وَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلْأَحْزَابَ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَصَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ ۚ وَمَا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّآ إِيمَـٰنًا وَتَسْلِيمًا 22
Translations
And when the believers saw the companies, they said, "This is what Allāh and His Messenger had promised us, and Allāh and His Messenger spoke the truth." And it increased them only in faith and acceptance.
Transliteration
Wa-lammā ra'ā al-mu'minūn al-ahzāb qālū hādhā mā wa'adanā Allāh wa-rasūluh wa-sadaqa Allāh wa-rasūluh. Wa-mā zādahum illā īmānan wa-taslīmā.
Tafsir (Explanation)
When the believers witnessed the combined forces of the enemy (the Confederates at the Battle of the Trench), they recognized this trial as the fulfillment of Allah's promise and the Prophet's warning, and they affirmed that Allah and His Messenger are truthful. Rather than weakening their faith, this difficult trial only increased them in belief and complete submission to Allah's will. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this verse demonstrates the spiritual strength of the early believers who, despite facing overwhelming odds, found this adversity to be a means of deepening their conviction.
Revelation Context
This ayah refers to the Battle of al-Ahzab (the Confederates or Battle of the Trench) in 5 AH, when multiple Arab and Jewish tribes allied against the Muslims of Medina. The believers had been warned beforehand by the Prophet about such trials, and when they witnessed the massive enemy forces, they recognized the fulfillment of these prophecies, which paradoxically strengthened rather than shattered their faith.
Related Hadiths
The Battle of al-Ahzab is extensively documented in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Specifically, Anas ibn Malik reported that the believers dug the Trench under the Prophet's guidance, and despite hunger and hardship, their faith remained firm. Additionally, hadith collections record the Prophet's du'a (supplication) during this siege, demonstrating reliance upon Allah in trials.
Themes
Key Lesson
True believers recognize life's trials as fulfillments of divine promises and opportunities for spiritual growth rather than occasions for despair; adversity, when met with faith and submission, becomes a means to deepen one's relationship with Allah rather than weaken it. This ayah teaches that the measure of faith is not the absence of challenges, but one's response to them with increased trust and surrender to Allah's wisdom.