Surah Al-Ahzab — Verse 25

Word Meanings:

• "Bighayzihim" (بِغَيْظِهِمْ): With their rage and intense anger, as they left burning with frustration.
• "Lam yanalu khayra" (لَمْ يَنَالُوا خَيْرًا): They did not attain any good or success — meaning they failed to achieve their goal of defeating the believers.
• "Kafa Allahu al-mu'minina al-qital" (وَكَفَى اللَّهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الْقِتَالَ): Allah spared the believers from fighting, meaning He sufficed them against the need to engage in battle.
• "Qawiyyan" (قَوِيًّا): Mighty in strength, Whom no one can overpower.
• "Azizan" (عَزِيزًا): Almighty and invincible in His dominion and authority.

Tafsir (Explanation):

In this blessed verse, Allah narrates the glorious outcome of the Battle of the Trench (Al-Ahzab), when the confederate tribes — Quraysh, Ghatafan, and their allies — surrounded Medina with the intent to annihilate the young Muslim community. But Allah, in His infinite wisdom and power, turned them back in utter disgrace. They departed consumed by rage and grief, their hearts filled with bitterness because they had failed to achieve even a shred of what they had hoped for. They came with arrogance and left with humiliation — they gained nothing in this world, and for their disbelief, they have nothing but loss in the Hereafter.

Allah then highlights His immense favor upon the believers: He spared them from a prolonged and devastating battle. Through His unseen help — the fierce wind that tore apart the enemy's camps and the angels He sent to reinforce the believers — He removed the threat without the believers having to fight a decisive engagement. This was a profound mercy and a clear sign of divine protection.

The verse concludes with a powerful affirmation of Allah's attributes: He is Qawiyy (Mighty) — His strength knows no limits, and no force can overcome Him; and He is Aziz (Almighty) — He prevails over all things and grants victory to His righteous servants.

A Da'wah Reflection:

Dear reader, ponder deeply on this scene: a small, besieged community in Medina, facing the combined might of Arabia's greatest tribes. By all human calculation, their end seemed near. Yet, in a single moment, Allah turned the tide — not with swords and shields, but with a wind and unseen soldiers. This is the reality of reliance upon Allah: when you place your trust in the Creator of the heavens and the earth, no coalition of enemies, no matter how powerful, can harm you beyond what He permits.

This verse carries a timeless lesson for every believer: Allah never abandons those who sincerely turn to Him. The trials you face — whether personal, familial, or communal — are but tests. If you remain patient, steadfast, and obedient, Allah will make a way out for you, just as He did for the believers at the Trench. He is the same Mighty, Almighty Lord today as He was then. His promise is true: "And whoever relies upon Allah — then He is sufficient for him" (65:3).

So, strengthen your heart, hold firm to your faith, and know that victory comes with patience, relief comes with hardship, and with every difficulty there is ease. The same Allah who repelled the armies of disbelief with a single command is watching over you — and He is Qawiyy, Aziz.