Surah Al Ahzab Tafseer

إِذْ جَاوُوكُم مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ

When they came upon you from above you,

refers to the Confederates,

وَمِنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنكُمْ

and from below you.

We have already noted the report from Abu Hudhayfah that these were Banu Qurayzah.

وَإِذْ زَاغَتْ الاْإَبْصَارُ وَبَلَغَتِ الْقُلُوبُ الْحَنَاجِرَ

and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached to the throats,

means, from intense fear and terror.

وَتَظُنُّونَ بِاللَّهِ الظُّنُونَا

and you were harboring doubts about Allah.

Ibn Jarir said:

"Some of those who were with the Messenger of Allah, had doubts and thought that the outcome would be against the believers, and that Allah would allow that to happen."

Muhammad bin Ishaq said concerning the Ayah:

(when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached to the throats, and you were harboring doubts about Allah),

"The believers had all kinds of doubts, and hypocrisy emerged to such an extent that Mu`attib bin Qushayr, the brother of Banu `Amr bin `Awf said:`Muhammad was promising us that we would win the treasure of Chosroes and Caesar, but one of us cannot even go and relieve himself."'

Al-Hasan said concerning the Ayah:

(and you were harboring doubts about Allah),

"There were different kinds of thoughts; the hypocrites thought that Muhammad and his Companions would be eliminated, while the believers were certain that what Allah and His Messenger promised was true, and that He would cause the religion to prevail even if the idolators hated it."

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Sa`id, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

"On the day of Al-Khandaq, we said:`O Messenger of Allah, is there anything we should say, for our hearts have reached our throats.'

He said:

نَعَمْ قُولُوا

اللَّهُمَّ اسْتُرْ عَوْرَاتِنَا وَامِنْ رَوْعَاتِنَا

Yes, say:

O Allah, cover our weak points and calm our fears.

Then (Allah) struck the faces of the enemy with the wind, and defeated them with the wind.

This was also recorded by Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal from Abu `Amir Al-`Aqadi