سورة الاٴحزَاب
Surah Al-Ahzâb 33:9
The Confederates · Verse 9 of 73
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ جَاءَتْكُمْ جُنُودٌ فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحًا وَجُنُودًا لَمْ تَرَوْهَا ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرًا
Abdul Mannan Omar
Believers! remember how Allâh favoured you when (the combined) forces (of the Quraish and their allies) came against you (in the Battle of Ahzâb) and We sent against them (the forces of nature) a strong wind and hosts (of angels) that you could not see. And Allâh is ever a close observer of your (painstaking efforts and toilsome) deeds.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
O ye who believe! Remember the Grace of Allah, (bestowed) on you, when there came down on you hosts (to overwhelm you): But We sent against them a hurricane and forces that ye saw not: but Allah sees (clearly) all that ye do.
Ahmed Ali
O you who believe, remember the favours of God to you when an army came against you and We sent a wind against them and forces that you did not see. But God sees all that you do.
12 more translations
Ali Unal
O you who believe! Remember God’s favor on you when hosts (of the enemy) came down on you, and We sent against them a fierce, (freezing) wind and (heavenly) hosts that you could not see. And God saw all that you did.
Daryabadi
O Ye who believe! remember Allah´s favour unto you when there came unto you hosts, and We sent against them a wind and hosts which ye saw not, and Allah was of that which ye were working a Beholder.
Faridul Haque
O People who believe! Remember the favour of Allah upon you when some armies came against you, so We sent against them a windstorm and the armies you could not see; and Allah sees your deeds.
Maulana Muhammad Ali
O you who believe, call to mind the favour of Allah to you when there came against you hosts, so We sent against them a strong wind and hosts that you saw not. And Allah is ever Seer of what you do.
Maulvi Sher Ali
O ye who believe, remember the favour of ALLAH to you when there came against you hosts, and WE sent against them a wind and hosts that you saw not. And ALLAH sees what you do.
Muhammad Asad
O YOU who have attained to faith! Call to mind the blessings which God bestowed on you [at the time] when [enemy] hosts came down upon you, whereupon We let loose against them a stormwind and [heavenly] hosts that you could not see yet God saw all that you did.
Muhammad Musin Khan
O you who believe! Remember Allah's Favour to you, when there came against you hosts, and We sent against them a wind and forces that you saw not [i.e. troops of angels during the battle of Al-Ahzab (the Confederates)]. And Allah is Ever All-Seer of what you do.
Muhammad Pickthall
O ye who believe! Remember Allah's favour unto you when there came against you hosts, and We sent against them a great wind and hosts ye could not see. And Allah is ever Seer of what ye do.
Muhammad Sarwar
Believers, recall God's favor to you when the army attacked you. We sent a wind and the armies, which you did not see, to support you. God sees all that you do.
Muhammed ali Shakir
O you who believe! call to mind the favor of Allah to you when there came down upon you hosts, so We sent against them a strong wind and hosts, that you saw not, and Allah is Seeing what you do.
Rashad Khalifa
O you who believe, remember GOD's blessing upon you; when soldiers attacked you, we sent upon them violent wind and invisible soldiers. GOD is Seer of everything you do.
Shabbir Ahmed
O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Remember God's blessing on you, when there came down on you armies (from different clans laying siege around Madinah). But We sent against them a violent wind, and forces that you did not see (courage, resolve, steadfastness and discipline). God is ever Seer of whatever you do.
Commentary 33:9 The verses 9 to 27 refer to the Battle of the Confederates, also called the Battle of the Trenches, which took place in the 5th year of the Hijrah in the…
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ جَاءَتْكُمْ جُنُودٌ فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحًا وَجُنُودًا لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا ۚ
33:9 The verses 9 to 27 refer to the Battle of the Confederates, also called the Battle of the Trenches, which took place in the 5th year of the Hijrah in the month of Shawwâl. Detailed historical accounts are available about this battle.
The confrontation was instigated by two Jewish tribes. One was the Banû Nadzîr from the city of Khaiber, led by people like Salâm bin Haqîq Nadzîrî, Huyaiy bin Akhtâb Nadzîrî, and Kanân bin Rabî Nadzîrî. The other was called Banû Wail, and it was led by Hudzah bin Qais Wailî and Abû Amâr Wailî. Khaiber, a Jewish stronghold north of Madînah, was considered unconquerable. On their instigation several of the most powerful tribes of Arabia formed a confederacy against the Muslims. The force they assembled is said to have numbered 10,000 warriors during their siege of Madînah. The Muslims could only raise 600 poorly equipped fighters in opposition to this force. They resorted to digging trenches for their defense. It is said that these fortifications were the idea of Salman, a Persian Muslim and a practice hitherto unknown to the Arabs. As such, these aggressors had no experience attacking such emplacements.
The different tribes of the Confederate forces kindled a fire to signal the start of the battle. The night of the attack, a sudden strong wind started blowing, bringing with it a cold front. The Muslims were dug into the trenches, but the attacking forces were exposed to cold and wind, for which they were unprepared. One tribes signal fire was extinguished by the wind, which was considered a bad omen by the Arabs of that time. This tribe left the alliance. Seeing them leave the battlefield, another tribe decided to follow their example, followed by a third.
The difficulties of the attacking Confederates did not end here however. It is said that Naufal bin Abdullah, a leader of one of the Arab tribes, was killed in the attempt to take the trench. This further disheartened the Arabs and by sunrise the Confederates had dispersed and the siege of Madînah was lifted. This ended the major attempts of the pagans and some Jewish tribes to destroy Islam. “The hosts that you could not see” were the angelic hosts, whose intervention helped dishearten the enemy.