ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ وَعَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَنزَلَ جُنُودًا لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَعَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَآءُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ 26
Translations
Then Allāh sent down His tranquility upon His Messenger and upon the believers and sent down soldiers [i.e., angels] whom you did not see and punished those who disbelieved. And that is the recompense of the disbelievers.
Transliteration
Thumma anzala Allahu sakīnatahu ʿalā rasūlihi wa-ʿalā al-muʾminīn wa-anzala junūdan lam tarawha wa-ʿadhdhaba alladhīna kafarū. Wa-dhālik jazāʾu al-kāfirīn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes Allah's support during the Battle of Hunayn, when He sent down His tranquility (sakīnah) upon the Prophet ﷺ and the believers to strengthen their resolve despite initial setbacks, and sent unseen angels to fight alongside them while punishing the disbelievers. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret the 'unseen soldiers' as referring to the angels who aided the Muslims in battle, fulfilling Allah's promise of divine assistance when believers stand firm in faith.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the historical narrative in Surah At-Tawbah regarding the Battle of Hunayn (8 AH), where the Muslim army initially retreated due to an ambush by the Hawazin tribe, but Allah granted them victory through divine reinforcement. The context emphasizes that despite material disadvantages, Allah's support through both spiritual tranquility and unseen help ensured the believers' triumph.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (3952): The Prophet ﷺ said regarding Hunayn that the angels came to his aid, describing how Gabriel came with a thousand angels from above. Also, Muslim (1763) contains accounts of the Prophet ﷺ praying for divine assistance during the battle.
Themes
Key Lesson
When believers face overwhelming challenges while standing firm on their faith, Allah sends both internal peace (sakīnah) to calm the heart and external help in ways we may not perceive; trust in Allah's support often proves more valuable than material strength or numbers.