Verses 25 and 26 of Surah at-Tawbah point to the distinction between those who fled the battlefield in critical moments and those who remained steadfast. Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) was a symbol of courage and steadfastness in many battles, including the Battle of Hunayn, and never retreated from the battlefield.
Verse 25 of Surah at-Tawbah
لَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي مَوَاطِنَ كَثِيرَةٍ وَيَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَتُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنْكُمْ شَيْئًا وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ ثُمَّ وَلَّيْتُمْ مُدْبِرِينَ
“Indeed Allah has given you victory on many battlefields and on the Day of Hunayn, when your great number pleased you, but it did not avail you at all, and the earth was straitened for you despite its expanse, then you turned back in retreat.”
Verse 26 of Surah at-Tawbah
ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَعَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَنْزَلَ جُنُودًا لَمْ تَرَوْهَا وَعَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ
“Then Allah sent down His tranquility (Sakinah) upon His Messenger and upon the believers, and sent down soldiers whom you did not see, and punished those who disbelieved. That is the recompense of the disbelievers.”
According to a narration from Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him) in the Al-Ghadir Pilgrimage prayer, these verses recall the exalted station of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him).
In a passage of the Al-Ghadir Pilgrimage prayer referring to verse 25 of Surah at-Tawbah, it is stated:
وَ أَنْتَ الَّذِي نَفَيْتَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ) ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ حَتَّى رَدَّ اللَّهُ کَیْدَهُمْ فِی إِجْلَالِکُمَا عَنْهُمْ خَائِفِینَ وَ أَیَّدَ بِکَ الْمَنْهَزِمِینَ وَ يَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ كَمَا نَطَقَ بِهِ الْكِتَابُ فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ: إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَتُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنْكُمْ شَيْئاً وَ ضاقَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْأَرْضُ بِما رَحُبَتْ ثُمَّ وَلَّيْتُمْ مُدْبِرِينَ
“And you are the one who repelled the polytheists from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) to the right and to the left, until Allah turned back their plotting in awe of you both, and through you He aided the defeated. And on the Day of Hunayn, as the Book has spoken in this verse: ‘When your great number pleased you, but it did not avail you at all, and the earth was straitened for you despite its expanse, then you turned back in retreat.'”
In a passage of the Al-Ghadir Pilgrimage prayer referring to verse 26 of Surah at-Tawbah, it is stated:
«وَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ أَنْتَ وَ أَصْحَابُكَ وَ عَمُّكَ الْعَبَّاسُ يَا مَنْ يَصِيحُ بِالْمُنْهَزِمِينَ يَا أَصْحَابَ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ يَا أَهْلَ بَيْعَةِ الشَّجَرَةِ فَأَجَابَهُ جَمَاعَةٌ كُفِيتَ مُؤْنَتَهُمْ وَ قُمْتَ بِمَكَانِهِمْ فَرَجَعُوا خَائِبِينَ طَامِعِينَ فِي وَعْدِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِالتَّوْبَةِ وَ هُوَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ: ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ أَنْزَلَ جُنُوداً لَمْ تَرَوْها وَ عَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَ ذلِكَ جَزاءُ الْكافِرِينَ»
“And the believers are you, your companions, and your uncle Abbas. O you who call out to the defeated: ‘O companions of Surah al-Baqarah, O people of the Pledge of the Tree (Bay’at al-Shajarah)!’ – a group responded to him. You sufficed their burden and stood in their place. So they returned disappointed but hopeful in the promise of Allah Almighty regarding repentance. And this is the saying of Allah Almighty – magnificent is His mention: ‘Then Allah sent down His tranquility upon His Messenger and upon the believers, and sent down soldiers whom you did not see, and punished those who disbelieved. That is the recompense of the disbelievers.'”
Verses 25 and 26 of Surah at-Tawbah are among the ‘Alawi verses of the Noble Quran. Although the name of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) is not directly mentioned in these verses, in Islamic exegeses and narrations, his role as the true helper of the Final Prophet and as a figure who remained steadfast even in the most difficult conditions is presented as a practical example of the spirit of perseverance.
Al-Dahhak ibn Muzahim, a famous exegete, said regarding the interpretation of verse 25 of Surah at-Tawbah:
هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ نَزَلَتْ فِي الَّذِينَ ثَبَتُوا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ) يَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ وَ لَمْ يَنْهَزِمُوا، وَ هُمْ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ) وَ الْعَبَّاسُ وَ أَبُو سُفْيَانَ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ وَ عِدَّةٌ قَلِيلَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ (1)
“This verse was revealed concerning those who remained steadfast with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) on the Day of Hunayn and did not retreat. They are: Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), Abbas, Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith ibn Abd al-Muttalib, and a small number of the Banu Hashim.”
In the book Al-Ifsah fi al-Imamah, in the interpretation of verse 26 of Surah at-Tawbah, it is stated:
ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ اللهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلى رَسُولِهِ وَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ؛ الْمُرَادُ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ) وَ ثَمَانِيَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ. وَ كَانَ الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ عَنْ يَمِينِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ) وَ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ الْعَبَّاسِ عَنْ شِمَالِهِ، وَ أَبُو سُفْيَانَ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ آخِذاً بِزِمَامِ نَاقَتِهِ، وَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ) يَدْفَعُ بِالسَّيْفِ أَمَامَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ)، وَ نَوْفَلُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ وَ رَبِيعَةُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ وَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ وَ عُتْبَةُ وَ مُعَتِّبُ ابْنَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ قَدْ أَحَاطُوا بِالْحَضْرَةِ. (2)
“Then Allah sent down His tranquility (Sakinah) upon His Messenger and upon the believers – meaning by ‘the believers’ Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) and eight men from the Banu Hashim. At that time, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib was on the right of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), al-Fadl ibn Abbas on his left, Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith was holding the noseband of his she-camel, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) was defending with his sword in front of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and Nawfal ibn al-Harith, Rabi’ah ibn al-Harith, Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, and Utbah and Mu’tib – the two sons of Abu Lahab – had surrounded him.”
- Tafsir Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), vol. 6, p. 92; Shawahid al-Tanzil, vol. 1, p. 331
- Tafsir Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), vol. 6, p. 90; Al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 140; Kashf al-Ghummah, vol. 1, p. 221; Nahj al-Haqq, p. 250; Kashf al-Yaqin, p. 142
