The Enemy Alliance

This surah talks about Allah's help to the believers, especially in the most difficult times.

The first section of this surah tells us about the enemy forces that tried to attack the Muslims in Madinah.

The Muslims protected their city by digging a trench.

The believers are promised great rewards and the hypocrites are warned of a horrible punishment.

The surah provides social guidelines for adoption, divorce, modesty, and the manners of dealing with the Prophet (ﷺ) and his wives.

Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet (ﷺ), and the believers are asked to do the same.

The surah talks about the excellence of the Prophet (ﷺ) and his family.

Those who keep their promises to Allah are promised a great reward.

Humans (and jinn) have free will, unlike the rest of Allah's creation.

There was an idol-worshipper named Jamil ibn Ma'mar, who was an enemy of Islam.

Many people thought he had two hearts (or minds) because of his great ability to understand and memorize.

He used to brag, 'With each of my two hearts, I can understand far better than Muhammad (ﷺ)!

'

However, when the idol-worshippers were badly defeated at the Battle of Badr, Jamil was the first to run away in shock.

When he arrived in Makkah, he was wearing one shoe and carrying the other.

People asked him why, and he said, 'Oops!

I thought I was wearing both shoes!

' This is when people realized that he didn't actually have two hearts.

According to verse 4, Allah doesn't create a person with two hearts.

Before the time of the Prophet (ﷺ), there was a common type of divorce called `zihar`.

If a man compared his wife to his mother by saying, 'You are as unlawful to me as the back of my mother,' his wife would be divorced.

Islam banned this type of divorce (58:3-4).

Also, long before Muhammad (ﷺ) became a prophet, he adopted a son named Zaid, who became known as Zaid ibn Muhammad.

Later, adoption was banned, and Zaid's name changed back to Zaid ibn Harithah.

According to verse 4, just like someone can't have two hearts/minds, a person can't have two fathers (a real father and an adopted father) or two mothers (a

real mother and a wife compared to a mother).

Someone may ask, 'Adoption is a good thing, so how come it is forbidden in Islam?

' The word `tabanni` can be understood in two different ways—one of them is encouraged in Islam; the other is not allowed.

Sponsorship is encouraged.

A person can sponsor a child or host them in their home and care for them as they care for their own children, with some legal differences.

For example, sponsored children must keep their last names and are not entitled to a share in the inheritance of their adopted parents, but can receive a donation

through a will.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said that the person who sponsors an orphan will be very close to him in Jannah.

This shows the great reward for this act.

{Recorded by Imam Al-Bukhari}

What is not allowed is a type of adoption where a person takes an orphan and gives them his/her last name or gives them a share of inheritance

similar to their own children.

The Prophet (ﷺ) consulted with his companions for suggestions.

Salman Al-Farisi (R.

A.

), a Persian companion, suggested digging a trench to protect the city, a tactic that was unknown in Arabia at the time.

The Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions began digging day and night, despite bad weather, little food, and no rest.

Within six days, the Muslims were able to dig a five-kilometer-long, five-meter-deep, and ten-meter-wide trench in the rocky land to the north of Madinah.

When the enemy forces arrived, they were in total shock.

For almost a month, they surrounded Madinah but could not cross the trench, with the Muslims defending it with arrows from the other side.

During this difficult time, hypocrites in the Muslim army started leaving one by one, claiming their homes were unprotected.

Things got even worse when the enemy forces convinced the Jewish tribe of Banu Quraizah to break their peace agreement with the Muslims and join the enemy.

This was a terrifying time for the Muslim community.

Some asked the Prophet (ﷺ), 'We are so scared that our souls are jumping into our throats.

Is there a prayer we can say?

' The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, 'Yes!

Say, 'O Allah!

Cover our weaknesses and calm our fears.

' Eventually, the enemy forces were forced to leave because of strong winds and horrible weather conditions.

This event is known as the Battle of the Trench or the Battle of the Enemy Forces.

For days, the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions were digging the trench with almost no food.

The Prophet (ﷺ) was so hungry that he had a rock tied to his stomach.

One of his companions, Jabir ibn 'Abdillah (R.

A.

), asked his wife to make some food for the Prophet (ﷺ).

She only had a little goat and some flour, so she told Jabir to invite only the Prophet (ﷺ) and one or two companions.

When Jabir (R.

A.

) told the Prophet (ﷺ) about the small meal, he made a public announcement that Jabir (R.

A.

) had prepared food for everyone.

The Prophet (ﷺ) then told Jabir (R.

A.

) to ask his wife to keep the bread in the oven and the meat in the pot.

His wife was shocked when the Prophet (ﷺ) arrived with a large crowd.

