Overview (Verses 9 - 13)
 
In the early days of Islam, it was in the midst of events that the Muslim personality was moulded. With every new day and every new situation, this personality came closer to maturity, presenting its distinctive features. Furthermore this Muslim community, reflecting the total sum of its members’ personalities, also had its own unique qualities and values that distinguished it from all other communities. At times, the predicaments the Muslim community faced presented its members with an acid test that separated the true from the false and which also proved everyone’s true mettle.
 
Qur’ānic revelations were given either before or after a particular test, describing events and throwing light on the difficulties involved. This brought into focus the attitudes taken as the event unfolded, and what intentions and motives were behind these attitudes and feelings. The Qur’ān then addressed people’s hearts as they lay open to the light, with no screen to cover them. It touched them at precisely the right spot so as to ensure the right response. This was a continuous educational exercise making use of events and experiences, one after the other, day after day.
 
The Muslims were not given the Qur’ān in its totality in one go so that they could study it, understand its directives, observe its prohibitions and fulfil its commands. Instead, God put them to a variety of tests because He is fully aware that man does not attain full maturity except through practical experience and it is this that drives lessons home and moulds characters. The Qur’ān then tells people the truth about what has taken place and its significance. Thus, it issues its directives only when people have gone through the ordeal.
 
The experiences the Muslims went through during the Prophet’s lifetime were truly remarkable. For it was a period of direct contact between heaven and earth, reflected in both events and words. When a Muslim went to bed he was aware that God watched and heard him, and that his every action, word, thought or intention could he exposed and commented upon by the Qur’ān. Similarly, all Muslims felt a direct contact with their Lord: if they faced a problem or a hardship, they hoped that the gates of heaven would open with a ruling that removed their difficulties. It was a period when God, in His majesty, said to one or the other: ‘You have done, intended, declared or said this and that; or you must do this or should refrain from that.’ It is infinitely awesome that God should address Himself to a particular person when that person and all who live on earth, and indeed the whole earth with all that it contains, do not represent more than a tiny particle in His glorious kingdom. Hard as we may find it to reflect on that period and its events we can hardly imagine how it was in practice. This is indeed beyond imagination.
 
Yet God did not leave the education of the Muslims and the moulding of their personalities to be accomplished through feelings only. He put them to practical tests necessitating their interaction. He is infinite in His wisdom, and He knows best the creation He has created. We need to reflect long on this wisdom so that we can better understand what we may encounter of tests during our own lives.
 
Difficulties in Abundance
 
The present passage analyses one of the great events in the history of the Muslim community, indeed, one of its hardest tests. The event was the attack launched by confederate forces on Madinah, which took place in the fourth or fifth year of the Prophet’s migration. A thorough reading of this passage and the way it portrays the events and comments on them, highlighting certain scenes and bringing out certain thoughts and feelings experienced by some Muslims, will enable us to understand how God shaped the personality of the Muslim community through both the events themselves and the Qur’ān. In order to understand this we will explain the Qur’ānic text after we have briefly related the events as given in books on the Prophet’s life and history. This will demonstrate the great difference between how God relates historical events and the narrative man gives of them.
 
An Encounter with Allied Forces
 
Muĥammad ibn Isĥāq relates: “The beginning of events leading to the Encounter of the Moat started when a number of Jews, including Sallām ibn Abī Ĥuqayq ibn Akhţab and Kinānah ibn Abī al-Ĥuqayq, all of the al-Nađīr tribe, and Ĥūwathah ibn Qays and Abū `Ammār of Wā’il, as well as others of both Jewish tribes travelled to Makkah and spoke with the Quraysh. It was these Jews who worked hard to forge the alliance against God’s Messenger. When they met the Quraysh elders they called on them to join them in fighting the Prophet. They said to them: ‘We will join forces with you until we have exterminated him and his followers.’ The Quraysh put the following question to them: ‘You, the Jews, are the people who follow the first divine book, and you know the issues over which we differ with Muĥammad: which is better, our religion or his?’ Those Jewish elders answered: ‘Your religion is better than his, and you are closer to the truth than him.’ It is concerning these people that God revealed in the Qur’ān:
 
Are you not aware of those who, having been granted a share of Divine revelations, now believe in falsehood and arrogant deviation [from Divine faith], and they say to the unbelievers that they are better guided than the believers. These are the ones whom God has rejected; anyone whom God rejects shall find none to succour him. Have they, perchance, a share in (God’s) dominion? If so, they would not give other people so much as [would fill) the groove of a date- stone. Do they, perchance, envy other people for what God has given them out of His bounty? We have indeed given revelation and wisdom to the House of Abraham, and We did bestow on them a mighty dominion. Some of them believe in him and some turn away from him. Sufficient scourge is the fire of Hell. (4: 51-55)
 
The Quraysh were very happy with this answer and expressed a readiness to join the Jews in battle against the Prophet.
 
