And when He, glorified and exalted is He, confirmed the obligation of proclaiming all of His commands, even if their difficulty is great and their intensity increases without relying on a supporter who agrees with him, nor caring for an opponent who opposes him, relying on His management and the greatness of His matter in His decree, He reminded them with a witnessing evidence that is the greatest of their events in their wars, and the most severe of what has befallen them from their calamities. He said, teaching that the intended subject in what has passed from the commands is the community - and He directed the command to the Imam so that it would be more compelling for them to comply. For the command to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, is existential, like what Allah, the Most High, says to him, 'Be.' The reality of the will is not the command, and the command is for those who have believed, which is a guarantee. It may be intended from them what they are commanded with, and it may not be intended, and for the people, it is a means of establishing proof against them. It is established that some of them are intended with the opposite of what they are commanded with: 'O you who have believed,' meaning acknowledge faith, He expressed it to include the hypocrites. 'Remember,' and He encouraged them to give thanks by mentioning the kindness and explicitly stating the greatest name, saying: 'The favor of Allah,' He expressed it because it is the specifically intended and desired kindness of the Most High King who has no equal. 'Upon you,' meaning to give thanks for it by complying with His command, not turning to the opposition of anyone, whoever they may be. For indeed, Allah is sufficient for you against all that you fear. Then He mentioned to them the time of that favor, an increase in its depiction, to remind them of what was in it. He said: 'When,' meaning at the time 'the confederates came to you' in the Battle of the Trench, when the confederates gathered against you. The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, struck it when he heard of them by the consultation of Salman the Persian, may Allah be pleased with him, on the sides of Sal' from his left, and he marked it and cut for every ten men forty cubits, and they were three thousand. So the trench was twelve thousand cubits. 'Soldiers,' and they were the confederates from Quraysh and those who joined them from the tribes in four thousand, led by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, and those who joined from the tribes of the Arabs from Banu Salim, led by Abu al-Awfar, and from Banu Amir, led by Amir ibn al-Tufail, and from Ghatafan, led by Uyaynah ibn Hisn, and from Banu Asad, led by Tulayhah ibn Khuwailid, and from the tribes of Banu Israel from the Jews and from Banu al-Nadir and their leaders, Huyayy ibn Akhtab and the sons of Abu al-Huqayq. They were the ones who gathered the confederates because of the expulsion of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, of Banu al-Nadir from the noble city, and they also corrupted Banu Qurayzah, who were in the noble city, and their leader was Ka'b ibn Asad. So they were all twelve thousand, and they were confident in their claim that they would not return while there remained for Islam a remnant, and there would be no protection for any of their people.

And when the arrival of the troops was terrifying, it caused his return to the manifestation of greatness, so he said: ﴿So We sent﴾ meaning it was caused by the fact that when We saw your inability to confront them and resist them in their fighting, We inspired you to work on the trench to prevent them from easily reaching you. Then when their stay was prolonged, We sent with what We have of greatness ﴿upon them﴾ meaning specifically ﴿a wind﴾, which is the wind of the morning, and it extinguished their fires.

And it overturned their cauldrons and dishes, and it blew dust in their faces, and it threw stones at them and toppled their tents, and it weakened their bones with its cold, and it caused their horses to scatter ﴿and troops you did not see﴾. It is valid that the vision may be both physical and spiritual. Among them was from the humans Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud al-Ghatfani, may Allah be pleased with him, whom Allah guided to Islam. He came to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and said: "No one knows of my Islam, so command me, O Messenger of Allah!" He said: "You are but one man among us, and war is deception, so create division among them as much as you can." So he sowed discord between the Jews and the Arabs by saying to the Jews, who were his allies: "These - meaning the Arabs - if they see an opportunity, they will seize it, otherwise they will return to their lands. Your situation is not like theirs; the land is your land, and it has your wealth, women, and children. So do not fight with them until you take a hostage from their nobles to be with you until you confront the man, for you will not have strength after he isolates you." They said: "You have suggested wisely." He said: "So keep it a secret from me," and he said to Quraysh: "You know my companionship with you and my separation from Muhammad, and I have heard something that I do not think you will suspect me of." They said: "You are not suspected by us." He said: "So keep it a secret from me." They said: "We will do so." He said: "Indeed, the Jews have regretted breaking what was between them and Muhammad and have sent to him: 'We have regretted, so will it benefit us [with you] to take from the people a group of their nobles to strike their necks, and we will be with you against the rest of them until you finish [with them] to relieve us? And restore to us safety.' He said: 'Yes, if they send to you, do not deliver to them a single man.' Then he went to Ghatfan and said: 'Indeed, you are my kin and my tribe and the most beloved people to me.' They said: 'You have spoken the truth.' Then he said to them like what he said to Quraysh and kept it a secret from them. Qurayzah sent to them asking for a hostage, and they said: 'Nu'aym has spoken the truth,' and they refused to deliver to them anyone. Qurayzah said: 'Nu'aym has spoken the truth,' so they hesitated and their words differed, and their strength was broken, and their sharpness cooled." And among them were from the angels Jibril, peace be upon him, and whoever Allah willed from them - upon all of them be the best prayers and peace, and greetings and honor. So they proclaimed takbir in the corners of their camp, and they shook [with it], and they spread terror in their hearts, so their horses surged, and their words and sayings diminished. Thus, in that was their departure, after about forty days or twenty-some - as it has been said.

And when He, glorified and exalted is He, summarized the story in its length in some of these verses, He detailed it and said, mentioning the greatest name, indicating that what occurred in it was attended to with all effort, even if it was easy for Him, glorified and exalted is He: "And Allah" who has all the attributes of perfection, majesty, and beauty, "by what they do" meaning the factions in their partisanship, gathering, plotting, and evil intent - according to the reading of the Basri. And you, O Muslims, who dug the trench and other truths in faith, according to the reading of the others, "Seeing" with profound sight and knowledge, He contemplated in this war what the Muslims had in superiority, and the strength of the polytheists did not benefit them, nor did their multitude avail them, and the fewness of the believers did not harm them. And We made that a means for their enrichment with the wealth of Banu Qurayzah and their women and children, and a cure for their ailments by spilling their blood - as will come.