Moreover, Allah Most High has tested people with this trial so that He may reward the truthful for their truthfulness—those who remain steadfast and patient in supporting Allah and His Messenger—and punish the hypocrites if He wills, or turn to them in forgiveness. We hope that Allah will turn in forgiveness to many of these blameworthy people, for some of them have felt remorse. Allah, glorified be He, accepts repentance from His servants and pardons their misdeeds. Allah has opened a gate for repentance in the west, forty years’ journey wide, which He will not close until the sun rises from the west.

The historians of the Prophet’s campaigns—including Ibn Ishāq—have related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said at the Trench:

“Now we shall attack them, and they will not attack us.”

After that, neither Quraysh, Ghatafān nor the Jews attacked the Muslims. Rather, the Muslims attacked them, conquering Khaybar and then Mecca. The same will apply, if Allah wills, to these confederate forces of Mongols, various Turkic peoples, Persians, Arabized peoples, Christians and others who stand outside the law of Islam: now we shall attack them, and they will not attack us. Allah will turn in forgiveness to whomever He wills among the Muslims whose hearts have been touched by disease or hypocrisy, enabling them to return to their Lord, think more favourably of Islam, and strengthen their resolve to strive against their enemy.

Allah has indeed shown them signs containing a lesson for those with insight, as He says:

“Allah drove back those who disbelieved in their rage, having gained no good. Allah spared the believers from fighting. And Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty.”