Believers! Remember the blessings God bestowed on you when hosts came down upon you. We let loose against them a windstorm and hosts that you could not see. Yet God sees all that you do.
They came upon you from above and from below you. Your eyes rolled (with fear) and your hearts leapt up to your throats, and confused thoughts about God passed through your minds. That was a situation when the believers were sorely tested and severely shaken. (The Confederates Al-Ahzab: 33: 9-11)
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) learned of the doubts now casting shadows in the minds of his enemy, which meant that God had actually split them and that mutual mistrust had replaced their former unity, he sent one of his companions, Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman, to their camp at night to gather intelligence on what they intended to do.
Ibn Ishaq relates: “Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman, a companion of the Prophet who belonged to the Ansar, was with a group of people in the city of Kufah in Iraq many years later when he was asked by someone from that city: ‘Did you people really see God’s Messenger, and were you truly in his company?’ When Hudhayfah answered in the affirmative, the man asked: ‘How did you serve him?’ Hudhayfah said: ‘We used to try our best.’ The man said: ‘Had it been our fortune to be his companions we would not have let him walk. We would have carried him on our shoulders.’ Hudhayfah said: ‘My nephew! We were one night with God’s Messenger during the Encounter of the Moat when he stood up praying for a part of the night. He then turned to his companions and asked: ‘Who is willing to go and find out what our enemies are doing and return (to return was a condition the Prophet attached to that particular mission). I shall pray to God to make any volunteer for this mission my companion in Heaven.’ No one volunteered because of our great fear and hunger on that very cold night. When no one answered, the Prophet called me forward. I then had no choice but to go. He said to me: ‘Hudhayfah, go inside their camp and find out what they are doing. Do not do anything on your own initiative until you return.’ I went into their quarters to see the wind and God’s other soldiers playing havoc in their camp. No pot or pan stood upright, no fire could be maintained and no structure stood up. Abu Sufyan then addressed his people: ‘People of the Quraysh, let everyone make sure of the person sitting next to him.’
“I took the man next to me by the hand and asked him who he was. He answered me, mentioning his name and his father’s name. Abu Sufyan then said: ‘People of the Quraysh, you realize that we cannot stay much longer. We have endured great hardship and the Jews of the Qurayzah have not fulfilled their promises to us. Indeed, we have received highly disturbing reports about their position. You see what these strong winds are doing to us. We cannot stay much longer in these conditions, and my advice to you is to go back home where I am now going.” He then mounted his camel, which was tied to a peg. He hit the camel, which jumped on its feet, and released itself as it stood up. Had it not been for the Prophet’s clear instructions to me that I must not do anything serious before I returned, I could have killed Abu Sufyan with my arrow.”
Hudhayfah then returned to the Prophet to deliver his report. He found the Prophet praying, and sat very close to him. Continuing his prayers, the Prophet drew Hudhayfah closer to him until he was sitting between his legs and he covered him with his robe. When he finished his prayers, he listened to Hudhayfah’s report. The Ghatafan decided to follow the Quraysh’s suit when they learned that their allies were leaving.
In its reporting of the events and its comments on them and the directives it gives to the Muslim community, the surah neither mentions people by name nor specifies positions; rather it describes types of people and patterns of character. It gives little details but highlights constant values and consequences. It focuses on the elements that remain after the events are over and their actors have departed. In this way, its focus serves to draw lessons for future generations and different communities. The Qur’anic text also relates events to God’s will that controls both the event and those who participate in it. It shows how God’s will operates gently and smoothly to bring about the end He wants. The surah also pauses after each stage in the story to give a directive or to make comments reminding the listeners of the essential truth.
Although the surah relates the story to the people who took part in it in the first place, it does not only give them more information about it, but also lays before them certain aspects which they were unaware of. In this way, it brings to light people’s inner thoughts, feelings, intentions and what was hidden within their hearts.
Added to all this is the fine style, vividness and freshness of the images drawn. Furthermore, the surah paints the hypocrites’ cowardice with acid derision as also describes their twisted nature. This contrasts with the profoundly inspiring picture of faith that is drawn and the qualities it imparts to believers.
The Qur’anic text is a manual for action, not only by those who witnessed the event but also in every environment and generation. It is a guide for Muslims whenever they face circumstances similar to those faced by the first Muslim community and at any time in the future. It aims to give them the same determination and motivation as the Prophet’s companions possessed.
No one will understand Qur’anic texts fully unless they face circumstances similar to those faced by the first Muslim community. It is in such circumstances that texts reveal their meanings fully and hearts open up to understand them in depth. When this takes place, the text is no longer words and sentences, but rather a source of power and energy. The events described come alive: inspiring, motivating and urging action both in real life and in the depths of the human heart.
