The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

Bowing down in Worship
265
32: 30

---

33. THE JOINT FORCES
A Medinan sura which gets its title from the incident of the Battle of the Trench
in
ah
5/627
ce
 (verses 
9–27), when the joint forces of various tribes of
disbelievers besieged Medina. The believers dug a ditch, which the disbelievers
were unable to cross, and eventually the enemy retreated in disarray. This is
mentioned in order to remind the believers of God’s goodness to them, so that
they may obey the numerous instructions given in the sura, starting with the
regulation of adoption and including proper conduct towards the Prophet and
his wives. The hypocrites are warned to stop their bad behaviour.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1Prophet, be mindful of God and do not give in to the disbelievers
and the hypocrites: God is all knowing, all wise. 
2Follow what your
Lord reveals to you: God is well aware of all your actions. 
3Put your
trust in God: God is enough to trust. 
4God does not put two hearts
within a man’s breast. He does not turn the wives you reject and
liken to your mothers’ backs
a
into your real mothers; nor does He
make your adopted sons into real sons. These are only words from
your mouths, while God speaks the truth and guides people to the
right path.
5Name your adopted sons after their real fathers: this is more
equitable in God’s eyes –– if you do not know who their fathers are
[they are your] ‘brothers-in-religion’ and protégés.
b
You will not be
blamed if you make a mistake, only for what your hearts deliberately
intend; God is most forgiving and merciful. 
6The Prophet is more
protective towards the believers than they are themselves, while his
wives are their mothers.
c
In God’s Scripture, blood-relatives have a
stronger claim than other believers and emigrants, though you may
still bestow gifts on your protégés. All this is written in the Scripture.
a
In pre-Islamic Arabia the husband sometimes said to his wife, ‘From now on, you
are to me like my mother’s back,’ by which he meant that he refused to have further
conjugal relations with her, yet did not divorce her and so give her the freedom to
remarry (see 
58: 1–4).
b
Mawla in Arabic has many meanings, including ‘protégé’, ‘client’, ‘companion’.
c
The Prophet’s wives were given the title ‘Mothers of the Believers’. Cf. verse 
53.

---

7We took a solemn pledge from the prophets–– from you
[Muhammad], from Noah, from Abraham, from Moses, from Jesus,
son of Mary –
– We took a solemn pledge from all of them: 
8God will
question [even] the truthful about their sincerity, and for those who
reject the truth He has prepared a painful torment.
9You who believe, remember God’s goodness to you when mighty
armies massed against you: We sent a violent wind and invisible
forces against them. God sees all that you do. 
10They massed against
you from above and below; your eyes rolled [with fear], your hearts
rose into your throats, and you thought [ill] thoughts of God.
11There the believers were sorely tested and deeply shaken: 12the
hypocrites and the sick at heart said, ‘God and His Messenger
promised us nothing but delusions!’
13Some of them said, ‘People of
Yathrib,
a
you will not be able to withstand [the attack], so go back!’
Some of them asked the Prophet’s permission to leave, saying, ‘Our
houses are exposed,’ even though they were not –
– they just wanted
to run away: 
14had the city been invaded from all sides, and the
enemy invited them to rebel, they would have done so almost with-
out hesitation. 
15Yet they had already promised God that they would
not turn tail and 
flee, and a promise to God will be answered for.
16[Prophet], say, ‘Running away will not benefit you. If you manage
to escape death or slaughter, you will only be permitted to enjoy
[life] for a short while.’
17Say, ‘If God wishes to harm you, who can
protect you? If God wishes to show you mercy, who can prevent
Him?’ They will 
find no one but God to protect or help them.
18God knows exactly who among you hinder others, who
[secretly] say to their brothers, ‘Come and join us,’ who hardly ever
come out to 
fight, 19who begrudge you [believers] any help. When
fear comes,
b
you [Prophet] see them looking at you with eyes rolling
like someone in their death throes; when fear has passed, they attack
you with sharp tongues and begrudge you any good. Such men do
not believe, and God brings their deeds to nothing –
– that is all too
easy for God. 
20They think the joint forces have not gone, and if the
joint forces did come again they would wish they were in the desert,
wandering among the Bedouin and seeking news about you [from a
safe distance]. Even if they were with you [believers], they would