The sixty-fifth clip titled "Let's make our Thursdays Quranic" was released

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Welcome to our weekly program "Path towards Enlightenment" in which we present you a fluent and easy-to-understand explanation of the ayahs of the holy Qur’an. We start from where we left you last Friday and here are ayahs 26 and 27 of Surah Ahzab

وأنزل الّذین ظاهروهم مّنْ أهْل الْکتاب من صیاصیهمْ وقذف فی قلوبهم الرّعْب فریقًا تقْتلون وتأْسرون فریقًا

وأوْرثکمْ أرْضهمْ ودیارهمْ وأمْوالهمْ وأرْضًا لّمْ تطؤوها وکان اللّه على کلّ شیْءٍ قدیرًا

 

“And He dragged down those who had backed them from among the People of the Book from their strongholds, and He cast terror into their hearts, [so that] you killed a part of them, and took captive [another] part of them.”

“And He bequeathed you their land, their houses and their possessions, and a territory you had not trodden, and Allah has power over all things.”

As you might recall, last week we explained to you the result of the Battle of Khandaq or Ahzab or Confederates as it is called, which ended in the disgraceful retreat of the 10,000-strong Arab-Israelite army that had besieged Medina in an attempt to wipe out Islam by killing Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). The defeat was mainly due to the heroic feat of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), who in a life-and-death duel with the infidel giant, Amr ibn Abduwad, dispatched him to the bowels of hell, after withdrawing for a while to prevent his sentiments from interfering with selfless jihad in the path of God, when the fallen foe cowardly spat at him and then as the Imam stepped back, sprang up to renew the deadly fight. The Prophet hailed the valour and manliness of his cousin with the famous words: “The stroke of Ali on the Day of Khandaq is superior to the combined (acts of) worship of all mankind and jinn.” 

The ayah that we recited to you now refers to the aftermath of this crucial confrontation with the Arab/Israelite confederates, during which the hypocrites among the companions of the Prophet as well as certain supposedly neutral Jewish tribes of Medina, had either tried to demoralize the Muslim defenders or secretly provided help to the invading force. According to historical accounts, this ayah refers to the battle with the Bani Qurayzah Israelite tribe, which in breach of its pact of peace with the Prophet, had secretly helped the invading Arab-Israelite army during the Battle of Ahzab, but was disgracefully defeated and surrendered. Three Israelite tribes lived in and around Medina in those days: the Bani Qurayzah, the Bani-Nadheer, and the Bani Qaynuqah. All three had made a peace pact with the Prophet of Islam promising not to cooperate with his enemies, not to spy for them, and to live in peace with the Muslims. But the Banu Qaynuqah in the second year of Hejira, and the Bani Nadheer in the fourth year of Hejira, each with a separate pretext, breached their pact of peace and began to fight openly against the Prophet. They were vanquished and expelled from Medina. The Banu Qaynuqah went toward Syria, and the Bani Nadheer, mainly toward the Jewish stronghold of Khaybar north of Medina on the highway to Syria. Thus, when the Battle of Ahzab happened in the fifth AH, the Bani Qurayzah Jews, as we explained in the past episodes, breached their peace pact and joined the invading force. Therefore, no sooner had the invading Arab/Israelite force retreated in disgrace, God Almighty ordered the Prophet to proceed against the Bani Qurayzah, who in their terrified state, because of the defeat of the Confederates, had retreated to their strongly fortified castles. The Muslims quickly surrounded the castles, and after 25 days that involved fighting, some of the Banu Qurayzah were killed and the others surrendered. This was another important victory for Muslims, and as the next ayah says, God Almighty Who has power over all things, granted the victorious Muslims new lands and new possessions. In other words, Medina and its surroundings were cleared of the filth of the treacherous Israelites. 

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. Islam recommends peaceful co-existence with non-Muslims as long as they honour peace with Muslims, and avoid any conspiracy to harm Islam.
2. We should be well aware and watchful of the hypocrites and members of the 5^th column in the society.
3. A true believer should never be afraid of the power and advanced equipment of the enemies, who are often terrified when faced with stiff resistance.  
4. For managing the affairs of Islamic community, in addition to material calculations, one should open account for divine assistance.

Now we listen to ayahs 28 and 29 of Surah Ahzab:

یا أیّها النّبیّ قل لّأزْواجک إن کنتنّ تردْن الْحیاة الدّنْیا وزینتها فتعالیْن أمتّعْکنّ وأسرّحْکنّ سراحًا جمیلا

وإن کنتنّ تردْن اللّه ورسوله والدّار الآخرة فإنّ اللّه أعدّ للْمحْسنات منکنّ أجْرًا عظیمًا

 

“O Prophet! Say to your wives, ‘If you desire the life of the world and its glitter, come, I will provide for you and release you in a graceful manner.”

“But if you desire Allah and His Prophet and the abode of the Hereafter, then Allah has indeed prepared for the virtuous among you a great reward.”

After the Battle of Ahzab and the subsequent victory of the Muslims over the Banu Qurayzah, the wives the middle-aged widower Prophet had married in the last years of his life as a social necessity, demanded from him some luxuries. He opposed their demand, since the true Muslims should serve as models for other members of the Islamic society, instead of indulging in unnecessary luxuries. These were the wives of the Prophet and not the wives of kings, princes and worldly rulers. Thus, God revealed these ayahs to the Prophet to tell his wives that if they desire the luxuries of worldly life, you will be released from the bond of marriage in honor and dignity, so that you may enjoy the perishing pleasures of transient life. But, as the next ayah means to say, if you are ready tolerate hardship in the way of God, then there is indeed a great reward for you in the Hereafter

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. The immediate family of Islamic leaders should not indulge in unnecessary luxuries, since they should be models of simplicity for the society.
2. Islamic culture requires adherence to the commandments of God Almighty, and whatever God has decreed should be followed.

Now we listen to ayahs 30 and 31 of Surah Ahzab:

یا نساء النّبیّ من یأْت منکنّ بفاحشةٍ مّبیّنةٍ یضاعفْ لها الْعذاب ضعْفیْن وکان ذلک على اللّه یسیرًا

ومن یقْنتْ منکنّ للّه ورسوله وتعْملْ صالحًا نّؤْتها أجْرها مرّتیْن وأعْتدْنا لها رزْقًا کریمًا

 

“O wives of the Prophet! Whoever of you commits a gross indecency, her punishment shall be doubled, and that is easy for Allah.”

“But whoever of you is obedient to Allah and His Prophet and acts righteously, We shall give her a twofold reward, and We hold a noble provision in store for her.”

These ayahs mean to say that the wives of the Prophet are not sinless and liable to commit wrong and indecency, which means they should guard themselves properly from the temptations of the devil. They should not disobey the instructions of the Prophet, since their good and evil deeds are seen by Muslims, especially Muslim women. In other words, their lifestyle has a very great impact in promoting and spreading good or evil in society. Therefore the reward and punishment of your acts is not like ordinary people.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. The wives of the Prophet are not infallible and deserve divine reward and punishment in accordance with their deeds.
2. The sin committed by prominent persons is greater in magnitude than that of ordinary persons. In other words, their small sins are bigger than the sin of ordinary persons. However, the consequences of their wrongdoing are more than others.