“certainty,” “misgiving,” “doubt,” and the like encompasses the heart’s knowledge and action, its assent and lack of assent, and its tranquility and lack of tranquility. These matters are not merely questions of knowledge, as some people suppose, as we have explained elsewhere.

Our purpose here is to discuss His words:

“Until, when the messengers had lost hope.”

Since the statement that they had lost hope is unqualified, it is well known that when Allah promises the messengers and the believers victory without qualification—as is generally the case with His declarations—He does not specify its time, place, year, or manner. People often attribute further particulars to what has been promised, particulars not conveyed by Allah’s words, but which they have come to believe for other reasons.

Thus, some of the Companions understood the Prophet’s statement—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—that they would enter the Sacred Mosque and circumambulate it to mean that this would happen in the year of al-Hudaybiyya. For the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—had set out to perform ‘umrah, hoping to enter Mecca that year, circumambulate the House, and walk between Safā and Marwa. When they lost hope of his entering Mecca that year—after the polytheists barred their way, until the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, concluded the well-known peace treaty with them—some of them remained troubled at heart, so much so that:

“‘Umar said to the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—‘Did you not tell us that we would enter the House and circumambulate it?’

He replied, ‘Yes. But did I tell you that you would enter it this year?’

He said, ‘No.’

He replied, ‘You will indeed enter it and circumambulate it.’”

Abū Bakr told him the same thing. Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—had greater knowledge and faith than ‘Umar, until he repented