190 Page Notes

09 Surah At-Tawbah (continued)

Page 190 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

9:21

9:22

9:23

9:24

9:25

9:26

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 190 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 190 of the Quran encompasses Surah At-Tawbah (9), verses 21 through 26. This specific text contains two distinct thematic sections: verses 21–24 address the strict prioritization of faith over family ties and worldly wealth, while verses 25–26 provide a vivid historical breakdown of the Battle of Hunayn (8 AH), serving as a crucial case study in humility and divine intervention.

The Hadith literature explicitly preserves the real-world events, direct statements, and behavioral transformations surrounding these passages.

1. Verses 23–24: Prioritizing Faith Over Kinship and Wealth

“O you who have believed, do not take your fathers or your brothers as allies if they have preferred disbelief over belief... Say, [O Muhammad], ‘If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, wealth which you have acquired, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command.’” (Quran 9:23–24)

Authentic Hadith Reference: The Caliber of Love (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Verse 24 demands that love for God and His Messenger must supersede all baseline human desires, familial dynamics, and material successes. The exact internal paradigm shift required by this verse is captured in a famous exchange between the Prophet ﷺ and Umar ibn al-Khattab:

Narrated Abdullah ibn Hisham:

We were with the Prophet ﷺ and he was holding the hand of Umar ibn al-Khattab. Umar said to him, "O Allah's Messenger! You are dearer to me than everything except my own self."

The Prophet ﷺ said, "No, by Him in Whose Hand my soul is, (you will not have complete faith) until I am dearer to you than your own self."

Then Umar said to him, "However, now, by Allah, you are dearer to me than my own self."

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Now, O Umar, (now you are a complete believer)."

— Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, Book 78, Hadith 628.

The Sunnah Context: Cutting Alliances with Hostile Kin

Scholars of Asbab al-Nuzul (reasons for revelation), such as Al-Wahidi, state these verses were directed at the Muslims who hesitated to migrate (Hijrah) from Mecca to Medina, or those who maintained deep economic and political alliances with family members who remained behind to actively fight the Muslim state.

The Sunnah established that while family members are always owed humane treatment and kindness, they cannot be chosen as political or spiritual allies (awliya) if they are actively engaged in dismantling the community of believers.

2. Verses 25–26: The Lessons of the Battle of Hunayn

“Allah has already given you victory in many regions and [even] on the day of Hunayn, when your great number pleased you, but it availed you nothing, and the earth was confining for you with [all] its vastness; then you turned back, fleeing. Then Allah sent down His tranquility [sakinah] upon His Messenger and upon the believers and sent down soldiers [angels] whom you did not see…” (Quran 9:25–26)

The Historical Catalyst

Shortly after the Conquest of Mecca in 8 AH, the powerful pagan Bedouin confederation of Hawazin and Thaqif gathered a massive army to crush the Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ marched out toward the valley of Hunayn with a force of 12,000 men—the largest Muslim military force ever assembled up to that date. Looking at their sheer scale, some companions boasted, "We shall not be defeated today due to small numbers." This internal pride is exactly what Verse 25 rebukes ("when your great number pleased you").

Authentic Hadith Reference: The Ambush and Retreat (Sahih al-Bukhari)

The Hawazin army arrived early and concealed themselves inside the narrow, steep gorges and mountain passes of the valley. As the Muslim vanguard entered at dawn, they were met with a devastating, coordinated rain of arrows. Chaos ensued, causing the vast majority of the Muslim army to panic and retreat down the valley.

Narrated Al-Bara ibn Azib:

A man asked him, "O Abu Umara! Did you all flee on the day of Hunayn?"

Al-Bara replied, "No, by Allah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not flee. But his young, unarmed companions met a group of people from the tribe of Hawazin and Banu Nasr who were expert archers. They shot a volley of arrows at them that threw them into confusion. The people turned to flee, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ remained firm on his white mule..."

Al-Bara added: "The Prophet ﷺ was calling out: 'I am the Prophet without untruth; I am the son of Abdul-Muttalib!' ... At that moment, no one was braver than he."

— Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 64 (Book of Military Expeditions), Hadith 4317.

The Turning Point and Divine Tranquility (Sakinah)

With only a tiny group of companions (including Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali, and the Prophet's uncle Al-Abbas) remaining steadfast around him amidst the flying arrows, the Prophet ﷺ utilized Al-Abbas's famously booming voice to call out to the retreating forces, specifically summoning the Ansar and the men who had sworn allegiance under the tree (Bay'at al-Ridwan).

Narrated Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib:

"...By Allah, when they heard my voice, they turned back as fast as cows turn back to their calves, crying out: 'Here we are, here we are [Labbayk]!' They engaged the enemy, and the fighting grew fierce.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ picked up some pebbles from the ground and threw them into the faces of the enemy forces, saying: 'Be defeated, by the Lord of Muhammad!'

By Allah, the moment he threw those pebbles, their edge was broken and they began to retreat."

— Sahih Muslim, Book 32 (Book of Jihad), Hadith 4388.

This intense psychological pivot from absolute panic back to overwhelming supernatural calm and tactical focus is what the text means by "Then Allah sent down His tranquility [sakinah]... and sent down soldiers whom you did not see" (Verse 26).

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. I. (1997). Sahih al-Bukhari (Vols. 1-9). Darussalam Publishers.

• Al-Naysaburi, M. H. (2007). Sahih Muslim (Vols. 1-7). Darussalam Publishers.

• Al-Wahidi, A. A. (2008). Asbab al-Nuzul (Occasions of Revelation). Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought.

Verification of Primary Source Indexing:

• The White Mule Stand: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 64, Hadith 4315 & Hadith 4317.

• The Pebbles and Sakinah: Sahih Muslim, Book of Jihad and Expedition, Chapter: The Battle of Hunayn, Hadith 4388 (and Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 2664).