Tafsir of Al-Ahzab 33:23

A group of the Companions vowed that if they encountered battle alongside the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), they would stand firm and fight until they were martyred. They included Uthman ibn Affan, Talha ibn Ubayd Allah, Sa'id ibn Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl, Hamza, Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr, and others, may Allah be pleased with them.

"Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow" refers to Hamza and Mus'ab. "And among them is he who awaits" refers to Uthman and Talha.

In the Hadith: "Whoever wishes to look at a martyr walking upon the face of the earth, let him look at Talha."

If you ask: What is the "fulfillment of the vow" (qada' al-nahb)? I say: It is an expression for death. Since every living being must die, it is as if death is a vow bound to one's neck; when one dies, he has fulfilled his vow. The verse may mean dying as a martyr, or it may mean fulfilling the vow of standing firm with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

If you ask: What is the reality of the phrase "they were true to what they covenanted with Allah"? I say: It is said, "He spoke the truth to me" (sadaqani) and "He lied to me" (kadhaba-ni). Regarding the proverb "He spoke the truth to me regarding the age of his young camel" (sadaqani sinna bakrihi), it means he was truthful regarding the age, with the preposition omitted. Thus, "what they covenanted with Allah" is either treated like the "age" in the omission of the preposition, or the covenant itself is treated as the object of truthfulness—as if they said to the covenant, "We will fulfill you," and by fulfilling it, they proved it true. Had they broken it, they would have proven it false.

"And they did not alter" the covenant, neither those who were martyred nor those who await martyrdom. Talha stood firm with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the day of Uhud until his hand was struck, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Talha has made it mandatory [for Paradise]."

Regarding the allusion to those among the hypocrites and the sick-hearted who did alter: The hypocrites are depicted as if they intended an evil outcome through their alteration, just as the truthful intended the outcome of truth through their fulfillment. Both groups were driven toward their respective ends of reward or punishment.

"And He may punish them if He wills"—if they do not repent—"or accept their repentance"—if they do repent.

"And Allah drove back those who disbelieved" (the Confederates) "in their rage"—being in a state of rage. "Having attained no good"—not having achieved victory. These are two states, either overlapping or sequential.

"And Allah spared the believers the battle" through the wind and the angels.

"And He brought down those"—who supported the Confederates from the People of the Scripture—"from their fortresses." A sayṣiyah is anything one uses for fortification; it is used for the horn of a bull or gazelle, and the spur of a rooster, because it uses it for defense.

It is narrated that Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the morning after the Confederates were defeated. The Muslims had laid down their weapons. Gabriel was on his horse, al-Hayzum, with dust on the horse's face and the saddle. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, "What is this, Gabriel?" He replied, "It is from pursuing Quraysh." The Prophet (ﷺ) began wiping the dust from the horse's face and saddle. Gabriel said, "O Messenger of Allah, the angels have not laid down their weapons. Allah commands you to march to Banu Qurayza, and I am heading toward them. Allah will crush them like eggs on a rock; they are your spoils."

The Prophet (ﷺ) announced: "Whoever is a listener and obedient, let him not pray Asr except at Banu Qurayza." Many did not pray Asr until after the night prayer. He besieged them for twenty-five nights until the siege exhausted them. He asked, "Will you submit to my judgment?" They refused. He asked, "To the judgment of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh?" They agreed. Sa'd said, "I judge that their fighters be killed and their offspring and women be taken captive." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You have judged with the judgment of Allah from above seven heavens." He then brought them down and dug a trench in the market of Medina, brought them forward, and struck their necks. They numbered between eight hundred and nine hundred.

It is narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) assigned their property to the Emigrants, not the Helpers. The Helpers spoke about this, so he said, "You are in your homes." Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Will you not take a fifth as you did at Badr?" He replied, "No, this was granted to me as spoils exclusively." Umar said, "We are satisfied with what Allah and His Messenger have done."

"And He gave you land":

• Al-Hasan: Persia and Byzantium.
• Qatada: We were told it was Mecca.
• Muqatil: It is Khaybar.
• 'Ikrimah: Every land conquered until the Day of Resurrection.
• Among the deviant interpretations: That it meant their women.