“Then this Jewish delegation travelled to meet the leaders of the Ghaţafān, another leading Arabian tribe, and they urged them to fight the Prophet, assuring them that they would be joining them as well as the Quraysh. The Ghaţafān agreed and they all marshalled their forces. The Quraysh marched under the leadership of Abū Sufyān ibn Ĥarb, while the Ghaţafān were led by `Uyaynah ibn Ĥişn of the Fizārah clan, al- Ĥārith ibn ‘Awf of Murrah and Mis`ar ibn Rukhaylah of Ashja`.
 
“When the Prophet heard of what they had plotted, he ordered the digging of a moat to prevent their entrance into Madinah. The Prophet himself and his Companions worked hard to dig the moat. However, a number of hypocrite men put little effort into the work. They would put up a show of working, but then sneak off, going back home, without asking permission from the Prophet. By contrast, if any good believer needed to leave for some urgent matter, he would mention this to the Prophet and ask his permission to absent himself for a while. The Prophet gave such people leave. Any of these would then go home, attend to the emergency and return, knowing that he would be rewarded by God for such work. Concerning the believers, God revealed in the Qur’ān: “They only are true believers who believe in God and His Messenger, and who, whenever they are with him upon a matter requiring collective action, do not depart unless they have obtained his leave. Those who ask leave of you are indeed the ones who believe in God and His Messenger. Hence, when they ask your leave to attend to some business of theirs, grant you this leave to whomever of them you choose, and pray to God to forgive them. God is indeed Much-Forgiving, Merciful.” (24: 62) And He also said about the hypocrites who sneaked away: “Do not address God’s Messenger in the manner you address one another. God certainly knows those of you who would slip away surreptitiously. So, let those who would go against His bidding beware, lest some affliction or grievous suffering befall them.” (24: 63)
 
“When the Muslims had completed digging the moat, the Quraysh arrived and encamped at a place called Manna` al-Asyāl near Rawmah. They numbered 10,000 including their slaves and affiliates as well as those who followed them from the people of Kinānah and Tihāmah. The Ghaţafān and their followers from Najd marched to their camping place near Uĥud. The Prophet marshalled his troops, numbering 3,000, camping at a spot where their backs were to Mount Sala`, with the moat separating them from their attackers. He also ordered that the women and children should stay in sheltered homes.
 
“Ĥuyay ibn Akhţab, God’s enemy, went up to Ka`b ibn Asad, the Rabbi of the Jewish tribe of Qurayżah, who had signed, on behalf of his tribe, a friendship treaty with the Prophet, pledging support to the Muslims. Ĥuyay wanted him to break his treaty and join the attacking forces. He used all his powers of persuasion and brought much pressure to bear on Ka`b, all of which culminated with a pledge of honour that should the Quraysh and Ghaţafān withdraw without defeating Muĥammad, he would come and join Ka`b in his fort and share his fate with him. At this point Ka`b ibn Asad decided to join the attacking forces, thereby breaking his treaty with the Prophet.
 
“This was an extremely testing time for the believers. People were truly in fear of the outcome. The enemy was also preparing for a pincer attack from the front and the rear. Inevitably, the believers started to have all types of thoughts and doubts, while the hypocrites capitalized on the situation by speaking out against the Prophet. One of them, Mut`ib ibn Qushayr, said: ‘Muĥammad used to promise us that we would eat of the treasures of the Persian and Byzantine Emperors, while today we feel unsafe to go to the toilet.’ Another, Aws ibn Qayżī, said to the Prophet in front of a number of his clansmen: ‘Messenger of God! Our homes are vulnerable. So permit us to leave and go home, as our homes are outside Madinah.’
 
