follows pertains to them.

If He had then said, "and a party you take captive," a listener hearing "a party" might assume they would be released or that they could not be overpowered. Therefore, fronting the verb in the second instance (wa-taʾsirūna farīqan) was more appropriate.

Similarly, the structure in "And He brought down those who supported them" (wa-anzala alladhīna ẓāharūhum) and "and He cast terror" (wa-qadhafa)—the casting of terror preceded the bringing down (of the enemy forces) because the terror became the reason for the descent (of the forces). However, since the joy associated with the descent (the victory) was greater, the descent was mentioned before the casting of terror. And Allah knows best.

Verse 33:27

Original Text: { وأورثكم أرضهم وديارهم وأموالهم وأرضا لم تطئوها وكان الله على كل شىء قديرا }

Translation:

And He caused you to inherit their land, their dwellings, their wealth, and land which you had not trodden. And Allah is over all things competent (All-Powerful).