Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
The late Hazrat Maulana Waheed uz-Zaman (rahimahullah) has rendered the translation of these verses into Urdu poetry as follows:
If You had not granted guidance, how would salvation be attained?
How would we perform prayers (salah)? How would we give zakat?
Now, bestow tranquility upon us, O noble leader of sublime attributes.
Make our feet firm, grant us steadfastness in battle.
Without cause, these enemies have attacked us with oppression.
When they try to mislead us, we do not listen to their words.

In the "Tarjamat al-Bab," Hafiz Sahib (rahimahullah) states:
"And the author has alluded in the chapter heading by his words 'and raising the voice during the digging of the trench' to the fact that the dislike (karahah) of raising the voice is specific to the state of battle. This is as narrated by Abu Dawud through the route of Qais ibn ‘Abad, who said: 'The companions of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to dislike raising the voice during battle.' (Fath)"

That is, the Imam (rahimahullah) has indicated here that raising the voice at the very time of fighting is disliked (makruh), as in the narration that the companions of the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) considered it disliked to raise the voice during battle.
Outside the state of fighting, it is not disliked, as is mentioned here in the context of the digging of the trench.

Hadith Commentary:
It was the custom of the Arabs that, on the occasion of battle, they would sing martial anthems (jihadi tarane). This would produce enthusiasm, alertness, and firmness of resolve. On such occasions, it is also narrated that Salamah bin Akwa‘ radi Allahu anhu recited rajaz poetry, as will be mentioned in the following hadith. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith: 3041) In any case, during the actual moment of battle, silence would be observed, and during the preparation for battle, poetry would be recited so that the courage of the fighters would be strengthened and their morale elevated.

Hadith Commentary:
Hazrat Maulana Waheeduz-Zaman rahimahullah has rendered a poetic translation of these verses as follows:
If You had not granted guidance, how would salvation have been attained?
How would we have performed prayers (salah)? How would we have given zakat?
Now grant us reassurance, O noble leader of praiseworthy qualities!
Make our feet firm, grant us steadfastness in battle.
Without cause, these enemies have attacked us with oppression.
When they try to mislead us, we would have listened to their words.

Hadith Commentary:
At the time of the Battle of Ahzab, the leadership of Madinah Tayyibah was extremely vigilant and alert; they would assess the situation and take appropriate measures. Thus, as soon as the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) received news of the allied armies, he convened a high command council (shura) and consulted about defending Madinah.

Salman al-Farsi (radi Allahu anhu) suggested, “O Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)! In Persia, when we were besieged, we would dig a trench around ourselves.” This was a very wise defensive proposal.

The Arabs were not familiar with this, but the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) immediately acted upon it and assigned the task of digging the trench to the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum).

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would encourage this work and also participate in it practically.

This hadith describes the practical participation of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and his encouragement.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
In this hadith, the use of "lawla" is employed as an expression of Allah’s favor; this is permissible, and there are numerous examples of this in the Noble Qur’an. However, using "law" to express one’s incapacity or to make planning dominant over divine decree is not permissible in the Shari‘ah, as is evident from the following hadith:
“Be eager for that which benefits you, seek help from Allah for its attainment, and do not show incapacity.
And if ever some harm befalls you, do not say in this manner:
‘If I had done such-and-such, then such-and-such would have happened,’ but rather say, ‘Allah decreed it thus, and whatever He willed, happened,’ for the word ‘if’ opens the door to the deeds of Satan.”
(Sahih Muslim, al-Qadr, Hadith: 6774 (2664))

(2)
The meaning of this hadith is that a person who is not eager for actions that bring benefit and advantage is an incapable person.
A person’s perfection does not lie in adopting incapacity, but rather in striving with utmost effort for success, and this struggle should be undertaken with the belief that whatever has been written in our destiny is for that purpose; that is, planning is necessary, but it should not be made dominant, rather, it should be subservient to divine decree.
Now, if the planning does not prove effective and, after adopting all means, the objective is not achieved, then to start saying, “If I had done such-and-such, I would have succeeded,”
this too, in reality, is tantamount to making divine decree subservient to planning. Therefore, this is not the characteristic of a believing servant, but rather it is an act of Satan, because by saying “if” and “but,” nothing is achieved except regret, remorse, and sorrow; what was destined has already occurred, so what is the benefit of opening the door to “if” and “but”? Yes, even after striving, if the objective is not achieved, then to consign it to the divine decree is the mark of a believer, and this is also a source of comfort for him. Therefore, neglecting planning before the outcome is known is called incapacity; it cannot be called reliance on divine decree, and in the case of an unfavorable outcome, to recall the weakness of one’s planning is a satanic act, while consigning it to the divine decree is the mark of a believer.

(3)
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah wishes to convey that divine decree (qada wa qadar) has its own place, and earning and choice (kasb wa ikhtiyar) have their own place, but the characteristic of a believer is that, whether in success or failure, he maintains his servitude and worship, and does not give Satan an opportunity to enter (to intrude and infiltrate).
The way to do this is to strive fully for one’s affairs, and then, if the result is favorable, not to become arrogant over it, and if it is unfavorable, not to display impatience.
The following verse of the Noble Qur’an also teaches this same lesson:
“So that you do not grieve over what has escaped you, nor exult over what He has given you.”
(al-Hadid: 23/57)

Hadith Commentary:
It was the custom of the Arabs that in difficult circumstances, their emotions would be stirred through poetry, after which they would perform their tasks with dedication and zeal. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) adopted this very approach from the aforementioned verses of Abdullah ibn Rawahah (radi Allahu anhu). According to the narration of Anas (radi Allahu anhu), the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) recited these verses:

“O Allah! True life is only the life of the Hereafter, so forgive the Ansar and the Muhajirun.”

And the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum), carrying the soil of the trench on their backs, would respond to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) by reciting this verse:

“We are those who have pledged allegiance to Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) upon this matter, that as long as we live, we shall live for Islam.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Maghazi, Hadith: 4099)

Hadith Commentary:

Maulana Waheed uz-Zaman’s poetic translation is as follows:
O Allah, if You were not there, where would salvation be found?
How would we perform prayers, how would we give zakat?
Now send down tranquility upon us, O Sovereign of noble attributes.
Make our feet firm in battle, grant us steadfastness.
(This verse is in the twelfth para; it is not mentioned here.)
Without cause, these enemies have attacked us with oppression.
When they seek discord, we do not listen to their words.
You (the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would recite these verses aloud.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, through the aforementioned heading, has indicated towards another narration whose wording is as follows:
"By Allah! If it were not for Allah, we would not have been guided, nor would we have given charity, nor would we have performed prayer (salah)."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Maghazi, Hadith: 4104)

➋
In the Arabic language, the word (lawla) is used to indicate the prevention of one thing due to the existence of another.
If, through it, the truth is made conditional—as is the case in the aforementioned hadith—then it is permissible. Otherwise, if something false or impermissible is made conditional through it, then it is not correct, because whatever Allah the Exalted has decreed will certainly occur in every circumstance, whether one does it or not.
To make a false thing conditional through the word (lawla) and to hold such a belief is, in effect, a denial of divine decree (qadar).
(Fath al-Bari: 13/275)

Hadith Commentary:
This battle took place in Shawwal of the 5th year after Hijrah, in which all the Arab tribes united and launched an onslaught against Islam, but Allah humiliated them and caused them to retreat.
Some of the terrifying circumstances of this battle have been mentioned in Surah al-Ahzab.