The Prophet (ﷺ) recited a blessing on the food before it was served in groups.

Not only did everyone eat until they were full, but extra food was left for Jabir's family and for others.

This was one of the many miracles of the Prophet (ﷺ).

One of the reasons why the companions loved the Prophet (ﷺ) so much was because of his humility.

They always felt that he was one of them—their brother and best friend.

When it was time to build the mosque, he was carrying bricks with them.

When it was time to dig the trench, he was digging with them.

When they were hungry, he was the last one to eat.

He was there for their weddings, funerals, and everything in between.

This is why they were willing to stand up for him and sacrifice for his cause.

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked for his companions' opinions and suggestions, even though he didn't need to, since he was receiving revelations from Allah.

But he wanted to teach them to discuss with each other during his life so they could make decisions after his death.

The concept of `shura` (consultation) is mentioned in 42:38 as one of the qualities of the true believers.

When the Muslims were digging the trench to protect Madinah, they came across a solid rock they couldn't break.

They told the Prophet (ﷺ), so he took a spade and hit the rock three times.

Each time the rock was smashed, it created sparks of fire while the Prophet (ﷺ) shouted 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah is the Greatest).

When asked why he said 'Allahu Akbar', he said, 'When I hit the rock the first time, I saw the palaces of Persia.

When I hit it the second time, I saw the palaces of Rome (in Syria).

And when I hit it the third time, I saw the gates of Yemen.

'

The Prophet (ﷺ) then added that the angel Jibril (A.

S.

) had just told him that Muslims would take over Persia, Syria, and Yemen.

This was a miraculous prophecy from Allah, but the hypocrites started to say, 'He is telling us that we will beat these powerful kingdoms, and we can't even

go outside the city to use the washroom!

'

Not long after the death of the Prophet (ﷺ), the Muslim rule spread even beyond these three kingdoms, covering a huge empire that stretched from China in the

east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west, including all of North Africa and parts of Europe like Turkey and Spain.

If you read the life story of the Prophet (ﷺ), you will be filled with love and respect towards him.

He was the best father, the best husband, the best teacher, and the best leader.

He came as a mercy to the whole world to teach people how to be grateful to their Lord.

He was born in a cruel society that abused women and the poor, and he stood up for them and gave them rights.

He lost his parents at a young age and became the best parent.

He was an orphan himself, and he promised great rewards to those who take care of orphans.

Someone may ask, 'What did the Prophet (ﷺ) look like?

' Many companions described him, including an old woman named Umm Ma'bad, who said:

“I saw a handsome man with a bright face.

He is perfectly formed, not fat or skinny.

He is not too short or too tall.

He has beautiful eyes with long eyelashes and perfect eyebrows.

His hair is dark, his neck is long, and his beard is full.

”

“He has companions who are always there for him.

They listen when he speaks and obey when he orders.

”

Anas ibn An-Nadr (R.

A.

) was a great companion who missed the Battle of Badr.

He made a pledge: 'If I attend another battle, I'll prove to Allah how faithful I am!

'

A year later, the idol-worshippers of Makkah came to attack the Muslims in Madinah, so the Muslim army met them by the mountain of Uhud.

At first, the Muslims were winning, so the archers left their positions on the hill, thinking the war was over, even though the Prophet (ﷺ) had told them

not to leave no matter what happened.

This gave Khalid ibn Al-Walid (R.

A.

), who was not a Muslim at that time, a golden opportunity to attack the Muslims from the back.

Many Muslims panicked and started to run away.

A few brave people like Anas ibn An-Nadr (R.

A.

) stood their ground.

Eventually, Anas ibn An-Nadr (R.

A.

) died as a `shahid` (martyr) with more than 80 wounds all over his body.

Verse 23 of the Quran was revealed to honor the sacrifice of Anas (R.

A.

) and other martyrs like him.

There are two different types of `shahids` (martyrs) in Islam: Those who die defending their faith and country, like Anas (R.

A.

) and Hamzah (R.

A.

).

They are treated as `shahids` in this life and the next.

In this life, their bodies are not washed or shrouded, and no funeral prayer (`janazah`) is offered for them.

In the Next Life, Allah will reward and honor them as `shahids`.

The second type includes those who die defending themselves, their home, family, or wealth.

They will be treated as `shahids` in the Next Life, but in this world, their bodies will be washed, shrouded, and `janazah` prayers will be offered for them.

This also includes people who die from drowning, a house collapse, a fire, a disease such as cancer or Covid-19, a car accident, or any painful death.

The Prophet (ﷺ) also said that a woman who dies giving birth to her child is a `shahid`.