Transliteration:( Wa iz qaalat taaa'ifatum minhum yaaa ahla Yasriba laa muqaamaa lakum farji'oo; wa yastaazinu fareequm minhumun Nabiyya yaqooloona inna buyootanaa 'awrah; wa maa hiya bi'awratin iny yureedoona illaa firaaraa )
"And when a party of them said; 'O people [29] of Madina! You cannot stand [30] for much longer, therefore go back to your homes.' And a party of them asked permission [31] of the Prophet saying: 'Our homes are unsafe,' but they were not unsafe. They wished not but to flee [32] away."
The hypocrites referred to Madina as 'Yathrib', a name associated with hardship and negativity, whereas believers refer to it with reverence as Madina Tayyibah, Batha, etc. Using the term Yathrib is a sign of hypocrisy and weak faith. The term originated from Yathrib bin Abeel, a leader of Amaliqa, or from the root word ‘tharb’, meaning hardship. Therefore, it is discouraged to use this name for the sacred city.
A group of hypocrites attempted to demoralize the people by saying that the enemy was too strong and they could not stand firm any longer. They suggested retreating to their homes, and many abandoned the battlefield, thereby exposing their hypocrisy. Those who stayed proved their sincerity and true belief.
Some among the tribes of Bani Salmah and Bani Haritha came to the Holy Prophet ﷺ with fabricated concerns—claiming their homes were vulnerable and needed protection—when in reality, they were safe. This was merely an excuse to evade responsibility.
Allah revealed their true intentions, stating clearly that their real aim was to flee, not to protect their homes. This act of cowardice and betrayal during a time of crisis was severely condemned, and both the unauthorized deserters and the excuse-makers were deemed equally blameworthy.
The tafsir of Surah Ahzab verse 13 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Ahzab ayat 11 which provides the complete commentary from verse 11 through 13.
(33:13) And when a section of them said: “(O people of Yathrib), now there is no place for you to stay, so turn back.”[23] (And call to mind) when a section of them was seeking permission from the Prophet to leave, saying: “Our houses are exposed (to attack),”[24] although they were not exposed (to attack); [25] they only wished to flee (from the battle-front).
23. This sentence has two meanings: The apparent meaning is that there is no chance for them to stay at the Trench against the polytheists; therefore, they should return to the city. And the hidden meaning is that there is no chance for them to remain in Islam; therefore, they should return to their ancestral religion, so that they might escape the danger in which they had involved themselves by earning the hostility of the whole of Arabia. The hypocrites uttered such mischievous things so that they could make the one who would listen to them understand the intended hidden meaning, but in case someone took exception to their words, they could say they had been misunderstood.
24. That is, when the Bani Quraizah also joined the invaders, the hypocrites had a good excuse for defection and they started asking the Prophet (peace be upon him) for leave to go and protect their houses and families, which, they said, had been endangered, whereas at that time the Prophet (peace be upon him) was responsible for the defense and protection of all the people of Al-Madinah. After the treachery of the Quraizah it was for the Prophet (peace be upon him) to devise plans for the protection of the city and its people and not of the soldiers of the army individually.
25. That is, the Prophet (peace be upon him) had already made arrangements for protection against the danger, which were a part of the collective scheme of defense being implemented by him as commander of the Islamic forces. Therefore, there was no immediate danger in the face of which these people could justifiably make such an excuse.
[1185]- The name by which al-Madīnah was known before the arrival of the Prophet (ﷺ).
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