الآية رقم (9) - الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ

(9) - To whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And Allah, over all things, is Witness

The story of the trench is well-known and is an example of the eternal struggle between truth and falsehood.

الْأُخْدُودِ  (The trench): is a great ditch in the ground. It was dug by the people who were among the disbelievers for the people of faith. Allah (swt) has described it as:

النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُودِ (Containing the fire full of fuel): Then they lit a fire in it and threw the believers into it. They and all the people of disbelief were witnesses to what was done to these believers.

The story of people of the trench was mentioned in many books. Ibn Abbas )May Allah be pleased with him), related it to Christians of Najran.

However, what is mostly concerned about is the lesson of faith derived from this story, that is, what is the action of the people of disbelief and, in return, what is the reaction of people of faith and righteousness.

Allah (swt) wanted to show us principles of conflict. Faith is fixed and firm in the hearts of its owners whereas the people of falsehood and disbelief are always conceited by their power so they practice oppression on the weak believers.

The attitudes of people of tyranny and falsehood towards the believers are not admitted by any human mind and healthy instinct and firstly by the religion.

The struggle between truth and falsehood does not last because falsehood is ever bound to depart, it soon falls in front of the strength and stability of the truth.

There is another form of struggle; that is between truth and truth. In fact, this does not exist at all because the truth is one identity and there is not a single case in which two rights are competing even if it appears other than that. For sometimes we may find two forces are struggling and it comes to our mind that both of them are right but if we think fully, we will discover that one of them is wrong.

The third form of struggle is between falsehood and falsehood. This lasts for a long time, Allah (swt) in this case does not help either of them and the stronger is the winner.

{ وَمَا نَقَمُوا مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا أَن يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ  }

(And they resented them not except because they believed in Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy (8))

Believing in Allah (swt) is their crime according to the disbelievers and people of falsehood. For that they resented and feel bad towards them, then punished them by throwing them in a pitch in which they lit fire.

Allah (swt) portrays this scene in a very fabulous rhetorical style, the Arabs used to call it: Complimenting in a criticism-like manner.

نَقَمُوا (resented): Means they criticize and hate. Usually, hatred is for blameworthy something. But on the contrary, the Qur’an mentions a good praised attitude. As when you we: There is no bad characteristic in a person except that he is generous. Saying this we confirm his generosity because the listener is expecting to hear something bad. In this case the good characteristic is affirmed. As it was said that “They found no imperfection in flowers so they described them as red-cheeked”. Is red cheek an imperfection? This same expression in the following verse:

 {وَمَا نَقَمُواْ إِلاَ أَنْ أَغْنَاهُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ   }

(and they could not find any cause to do so except that Allah and His Messenger had enriched them of His bounty) (At-Taubah: 74)

Meaning that the disbelievers and people of falsehood and the companions of the trench hated something, not accepted to be hated neither naturally nor by distant. This indicates the corrupted minds of those who disliked the goodness.

As if the Holy Qur’an says that if those disbelievers had counted the characteristics and behavior of the people whom they threw into fire they would have found nothing against them, so why have they thrown them into fire!!

It is because of their oppression and tyranny which made them see the faithfulness in Allah (swt) as a bad attitude.

الْعَزِيزِ (The Exalted in Might): The predominant, Who is neither overpowered nor coerced, and never needs worshiping of his creation.

الْحَمِيدِ (The Praiseworthy): Who deserves all kinds of praising for all His bestowments.

Hence, one attribute describes (the Almightiness) of Allah (swt) to create fear and another attribute of (praiseworthy) to create hope.

Hence, the Quranic context combines Invitation and Intimidation to suit everyone. The important thing is to take the path to the Almighty from any side.

The meaning is that the weak believers in this life who did not deny the faith did not go to a weak side, but rather they sought refuge of a Strong, Exalted, and Predominant Lord, Who the earth entirely is within His grip and all the bestowments are in His hands. So, they are in the right way and the straight path towards the honorable aim because they followed the only worthy of worshipping True God Who:

{ الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ  }

(To whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And Allah, over all things, is Witness (8))

Allah’s predominance indeed is very apparent and clear in the realm of the earth the skies, undeniable by neither the believers nor the disbelievers.

Note the accuracy in the Quranic expression: And Allah, over all things, is Witness.

Allah (swt) presents this expression in a separate, not connected with the precedent sentence and does not mention a pronoun (He), hence no reference is needed. That is Allah (swt) does not say: And He, over all things, is Witness. This verse refers and suits what is mentioned earlier of:

{ وَهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ }

(And they, to what they were doing against the believers, were witnesses (7))

Meaning, you, the disbelievers, as you witnessed the throwing of the believers in fire, Allah (swt) as well witnessed all that you have done.

شَهِيدٌ (witness): is an intensiveness form of the verb and it has two meanings:

  • Nothing is hidden from Him.
  • A Witness of the one who has no witness, as in the case of the oppressed people of trench who suffered from aggression. Therefore, to those who conceal their oppression from the eyes of the people, beware of the eyes of Allah (swt), the Witness of everything.