“The Prophet remained steadfast with his Companions, while the idolaters laid siege for nearly a month, without war breaking out between them, except for exchanges of arrows across the moat.
 
“When things got worse and the Muslims were in real trouble, the Prophet sent a message to `Uyaynah ibn Ĥişn and al-Ĥārith ibn ‘Awl, the Ghaţafān leaders offering them one third of Madinah’s crops if they withdrew their forces. This was agreed and written down, but neither signed nor witnessed. It was essentially a proposed arrangement. When the Prophet wanted to conclude the agreement, he called in Sa`d ibn Mu`ādh, the Chief of the Aws tribe, and Sa`d ibn `Ubādah, the Chief of the Khazraj tribe, consulting them on his proposal. They asked him: ‘God’s Messenger! Is this something you like and we would willingly do it, or something God has instructed you to do and we have no choice but to do it, or something you are doing for our sake?’ He said: ‘I am doing it for you, because I see that the Arabs are united against you, attacking you from all sides. I only want to break the unity of your enemy for the present,’ Sa`d ibn Mu`ādh said: ‘Messenger of God, when we were, like these people, idolaters, unaware of any religion other than the worship of idols, they did not hope to get a single fruit from Madinah except as a present from us or if we sold it to them. Now that God has honoured us with Islam and guided us to it and has given us the honour and strength of having you in our midst, would we willingly give them our goods? We have no need for this agreement. We will give them nothing but the sword until God makes His judgement between us.’ The Prophet replied: ‘The matter is entirely up to you.’ Then Sa`d took the sheet on which the agreement was written and erased the writing. He said: ‘Let them do their worst.”
 
Thereafter, the Prophet and his Companions remained steadfast despite their fear of their enemies and the impending pincer attack they were sure would come.
 
Then a man from the Ghaţafān called Nu`aym ibn Mas`ūd came over to the Muslim camp and said to the Prophet: “Messenger of God, I am now a Muslim and my people are not aware of the fact. You may give me whatever orders you wish.” Keenly aware of the situation the Muslims were in, the Prophet said to Nu`aym: “If you join us, you increase our number by one. But try, if you can, to dissuade the people from attacking us. War is but a successful trick.” [Nu`aym did a splendid job creating mistrust between the three groups forming the confederate forces, the Quraysh, Ghaţafān and Qurayżah. This is related in detail in books documenting the history of the period. Hence, we confine ourselves to simply referring to the results of his efforts.]
 
It was through God’s grace that the hostile forces’ unity of purpose did not last long. Furthermore, God sent them a very strong wind on a severely cold and wet night. Nothing remained stable in their tents.
 
When the Prophet learnt 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, Ĥudhayfah ibn al- Yamān, to their camp at night to gather intelligence on what they intended to do.
 
Ibn Isĥāq relates: “Ĥudhayfah ibn al-Yamān, a Companion of the Prophet who belonged to the Anşār, was with a group of people in the city of Kūfah 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 Ĥudhayfah answered in the affirmative, the man asked: ‘How did you serve him?’ Ĥudhayfah 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.’ Ĥudhayfah 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: ‘Ĥudhayfah, 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. Abū Sufyān 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. Abū Sufyān then said: ‘People of the Quraysh, you realize that we cannot stay much longer. We have endured great hardship and the Jews of the Qurayżah 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 Abū Sufyān with my arrow.”
 
Ĥudhayfah 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 Ĥudhayfah 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 Ĥudhayfah’s report. The Ghaţafān decided to follow the Quraysh’s decision when they learned that their allies were leaving.
 
The Qur’ānic Report
 
In its reporting of the events and its comments on them and the directives it gives to the Muslim community, the sūrah neither mentions people by name nor specifies positions; rather it describes types of people and patterns of character. It gives few 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’ānic 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 sūrah 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 sūrah 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 sūrah 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’ānic 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’ānic 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.
 
The Qur’ān is not merely a book to be read and understood: it is a motivating force. Its texts are ready for implementation at every point. It only needs a heart that warms to it in circumstances that enable its resources to be fully tapped. We may read a particular Qur’ānic text tens or hundreds of times, then we look at it again when we are facing a particular situation only to discover that it gives us what it had not given before. It provides a straight answer to our complex problem, shows a way that we overlooked, clears our doubts and replaces these with firm and perfect reassurance. Nothing else, old or new, gives us what the Qur’ān gives.